A Mary Star of the Sea wedding
by Robert on April 30, 2011
Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church is located at 7669 Girard Avenue in downtown La Jolla, California. It’s a quaint little sanctuary with spectacular wooden beams criss-crossing the ceiling.
I’m fortunate to have photographed about a dozen beautiful weddings at Mary Star. Many of my wedding clients have brought in their own parish priests. One couple flew a priest in from an Indian reservation in New Mexico. Another couple brought a Spanish-speaking priest in from Mexico. That groom – Benji Gil, was a short-stop for the California Angels. His best man was Alex Rodriguez. The two met while they played together for the Texas Rangers. Benji was marrying Miss Texas. So that was a fun wedding, full of handsome and colorful people. I’ll never forget that when I first met Benji before the couple’s engagement portrait, I asked him if he worked in construction, (he had an excellent physique).
Great Weddings at The Dana on Mission Bay
by Robert on April 23, 2011
I have photographed several really fun weddings at The Dana Hotel on Mission Bay. My clients loved having their ceremonies outside in the sun next to the bay, then cocktails on the terrace, and their receptions in the Dana’s bright modern ballroom. The convenience of having everything at the same location cannot be understated. It is, without doubt, one of the most dazzling wedding locations in all of San Diego.
For more information about weddings at The Dana on Mission Bay please contact Keith Robinson at (619) 225-2113. Contact photographer Robert Marcos at (760) 504-4787
New Year’s Eve at the Del Mar Hilton
by Robert on March 12, 2011
My great high school friend Wayne Spencer and his wife Jill hired me on New Year’s Eve, to photograph their wedding reception at the lovely Del Mar Hilton. You might be surprised to hear that I actually LOVE to work on New Years Eve. I get paid to go to a party and photograph people dancing and having fun. Strangely though I never actually drink anything. I guess I absorb some of the intoxication from my clients. Anyway the Del Mar Hilton is on Jimmy Durante Drive, right across from the stables at the Del Mar Racetrack. It’s right next door to the Surf & Turf Tennis and golf complex, and just off the I-5, so it’s a very convenient location for anyone living in San Diego’s north county. The hotel has benefited from a terrific remodel and it looks nicer than ever.
A Big Persian Wedding at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines
by Robert on March 11, 2011
On August 28th I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Leila Tarsa and Thomas Eshraghi, an attractive couple of Persian descent. The handsome couple had invited about 250 of their close family and friends to the beautiful Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines to celebrate their union. The Hilton La Jolla is one of only a few hotels in San Diego that can accomodate such a large gathering. In fact it was a fabulous event, with an elegant ceremony on the Terrace and a colorful and exciting reception in the Pavilion. The couple had hired a hot young DJ to spin their favorite techno dance music, and also a traditional Persian folk band, which brought out the dancers. It was a blast to listen to, and a pleasure to photograph such attractive and energetic people in such a beautiful setting.
Money Saving Wedding Tips
by Robert on February 22, 2011
Having a wedding is one of the biggest expenses of a person’s life – only buying a house is likely to cost more than this special day. Traditionally, the father of the bride has always been responsible for most, if not all of the expense of the wedding day. In more recent years however, there has been a trend towards sharing the costs with the groom’s parents and other family members and guests as well. There are no firm rules when it comes to who pays for what – it can depend on your age, financial situation and upbringing.
These days just about everyone is pinching their pennies. If you’re like me you look for the best value in the products you buy, and services you use. Here are several great ideas that will help you pay less for a beautiful wedding…
ESTABLISH A BUDGET. Invite your fiancee, his parents, your parents, and other close relatives over for dinner. Discuss what you and your fiancee have in mind. Bring out a yellow legal pad that has a list of anticipated wedding expenses. Ask each set of parents what, if anything, they’ll be able to provide. Its mandatory that you and your finance know in advance what you can afford. Otherwise you may waste a lot of time and energy planning for things that you have to cancel later on.
GET MARRIED ON A WEEKDAY. Most venues offer a big discount to couples who marry on a day other than Saturday or Sunday. So the second money saving tip is to schedule your wedding ceremony for late Friday afternoon, or any other day of the week.
