Wish Upon a Wedding: a fantastic experience

The amazing people behind the scene who were an integral part of this special occasion:

When my good friend Elisheva from a bride's best friend contacted me and asked if I would be willing to participate in Wish Upon A Wedding, I was interested immediately. This non-profit organization generously grants the wishes of brides and grooms who are affected with terminal illnesses. Having lost both of my parents to cancer, participating in this event was very meaningful.
I'm so honored I had the privilege to document Winnie and Joe's day. Winnie was glowing when Joe saw her the first time, and Joe kept murmuring love notes to his gorgeous bride during the photo session.
The experience? Inspired and beautiful, and a blessed event filled with great food, fancy footwork on the dance floor and fond memories.
To learn more about Joe and Winnie and to find out more about Wish Upon a Wedding, please follow the link: Wish Upon A wedding

The amazing people behind the scene who were an integral part of this special occasion:

Venue: Campbell Hall and Gardens, Sausalito, California

Wedding Planner: MB Wedding Design & Events

Photographer: Colson Griffith
Videography (love story): AK Films

Videography (Day of Event): Cinematt

DJ: Sound In Motion

Flowers: Michael Daigain Design

Linens: Napa Valley Linens

Cake: The Cakemaker

Hair and Makeup: Katie Nash Beauty

Taylor and Joseph – Short film – Los meganos, Brentwood, CA

Where to start about Taylor and Joseph’s wedding? Well for starter it was a repeat, since I had shot Taylor’s brother’s wedding last year. Therefore, a lot of familiar faces for me in this wedding. It’s always nice to come and people recognize you and praise you on the last film you did for them. It’s also added pressure as you know the expectations are going to be high and there is no way you want to let them down.

But with a great setting at beautiful  Los Meganos Club in Brentwood, and a great team, very touching vows, and great speeches from friends and family, this wedding had all the elements you want to create a memorable wedding film. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoy putting it together. Thank you for watching and happy holidays to all of you.

Matthieu


Reception Venue: Club Los Meganos
Wedding Coordinator: Dante Thomas
Photographer: Ashley Cain, Cain Photography
Caterer: Cafe Soleil
Florist: Diane O'Brien, Ribbons and Roses

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Reva and Mark - Carneros Inn - Napa

When Reva and Mark contacted me last year for their wedding, I was really excited. First they were getting married at Carneros Inn, it was a really intimate wedding, they were working with a great coordinator, and for them it was a destination wedding since they live in Chicago.
As soon as I met them, I knew it was a match made in heaven. Reva was bubbly and definitely excited about having a beautiful film. Mark was very candid and had sparkles in his eyes when he was telling me about their engagement story. Just taking to them I was giddy with excitement filming their special day.
And the day came. The sun took a while to decide to show up but it made their wedding even more special and even better than what i had anticipated. Great friends, great stories with some of the most touching speeches I have yet to hear at weddings, and some good dancing with an amazing DJ
This is their full feature and I hope I will be able to keep you entertained for 20 minutes.
Off course, and as usual your comments are welcome so don't hesitate.
Merci et bonne journee a tous et toutes.

coordinator: Kelly McLeskey-Dolata
Photographer: Alicia Todd
Location: Carneros Inn
Entertainment: Dj Sam Isaac
officiant: Rev. Bill Hutchinson
florist: Julie Stevens Design
cake artist: Inticing Creations 

Julie and Victor - Love story - San Francisco

Where has summer gone!? I can't believe it's already October and that Halloween, Thanksgiving  and Christmas  is already upon us. I apologize for the lack of postings but I have been quite busy with filming and editing over the past two months. And the next two weeks won't be any different as I have a Same Day Edit coming up on Saturday and finally a great wedding at Levi's Plaza the following week. After all of that it will be time to crank up a brand new blog. I'm excited about it and I can't wait for it.

But for the moment meet Julie and Victor.
When Monique Singh of Red Thread Events contacted me to tell me about Julie and Victor's wedding, I already knew it will be a fun and entertaining wedding. So when I met with Julie and she told me she wanted to do a love story I was really excited. She wanted me to create a love story that would give their guests some background on the relationship.
I don't get to do them very often but love story are definitely a fun way to share a little bit of yourself with your guests and family on the day of the wedding.
Their story is quite unusual as they met... through their moms. Both moms became friend through a mutual friend and started chatting about their single daughter and single son... The rest as they said is history... Well not quite, but you will just have to watch it to find out.
The film was shown this past Saturday in front of their 300 guests at beautiful Julia Morgan Ballroom, and I have to admit it was great to see their reaction when the story unfolded on their big screen.
I hope you enjoy it.
Have a great day.

