Bride’s Parents Plead for Return of Stolen Film

WOODLAND HILLS —  The bride was radiant in her off-the-shoulder dress, the groom dashing, the scenery lush, the mood romantic. Someday Greg Ray and Donica Romeo could have shown pictures of their wedding to their children and grandchildren.

If it weren’t for the burglar who swiped the undeveloped wedding pictures from the photographer’s studio hours after the ceremony.

On Monday, the bride’s parents announced a reward for the return of the film, pleading for the bandit to hand over the rolls before the newlyweds--who are unaware of the theft--return from their honeymoon on Aug. 19.

“A photograph is worth a thousand words,” said Domenic Romeo of Woodland Hills. His daughter “can never recapture all the events that happened that day . . . whoever has this timeless treasure, it can have no value for them.”

Ray, 28, and Romeo, 27, are former high school sweethearts who tied the knot at the Calabasas Inn on Saturday afternoon in front of about 175 guests from as far off as Virginia and Missouri. Photographer Neil Gruen was on hand to preserve the memories.

Gruen returned to his Van Nuys studio about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, and left the film in a black bag. About 2 a.m. Sunday morning, someone broke in through the studio’s back door and snatched two bags--one with about $5,000 of camera equipment, the other with 15 rolls of wedding film.

That was “the saddest day in my 12 years of photographing weddings,” Gruen said. “The equipment can be replaced, but the memories cannot.”

Domenic Romeo said he hasn’t told the newlyweds about the loss, for fear of spoiling their honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. As for the reward, it will be “whatever it takes,” he said.

He said the film could be returned, no questions asked, to P.O. Box 218, Woodland Hills 91365. He asked that anyone with information about the film call Gruen Studios at (818) 908-9431.