GET MARRIED ON A COUNTY BEACH OR PARK. In San Diego for instance there are dozens of fabulous public parks where weddings can be held. My favorite is the Wedding Bowl in La Jolla, (pictured above). The City Of San Diego holds a lottery to decide which couples are granted a permit for the wedding bowl. I believe that only three events a day are allowed at the most popular spots, but couples who are selected pay as little as $150 for the permit.
HAVE YOUR REHEARSAL DINNER AT YOUR FOLK’S HOUSE. Why not introduce all the new relatives during dinner at your family’s house?
WEAR YOUR MOTHER’S DRESS. Imagine how pleased your parents would be if you honored them by wearing your mother’s dress. It also demonstrates your close family ties, and your sense of tradition. Find a tailor who can add a few modern touches to personalize the dress and bring it up to do. How about adding a bustier or removing the sleeves?
BUILD A CUSTOM RING USING AN OLD STONE. Ask your mom if you can use a diamond from one of her old rings. Take the stone to a jeweler and have a new setting designed. That way you have something which may have been handed down through your family, but in a new setting.
STAY AT A FRIEND’S HOME ABROAD on your honeymoon. Know anybody in Munich? Old friend with a plantation on the Big Island? A ranch in Queensland Australia? Why not take your honeymoon at a exotic location where someone you know can provide you with free lodging.
A Hidden Gem – Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Palm Springs
by Robert on February 11, 2011
On January 8th Laura and I photographed the wedding of Alejandra & Jimmy McEvoy at one of Palm Springs’ most lovely churches, Our Lady Of Guadalupe Catholic Church, on Calle Segundo. Alejandra and her parents are from Peru, and the rich colorful interior of the church added to that culture. They had about 150 guests for the ceremony so the place was packed.
After the ceremony I took the wedding party to a natural rocky area with rugged mountains in the background, for some casual photos. Then we went directly to the reception held at Indian Canyons Golf Club, with a great dinner by Leon’s Bar and Grill.
MTV Style Video for Scruples Hair Care
by Robert on February 11, 2011
I had a terrific time working with the owners of Scruples Hair Care during their exhibition at the International Salon and Spa Expo in Long Beach last week. I spent about an hour shooting stills and video of their educators, models, and products. Then back in San Diego I edited all that footage down to one exciting minute of video. The people at Scruples were very happy with the results, and so was I.
Videography at the Long Beach Hair Show
by Robert on February 6, 2011
I had a long weekend the last week of January. I was busy videotaping renowned hair colorist Rene Antonio’s team of stylists as they prepared models for the National American Hair Awards competition. Over a two-week period I shot over 75 gigabytes of video of Rene and his team, so I have a lot of editing to do!
During the same period I shot action videos in an MTV style for two product companies, IDEN Cosmetics and Scruples Hair Care. Both companies had large and attractive exhibits set up during the International Salon and Spa Expo held at the Long Beach Convention Center. Scruples had educators who demonstrated their new color formulas on models, which added a lot of energy to the video I did for them.
Our First TV Commercial
by Robert on January 5, 2011
Commercial for Spa Du Jour in La Quinta, CA
We were very pleased to have been hired last week to shoot a commercial for Spa Du Jour in La Quinta, California. I’ve attached a preview of that video, which will be finished as soon as we add our client’s voice-over, which we’re hoping to record this Sunday. Anyway working in a spa is wonderful. The air is filled with natural aromas. Plus the place was full of attractive models that we need for the facial, massage, and pedicure segments. Please take a look at our video and let us know if it makes you feel more relaxed…SPA DU JOUR
A Holiday Wedding at The Grand Colonial
by Robert on December 23, 2010
I have a wonderful story to tell. A year ago a very lovely woman hired me to take some pictures of her so she could post them on Match.com. Her husband had passed away a few years before, but she was ready to test the water once again. Her singles photos turned out great. Then (a year later) she called and asked me if I could photograph her wedding. She was engaged to a retired engineer, who she’d met online!!!
Bruce and Ingrid’s wedding was held at La Jolla’s Grand Colonial Hotel in early December. The hotel was decorated beautifully for the holidays, and it was very warm and romantic. A perfectly intimate setting for the couple’s forty guests.
For video and photography service at the Grand Colonial Hotel please call Robert Marcos at (760) 504-4787