Felici Lives Here » Marissa

Extreme Relaxation in Palm Springs

Marissa — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:19:43 +0000

Yes I know, the title is a bit contradictory. How can one be relaxed while being EXTREME at the same time? What can I say, I love oxymorons! And this really is the best way to describe my weekend of good friends and good food in Palm Springs. I got together with a few girls from high school, which was a looong time ago, who I haven’t seen in years. The reason for this sudden get-together in 108 degree dry heat? We’re all turning 30 this year!!! Plus, we all needed a break from our hectic schedules to just sit back and do nothing.

The four of us drove up to the Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs…it was very cute, quiet, and plush. Several decadent meals and rays of sunshine later, we were back in San Diego feeling revived and refreshed. I highly recommend that everyone take a day off to just relax and decompress, it really does wonders! Just for fun, here are a few photos from the weekend.

Champagne brunch at the Purple Palm Restaurant at the Colony Palms Hotel:

Highway 111 on the way back from Palm Springs:

Janice’s dog, Mochi!

I took my friend Mignon to Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach, we met this slovenly fellow:

Hungry as usual, here’s me stuffing my face with paella at Costa Brava in Pacific Beach. This restaurant, btw, is awesome! Food is delicious, hospitality is wonderful, I felt like I flew to Spain for the night! Thanks for the photo Mignon!

Spanish dancers…love the attitude in her face and posture:

These feet were stomping so fast:

I highly recommend Costa Brava for a great night out. So that wraps up my weekend of extreme relaxation. Now it’s back to working out, eating healthy and in moderation, and editing editing editing!!! I’ll be back soon with photos of our latest engagements and weddings!

Brandy & Pancho ~ Engaged

Marissa — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:59:35 +0000

Our day with Brandy & Pancho was nonstop fun and laughter. The smiles on their faces and the love they have for each other is completely infectious! By the end of our shoot, our cheeks hurt from smiling so much, our bellies hurt from laughing, and we were simply exhausted from trying to keep up with them as they gallivanted all over Balboa Park, daisy fields, and the beach (Brandy in stilettos, mind you). We even got to meet their baby, the one who completes them…Scout, their yellow lab! He tagged along with us at the beach for more fun.

All I can say is that I am beyond excited for these two. They are so perfect for each other! After an amazingly sweet and adventurous proposal in Katathani Beach in Thailand, they will be tying the knot in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, Mexico! You know we would not miss that for the world!

To see more of Brandy & Pancho, click here for their slideshow.

Sharon & Fred ~ Engaged ~ San Francisco, CA

Marissa — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:50:47 +0000

How do we love Sharon and Fred…let me count the ways! These two big kids are nothing but fun. We flew up the California coast line and met up with Sharon and Fred for their engagement session. They were exceptional tour guides, showing us a lot of great sights around the city, as well as feeding us all the best eats around town. I can’t ever forget the Arizmendi Bakery…we grabbed 1 of everything and were not disappointed. Then there was Cha Cha Cha on Haight & Ashbury, mouth-wateringly good tapas! But enough about the food, onto the photos! And don’t forget to click here for the slideshow buttercup!

EVE safeguarding Sharon’s ring for Fred:

What visit to San Francisco wouldn’t be complete without a visit to ILM?! Sharon and Fred looking badass with their light saber and sword:

Morning yoga in the enchanted bamboo forest, aka the San Francisco Botanical Garden:

Look at that focus, look at that precision! Fred training with eskrima sticks in the bamboo forest:

CHEST BUMP!!!

And my favorite! I love the colors, the looks on their faces, the outlines of bridge and city!

Wedding ~ Jennifer & Steve ~ San Diego

Marissa — Mon, 04 May 2009 03:55:23 +0000

As promised, we’re back with Jennifer & Steve’s full post! It was an honor to document Jennifer and Steve’s amazingly handmade day. I say handmade because almost every part of the day was handmade by Jennifer herself, as well as by family and friends. Everything from the delicate earrings adorned by the bride and bridesmaids (by Jennifer), the flower arrangements (designed by Jennifer), the cake (by Jennifer’s mom), and special sculptures created just for this day by Jennifer’s mother…this was truly a unique wedding. Even the guestbook was handmade by the guests, Jojo and I let our creative juices flow and drew up a self-portrait for our entry to the guestbook.

