With so much color and vibrance, Mandeep and Manveer’s wedding was one of the more spectacular occasions that we have filmed. For an intimate portrait of the couple, we took a stroll throughout beautiful old town Sacramento. The steam ships that used to go up the river draped in white made for a beautiful backdrop on which to shoot. The 3 day celebration wedding culminated in a wedding reception full of dancing and cheer. Luckily we were able to use our crane to capture everyone in the crowd with our extra wide low light lenses. Our congratulations go out to Mandeep and Manveer, this was an occasion to remember!

Equipment: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 7D, Linear Motion dolly, Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon, Final Cut Pro 7 , Color 1.5; 50mm 1.2 L series prime, 24-105 mm Canon, 70-200mm, 14mm 2.8 Canon aspherical lens.

Luda + Daniel | Love Story

Luda and Daniel have a romance that started years ago. They met while in 7th grade and 4 years later a friendship blossomed into matrimony and what promises to be a lifelong romance. Daniel proposed to Luda under the Golden Gate Bridge in the city by the bay. In a culmination of their love for one another, they tied the knot at the Julia Morgan Ballroom in San Francisco. There were views of the city in all directions, and a romantic place in which celebrate. It was incredible how quickly the ballroom transformed from a wedding ceremony to a grandiose reception with dinner settings that seemed to stretch for miles. It was a truly magical love story to film.

Venue: Julia Morgan Ballroom
Wedding Planner: Lynda Hylen
Photography: Andrie Riskin
Caterer: Jonna Beli Beli
Cake: Creative International-Cake Coquette
Violinist: Ilya Rayzman
Chupa: Under the Chuppa

Equipment: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 7D, Linear Motion dolly, Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon, Final Cut Pro 7 , Color 1.5; 50mm 1.2 L series prime, 24-105 mm Canon, 70-200mm, 14mm 2.8 Canon aspherical lens.

In the gorgeously ornate Town and Gown ballroom at USC, Kara and Martin celebrated their love for one another. It was a beautiful fall wedding under a starry night. The hall was decorated in Princeton colors and university chants sounded throughout the night. The first dance was especially magical as the couple performed a ballroom dance to kick-off the romantic soirée. Music from a live band and touching toasts filled the night, to celebrate the love of a couple truly meant for one another. Kara and Martin, Congratulations!

Equipment: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 7D, Linear Motion dolly, Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon, Final Cut Pro 7 , Color 1.5; 50mm 1.2 L series prime, 24-105 mm Canon, 70-200mm, 14mm 2.8 Canon aspherical lens.

Kelly and Andrew had a picturesque wedding in sunny San Diego. The church was stunning, and had mosaic color glass that created a tapestry of light. Filming there was quite a unique experience as we were able to capture all the little patterns that twinkled throughout the audience.

The reception was held at Estancia, a beautiful Spanish-style hotel, with lush gardens throughout the property. It made for a very romantic and scenic backdrop where we could film Kelly and Andrew as they strolled through the grounds. The gardens where bursting with color and it was a pleasure to capture them with our 50mm 1.2 L series lens that really distinguished the couple from the background with a soft glow.

For the reception we used a brand new jib operated by the very talented Shawn Bossick. His fluid shots and keen eye were key to capturing all the little details of the evening with a unique bird’s-eye view perspective. Jib shots that started at the chandeliers and came down to the dinner tables made for majestic compositions, during beautifully choreographed dance sequences. It was truly a wedding to remember in one of our favorite California cities. With a great crew to capture all the magical moments, Kelly and Andrew’s wedding will live in our memories forever.

Equipment: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 7D, Linear Motion dolly, Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon, Final Cut Pro 7 , Color 1.5; 50mm 1.2 L series prime, 24-105 mm Canon, 70-200mm, 14mm 2.8 Canon aspherical lens, camera crane jib.

Vendors:
Venue: Estancia Hotel & Spa
Wedding Planner: EverAfter Events
Photography: Stephen Cheng Photography
Florist: Flowers Over Time
Cake: CAKE: Fabulous Cakes
Hair: Julie Noggle at The Vanity Room Salon
Make-Up: Lisa Heil, Lisa Heil, Make-Up Artist

Love Story

San Francisco is an incredibly picturesque place to shoot in, as the city has countless places where past and present seem to collide. The Palace of Fine Arts and the Marina are two of the most dazzling places in the area where historic architecture and nature come together, for a background that is incredible. We were able to capture many of the details that make San Francisco a national treasure. It was simply a pleasure to be able to run around with Kevin and Grace throughout the city, and capture all the touching moments that they shared with each other.

