dani phaneuf photography

engaged! ania and jimmy

2009-07-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

we met ania at a wedding a couple months ago, she wants to be a photographer so she shot along with us, and now is working with us as an associate. so when she mentioned she was getting married in poland, we initially thought how cool it would be to jump on a plane and do their wedding shoot, but then reality set in and we opted to do some engagement pics instead.

they wanted something fun and sexy, playing in the water and then looking chic in downtown, so it was quite a shoot. we started out at crystal pier in pacific beach and then headed to the gaslamp. here are some of our favorites from the day...

after splashing in the water and a quick beach bathroom change, we headed downtown for some sexy urban shots...

ania and jimmy, have a great time in poland, and we can't wait to see all the pictures from the wedding!

introducing our travel photos

2009-07-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

as if we weren't busy enough with weddings, portraits and our full-time jobs, we have started uploading our favorite travel photos to our site. so if you are interested in decorating your bare walls or living vicariously as you sit in your cubicle, check out our portfolio. and check back often, because we are going to be uploading new photos from our different adventures. here is a little preview...

wedding: sharna and matt

2009-07-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

sharna and matt couldn't have picked a more perfect place to get married, the rancho bernardo inn was gorgeous and full of great places for some fun pics.

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james hung out with matt and the guys, checking out all the cool places at the inn...

while james was hanging with matt and his groomsmen, i spent some time with sharna and the girls getting all beautiful. i loved the pink, pink everywhere and sharna's gorgeous eyes.

we have to say a special thanks to candi and walt from sweet memories by candi, as she did a FABULOUS job (as always) with all the details. we love working with her because everything is always super coordinated and on-time.

the ceremony took place on a nice shaded lawn, where we were able to get some great moments of the "i do's" and then some great pictures afterward.

before the reception, we spent a little time with the newlyweds, strolling around the beautiful grounds of the inn, trying to find a little shade. we loved these shots, something about the dark green and wedding dress.

then we headed inside, where we had to try some super formal poses, i love that sharna and matt can do serious and sexy!

the reception was full of fun and crazy dancing, sharna and a few of the girls did a great little line dance (fully choreographed) and the guys (not to be outdone) did a little dance of their own.

i always love the expressions on the girls' faces during the bouquet toss...

sharna and matt, congratulations on a fabulous wedding and best wishes for a long and happy marriage!

promotion time!!

2009-06-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

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happy 50th anniversary!

2009-06-22T14:00:00.001-07:00

50 years, it sounds like a very long time, especially given that i have only been married for 3 months. but for my aunt sandy and uncle jerry, it seemed like just yesterday that they said their vows for the first time. when they asked me if i would photograph their vow renewal and reception, i was more than thrilled, since its not everyday that we get a chance to be part of something so very special.

they held the party on the cbs studio lot, at carla's cafe, and everything was decorated in 50th anniversary gold.

this woman was in my aunt's wedding 50 years ago, and they have known each other their entire life, unbelievable!

my aunt looks so beautiful!

their grand-daughter just flew in from israel that morning to be part of their celebration...

they had a traditional jewish ceremony, with huppah and yarmulkes...

a traditional cake cutting...

and some great dancing, from a touching first dance, to an exciting hava to some crazy swing...

aunt sandy and uncle jerry, it was truly an honor to be part of your 50th anniversary wedding celebration, i can't wait for 75!

wedding: monique and byron

2009-06-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

the day started out cool, but by the time the wedding started, it was smokin hot outside, and i am sure it was partially due to how hot monique looked in her wedding gown. monique and byron got married in corona, at a beautiful private house that was perfect for the ceremony and reception.

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a few special details...

while i spent time with monique and the girls getting pictures of all the magic, james was with byron, first at the hotel and then around corona, of course making the guys look super cool...

this is quite possibly my favorite bridal party picture ever--how hot do these girls look?

monique has this sexy and intriguing smile, like we aren't quite sure what she is thinking, but we know its good...

the ceremony was touching and funny...

after the ceremony, we did some pictures with the wedding party and monique and byron...

just a nice portrait...

maybe not the most flattering of byron, but funny, and monique looks hot...

and then it was time for the first dance, which started out nice and slow, and then went into a hip-hop medley which got all the guests going...

the party was great, from an exciting bouquet and garter belt, to the cake cutting, and more awesome dancing than we have seen at a wedding...

monique and byron, thank you for letting us share this incredibly fun and special day with you, and we wish you the best for many years of happiness!

