Liz and Eric | feature highlight | Healdsburg Gardens, California

As we are wrapping up the summer, and ready to leave to France on Monday for Valentine and Thibault's wedding in Bordeaux, I wanted to share with you Liz and Eric beautiful film. They got married in one of my favorite place, The Healdsburg Country Gardens. I have had the chance to film there a few years back alongside my good friend James, and was dying to do another one there.

This one is a bit particular to me as two weeks prior their wedding I had a scooter accident, and broke my Big Toe, which landed me in a walking boot for the next six weeks. Off course, I had six straight weddings to film to make things even better. So naturally I called Liz and Erick to let them know what had happened, but not to worry I will be there filming their wedding, and will also bring an extra cinematographer.
You see our community of cinematographers in San Francisco is really strong, and my Friend Luke Goodman stepped up to the plate to come help me and be "my legs" on that day. It turned out that the pain wasn't as bad as what I thought and I was able to film alongside Luke, and Dennis.

But I digress. From the moment I met Liz and Eric, I knew we were a great match. They were fun loving, and definitely my kind of couples. Liz had some great ideas to make her wedding as personal as possible, which included but was not limited to shot glasses for favor, Mexican tiles for table numbers, a fun Photo Booth and a dessert station to die for.
I really enjoyed their sunset photo session as those two are so natural and comfortable with each other. It's beautiful to see two people so much in love. Their vows to each other was just a perfect icing on the cake.
Please enjoy their film and don't hesitate to leave a comment or press the like button if you enjoyed it.
Merci et bonne journée


Venue: Healdsburg Country Gardens
Wedding coordinator: Elsa Vera
Photographer: Andrew Scott
Make up and Hair: Hair Artistry by Gabrielle
Caterer: Park Avenue Catering
Floral: Bud Stop
DJ: Diamond Dave
Cinematographer: cinematt

10 years in the making... Happy Anniversary CINEMATT!

Today is CINEMATT's 10th anniversary!
It was on July 22, 2003, that I decided to become a small business owner and take my passion of cinematography to the next level. It has been an amazing ride and a world-wind of adventures.
I'm so proud to have been able to witness so many unions and I hope many more will come.  To that, I would like to thank all the brides and grooms who have trusted CINEMATT for capturing the most important day of their lives.
In honor of this very special date, I would like to share, not my first, but my latest wedding film which happens to be in Hawaii.
Last month, I had the honor to film Lisa and Brian's intimate wedding at the prestigious St. Regis Princeville, in Kauai. They invited their closest friends and family for a memorable destination-weekend celebration.
Many images come to mind that highlight this wonderful celebration including the famous Kauai guitarist Pancho Graham serenading the cocktail reception with the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean, the fire dancer that performed on the terrace of the Hanalei Suite, the beautiful Hawaiian ceremony at Kamani Cove, and all the great toasts throughout the evening.
But the best part of the wedding was to see the love that Brian and Lisa have for each other. It is undeniable and will be everlasting.
Lisa and Brian, thank you so much for having Weston and I capture your special day. We had such a blast, that it hardly felt like work. Everyone was so welcoming to us and seeing you say "I do" was an honor and privilege.
I would also like to thank Ashlee, their wedding coordinator at the St. Regis, and the incredibly talented and super sweet photographer Penny Dinn
The following highlight was shown at their San Francisco wedding reception this past Saturday and is only a glimpse of that magical weekend. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed telling their story.
Mahalo!