Regina and Don - Decathlon Club - Santa Clara, CA

There are weddings that just leave an indelible mark on you. For me Regina and Don's wedding is the one. This warm couple, who was really enthusiastic at the idea of having me filming their wedding, has given me such joy working on their film. From their fun and entertaining bridal prep to the heartfelt ceremony, and a beautiful speech from Regina's dad, this wedding was just a roller coaster of emotion. So putting their film together was for me a good way to express their personality and the many different aspect of their event. My favorite part definitely is the closing of the film, where their first dance took center stage, not because it was choreographed but because this is the moment where you can see this couple completely into each other, and it just gave me goose bumps, while shooting and editing. i couldn't imagine a more perfect couple for each other, and I'm honored I was there to witness their happiness, and blissful union.
Thanks again to you guys for having me, and many many years of health, happiness and wealth for you both and your families.
Matthieu

Teresa and Eric - Calistoga Ranch - Napa

Writing blog is not always easy. Even though I have a degree in journalism, well mostly sports writing, I often struggle with it. But when you have couples like Teresa and Eric to write about, the words come easy, and they just glide on the computer screen. When Eric contacted me to shoot their intimate gorgeous wedding at Calistoga Ranch, I was ecstatic. First, they contacted me because Gene Higa their photographer had told them about me. I always feel so honored when one of my fellow colleague recommends me as it proves that they appreciate working with me, so right off the bat I knew I would felt very comfortable. Moreover, Their wedding was at Calistoga Ranch, which is a beautiful venue in the Napa region, and a place where I had never shot before. I knew it would be fresh creativity juice flowing. Finally, Teresa is the most gorgeous bride with the most beaming smile you can ever imagine... Eric cleans up pretty good as well, but let's face it, the star of this wedding was Teresa.
I really loved spending time getting to know them and establish a relationship with them before the wedding, which makes all the difference in the world when you step in that hotel room, and start filming.
What made their wedding so special to me is that they kept it really intimate. Eric's dad was his best man, and you can see the love of the two shares as they were getting ready at Solage. It was obvious they had a special bound. Teresa had her mom, her sister and her dad alongside while getting ready. It was really great to see Teresa and her dad just giggling and laughing it out while they were getting ready. You can felt the warmth of a loving family. Their officiant was a family friend who had so much personal touches and elements to add to their emotional and fun ceremony. Finally, the attention to details, which I love, was very obvious with a small tea ceremony during the ceremony, which honored both Teresa Chinese and Eric's Japanese Heritage.
The result is this 5 minutes of pure joy with Huckleberry Flint absolute fantastic soundtrack. Please visit their website and/or like them on Facebook. They are amazing, and they know how to bring the party.
I need to give some special shut outs to my team, of Aaron Lee, Tashi Wangchuk and Jeremiah Williams who are all responsible for this piece. And that's another thing I'd like to mention, working with great professional and having exceptional collaboration allow to produce such amazing work. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help and participation.
Bonne journee et a bientot.

Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay - Fredericka and Akindele - Half Moon Bay

Where to start with this amazing wedding I had the pleasure to film. First and foremost the location. Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay is simply amazing. I shoot there once a year in average, but this is by far one of the most picturesque place in all the Bay Area. Even though the sun is not always shinning there, the lighting is simply amazing, and the outside ceremony in the Gazebo is always a treat.
Nothing better for a beautiful lavish wedding to have a great on point coordinator who makes my work so easy, and Elisheva of a bride's best friend is all of that and more. We've known each other for a while, and working with her just makes my life simpler. I know I'm repeating myself but if you are planning a wedding please consider a professional coordinator. It just makes a world of difference.
As for the wedding itself. Fredericka and Akindele are both Nigerian, so be ready for vivid colors, fun dancing and many more new traditions. This loving couple had invited their friends to an amazing event where happiness and joy was the key word as you can see below.
I hope you will enjoy tis 14 minutes short film, and please don't hesitate to like it and comment.
Merci et bon weekend.
Matthieu



venue: Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay
Coordinator: Elisheva Basseri: a bride's best friend
Photographer: Bill Mahon
second cinematographer: Van Hsieh

