The film you’ll still watch in twenty years.
Wedding films and photography for couples across Orange County — made by a filmmaker first.
This is the part you’ll replay.
Photos hold how it looked. Film holds how it felt — the vows in your own voices, your people mid-laugh, the first ten seconds of the first dance. Most vendors bolt video onto photography. Here, film comes first.
Stills worth framing.
Quiet, honest photographs — the details you chose, the people you love, the light as it was.
Plain pricing, no guesswork.
What you get, how long we’re there, and what you take home. Tell us about your day and we’ll confirm a quote that fits it.
Four calm steps.
No pressure, no mystery — here’s exactly what happens between your first message and the final delivery.
Say hello
Send your date, the venue if you have one, and what matters most to you. You’ll get a personal reply — usually within one business day.
Meet & hold your date
A short call — the two of you, zero pressure. If it’s a fit, an agreement and deposit hold your date on the calendar.
The day
We arrive early and stay calm — present for the moments that matter, invisible in between. You won’t be performing for a camera.
The delivery
Your photos arrive in a private online gallery, your films ready to share — everything edited, graded, and yours to keep.
Hi — I’m Michael.
I grew up in Puerto Rico — la isla del encanto — and picked up a camera at 14, filming my own track training. That discipline brought me to California in 2014 and through a Cinema & Television Arts degree at CSUN.
Today I run Merchan Films here in Orange County. I film weddings the way I’d want my own filmed: unhurried, honest, graded like cinema. And I work in English, Spanish, or both — vows and toasts land in the film in the language they were said in.
Y sí — también filmamos quinceañeras.
The things couples actually ask.
Yes — you can book either on its own, or both together. Most couples want both, and it’s easier on you when one team covers the whole day.
Yes. I’m FAA Part 107 certified, and we fly aerials wherever the venue and airspace allow.
Naturally. I’m fully bilingual — English, Spanish, or both in the same ceremony. Vows and toasts land in the film in the language they were said in. I also film quinceañeras.
Yes — travel across Southern California and beyond is welcome. Reach out with your date and location and I’ll confirm any travel details for your day.
I’ll share exact timelines for photos and films when we talk — every couple gets a clear delivery date up front, and a sneak peek along the way.
I shoot with professional backup bodies, lenses, and dual media, and I carry a contingency plan for the unexpected. Your day is covered no matter what.
A signed agreement and a deposit lock your date on the calendar. Send your date first and I’ll confirm it’s open, then walk you through the simple booking steps.
Let’s check your date.
Tell me about your day — the date, the venue, what matters most. I read and answer every inquiry myself, usually within one business day.