Derek Wong Photography Reviews
Reviews
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Charisse Sent on 05/25/2023
Amazing from start to finish!
This review is long overdue! Not to make any excuses but first wanted to wait til we received our final set of photographs and then, newlywed life got in the way. That all said, we hired Derek based on numerous reviews online to him being one of the top approved vendors at all our potential venues to seeing his portfolio and finally because we knew his laid back but professional personality fit us! We were lucky enough to have him photograph both our engagement and wedding photos and have ZERO regrets, fond memories and are 200% satisfied. He has a unique knack and eye to capture moments that look very natural but giving enough direction with poses that are un-natural for those of us not used to being photographed!
We were told by many friends and their wedding coordinators to book our preferred photographer FIRST. You can always find another venue (or room at preferred venue) or another caterer, but you can’t get another photographer that can shoot the style you want! Luckily for us, from the moment we met for our initial conversation, we knew he was “the one” and he never disappointed! He went above and beyond what a normal photog had to do by recommending our fantastic DJ and wedding coordinator and helping us secure our dream wedding venue, the Halekulani, which we thought at first wouldn’t be possible due to size limitations during covid. He carefully considered our guest list and recommended splitting our ceremony and reception allowing 140 guests to fit comfortably within air condition into two different locations (Hau Terrace and Grand Ballroom), something our initial hotel contact did not suggest!
For our engagement photoshoot, we had some bad luck with the weather – SHOOTS! biggest rain storm in Honolulu for several years with Waikiki and all beaches being flooded ☹ Derek was nice enough to let us reschedule for 3 months later at Kahala Beach. Derek had an ease and comfort about him that made our session so relaxing and fun. It was also perfect for us to figure out what angles worked best so that during our wedding, we’d know what NOT to do!! Ladies, he also listened to my concerns when I said please do not photograph me with a double chin or a big belly! You know what I mean!! All of my girlfriends commented how great our shots came out and another friend that got married on the mainland even told me she wished he had photographed her wedding b/c she told her photog the same thing and that guy kinda laughed it off instead of understanding a bride wants to look AND remember how beautiful she was and not be sad seeing a fat side arm or unflattering side view with spanx/double chin!
5 months later at our dream wedding at the Halekulani Hotel, Derek was able to capture so many beautiful moments that we will cherish for our lifetime – from getting ready pics, to pre-ceremony family/wedding party to the ceremony, cocktails and finally our reception. He made sure to capture all of the sets we requested plus more! In fact, we had asked a few months prior to make sure he captured a black and white moment in front of the tea terrace that he had featured on his website, but completely forgot day of. During the middle of the reception as we were all dancing, he came up to us and said, let’s take that picture downstairs now – lighting is right and tbh, we were like what picture? But as soon as we walked downstairs, we remembered, and it was literally one of our favorite pictures of the entire set!