Kohl Mansion - Cindy and Dan - San Francisco, ca

I have shot in many locations all over the Bay Area, but Kohl Mansion has a particular significance to me. It was there that I shot my first wedding, after I started my company in 2003. I have been back several times since, and it's always a pleasure to shoot there. So much to work with and I love the feel of the Mansion. So when I met with Cindy and she told me that's where she was going to have her wedding, I definitely was looking forward to film there.
Cindy and Dan had an all star team vendors. Janece Shellooe of Every Elegant Detail transformed the Mansion into a lavish affair, while Thomas John Events was delecting their guests with top notch food. My friends at big Fun DJ were delivering the tunes of this classic wedding, while Augie Chang was just working his magic behind the camera to deliver some amazing photography.
It's always fun to work with such a talented crew, and it makes my job much easier.
A big thank you to Aaron Lee, who was helping me on the day to capture those precious moment, and a big thank you to you, who are stopping by to watch.
So without further do, here is Cindy and Dan's Highlight. I hope you will enjoy it.
Merci et a bientôt with many more new films coming your way.

California Academy of Sciences - San Francisco - Elaine and Rudy

This year I have been fortunate to work in some really amazing locations. Julia Morgan Ball Room, Mark Hopkins, Ritz Carlton HalfMoon Bay, Calistoga Ranch and Carneros Inn Just to name a few.
But when Elaine and Rudy contacted me and chose me as their wedding filmmaker, I was beyond ecstatic to be working at California Academy of Sciences, the world's largest platinum museum in the world, and the greenest one. This made for an amazing backdrop for their lavish event magistrally orchestrated by the talented Jess Flood. Chef Christophe and his team of La bonne Cuisine had prepared some magical food to compliment the event. On top of it I had the pleasure to Shoot with Jerry and Ingrid from Jerry Yoon Photography, who are class acts to work with.
For the film I didn't want t go the usual route and I definitely wanted to concentrate on using Angel's speech - Elaine's MOH - as the backbone of my edit. Angel had the particularity of being the "matchmaker" and her very eloquent toast was the best way to introduce our newlyweds.
Elaine and Rudy are really fun people and I wanted their personality to shine throughout the film, therefore I decided to use a much upbeat music for the second part of the edit.
So without any further ado, here it is:

Freedom Hall - Sunnyvale - Jenny and Ben

I know it's been a while I have not posted anything, and the reason is simple: I was on vacation. After 22 straight weeks of filming weddings, I felt I needed a break and decided to travel part of the world literally since I went to 5 countries in 4 weeks.
But enough about me and let's get back to Jenny and Ben. I have known Jenny for a while now as I have shot both of her brothers wedding. So filming her own wedding was definitely fun for me, and some added pressure since she had two examples of what I can do. But as usual each and every wedding is different. They all bring their own colors and diversities, and Jenny's wedding was no exception.
I hope you will enjoy this colorful depiction of the day, which blended a bit of the asian and Jewish traditions.
Thank you Jenny and Ben for trusting me with your most important day.

Bonne Journee,
Matthieu

Westin St. Francis Hotel - San Francisco - Mona and Brian

2010 started with a bang for CINEMATT with the rebranding and excited weddings throughout the whole year. In celebration of an insane, crazy, and extremely rewarding year, I would like to introduce you to Mona and Brian. This couple of talented lawyers had their beautiful Persian inspired wedding at the Westin St. Francis Hotel, downtown San Francisco. Atop the city with gazing views of Coit Tower and San Francisco Bay, the Imperial Floor was the perfect venue for both ceremony and reception. There is definitely a sense of grandeur when you enter the room. The architecture and the refinement of the place were well fitted for this lovely couples and their 150 guests.
For this full feature edit, I axed my story around the very poignant speeches that Mona's sister and dad, and Brian' brother and dad gave throughout the evening. It was definitely emotional, and fun, and a great way to find out more about them, and their story. I hope you will enjoy it.
As usual please do not hesitate to leave comments or to simply hit the like button if you like their film.
For better viewing, press play then pause immediately, and wait for the whole film to download, before sitting back and enjoying it.
Merci et bonne fin de soiree*.
Matthieu



*Thank you, and have a great evening.

I would like to give special thanks to Andy Hirsch from Blue Moon Productions, and Elley Ho from Elley Photography, who were my second and third shooter on that day. Thank you for your hard work, and talent. This wedding would have not been the same without you.