Venue: St.Regis Princeville
Coordinator: Ashlee Libbrecht
Photographer: Penny Dinn
Flower: Martin Roberts
DJ: Kustom Sounds
Music: Pancho Graham

And for your eyes only, here are some of Penny's great photos:

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

Today's Bride San Francisco | Cover shoot | Palace Hotel

I Can't believe it's been 3 weeks since my last blog. It seems 2013 is going fast and furious. For the Past two weeks I have been away filming in Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. A full 14 days that gave me the opportunity to film a great cause, an amazing wedding and an outstanding conference. I will touch on those at a later time.
But today, I wanted to take a minute to share this great shoot: Today's Bride SF cover shoot. I was lucky to be part of it with my good friends Andrew Hsu from Studio MSV and Caroline from Tinywater, who contacted me to do the video for it.
Armando was in charge of Make up and Hair, and Jonathan from Asiel designs was in charge of set up and artistic directive.
Thank you so much for the opportunity and here is the film I put together.



Location: Palace Hotel
Photographers: tinywater photography, Studio MSV
Bridal Gown: Nouvelle Vogue
Make up and hair: get your do up
Cake: Jen's cake
Set designer: Asiel Design

You are engaged. Congratulations. Let's start the planning!

With Valentine's day looming around, many couple are getting engaged and are starting planning their wedding. But where do you start? Well usually the first thing you want to book is a venue. Enter Beyond Blu Bungalow.
Blu Bungalow is the event planning studio in San Francisco. Her owner and founder Hazel Antonio Bourget has assembled a collection of artists, including yours truly, to help couples plan for their event. Off course you could think I'm biased because I'm part of it, but Blu Bungalow is really a great idea. You get to walk in into a beautiful studio dedicated to weddings, and anchored by artists who truly love wedding. There is no pressure in booking any of us. We are here to help you and guide you through the process. I've said it before and I say it again, I don't think you can be good at what you do, even more so great at what you do, unless you really love what you do.

The idea behind beyond Blu Bungalow Tour was to provide engaged couples with the possibility to showcase firsthand some of the best venues the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer. It is guided by a professional wedding planner and allows couples to learn more about the venues in a very relaxed, fun filled adventure.

The first tour took place this past Sunday in Sonoma Napa area and I was lucky enough to go along and put together a little promo which will allow you to better understand the process.

Take a few minutes to watch it and hopefully join us on the next two tours, which will be held in San Francisco this coming Sunday February 17th, and in the Peninsula on February the 24th. If you would like to register, you can do so right here

Particular shutout to Melanie Duerkopp who was there to capture some beautiful pictures of the Napa-Sonoma tour

If you would like to learn more about blu bungalow. Just click here
Thanks for watching and we hope to see you soon.
Matthieu

Grand Hyatt | Luxury redefined | promo film

A few months back I was contacted by Grand Hyatt to film the reopening of their lobby, a 70 millions dollars renovation.

The result is nothing short of astonishing with one of a kind lobby for the centrally located union square hotel.

Some of the features that really stood with me was the feel you get when you enter the lobby. It's very lounge-like and you feel more in a spa retreat than anything else. the fire place and the comfortable couches make for a great space for conversation and rendez-vous. The coffee station is a definite plus a to enjoy a great latte or other cappuccino. The front desk is very unique and the shape reminds you more of the control board of the Enterprise ( for you fans of Star Trek) than a front desk.

But the big ticket item for the hotel is definitely their new restaurant and bar called One Up. it's located on the Mezzanine and to access it you need to walk a 10,000 lbs stair case made of one piece, which required the removal of the front window in order to install it.

Once you reach the level you are greeted by the restaurant on the left, which offer California cuisine with a French twist. It's delicious. To connect the restaurant on the left and the bar on the right, you must walk through an amazing wine wall, where liquor and spirits are set up. A couple of LCD touch screen allows you to go through the collection and learn more about what you are drinking. It's modern, elegant, and most of all really inviting. The bar offers great cocktail from the past as well as some new ones that are sure to satisfy your palates.

A big thank you to Colson Griffith Photography for putting my name out there, and a big thank you to Lana Palmer for composing the music for the piece.

Nicole and Vince | Short film | San Francisco City Club

Nicole and Vince are one cool couple. Upon meeting with them, I felt this instant connection that makes you want to give your best effort on the day of. And the day did not disappoint. Their stunning wedding reception was held at beautiful San Francisco City Club.

