David T Films

David T Films is the business of David, a wedding videographer based in Haute-Savoie, "tout proche de la frontière Suisse", close to the Swiss border. The contact block gives the address as 74200 Thonon-les-Bains, France, and the footer names him as David Tristram. The page for Switzerland presents him as a wedding videographer for neighboring Switzerland, and he writes that he films couples throughout the region, including in Switzerland, in Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux and other towns. The banner lists 3 credentials: "+40 mariages filmés" (more than 40 weddings filmed), a Google rating of 5.0, and couples in France and Switzerland.

The site is in French. It does not say whether he works in English.

His approach

He describes himself as expressive, spontaneous and a good listener, someone who likes hearing about memories, plans, family, laughter and a bit of madness. His line on the job: "Je ne fais pas 'juste une vidéo de mariage'", he does not just make a wedding video; he conveys what he felt, what the couple lived and what their families shared.

His method is to experience each wedding "comme un invité privilégié", as a privileged guest. That, he writes, lets him blend into the atmosphere and catch the most spontaneous moments and the purest emotions. He promises no forced poses or frozen smiles, and instead honest laughter, tears of joy, raised voices and wild dancing. His style, in his words, is cinematic but spontaneous, emotional but without forced staging, with stolen moments, knowing looks, improvised dances and speeches that bring tears or laughter.

The FAQ adds that he likes action and movement and most of all when the people he films interact with him. On why a wedding video matters, he answers that everyone he has met who married without a videographer regrets it, and that video will never replace photography, but it lets a couple see and hear their parents or grandparents again, for example during the family photos or the cocktail hour.

What the package includes

The page lists 6 reasons to choose him, and they set out the offer:

• Google reviews: he says he makes a point of every client being satisfied, and links to his reviews.
• Quality equipment: he says reliability matters and that he renews his equipment regularly.
• Personal attention: a first meeting, by video call or in person, to explain everything, and a free engagement session ("une séance engagement offerte").
• Drone included: "Drone compris dans ma formule unique", drone footage is included in his single package. He writes that he is a professional drone pilot by background, and the drone flies if conditions allow.
• His network: after some years in weddings he has built a solid network of other suppliers.
• Photobooth discount: couples who book him as videographer get a large discount on photobooth rental.

He does not take photos himself. His FAQ is blunt about it: a supplier who offers both photos and video on their own should be avoided, because both cannot be done at once. He offers to recommend excellent photographers instead.

Photobooth and audio guestbook

Beyond film, he rents a photobooth in Switzerland around Lake Geneva and in Haute-Savoie, which he pitches for wild, instant souvenirs, and a vintage telephone audio guestbook, which lets guests leave voice messages for the couple, full of love and sometimes a little humor, as the page puts it. Both have their own pages and a separate rental price list on the site.

Venues he works at

The page names places where he says he regularly films in Switzerland:

• estates between lake and mountains: Domaine de Collex, Porte des Iris, Domaine du Grand Malagny;
• châteaux: Château de Lucens, Château d'Oron, Château de Bossey, Château de l'Aile;
• hotels: Grand Hôtel Suisse Majestic, L'Impérial Palace;
• intimate places in nature: Pavillon Gallatin, la Croix des Champs.

He writes that filming regularly in Switzerland and around Montreux, Lausanne and Geneva lets him anticipate the light, the locations, the movements and the key moments. He writes that couples often choose him for his discretion, his ability to put people at ease and the way he tells their day, and that he also travels across the whole Haute-Savoie department for weddings on the French side. His latest film on the page is Sarah and Sébastien, "Dingue de toi". His stated aim is a film couples will want to watch again in 10, 20 or 30 years.

Delivery, travel and contact

Delivery takes "Entre 8 et 16 semaines", between 8 and 16 weeks, depending on the season; he says it is the time needed to convey all the emotions he felt on the day. On travel, the FAQ says he goes wherever he is needed, and that when a wedding is far from his home he prefers to sleep on site, asking only for a small bed ("un p'tit couchage").

Contact is by email at davidTfilms@gmail.com or by phone on +33 (0)7 60 99 33 18. The page invites couples to check his availability for their date online.

What the page does not settle

This page publishes no prices. The site navigation has separate price pages for his videography and for his rentals, which are the place to look. The page does not say how long the finished film is, whether there is a teaser or a full-length edit, how many hours of the day are covered, or whether travel costs apply for Swiss weddings. The distance at which he prefers to stay overnight is not stated in full on the page. And the site does not say which languages he works in.

Who he suits

David T Films suits couples marrying around Lake Geneva, from Geneva to Lausanne and Montreux, who want a lively, unstaged film with drone footage included and the option of adding a photobooth or audio guestbook from the same person. His list of Swiss venues is useful for couples who have already booked one of them.

He suits less well a couple who needs the film within a few weeks, since delivery can take up to 16 weeks, or one who wants photo and video from a single supplier. Couples who do not speak French should check language in the first message.