Silver Creek Country Club - San Jose - Wendy and Jeffrey

Today I would like to introduce you to Jeffrey and Wendy. Their wedding took place at Silver Creek Country Club in San Jose. It was always one of the location I wanted to shoot at but never had an opportunity to do so. Unfortunately when they approached me with their wedding date I was already booked. So I told them I can have my crew shooting but I won't be the main shooter. They were fine with the idea, as they knew I would handle the editing. However, I wanted to make sure everything goes according to plan, so in the morning of the prep I showed up unannounced in San Leandro to shoot the bride prep, before heading off to the wedding I was supposed to shoot in Monterey. I think Wendy was really happy and surprised to see me there.

Their beautiful ceremony and reception were extra specials as Jeffrey's dad was the officiant, which made it even more personal.

The piece I'm presenting you with is their highlight. This is a fun way to share your wedding day with your friend, in a fast pace and entertaining fashion.

I hope you will enjoy it. If you do, don't hesitate to push your like button, or leave a comment.

Thank you for stopping by, and *a bientot j'espere.

Matthieu

* and I hope to see you soon

Heather's Farm - Walnut Creek - Sara and David

This past June I was lucky enough to take part in Sara and David's union. David is a pastor and found love a year and a half ago when he met the beautiful Sara.
In front of their friends, and their family, they professed their love for each other, and had an intimate reception following.
One of my favorite moment of the day was definitely when David and Sara saw each other for the first time. Sara was so cute, and so nervous at the same time as she walked toward David's who was just looking at her with gazing eyes and a cool demeanor, but shade a few tears as she turned the corner.
Another great moment was when their matron of honor actually addressed the crowed and asked for Pastor David's fellowship to welcome Sara as one of their own. That was a great moment and something i had never seen or heard before.
Congratulations to the beautiful couple and I will be following on your many adventures.
So without further do I would like to introduce to their beautiful wedding film.
I hope you will enjoy it and if you like it then just press the like button or leave a comment. Your inputs definitely help me to improve my craft.
Bonne journee et a bientot.

Matthieu

Have you considered wedding videos? The art of story telling

Ever since I started working in the wedding industry a mere ten years ago, I always strive to improve my work to give you the best possible wedding video. At first, it was just about shooting, and more shooting, getting some creative shots, and piecing them together in order to have a wedding video. But in the long run, it became apparent to me that shooting, editing and putting a video together was more than just some pretty shots, or some cool music.

You see, I want my films to have a meaning, a story... your story. You may notice I said “your story”, and the reason I use the possessive pronoun, is because I really want to have an attachment to you. I don't want you to feel like you are just hiring a videographer. Instead, you are making a new friend. It seems stupid to say but for the longest time I didn't get that concept; I was too wrapped up in doing "video" work. I was more focused on the technical aspect of making the video rather than the human aspect of it. Then, one day in 2004, my dad visited from France, and he watched my work. All the sudden he told me: "Your work is good but I can't seem to connect with your couples." It hit me like a ton of bricks.

Coming from a man who spent 25 years on the airwaves in France connecting with strangers night after night, I took to heart what he was telling me and realized the importance of his message. You see, I grew up listening to my dad's soothing voice on the radio every night. And even though I would only get to see my dad on precious weekends, I had a deep connection with him through the air waves. My dad had a radio show that started as a half hour program, in which truckers will call to report any road blocks or any other situation. Then the 30 minutes stint became a four and a half hour daily fixture, where total strangers, night after night called to get help, some passing a message to their family and some to solve their most personal problems. There was no internet or cell phone at that time, so my dad was it. No matter who was calling him, he was able to connect with them on a personal and emotional level in the span of few seconds. And Dad did that for 25 meaningful years.

The realization that I wasn't connecting to my couples struck me hard. I needed to do what my Dad did in my video work. Within a few weeks I completely revamped my idea of wedding video. Now enters the term “wedding film”. I started to think of what was the best way of telling your story. The best way, and there is no substitute to this for me, is to meet with you on a deeper level to establish that easy feeling you should have with any of your handpicked wedding vendors. It goes beyond just shooting your wedding day, the most important day of your life. So when you meet me or when we talk on the phone, be ready to tell me everything about you! Anything that would be of interest in order to tell your story the best way possible and don't leave the details out. Even little things that you don't think matters are little nuggets of gold. I really want you to give me a better and brighter picture of who you are, what you want, and what you are looking for. I just don't want a simple sketch, I want a canvas! A canvas I can refine, and  use to reflect your story in the wedding film that I will personally create for you.

And that's why I consider my videos to be wedding films.

I'm fortunate to have great couples who feed and respect my imagination and creativity, and I look forward to documenting your day with the same passion and same creativity that continues to burn inside of me.