St. Matthew Episcopal in San Mateo, the church they had chosen, was a bit of a challenge as upon arrival and to my surprise, I was told only one cinematographer with one camera was able to film there. But we made lemonade with Lemon, and Robb and Dennis were able inconspicuously get the recording, while I had to shoot from the front only. 

One really neat thing about this wedding is all the personal touches they had which made it so special for them, their family and friends. In the morning prep Nicole's mom was putting together an album pictures retracing her life, while the guys were getting ready enjoying some yummy cooking from Chef Vince. Did I mention that this former star football guard for St. Patrick High school is also an accomplished chef. Another special touch was their favor which were personalized bottle of Olive oil. And Lindsay's speech, Nicole maid of honor who was born 13 hours apart and have been friend ever since was very emotional.
Enjoy their short film.

Nicole and Vince | short film | San Francisco City Club from Matthieu Meynier on Vimeo.

Venue - San Francisco City Club - Lauren Schardt
Ceremony - St. Matthew Episcopal Church
Photography - Lynn Kai Chao
Dj: Elite Entertainment - Maurice
Flower: Kiwi DeVoy
Coordinator - MJ Serafica

Happy New year 2013

And here we are! 2013. And with this new year I wanted to share with you some new films. We have been hard at work during 2012 and life has been a whirlwind of events and emotion, and I have to say I let the blog on the side for a while. But 2013 is here and good resolutions are supposed to take place. So let's start it with a bang!
As I said earlier 2012 just flew by me like never any other year. In summary, I got married in June to my beautiful wife Regina in my home country France, then took a quick honeymoon to Italy to visit Rome and Florence for the first time.

I shot about 25 weddings, another 10 corporate events, which ranged from real estate videos to world wide conferences about agriculture and economics to grand reopening of hotels, which will be on the blog in the next few weeks. And I have been working on revamping cinematt, but this is to be revealed in a near future when we are completely ready.

But my biggest accomplishment of all, besides my wedding,  is that Regina and I became homeowner in San Francisco, and for the young 21 year old French student who came to learn English at University of South Florida, with a set goal of staying in the US, this is definitely my biggest achievement and a way to reinforce myself I made the right decision when I embarked January 4, 1995 for Tampa -18 years ago to the day!

So for 2013, my biggest wish is that we get to tell more amazing wedding stories of couples such as Ning and Tim, who will be our first posting of the year.
The first time I talked to them via Skype, I knew we were going to click perfectly. This fun and creative couple - Tim proposed on a mini golf course - found me on here comes the guide. They were down to earth and the kind of persons I want to work with. Tim described Ning as beautiful cute, and hard working, and Ning see Tim as Silly, thoughtful and a sports fanatic. And when I asked them what they were the most looking for on their wedding day, their response was "being married to my best friend and starting their journey together". So here is their teaser trailer and as usual do not hesitate to comment.
Merci et bonne année a toutes et tous.
Matthieu

Ning and Tim | Pacific Athletic Club | Highlight recap from Matthieu Meynier on Vimeo.



Ceremony: Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
Reception: Pacific Sports Resorts Redwood Shores
Coordinator: A Touch of Grace
Photographer: Wayne and Angela
Make up + Hair: Luxe Image
Cake: Satura Cakes
Dessert: Pacific Cookie Company
DJ: Big Fun

Same Day Edit | Ashley & Noah | The Lodge at Sonoma. Sonoma, California

The challenge to create a same day edit is to find the initial spark to create the storyline and tell the story as it naturally unfolds throughout the day.
When Ashley and Noah told me they were reading their own vows, I knew immediately that they would be my anchor point throughout the film. For this couple from Hawaii, who enjoy good food and wine, the Lodge at Sonoma was the perfect setting for their destination wedding.  They got ready in charming cottages and held their outdoor ceremony on the lawn surrounded by exotic flowers. It was the perfect setting to gather their family and friends to proclaim their love.
Some of my favorite elements were the personalized hangers for Ashley's bridesmaids, as well as for both mothers. It was really eye-catching to film multiple custom made hangers rather than just one for the bride.