engaged! jill and arne

2009-06-07T11:17:00.001-07:00

we went back and forth last weekend--do we take the pictures now with the gloomy may gray skies? or do we wait until its nicer out, so jill and arne won't be freezing on the beach? we decided to take our chances with the gray skies and wind, and we got some very cool and very dramatic un-san diego beach shots.

when we first met jill and arne, the starbucks we planned to meet at was packed, so we headed over to carls' jr. james and i were a little nervous about the message this would send, but they were great, didn't mind at all, so we knew we could have some fun with these two.

we started out in la jolla village, and walked around a bit before moving onto la valencia hotel.

there are these cool cows all around la jolla...

jill has such a great smile and laugh, we made her keep showing us all afternoon...

there is this AMAZING candy shop in la jolla--powell's sweet shoppe--they have tons of cool candy, a gelato bar, and old style sodas.

next it was down to the beach, where we hoped to get some cool splashing waves. we waited and waited until finally...woo-hoo!!!

a great simple portrait...

jill and arne, thanks for braving the chilly weather and for a great engagement session. we are looking forward to your wedding later this year

engaged! cory and james

2009-06-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

its always great to meet a couple with whom we just click--between sharing the same name, same look and same love of all things liquor, we couldn't have found a closer soul-mate for james. we met cory and james a couple weeks ago in little italy, where they live, and started out at the waterfront bar to loosen up a bit.

after a couple cocktails, we headed out on a photo safari of little italy, taking advantage of the cool colored walls and fun street scenes.

i love this one of cory...

another bar stop, this time at sogno di vino, a very cool little wine bar, where everyone is speaking italiano...

after a quick outfit change, we headed down to the hotel del, where james proposed to cory. although it was a bit chilly and the sun dipped behind the clouds before we could get any sunset shots, it was absolutely beautiful.

we are definitely looking forward to the wedding later this summer, and know its going to be a great party!

jdrf promise ball

2009-05-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

there are certain events that you know are going to be great before they even start, and the jdrf promise ball was one of these events. from the moment we walked into the new hilton bayfront hotel in downtown san diego until the final raffle ticket was drawn, the jdrf promise ball was absolutely amazing.

the evening is a huge fundraising event for the juvenile diabetes research foundation (jdrf), a great organization that is committed to finding a cure for juvenile diabetes. there was a fabulous silent auction with some really great items up for sale and a live auction, which included dinner by san diego firefighters, tickets to oprah, and a trip to yankee stadium, among others.

as part of the fun, they had a great take on the traditional photo booth, a company called a little scene. in about a minute, they will take a 7-second video of you and turn it into a photo flip-book, like the ones you had when you were a kid. its a fabulous idea and super fun.

the bidding was fast and furious as the auctioneer (who spoke faster than anyone i have ever heard) did a great time raising money for this great cause.

overall, this was a great time and an amazing fundraiser, and we were honored to be a part of it.

if you are interested in learning more about jdrf, visit their website. To donate to or become a volunteer for the san diego chapter, visit the website to learn more.

to view all the images from the event, visit our viewing site. a portion of the proceeds from the sale of all photos will be donated to jdrf.

welcome to the newest maurer!

2009-05-23T09:40:00.001-07:00

we almost couldn't believe it when kim and brian told us she was pregnant again, and that she was going to be due before her first child's first birthday. we thought she must be crazy for wanting two babies, or she was just so happy her husband was back :) we met little andrew last weekend, and although kim said he does nothing but sleep, he wouldn't sleep at all when we were there. plus he doesn't like to be a little naked baby, so we wrapped him up nice and warm and got some really cute pics...

and of course we couldn't forget about adorable mackenzie, she is only 1 and she can already talk, i am thinking genius baby...

playtime for sydney

2009-05-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

you might recall that we have been taking pictures of my friend deanne's little girl sydney since she was born, and as she approaches her 2 year birthday, we decided to venture out into the park and have a little fun on the toys.

sydney is very particular and doesn't like sand in her shoes...

and she still doesn't like to smile at me that much, but i think she is adorable even with her brooding and serious look...

her eyes are absolutely amazing, she could be making the most ridiculous face and she would still be cute...

finally it was time for the itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-yellow-polka-dot-bikini--could this be any cuter?