With all this, I present to you a full feature length wedding film: "Serendipity".
why Serendipity? Well if Jane had taken a trip to Buenos Aires she might have not met the man of her dream aka David. You see Jane had planned to go to Buenos Aires for a Christmas trip, but the trip was cancelled last minute due to work. So she needed an out, and the out was San Anton, Austria. And although when she got there she thought she had ended up in a retirement house, she couldn't imagine she would meet her future husband the very next day, the very British and distinguish David.
Fast forward 3 years later, and here we are at Hans Fahden Winery, in Napa Valley in Calistoga. Off course as you can imagine the Ski theme was very present in this beautiful wedding, where Jane and David brought their friends and Family from all around the world to gather to celebrate their union.
From the ski tag for sitting cards, to the cutest ring holder representing a man and a woman in hot tub after a long day of skiing, everything was around that theme. Even their signing book was in fact a pair of skis.I hope you will enjoy it, and be sure to watch it until the end of their magical story.
Congratulations again to Jane and David.

Merci et bonne journee,

Matthieu

backyard wedding - knightsen - Tobi and Jake

Who does not like bbq, fresh lemonade, chocolate and caramel fountains, and scrumptious pies? Well when you combine all those delicious food to a wedding, it makes it even better. That's what Tobi and Jake did.
When Tobi contacted me to film her wedding, she described what she wanted from the day, and I knew right there, that it was going to be a fun and beautiful wedding. So many small details went into making their day really special. It is definitely a do it yourself wedding which encompass the things they love the most: BBQ, summer days, friends and family
So i wanted to make sure that their film will be a cumulation of all their elements.
I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
A special thanks to Andy Hirsch from Blue moon productions for helping me filming on that day.
Enjoy and hope to hear from you.
Bonne Journee,
Matthieu

Attention: This is not a wedding video....

... but it's worth watching.
Yes most of my films are weddings, but from time to time I get to work on a really cool project which has nothing to do with weddings. Sex and the City is one of those.
This event was put together by Michi Sushi Restaurant, Club Auto Sport, Sophie Lai of Simply perfect events, and Christina Romero of Elegant Occasions. This is a pretty cool place to not only store your car. It is also a great place to party and conduct private parties and events.
My approach to the filming was not to transform it into a promo corporate work but more of a guest perspective. I hope you will feel I capture the actions of the event.
Now back to weddings and so many exciting films to share with you soon hopefully.

Merci et a bientot.

destination wedding - France - Greg and Chloe

Greg is French, Chloe is Chinese. They met in Beijing, and after a four year long distance relationship involving a lot of air traveling between France and China, Chloe decided to fly to France and stay for good. I was lucky enough to film their beautiful wedding in Chessy-Les-Mines (France). Here is their film. A consommer sans moderation

Vendor spotlight: Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park

Back in August of 2009, cinematt was honored to shoot the wedding of Jessica and Chris at Alied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. This is a very beautiful place with an old tuscan feel to it, and if you are having a wedding or any event for that matter, it is definitely a place to consider.
The staff is very friendly and the location is peaceful and private. There were so many elements that I love about the place, I decided to put a quick short. If you are interested in finding out more about Allied Arts Guild, please go to their website or call (650)322-2405
Merci et a bientot,

Matthieu



Here is also the highlight for Jessica and Chris wedding:

Margaret & Scott, Villa Montalvo, Saratoga, california

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See it in HD Here

For better viewing please allow film to completely download before playing it.

Margaret and Scott are such a great couple, and shooting at Villa Montalvo and at the Saratoga Country Club was just a blast. Both of Scott and Margaret families contributed to a fun and loving wedding, and that is why I wanted to use many of the great toasts they had to build their story and give them something personal and beautiful, that will capture the essence of the wedding.
I hope you will enjoy it, and as usual your comments are always welcome.
Bonne Journee,

Matthieu

The gear:
5D mark II: lens used: 16-35mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4, 24-105mm f/4
Canon Xh-A1

Welcome to Kent's Kanines

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A little while back I had the opportunity to work with a very talented dog groomer. Deborah Kent of Kent's Kanines, just loves her dogs and this promo I put together for the launch of her company is definitely a reflection of that love she has had for all our furry friends for over 20 years now. This piece is special to me as it is the first time I was offered to do that kind of promo, and to be honest with you I loved it. It was a lot of fun. Thank you to my friend James Burkart for helping me out with getting the footage entirely shot on Canon 5D Mark II.