While the boys were dealing with their Handkerchiefs, the girls were busy toasting the soon-to-be-happy couple with their personalized  shot glasses.

The ink trees and the card placements were definitely another originality, that made the wedding unique and personal.

Their photo session at Train Town right across the Renaissance Hotel, was just plain fun and unexpected. We had great light, awesome rides, and beautiful eye candy. What else can you ask for more?

Jamie Chang of Mango Muse Events, their coordinator made sure everything went smoothly. Kevin with Denon and Doyle  had the crowed going.  Mauricio from Chrisman Studio was really a pleasure to work with. The guy is so talented. You can just tell from his demeanor and behavior throughout the day that they will have amazing pictures. I can't wait to see them myself. I hope we will get to work alongside soon.

Thank you to my team for helping throughout the day. I hope you will enjoy their film.

Ashley and Noah | Same Day Edit | The Lodge at Sonoma from Matthieu Meynier on Vimeo.

Erin & Jared | teaser Trailer | San Francisco Ferry Building

Jared and Erin had a fun wedding at the San Francisco Ferry Building and before you watch the teaser trailer, here is a bit of their story. SF Ferry Building was not their first choice as their original plan was to have the wedding reception at Golden Gate Club, and the ceremony at Chapel of Presidio.

However, two weeks prior to the event, they found out the weekend they had picked to say their "I do" happened to be the same weekend the City of San Francisco decided to destroy Doyle Drive. So with the idea of Bulldozers, wrecking ball and others cranes ruining the setting, they had to find another venue for both ceremony and reception. In ten days they turn their misfortune into a grand affair.

Their rehearsal dinner was held at the San Francisco Yacht Club. I met some of the funniest and some of the cleverest groomsmen. Their beautiful bridesmaids were a lot of fun to hang on with and I really felt being part of the gang.

On top of that,  Napata and The Chocolate Kisses rock the evening with great soul and R&B music. Their family and friends were elated and danced until the end wanted more.

Some of my favorite elements on that day were:

The button pin they had created for themselves and their friends in family for the rehearsal dinner. They all were unique with different sentences that described each member of their bridal party.

The hilarious best men speeches at the same dinner.

Their adorable Bulldog. She was so friendly and a key element to the day for one of my favorite shot.

The first look at Hotel Vitale with The Sf Ferry Building in the background, provided great emotion for Jared to see his beautiful wife in her wedding dress for the first time.

Napata and the kisses surprising the couple with an A cappella version of "Oh Happy Days" at the end of their ceremony

Congrats to the both of them, and enjoy their teaser trailer, a taste of what is to become their feautre film.

Erin and Jared | teaser | SF Ferry Building from Matthieu Meynier on Vimeo.

Reception Venue: San Francisco Ferry Building

Ceremony Venue: Calvary Presbyterian

Photographer: Lindsey Stafford

Makeup Artist: Sophia Coyne

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Laura Morales McDonald

Cake Baker: Susie Cakes

DJ: Colin Guthrie

Band: Napata and the Chocolate Kisses

Another wonderful letter

I love my work, LOVE it. It's so rewarding to be there when 2 people say I do. You witness the most important of moment in their life and their love for each other. It's a milestone that I feel privilege to witness, 20 to 30 times a year. Each one is unique. Each story is different and my goal as a cinematographer is to be able to bring the day back to them, as authentic and candidly as possible.
So when I received the following email from Elisa and Michael, I felt like a million box!

hi Matthieu!

You have no idea how much times we watched it over and over again last night (or maybe you do)!

We love it!  It was really like re-living one of the happiest moment of our lives!  Thank you for capturing and putting it into a very personal and touching story.  Elisa and I wanted to properly write you a thank you email, but we watch the video till mid-night, and I have to go back to the lab and finish my work.  We still need to properly write you about how we felt about the video.  But for now, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Enjoy their story as much as I enjoyed seeing it unfloding.