starbucks 1 - mcdonalds 0

2009-05-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

so i am an advertiser's dream, trying every new product they put in front of me. wowed by the messages promising fame, fortune or maybe just creamy goodness. on my way home from la last night, i decided to try mcdonalds new iced mocha, which they claim is the affordable version of a starbucks. as i waited in the drive through window and saw the cashier putting the final touches of whipped cream on my drink, my lips were watering. and then i tasted it. all i have to say is that mcdonalds doesn't have anything on the starbucks mocha frappuccino or iced mocha.

in another bit of fast food disappointment (yes, i am back eating fast food now that i am back travelling as a consultant), i tried the jack in the box mini sirloin burgers (see the commercial below if you haven't seen it).

i LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the commercial, so i was psyched to finally get my hands on those yummy bits of heaven. again, one bite into them and i knew it was advertising trickery.

i am sure this won't sway me from trying yet another new and not-so-tasty treat, but hopefully i'll save you from wasting your money :)

wedding: carla and jesse

2009-05-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

we were expecting rain on the day of carla and jesse's wedding, but the odds were in our favor as the sun came out and provided a beautiful backdrop for their wedding in mission valley. jesse loves the chargers and even has some charger bolts on his ring!

carla looked absolutely stunning and jesse looked muy guapo!

carla's granddaughter looked precious as one of the flowergirls...

james braved traffic to get some shots of jesse and the guys looking cool, while i kept it safer with the ladies...

the ceremony was filled with emotion and laughter, as jesse broke out a flask and carla gave jesse a chargers ball and chain...

we spent a little time with carla and jesse and the wedding party after the ceremony...

the party got started early, and we had a lot of fun with the bridal party and all the guests...

love the facial expressions here...

with this much excitement over catching the garter and bouquet, we'll for sure have lots of customers...

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carla and jesse, we wish you lots of love and happiness and thank you for including us in your special day!

the clark family

2009-05-09T09:35:00.001-07:00

a few months ago we met the clark family, when little landon was just a couple months old. now, at 6 months, he is sitting up, curious, smiling and adorable. his eyes are so wide open, we couldn't stop snapping pics. here are a few of our faves from the shoot...

wedding: traci and chris

2009-05-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

we couldn't have asked for a more perfect place to shoot a wedding. imagine a private estate, in beautiful palm springs, with a patio overlooking a huge pool, waterfalls in the front, and a backyard large enough for a wedding. rebecca and mia from red letter days provided the absolutely amazing wedding coordination, and made sure everything was perfect.

traci and her girls spent the afternoon upstairs, getting pampered and pretty while chris and the guys hung out with james in the casita. traci picked gorgeous, richly bright colors for her bouquets, and the flowers looked amazing against the dark dresses. traci looked super-glamorous, with her retro-hair and red lips, it was the perfect complement to her elegant and simply beautiful wedding dress.

the guests weathered the scorching hot temps while traci and chris said their vows, which were simple and special...

the bridal party looking fabulous...

we spent a little time with traci and chris after the ceremony, taking advantage of the beautiful grounds of the house...

the reception was perfect, amazing food, the best band we have seen (the martini kings), specialty cocktails and a lot of dancing and fun...

traci and chris left in a bentley, through a stream of sparklers, the perfect end to an amazing wedding! congratulations to both of you, we were honored to be part of your special day...

the willis family, revisited

2009-04-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

its been great getting to know danielle and her family, and watching the kids grow and become little people, with their very own personalities. the last time we met danielle and jeff, the baby was just born, and she wasn't too interested in pictures. this time around, everyone was hamming it up for the cameras. here are some of our faves from the shoot at balboa park...

like father like son...

how cute is she?

and you probably remember his funny faces...

a perfect portrait...

i love this one of courtney...

and this one too...

james must have said something really inappropriate here...

one last family shot...

willis family, we are looking forward to the next time we see you!!

wedding: laura and dan

2009-04-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

when we woke up on the morning of april 11, we were pretty nervous. it was raining and cold, and the skies were dark. laura and dan were getting married on the beach in coronado, and we were praying that the sun would come out just enough to brighten the day. then lo and behold, the skies parted and the sun came out, just long enough for the ceremony.

laura looked absolutely GORGEOUS getting out of the vintage rolls...

and dan looked dapper in his white linen...

a little kiss from mom before the big event...

they kept the ceremony intimate, only immediate family and a close friend, who works with laura at a fabulous little spa in tierrasanta called dr. z's chiropractic spa. for those of you looking for a great massage, give laura a call, she works wonders. and her friend jessica is an amazing aesthetician, will give you that sought after glow.

i think there were as many cameras as people at the ceremony...

dan was so excited to see laura for the first time...