Wedding Highlights

Kevin and Grace were married among beautiful vineyards at Ramekins culinary school and inn. It is a place that radiates charm and coziness. We were able to use the lighting to really focus on the rustic backdrop presented by the architecture of the inn’s courtyard. An outdoor ceremony can sometimes be challenging to capture, but we’re glad we were able to film the happy couple’s special day so well! The feeling of closeness radiated throughout the night, and we felt very fortunate to be able to capture it through the perspective of our lenses. Throughout the night, little lights lit up throughout the property and reflected back in the stars, lending a magical quality to the evening.

Equipment: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 7D, Linear Motion dolly, Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon, Final Cut Pro 7 , Color 1.5; 50mm 1.2 L series prime, 24-105 mm Canon, 70-200mm, 14mm 2.8 Canon aspherical lens.

Vendors:
Venue: Ramekins Culinary School, Events & Inn
Photography: Michael Segal
Wedding Coordinator: Enchanted Weddings

Alina and Eugene’s wedding felt like a fairytale in an enchanted forrest, as they pronounced their vows for one another among the vineyards. All the charming little details of their fall themed wedding made for an incredible place to shoot in. Even the invitation cards were laid out on the reception table among little creature figurines.

What impressed us most were the hundreds of little lights that lined the dinner area. Shooting through the windows with a shallow depth-of-field lens felt as though we were looking into a 3D storybook with the princess in the white dress the happiest we have ever seen here. Alina, it was such a pleasure to shoot your wedding and I was touched that you asked me to film it! It has been incredible to see you grow up with me from childhood, and I wish the both of the very best in life!

Equipment: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 7D, Linear Motion dolly, Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon, Final Cut Pro 7 , Color 1.5; 50mm 1.2 L series prime, 24-105 mm Canon, 70-200mm, 14mm 2.8 Canon aspherical lens.

Vendors:
Wedding Coordinator: Any Occasion
Floral Arrangements: FRESH Florists
Make-Up: Catalina’s Skin & Body
Music: Greenberg Artistic Performances and Mark Taylor
Photography: Andrei Riskin Photography
Catering: Haute Cuisine
Cake: Farrell Confections

California is full of little hidden gems, many of which can be discovered in the Bay Area’s wine country. Caryn and Todd took a trip to breathtaking Napa Valley to tie the knot. Inside the V. Sattui Winery amidst their aging barrels of wine, the couple found a gorgeous gala celebration prepared for them. The glowing candlelight flickered against the the wooden barrels and gave the impression of a place rendered timeless by old world charm. The beauty and grace of the cellars lent itself well for us to use our Canon prime lenses. In low light situations, these lenses have a chance to really display their ability to create a soft and warm feel in the finished video. Protected from the overwhelming outside light, they capture all the crisp details and enhance every crack and crevice of the aging barrels. We marveled at the century old architecture, and were simply taken aback by the scenery that surrounded us. It provides a wonderful backdrop to the beginning of Caryn and Todd’s lifelong marriage together!

Equipment: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 7D, Linear Motion dolly, Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon, Final Cut Pro 7 , Color 1.5; 50mm 1.2 L series prime, 24-105 mm Canon, 70-200mm, 14mm 2.8 Canon aspherical lens.

Vendors:
Venue: V. Sattui Winery
Makeup & Hair: The Makeup Dolls
Photography: Nicole Paulson Photography
Floral Arrangements: Garventa Florist
Catering: Wine Valley Catering
Cake: Sweetie Pies
DJ: Close-Cut Productions
Rabbi: George Schlesinger

This wedding was quite a memorable experience, with such an extraordinary family! A four day festival that was filled with endless food and dance, and plenty of opportunities to focus on the subtle details over that time frame. We are glad that we were able to not only experience it with them, but also capture those priceless moments that would otherwise only reside in fond and distant memories of their matrimony. Our favorite part in the shoot was accompanying the couple on their stroll down the vineyards next to their gorgeous estate. These vineyards were the ideal epitome of peace and tranquility, and we are glad that as the sun was setting we were capture a perfect silhouette of their loving embrace.