Bonne journée.

Matthieu

Thank you to Jeremiah and Robb for doing such a great job on the day of, and a special thanks to Emma and Alfred Salom for referring me to Elisa and Michael. I love working with you guys, and hope we can do it again soon.

Photographer:

Alfred and Emma Salom 

Ceremony Location:

Bancroft Hotel

Caterer:

Hong Kong East Ocean Restaurant

Florist:

Virginia Ho, S&V Collections

DJ or Band:

ceremony: Frank Diaz, SF style string

reception: eone production

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Sarah and Michael |Vintners Inn, Sonoma | Highlight Film

Making a wedding film, takes every fiber of your body and soul. It is a draining process. You concentrate on the couple on their story and within 10 minutes you try to tell the most compelling story you can. It's not an easy process, and sometimes it takes days, even weeks to get you started. I've always think that strong beginning and strong ending were the key to a great film, as the beginning is the one to hook you into it, and the ending is what allows the film to really flourish.
In the case of Sarah and Michael, I felt that the best way to go at it was to start with Michael's vow, and finish with Sarah's vows. I felt they would carry their story well, and will help the audience understand who they were as individuals and a couple. I hope you will enjoy it, and as usual any feedback or comments is welcome. So without further ado I present to you Sarah and Michael's wedding film. Enjoy

music licensed through songfreedom.com and themusicbed.com

Fizz and Frills 2011 at Blu Bungalow

In August of 2011 Utterly Engaged, the first online wedding magazine , and Lovely Jubilee held the first ever Fizz and Frills - a wedding market for brides - at Blu Bungalow. It was a huge success, and I was lucky to be part of this great event.
In September of 2012, Lucia, Henny and Wilmarose are doing it again this time in So Cal area. So if you are interested in participating or coming to see what it is all about, here is a short film I put together for them. The idea behind it was to explain why Fizz and Frills, and how it is different from a regular wedding fair. I hope you will enjoy it, and we look forward to seeing you either as an exhibitor or a bride to this marvelous event.
Bonne journee a tous et toutes



You can find a list of all the sponsors right here: all our sponsors 
 And if you would like to participate , just follow this link 

Gwen and Jason | San Francisco City Club | Short Film

Where to start with Gwen and Jason wedding. To make a long story short, Jason and I go way back, in fact 1999 when I first came to SF. I met him through the intermediary of friends, and he helped me to settle down in San Francisco, even though he didn't know me much but felt he had to do this to help me find my roots. That's the kind of guy Jason is. Always will ing to help you, even if he has is own problem to deal with. He is definitely one of the most generous guy I have known.

We've always joked that when he get married, I would be his cinematogapher. But life took different turns and we lost sight for a while so when he contacted me to shoot his wedding I was a)stunned, b)happy. "I told you you would shoot my wedding. I'm a man of my words." he told me. And he is. So it's with great pleasure, and a bit of delay that I would like to introduce to you Gwen and Jason short film.

I hope you will enjoy it, and don't hesitate to leave a comment.. If you like what you see you can definitely post it on your Facebook page, and like us at www.facebook.com/likecinematt.

Merci et Happy Valentine's day!

Music licensed through themusicbed.com and songfreedom.com

Reception Venue: san francisco city club

Photographer: andy lo

Rentals: classic party rental

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Lauren Geissler - Downey Street

Flowers & Decor: Jamie Reyes Floral

DJ: Ernesto Evangelista

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 

Barbara and Wayne - Legion of honor - San Francisco

With the year winding down, so do videos.
Wayne and Barbara contacted me through their wedding coordinator Patty Lee of 8 events. I have worked several time with Patty and it's always a pleasure to have a true event planner professional working with the vendors and the couple to make sure everything goes without a problem. If you are on the verge of hiring one, please definitely consider it as it makes everyone's life easy.
On that note Barbara and Wayne both live on the other side of the Globe in Shanghai to be precise, so meeting was not an option. But through constant communication, I was able to have a good picture of this great couple and their elaborate wedding at Legion of Honor. So when I met them on the day of, I felt like I already knew them. I knew they had put a lot of thoughts in every little detail and I wanted to make sure that their film encompass all of these to really let their personality shine.
On top of that their officiant was their close friend so it made the ceremony even ore special.
I hope you enjoy their recap.




