There are so many components that are important to having a festive and energetic wedding reception. While the mood of an event can depend on the bride and groom's personalities, as well as those of their guests, the skills of an experienced DJ cannot be overestimated.

RedShoe Productions in LA, and, specifically, Tony Liebetrau (aka DJ Bounce), did the honors at Pam and Allen's wedding at Shutters by the Beach last Saturday (photos to come in the near future!). He works a Mac and a mixing board, so his set-up is clean and minimal. His ability to mix smoothly and cleverly kept the music going and the dancers enthusiastic.

Tony and his partner are based in LA, but they will travel for weddings in the Palm Springs area and the Southern California region, as well.

We look forward to working with Tony and RedShoe again!

For some brides and grooms, simplicity is the key to their wedding plans. Genevieve and Emmanuel decided to make their wedding an intimate and cozy gathering of six, seven if you include Nader. They chose Joshua Tree National Park as their setting, and the ceremony was held in Hidden Valley a little before sunset.

Emmanuel's two sons attended and it was an emotional and touching ceremony. Genevieve's friend officiated and her mother's friend videotaped the event.

It was Nader's first visit to Joshua Tree and the scenery certainly did not disappoint. Joshua Tree National Park is a spectacular landscape as you can see in these images.

Our best wishes to Genevieve and Emmanuel and their new life together!

The first layout of Chris and Lizette's album design is done and I thought I'd share some images with you.

We first blogged about Chris and Lizette a few months ago. They got married at St. Francis of Assisi in La Quinta and had their reception at Desert Willow in Palm Desert. We ran into them last month at Trader Joe's and made a date to have dinner soon thereafter. Nader and I had a great time with them at one of our mutually-favorite restaurants, Native Foods (it's a vegan restaurant with super-creative menu items, tasty for even non-vegans like us!).

We are so lucky to have such great clients! It's an honor just to be chosen to photograph someone's wedding; it's a wonderful bonus for us to meet couples with whom we can share good conversation and great food after the wedding is done.

We wish Chris and Lizette the happiest of memories as they begin their lives together!

Charlene and Richard were married this past July, so this was, technically, a "newlywed" session! However, it was a newlywed session with a twist -- Charlene lives in Miami and Richard lives at Camp Pendleton. Obviously, this is a difficult situation for any couple, let alone newlyweds! Charlene came out to California for a brief visit to see her husband.

We met with them in the Pacific Beach area of San Diego for an hour of portraits on and around the historic Crystal Pier. If you've never been to Pacific Beach, it's a very lively area, with numerous restaurants and shops. Parking can be difficult in this area, but especially so on a summer weekend.

Because of the warm weather we've been having all around Southern California lately, the beach was quite crowded. There were quite a few surfers in the water, taking advantage of the last weeks of summer. The light was beautiful as the sun began to set. There is nothing like the light in Southern California.

It's always fun to work with couples who are playful and very much in love, and Charlene and Richard were certainly both. It was an added treat for us desert dwellers to dip our toes into the cool, refreshing waters of the Pacific!

Charlene and Richard, congratulations on your marriage!

Jin Patisserie combines art and food in the most creative and beautiful ways. Check out Kristy Choo's offerings for unforgettable wedding favors or for extra-special thank-you gifts to your family and bridal party.

The flavors she uses include French griottine cherries (that's a new one for me!), cognac with Oreo cookies and chocolate, green tea mousse with red bean paste, mascarpone with passion fruit and fresh mango -- I could go on, but why don't you check it out for yourself. That's only a small sampling of the ingredients she uses in her cakes.

She makes cakes, chocolates and cookies, and all of them are beautifully designed and uniquely displayed. They are tiny pieces of edible art.

"Word[s] cannot express how absolutely beautiful the pictures are! You and Donna truly captured every precious moment we were hoping for. I haven't been able to stop looking at them since yesterday. Please feel free to use us as a reference anytime. Everybody should know how fabulous of a team you are. Thanks again for everything.” -Heidi and Scott Larsen

"Heidi just sent me the link for the photos that you took on her and Scott's wedding day. After our first consultation with you last year, I/We knew you were the right team for the job. Again, meeting you at the rehearsal, I knew you would do a wonderful job. Well, this morning I found that my judgment was right on. Tears of joy are all I can say. You captured so much and so beautifully. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of our daughter's wedding. I/We would be honored to give any references in the future. Sincerely, Cyndi Hauff"

I found an old camera named the Lomo Lubitel 166 on eBay, so I bought one for fun. This camera was manufactured in the USSR back in the 1950's-1980's. The materials used to make the Lubitel were quite cheap, so it's basically a toy camera with arguably some amateur camera characteristics. It's a bit of a challenge to focus (if mine does actually focus!). Except at the request of our most adventurous couples, it's probably not a camera I would take along with me to a wedding. It is fun to shoot with though.

These images were taken one morning in Old Downtown Indio, California.