Where feeling, light, and curiosity quietly converge.
Swiss photographer Annabelle Zermatten of coucoustudio love approaches weddings with an intuitive eye and a deep appreciation for the beauty found in fleeting moments. Blending documentary observation with an editorial sensibility, her work is shaped by light, movement, colour, and the subtle interactions that often go unnoticed. Thoughtful yet playful, Annabelle creates imagery that feels deeply human and effortlessly alive, capturing each celebration with honesty, warmth, and a quiet sense of wonder. In the Q&A below, she reflects on the creative influences behind her work, the moments that continue to inspire her, and the perspective she brings to every wedding she photographs.
What first made you realise photography was the creative path you wanted to pursue?
I think images have always been a big part of my life. When I was around 12 years old, I started going to summer cinema camps where we created short films. That’s where I really discovered how much I loved making images. I met people there with whom I continued creating projects over the years — including Rodrigo, who, 21 years later, is still part of my journey and now sometimes joins me at weddings as a videographer.
At first, I fell in love with moving images. I loved storytelling through film, but I also realised I was frustrated by the distance between capturing a moment and seeing the final result. The editing process, the waiting, all the steps in between… Photography felt much more immediate. I could see something, feel something, and capture it right away.
So naturally, I moved towards photography. When I was 16, I applied to an art school and started my studies there. I spent one year in a preparatory programme, followed by four years of photography studies to obtain my Federal Certificate of Competence (CFC), and later two more years specialising in visual communication design and photography.
Looking back, photography feels less like a choice I made and more like something I naturally grew into.
How would you describe the signature thread that runs through your work?
I think the playful side of my personal work definitely finds its way into my wedding photography.
I love playing with images — with colours, light, framing, movement, and unexpected things happening around me. I love when someone looks at a photograph and thinks: “Oh, I never noticed this when I was there.”
I like creating images that have a little surprise, something that makes you smile. I love colour combinations, when the sky matches the landscape, when a body creates an interesting shape, when someone is partially hidden behind another person, when different layers come together.
I’m also very attracted to movement and gestures — the way people naturally interact, the way a hand moves, a look appears, a body leans towards another.
I think my signature is somewhere between observing what is already happening and adding my own playful way of seeing it. I want to respect the couple, the place, and the energy of the day, while bringing my own perspective through colour, composition, and a little bit of curiosity.
What do you hope people feel before they even notice the details in one of your photographs?
I hope they feel something before they start analysing the image.
For me, a good photograph is not necessarily the perfectly composed one. It’s the one that tells something. The one that feels like a screenshot from a movie, where you immediately wonder what happened before and what will happen after.
I love when an image allows you to imagine the whole atmosphere around it — the smell of the place, the warmth of the sun on someone’s skin, the music playing in the background, the energy of the people.
I don’t want my photographs to feel like a couple has been standing still for half an hour waiting for a picture. I want them to feel alive, like I arrived at the exact moment something was happening.
What’s the first thing that catches your eye when you walk into a wedding?
Light. Always light.
The first thing I notice is how light interacts with a place, with textures, with people. Without light, photography wouldn’t exist, and it is probably my favourite tool to play with.
I love observing natural light and shadows — the way they transform a space throughout the day and change the feeling of a place.
And then, of course, I look at the couple. I’m always curious about the energy between two people, the way they move together, the little things they do without thinking. Most of the time, I have already met them through a video call, but it is completely different to feel someone’s presence in real life.
What is one creative instinct you’ve learnt to trust more over the years?
To trust myself and to have fun while shooting. There was a time when I was thinking too much about what I should photograph, what people would expect, what would get more attention online. At some point, I realised I was losing the reason why I started taking photographs in the first place.
Today, I try to photograph what feels true to me. I want to document what is happening, but also show the wedding through my own eyes — in a way that feels honest, playful, and artistic.
I have learned that not planning everything is actually a big part of my creative process. Of course, I prepare and think about the day, but if I decide in advance exactly what every image should be, I lose the magic of what can only happen in the moment.
The freedom to react, improvise, and create on the spot allows me to be the most creative version of myself.
What is something completely unrelated to photography that regularly inspires your work?
Honestly, it’s everyday life. The way light moves on the walls of my apartment. The sun touching someone’s face when we are walking by the lake. Reflections moving on the water. A red colour appearing in a landscape full of green. Dust rising from a dry road when the wind suddenly passes.
I’m inspired by films, by artists around me, by my friends who create beautiful things, by cooking and the way ingredients can become almost like a painting on a plate.
I’m inspired by small things that might seem completely unimportant: the sound of cicadas in summer, opening a bottle of wine, a song we have listened to 455 times in the car and still sing at the top of our lungs, birds flying around a park in the evening, orange street lights suddenly changing the atmosphere of a street.
I think what inspires me most is life itself — these little moments that are easy to overlook but are actually what life is made of. Photography is my way of paying attention to them.
If you could relive one part of every wedding day through your camera, which would it be and why?
The couple portraits.
It is such a special moment because, for a little while, I get to have them almost completely to myself. Most of the time they have just gotten married, and there is this little pause where they can breathe, realise what just happened, talk about the ceremony, laugh, and say “we’re actually married.”
There is something very special about seeing two people after such an intense moment, when everything is still very fresh.
And, honestly, I also love the speeches. I cry almost every time — discreetly behind my camera, of course.
What’s one thing that always makes you smile behind the lens, no matter how many weddings you’ve photographed?
People’s eyes.
The way guests look at each other. The way parents look at their children. The way couples look at each other when they think nobody is watching.
These small, spontaneous moments of connection are always what make me smile. They are often the moments that say the most.
What kinds of couples, celebrations, or places are inspiring you most at this stage of your career?
I’m really inspired by couples who are reinventing what a wedding can be.
I love seeing people create their own traditions, mix cultures and religions, transform existing codes, and build a celebration that actually feels like them.
I think more and more couples want to move away from the idea that there is only one way to get married. They want to create something personal, something meaningful, something that reflects their story.
Those are the couples I naturally connect with because it matches the way I approach photography too. I also want to move away from traditional wedding photography codes and create something more personal, more creative, and more honest.
I love when couples are not afraid to do things differently.
What advice would you give to couples looking for a photographer who feels like the right fit, both creatively and personally?
Choose someone whose images speak to you, but also someone you genuinely feel comfortable with.
Your photographer will be with you for a big part of the day, during very emotional and intimate moments. The connection matters as much as the photographs.
I think it’s important to choose someone whose way of seeing the world feels close to yours. Not just someone who creates beautiful images, but someone whose photographs make you feel something.
Trust your instinct. When you meet the right person, you usually feel it.
Discover more by visiting coucoustudio-love.com and @coucoustudio.love. Explore coucoustudio love on the Together Journal Online Directory.