despite a tough guy image, laura's dad had tears in his eyes when he walked his daughter down the aisle...

after the ceremony, we spent some time walking along the beach and tried to catch the setting sun, which was peeking in and out of the clouds...

the light was just gorgeous, super warm and romantic...

and we were trying to show dan how to passionately dip laura, at least they had some fun...

then we headed over to the front side of coronado for a quick view of the city, before we lost all the beautiful light...

laura did one of the best bouquet tosses ever, right into the bay!

we finally got the dip...

and we said goodbye so they could enjoy at least some of their reception...

congrats laura and dan, we are super excited for you to begin your new life together as a married couple, and can't wait for those amazing massages!

lindsay and michael part 2

2009-04-12T22:24:00.001-07:00

here is the second part of lindsay and michael's wedding...

the girls wore these super sassy dresses, in a deep dark blue, which looked great against the bright flowers...

the guys looking smooth...

the bridal party was up for the challenge to see who could jump the highest...

the ceremony was beautiful, in a shaded corner under the gazebo...

before the kiss, michael made sure he and lindsay had fresh breath, which made everyone laugh

the grand entrance, with the groom trying to steal the show...

the dances were amazing, first michael and lindsay did a very sexy first dance, and then lindsay's dad gave michael some competition...

after the dances, some family friends serenaded the couple with a beautiful song, and then michael got up and did a rap for lindsay, it was awesome!

it all started out so nice and calm, very lovingly, and then lindsay got michael really good...

lindsay's girls kept it tame for the bouquet toss, not too much fighting...

michael has such a great personality, he did this bullfighting dance before the garter belt toss and everyone was in stitches, especially when he pulled out a mousetrap before the garter...

the party got started early and lasted all night, here are a few before things got too crazy...

lindsay and michael, we had such a great time at your wedding, and wish you a lifetime of happiness. thank you for letting us be part of your incredibly fun and very special day!

wedding: lindsay and michael

2009-04-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

lindsay and michael got married last month at the shadowridge country club in vista, but it took us a bit of time to get the photos processed since their wedding was the weekend before ours, but we are sure you will think it was worth the wait. we are posting the first half of the wedding now and will have the rest up shortly, so check back soon!

lindsay and michael were not only a ton of fun, but are two of the most photogenic people we have met. we noticed this first when we did their engagement session, where they both swore that they hadn't done professional pictures before, we say yeah right!

i spent some time with lindsay and her girls while they were getting ready, and james hung out with michael and his boys. we've noticed a trend in weddings (including ours!) where the grooms love to be the center of attention, and michael was no exception...

lindsay looked so amazing we couldn't stop photographing her all day...

michael and lindsay chose to see each other before the ceremony, which we love since it gives us so much more time to get some really great pictures. here are a few of our faves...

check back soon for part two of this post!

baby payton has arrived!

2009-04-10T17:27:00.001-07:00

we met chrissy and taylor last month for a maternity shoot, and they told us they were due on march 17, which was about 10 days before our wedding. we were a little nervous since we were sure we would be running around like crazy the week before, but we were able to get over to their house and get some great pics of baby payton before she got all fussy.

we like to get the babies within the first few weeks of their birth, because they like to sleep a lot and we can usually mold them into cute shapes, but not payton, she was only asleep for a few pictures and then wanted to be part of all the action...

i love her squished up face here...

look at how small her foot is!

congratulations chrissy and taylor on the arrival of such an adorable little girl, we look forward to seeing you in a few months when she is sitting up!

chrissy and taylor: baby on the way

2009-04-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

its been so long since we posted any of our photo shoots that chrissy and taylor have already had their adorable baby, and we have already done photos! anyways, here are some of our favorites from the maternity shoot that we did last month...

we started near the coronado ferry landing, where we had a great view of the city, and chrissy and taylor were fantastic models...

after a quick outfit change we headed over to the little park near the bridge where they have all these overturned boats...

chrissy looked absolutely amazing and was completely at peace here...

and taylor was truly happy and excited, even if we were playing paparazzi a bit!

we would normally say that we are excited to meet your new addition, but since we already have, we'll just say congrats again, and we are happy to be part of your lives. we'll be posting the newborn shoot soon, so check back this weekend.

back on the blog--our wedding details

2009-04-05T00:03:00.000-07:00

as many of you know, james and i had been planning our own wedding over the past few months, and we just got married on saturday, march 28, so that explains our very long absence from the blog. we are super far behind in posting, but i wanted to take the chance to share with you some of our fabulous pictures, posted on our photographers' blog and our wedding details as we have had some questions on where we got everything.