What surprised us even more was the huge outpour of love and appreciation from family and friends at the reception. One after another, a continuous line of loved ones raised their glasses and gave such wonderful, heartfelt speeches to honor Jennifer and Steve. It was amazing to witness, we feel lucky to have been a part of this day. Here are just a few of our favorite shots from the day, click here for the slideshow.

Jennifer’s bridesmaids get a laugh as they sneak a peak of her getting ready for the big day:

Definitely one of my favorite images of the day, so much anticipation in that step:

You gotta love a groom strutting on a day like this, especially with his posse falling in step right behind him:

Steve lays eyes on his bride to be for the first time that day, it was electric!

I had to post this shot of the best man, it’s just so epic!

Everything about Jennifer in this image says to me…”CLASSIC!”

Ah, young love! So fresh, so sweet, so intimate are these two:

Jennifer & Steve cuttin’ a rug on the dance floor, what a fun way to start the night!

Jennifer’s mother created these special sculptures for the bride and groom, they each seem to have their own personality. I capped them off with these awesome rings:

One Shot ~ Liz & Eric

Marissa — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:09:06 +0000

Wedding ~ Jennifer & Steve ~ Paradise Point

Marissa — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:44:22 +0000

We couldn’t help ourselves…we had to do a pre-post for Jennifer & Steve’s wedding at Paradise Point! Enjoy these images…more to come very soon!

One Shot ~ Brandy & Pancho

Marissa — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:26:39 +0000

Liz & Eric ~ Engaged

Marissa — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:08:22 +0000

I don’t know if it’s possible to have more fun than we did with Liz and Eric on their engagement session a few weeks ago. Much to our delight, and per our recommendation, they brought props! But these were no ordinary props…instead they brought their super cool dogs, Toby and Rocky! After Liz and Eric got all romantic on us at Presidio Park, ;P , we headed straight for Fiesta Island to frolic and romp through fields of wild daisies. That’s when they let the dogs out! We had a ton of fun and are so excited for the wedding next week! Check out some of our favorite images, and click here for the slideshow.

Look who wants to be the center of attention…Toby!

Fiesta Island is so amazing in the Spring, this location suited Liz and Eric perfectly!

Romping and frolicking, as planned:

I just love this photo! Liz is so happy and is just simply gorgeous! Yes Rocky, you are gorgeous too.

If you’ve ever tried to photograph kids or pets, you know how hard it is to get them to sit still and pose for you. This next shot happened without so much as a “SIT” or “STAY!” Liz and Eric plopped down on the ground, Toby and Rocky followed suit…the perfect family photo!

Although we had hoped for sunny skies that day, I’m really loving how the clouds add so much drama to an already passionate image:

Liz and Eric are a joy to photograph! They are both full of laughter, life, love, passion, and they are so much fun to be around. We are really looking forward to the wedding…bring Toby and Rocky please!

To see the rest of this amazing session, watch this slideshow:

One Shot ~ Sharon and Fred

Marissa — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:27:16 +0000

There are 3 major things I love about San Francisco, and in countdown order, they are as follows: #3 is the photography, the shooting locations and sights are awesome and endless! #2 has definitely got to be the food! We ate so much good food during this trip. And #1 is without a doubt Sharon and Fred! We had such a blast shooting their engagement pictures this weekend. This one shot has got to be one of my all-time favorites. Fred and Sharon love the movie WALL-E, so we had to incorporate their super cool talking WALL-E and EVE robots. Stay tuned for more!

One Shot ~ Kathy and Ben

Marissa — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:45:28 +0000

We got a chance to shoot some major ROCKSTARS in the recording studio…Kathy and Ben! Soon to be performing live at a show you will never forget, Kathy and Ben will be hitched at the Wed Zeppelin Wedding Experience in October! Tickets on sale soon!