I would like to give a special shutout to Henry Kim with Big Fun DJ, as well as F.C Wong who was their photographer and capture the day beautifully.

Alfa and Tony - Same Day Edit - Redwood City, CA

Saturday I had the honor of filming Alfa and Tony's wedding. It was a really great wedding with loving family and friends sharing their happiness. I met Alfa and Tony back in January at the Pacific Athletic Club open house, and right off the bat we connected. We spent quite a time chatting on that day, so when they reached out to me to film their wedding I was ecstatic.
To top it off they decided to hire my good friend and amazing make up artist Rona Basa. It's always great to work with great professionals, and it's even better when you work with friends. 
One excited feature of their package was that they decided to do a same day edit. Now the jitters starting to kick in because I love doing Same Day Edit, but I have not done one in a while and it was my first with DSLR. So it was a new workflow for me but thanks to my good friend and wedding filmmaker extraordinaire Loyd Calomay, I felt reassured I could pull it off with ease and style. 
I knew what song I was going to use and for the past week, and I was "storyboarding" it in my head. Even though the ceremony at First United Palo Alto Methodist Church was a late start , and I had no time to start the editing before the ceremony due to a busy prep time, I was very confident I would meet my deadline of 10:30pm to share the SDE with them. And I did 10:15pm I was ready to go.
I would like to give a special shutout to Dennive and Jeffrey of Maliksi photography, who captured the day beautifully, and Cary Lee of Petals by CaryThank you again Alfa and Tony for having me for your wedding. It was truly an honor to work with you. Enjoy the honeymoon

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.

What have I been up to?

First let me apologize for the lack of posting in the past month or so, but with the wedding season in full blown, shooting almost every weekend, plus having some exciting personal news I have been let's say more than busy. But with that said I wanted to share with you an excited news as CINEMATT has become a member of Blu Bungalow in San Francisco. But what is Blu Bungalow, you might ask. Well, it's a collective of artists coming together to create the first ever event planning wedding studio of like minded vendors in San Francisco.
Hazel Antonio Bourget is the founder and the brain behind this brilliant idea, and if you are still not sure you understand what I'm talking about I invite you to watch the following video that my friend and fellow cinematographer Anton Lorimer of Lorimerworks put together for Blu Bungalow.
As a new member I'm really excited to the possibilities that it offers and I look forward to meeting many of you there. Just call me and come say hi!
Thank you and I promise I will post more in the next few weeks.



Blu Bungalow is located at 2068 Union street San Francisco Ca 94123 and is open Tuesday to Sunday

A really nice letter

I love my job, and when I say I love my job I really mean it. But I love it even more when one of my client is really appreciative of the extra touches I put to make sure that their experience with CINEMATT is complete. So this is the letter Stephanie and Marcello just sent me, and it really warmed my heart. And with this cold San Francisco weather, I just thought i'll share it with you.
Thank you Stephanie and Marcello for such a nice letter and i look forward to keeping in touch with you guys!



Hi Matthieu,

We got the package on Saturday and we are both completely thrilled with the final product!! Thank you so much :)
We showed our parents eveything as well and they are very happy with it too!

You did an excellent job of capturing the wedding and the reception for us - it's great to see it sort of recapped, especially since it went by so quickly for Marcello and me.  The music that you put in and how you were able to splice everything together so seamlessly is really amazing.
Having the full ceremony and the other "Special Features" was a great surprise also- Thank you for doing that too! 

