French Riviera Extravaganza
Isa and Malcolm’s WEDDING VIDEO FEATURE
The Venue
The French Riviera, known locally as the Côte d'Azur, is a sun-drenched stretch of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea in the southeast corner of France. Renowned for its glamorous resorts, stunning beaches, and vibrant cultural scene, the French Riviera has long been a playground for the rich and famous, as well as a magnet for travelers seeking beauty, luxury, and relaxation.
At the heart of the French Riviera is Nice, the region's largest city and a vibrant cultural hub. With its palm-lined Promenade des Anglais, colorful markets, and charming Old Town, Nice exudes a laid-back Mediterranean charm that has captivated visitors for centuries. The city's rich history is evident in its elegant Belle Époque architecture, while its thriving arts scene is showcased in museums such as the Musée Matisse and the Musée Marc Chagall.
Isa and Malcolm chose this area for their multi-day wedding because of their family connections here, both families having enjoyed summers on the beaches and in their family apartments.
Isa and Malcolm’s Wedding Day Plans
Teaser Film
Isa and Malcolm’s wedding celebrations started with a legal ceremony at the town hall in nice, followed by welcome drinks for all the guests, the night before the wedding, at Paloma Beach on the shore of the Mediterranean. It was a special place for the family and a lovely place to start the 3 day event, with the sun setting over the sea as a live band played and drinks were poured.
Isa got ready for their wedding at the beautiful Hôtel Cap-Estel- perched on the picturesque French Riviera and nestled within a secluded cove near Èze, it offered breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea and lush coastline and a great place to film!
Once ready the couples wedding ceremony took place at the beautiful Eglise Saint Michael surrounded by a large group of friends and family.
Though the day had already taken place in some stunning locations, the wedding celebrations then moved to the truly breathtaking Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild. Built in the early 20th century by Baroness Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild, the villa boasts exquisite gardens inspired by different themes, from Spanish to Florentine. Perched atop the peninsula of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, it offers panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea. The couple fully embraced the gardens with different themes for food and music depending on which garden guests were walking through.
The wedding meal then took place outside the main villa with some heartfelt speeches by Isa’s father, Malcolm and the best men.
After a lively first few dances on the terrace the couple and their guests were led by musicians into the villa where the evening celebrations took place.
The following afternoon the wedding celebrations were rounded off with lunch and some impromptu dancing at a restaurant on Anjuna Beach, where Isa made the final toast before the bad kicked into action. The celebrations carried on well into the afternoon!
Wedding Videography Approach
My main aim as a wedding videographer is to produce cinematic, yet authentic, mementos of a wedding day. I want them to be stylish, filled with all the emotions of the day while being infused with a classic cinema flair, which I always have in the back of my mind when choosing which lens to use in a certain moment, how to frame a shot, the sounds and music I will use to tell that part of the story and thinking always about the edit.
Me filming a wedding in Portugal with my minimalist set up.
Though the French Riviera is always a glamorous place, it was also one filled with memories for Isa and Malcolm so I was conscious of making sure the locations for the wedding played a pivotal role in the film, as well as capturing the romance and energy of a spectacular couple of days in one of the most stunning parts of the world.
Once I have these all story telling elements in place I make sure my films are as cinematic as possible, and what I mean by that is I use every tool and technique at my disposal, from the filming style on the wedding day, to the editing and colour grading techniques afterwards, to create a piece of work that feels like a mini-movie, like a short piece of classic cinema, with a proper beginning middle and end, establishing people, place and story as elegantly as possible, woven together with music I choose carefully for each project.
Most importantly though, I use equipment and a filming style on the day that allows me to capture these moments without leaving a heavy footprint on the day- I use very minimal equipment, similar to a photographer, and avoid stage managing the day in any way because the most important element of making a great film is authentic moments and emotions and the only way to achieve these is allow them to happen naturally, unhindered by over posing/staging and manufacturing the events.