here are the details: we got married at the la jolla financial building, which has an awesome patio and is catered by norm bradley at the imperial house, and is super affordable. norm is so easy to work with and will do anything and everything to make your day extra special. andrea roy at gila rut salon in hillcrest was responsible for my amazing bridal hair (and the rest of the stylists at the salon did all the bridal party) and jennifer emerick from stila transformed me to be beautiful on my wedding day. and if you were wondering how james and i looked so buff (in james' case) or toned (in my case), we owe a special thanks to chris adams at 24 hour fitness in mission valley, our personal trainer who got us into the best shape he could (considering we didn't give up our cheeseburgers).

for the most part, we used smaller vendors with whom we had a relationship, and we weren't disappointed. jeff and erin youngren of the youngrens captured the magic of the day, and fit in perfectly with our wedding party--everyone commented on what a great job they did all night long, and they are super fun to work with. we are so glad we chose them as our wedding photographers, and knew from our first meeting they were the ones for us.

our cake was from crumbs of paris, chocolate and vanilla cake with chocolate chip filling, it was absolutely delicious--we got so many compliments which is rarely the case with wedding cake. all the flowers were done by michelle shumard at sweet pea flower company, she did an amazing job and designed exactly what we were looking for at a price that was extremely competitive. gary davis from sounds perfect entertainment provided all our entertainment, and he did an absolutely fabulous job not just with the music, but he made sure we never wanted for anything throughout the entire evening. the music was great and the party didn't slow down once (we'll post our playlist later). rae peterson provided our day-of coordination, and she did a great job ensuring that all the details were taken care of.

we bought candy and cookie jars from the container store and had our friends and family make cookies for the favors, super personal and very yummy, they were a huge hit with everyone and very affordable. the lanterns were from asian ideas, an online store that sells everything asian and ships it super fast. gary brought the lights and hung the lanterns (with a special thanks to atlas for the decorating advice!) which made the tent look magical for the reception.

finally, i got my dress from isis bridal, which is the perfect bridal salon, located in mira mesa. they have dresses in every price range and the service is excellent, so much better than the larger salons in the area. the bridesmaid dresses were from david's bridal, cotton with pockets, super-comfy and really affordable, and the shoes were from target. james got his and the groomsmens' gear from macy's--all calvin klein suits which we got at an amazing price, much better than renting.

we had the most amazing wedding, everything was exactly what we had wanted, and we are enjoying a relaxing honeymoon now in hawaii. we'll be back posting pictures soon, aloha!

my bouquet

2009-02-28T11:45:00.001-08:00

i posted a few weeks ago about our fabulous florist, sweet pea flower company. well i wanted to share a sample of michelle's work, a prototype of my bouquet. michelle and i talked several times about what i wanted, and she captured it perfectly. here are a few shots...

the main flowers are pink ranunculus, pink roses (ballet slipper), cream roses, cream liseanthus (?) and hypernicum berries. the cool brown things are fiddlehead ferns. can't wait for the wedding!

congratulations james!

2009-02-28T11:25:00.001-08:00

after two long years of arduous studying, giving up weekends of fun for hours of cramming for exams, james has officially graduated!!! to celebrate, i got him a little surprise, something he had been wanting for a very long time...don julio real tequila. for those of you who know james, he is a tequila aficionado and has a huge, and now more complete collection.

and now its a 2-month break before he starts his masters program, just enough time to get married and go on our honeymoon :) congrats james, i am so proud of you!

second time is a charm: gage

2009-02-18T18:03:00.000-08:00

as a present to his good friend, one of our grooms who you might remember from last year asked us to do newborn portraits. we were super-excited to do these pictures, thinking of all the cool things we could do with the marine corps uniform and the baby. but alas, with babies, some things are just not meant to be. though we tried and tried, we couldn't get little baby gage to stop crying, except for a couple shots.

so we told alison and stefan that we would gladly reshoot the pictures, and 6 months later, we had magic. gage is super-photogenic, loves to smile, adores his daddy (and his mommy of course!) and is just an all-around great baby.

gage is really into his tongue right now, we couldn't keep it in his mouth for most of the shoot, but its adorable...

plus, alison and dave live in this great house that has this amazing natural landscaping--this was all literally steps away from the front door.

finally, we moved back inside to avoid the rain, and got the perfect family photo...

gage, we're looking forward to seeing you again soon, thanks for being such a great baby this time around :)