We're based in Rome and most of our work is in Italy, but every now and then a couple asks us to cross the border. When Maxim & Harriet told us they were planning their wedding in Cannes, at the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, it didn't take us long to say yes.

The Martinez

The Martinez opened on the Croisette in 1929, and it still has that Art Deco confidence: the long white façade, the flags snapping in the wind, the palms lined up in front. During the film festival it's full of actors and photographers. In early summer it's full of people who simply want to sit by the sea, which is a much better crowd for a wedding.

A day on the beach

The hotel has its own private beach across the Croisette, with striped loungers and white parasols in perfect rows. We spent a good part of the day there with Maxim, Harriet and their friends, and that's where the film found its rhythm: sun, linen, people who had flown in from far away and were in no hurry to leave.

Small detail, big difference: every guest had a hand fan printed with the couple's monogram. In June on the Riviera that isn't decoration, it's survival, and it photographs beautifully.

Lunch, rosé and the Croisette

Long tables, chilled rosé from Provence, a vintage beach car waiting at the entrance of the hotel. At some point Maxim and Harriet crossed the Croisette hand in hand, between the traffic and the palms, and we followed them with the camera. It's one of my favorite moments in the film because it's so ordinary and so Cannes at the same time.

Filming a wedding in Cannes

The light on the Riviera in June is bright and high for most of the day. The best moments come early in the morning and in the last two hours before sunset, so we plan portraits around them. The Croisette is a public promenade and it's busy, so for quieter shots we work in short windows and keep things moving.

Planning a wedding in Cannes

• Nice airport is under an hour from Cannes by car, which makes travel easy for international guests.
• Avoid the weeks of the film festival in May unless you love crowds and high prices.
• Ask the hotel about the beach: private beaches can often be reserved for a lunch or an aperitivo.
• If your photographer or videographer is coming from abroad, as we did, agree on travel and scouting time in advance.

Watch Maxim & Harriet's wedding film at the Hôtel Martinez. We travel from Italy for weddings on the Côte d'Azur and beyond: write to us about your date.