We would also like to mention what a pleasure it was to work with Amrit Dhillon-Bains from Anaïs Event Planning & Design! The decor was simply beautiful and gave us great eye-candy while we were shooting, and events as lovely as this can only come together with a dedicated team and a person as detail-oriented as Amrit.

Equipment: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 7D, Linear Motion dolly, Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon, Final Cut Pro 7 , Color 1.5; 50mm 1.2 L series prime, 24-105 mm canon, 70-200mm, 14mm 2.8 canon aspherical lens.

Vendors:
Event design, florals and coordination: Anaïs Event Planning & Design
Dance floor: Bickner
Music & lighting: Wicked Entertainment; DJ Happy Grewal
Photography: Adit Studio
Venue: Citrus Heights Community Center
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals & America’s Party Rental
Catering: Punjabi Sweets & Catering
Makeup: Ruksana Qumar
Hair: Violet Vargas, Josephine Beauty

Kristen and Jakub had a beautiful ceremony at the very modern La Cañada Presbyterian Church. The church had spectacular angular windows that flooded its halls with light, allowing us to capture some wonderful scenes with natural lighting. The reception venue contrasted nicely due to its an old-world charm. The reception took place at the Cicada Restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, where the Art Deco architecture really stood out in the cinematography. The romantically lit dining area did present a few obstacles in filming due to the dimmer candlelight, but we were able to utilize our super low light 50 mm 1.2 Canon luxury series prime lens to still get a magnificent image on screen. But what really left an impression on us was when Jakub charmed the crowd of guests with a couple of guitar songs that rocked the room! If that’s not romance, I don’t know what is. Good luck, Kristen and Jakub!

Equipment: Canon 5D mk II, Canon 7D, Linear Motion dolly, Mac Pro 2.26GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon, Final Cut Pro 7 , Color 1.5; 50mm 1.2 L series prime, 24-105 mm canon, 70-200mm, 14mm 2.8 canon aspherical lens.

Vendors:
Ceremony: La Cañada Presbyterian Church
Reception: Cicada Restaurant

Couture Cinema was asked to travel half way across the world to film the Royal Wedding of model Anjhula Singh Bais and Satish Selvanathan. In the heart of India, amongst majestic palaces and breath taking vistas, Anjhula and Satish had a four-day celebration to commemorate their love for one another.

We packed all our gear; DLSR camera’s, Sliders, Mac Book Pro Laptops, Glide Cams, a wide assortment of luxury series Canon lens and set out on a 40 hour Journey to a small village in Rajasthan only to arrive at the gates of an incredible palace. Within the next 5 days we got a glimpse in to elaborate Indian customs, exquisite tradition, and a village in celebration. The wedding was the most extravagant we have ever been to. It was an incredible arrangement with everything from traditional Indian bridal events such as the Mehendi and Uptaan ceremonies to an extraordinary elephant polo match. We absolutely fell in love with our surroundings. It was a cinematographer’s dream. Vast murals lay wherever our eye wondered. To capture it all we brought our top of the line Canon Cameras, and so Anjhula’s wedding became a visual playground for us to indulge in.

A special thank you to all the great photographers we had the pleasure of working with! It was truly inspiring to collaborate with artists from across the world and see a little bit of India through their eyes. The closing shot in the trailer was taken with Akash Das’ 500 mm lens. A sincere thank you once again!

Credits

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Yaroslav Kofman, David Christopher Lee PHOTOGRPAHY BY: Akash Das, Rahul Dutta, Cimmaron Singh HAIR AND MAKEUP: Kazi Rai COURTERIERS: Maharaj Raghavendra Rathore, Vijay Arora BESPOKE JEWELRY:Gem Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan MUSIC: Jai Ho – AR Rahman FILMED IN: Rajasthan, India

For photography please visit:

Akash Das – www.akashdas.com

Cimmaron Singh – www.cimmaronsingh.com

David Christopher Lee – www.davidclee.us

Rahul Dutta – www.rahuldutta.net