We also really appreciated the extra touches in the packaging - the very nice cover for the blu-ray dvd, the popcorn, and the kleenex were just awesome!

Thank you again so much :)

Best regards,
Stephanie & Marcello

Thank you Stephanie and Marcello for such a nice letter and i look forward to keeping in touch with you guys!

Here is their film

Christina and Winfield - Lake Merritt Hotel - Oakland, Ca

A few months back, I posted Christina and Winfield wedding highlight which you can see here. Well today I would like to introduce you to their full feature. I think it captured their personality and corkiness really well. You will noticed that all along the edit, the Kuma Bears are central to the film. Well the reason they are so present into this film is because when Winfield met Christina, the first thing he ever bought her was a Kuma Bear, a little stuffed animal. This became a collection for Christina and off course since Christina and Winfield were getting married, it was logical that the little guys were getting married too.
Thank you again Christina and Winfield to allow me to be part of your special day. I had so much fun, and thank you to Dennis Maxwell for helping me shooting this one. It's always great to work with you.
As usual, you are more than welcome to comment, like or share with your friend on Facebook and other social network media. I'd love to get some feedback.
Merci et bon weekend.
Matthieu

Josh and Cynthia - An Intimate Picnic wedding inspiration - San Francisco

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of shooting the most intimate picnic wedding inspiration shoot. The design team of sitting in a tree set up a beautiful ceremony that took place on the steps of a victorian house in San Francisco, followed by a rustic picnic in the park. The great tones of pastel yellow,  green and pink were the perfect tie to this fun shoot. Cynthia aka the bride, was wearing a vintage ruffled dress, and Josh, our dashing groom, was sporting a lemon beige suit with the greatest bow tie. But I think my favorite things was the French poodle, who sat next to Josh while Cynthia was "walking down the aisle". The picnic that followed, set up under a huge tree, was the perfect conclusion to a great day. Rona Basa of Luxe image did the make up, and Caroline from Tinywater shot alongside with me those gorgeous photographs.
And to top it of this wedding inspired style shoot was featured in Utterly Engaged latest E-publication. Make sure to browse through page 77 to 91 to see all the details there.
Please enjoy this quick highlight, and I hope you'll come back for more great films, in the next few weeks.
Thanks for stopping by, et bonne semaine a tous et toutes.
Matthieu



event coordination: sitting in a tree
Photography: Tinywater
Make up: Luxe Image
Cinematography: Cinematt

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

Golden Gate Club - Courtney and Blair - San francisco

Courtney and Blair both grew up in San Francisco Bay area. So for this washington Dc couple it was only fitted to have their wedding back where they grew, and share it with their friends who had flown from all over the world. Their theme was definitely travel as they had set up a really cool mailbox with postcards, for their guest to write some well wishes and advices, and their table placement and card where countries where the two of them had travelled and visited. To top it of a Mariachi band was playing during cocktail hour.
One of the thing I was really elated about this wedding is that i got to work with Ron Grandia. He is, in my opinion, one of the best DJ in the area and since he has a background as videographer, he understands how important sound is for us, and he gave me a great feed. So thank you! The other cool element of the wedding was to work with Matt from our labor of love. I definitely encourage you to check the website as they have some cool stuffs there.
Finally the last element that made that wedding even more special was the surprise that Blair's mom has set up for the couple: a bagpiper came to play the recessional. I knew already that's where I wanted to start my edit

I hope you enjoy it, and as usual you can click the like button in the right end corner if you like it.
Merci et a plus.
Matthieu

P.S: for better viewing press the play button then pause and let the video fully download before pressing play again

Photography: Matt Miller for Our Labor of Love

Ceremony venue: Main Post Chapel  Presidio

Reception venue: Golden Gate Club

Stationery: Kathleen Designs 

Flowers: Grace Street Florals

Catering: Grace Street Catering

DJ: Ron Grandia

Cinematography: Cinematt