You will definitely be more than satisfied with Derek if you hire him to be your photographer and will have stunning pictures of your momentous occasion to pass down to generations. -
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Reyna Sent on 12/27/2021
Derek Makes Magic
I don't even know where to begin! Short background: My now husband and I are a Covid wedding couple and had been planning our day since 2019. We worked with Derek for over 2 years as we pushed our date back a year during the pandemic. Let me just say, that's a lot of time to build a relationship and Derek got to know us very well lol. We did some pretty extensive research when looking for a photographer. Our wedding venue (The Four Seasons Oahu) provided recommendations and Derek was top of the list. After looking, drooling, and oo'ing and ah'ing over his Instagram and website, we KNEW we had to secure him. Aside from Derek's undeniable talent and the way he captures movement and light, he's also one of the nicest people I've ever met. He took the time to really get to know us and we instantly felt a connection. He's relaxed, easy to talk to, personable, and we felt so at ease with him. These qualities are critical when picking your wedding photographer, as it allowed us to be natural and comfortable around him the entire day. This is apparent in the pictures- we never felt like anything was posed or forced, it was so genuine and really embodied the island vibe. During the wedding day, he had everything down to a science and I felt like I didn't have to lift a finger. He ran his operation smoothly and had no problem managing our rambunctious wedding party into position. Looking back I can't believe all of the shots he took because his presence was so subtle, we didn't notice the camera or feel overwhelmed it. Fast forward to us receiving the first preview pictures and all I can say is WOW. For additional context we were combatting rainy weather and overcast skies all day. The sun was nowhere to be seen and we were feeling slightly discouraged in how the pictures would look. That being said, you would never know by looking at the pictures that there was less than ideal weather. The colors and lighting from Derek's magical editing made it look like it was a beautiful day. This honestly got me emotional (I cried) because he still managed to make everything absolutely perfect. He was able to find magic in seemingly everyday moments (i.e. getting ready shots, laughing, candids, etc). He trekked to the beach with us when it was pitch black out and never missed a beat. I truly mean this from the bottom of my heart, please just book Derek. His professionalism, skill, and vision are so unique, we feel so lucky to have met and worked with him. Now we have the most beautiful pictures to remember a day 2+ years in the making. Thank you, Derek!!! -
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Will Sent on 07/30/2020Professional, Prepared, Creative, and Detailed
Derek Wong is hands down one of the most professional and easy to work with individuals. He had assisted my wife and I by taking our engagement photos and wedding photos.
As we were from California, we had held an interview with Derek prior to signing our contract and asked a number of questions to understand his process, shooting method, equipment, post editing, and more. He wowed us by being extremely knowledgable, creative, and understanding what we were looking for.
During the engagement shoot and wedding, he was professional and prepared. He planned for inevitable complications such as weather, timeline disruptions, and rowdy guests.
Post shoots, he was communicative and provided clear timelines for deliverables. Both my wife and I are beyond pleased with the results and would highly recommend Derek for his services. -
Rachel Sent on 07/15/2020
The best in hawaii!
Honestly, the title says it all. Derek is hands down the best wedding photographer in Hawaii. If you are looking, look no further, just hire him! I cannot express enough how wonderful he is not only as a photographer but also to work with and just as a person in general. As soon as my fiance proposed, I knew we had to have Derek there to capture the day and I am so glad he was. We ended up eloping, just the two of us, at Kualoa Ranch, Secret Island. I didn't want the typical Hawaii beach wedding and Derek captured my vision so beautifully. It was seriously such a fairly tale and if I could do it over and over again I would. I look at my wedding photos every single day in absolute awe of how gorgeous they are. I am thankful I have the photos to relive the day. Again, words cannot express how in love I am with his work, he is honestly the BEST! -
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Britney Sent on 07/19/2019Hands Down Most Dedicated Photographer
Derek and his team were so great, I can't express how happy I am that I hired them to shoot our wedding. Not only was he professional, he took every moment very serious. And I greatly appreciated it, down to every little detail. I can now go through the photos and relive every moment of our special day. Truly the best. -
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Erika Sent on 10/25/2017The best photographer in Oahu!!! Derek was super professional and attentive from the first day I contacted him. I felt very confident and happy with him and Kathy, they both are super kind. I am so thankful that he was part of this very special day for us. We just could not be happier with the excellent service and the breathtaking photos :) -
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Justine Sent on 07/03/2017Derek and his staff were amazing! I highly recommend Derek and his team if you are looking for someone who makes you feel at ease while still capturing amazing photos! His professionalism definitely didn't go unnoticed I love how he made sure everyone looked their best in the photo before capturing the photo. It is very rare to find a photographer who will make sure everyone looks good prior to taking the photo and for that I am very glad for Derek he gets all the small details you wouldn't think of and is so easy to work with. He was worth every penny and I hope to use him again for other events in the future. Thank you Derek for the amazing shots you did for our wedding! I cannot wait to see the rest of the photos! -
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Steven Sent on 05/11/2014We are so lucky to have Derek as our photographer. He's super friendly, helpful, talented, professional and devoted. We will definitely recommend him to anyone. I am currently trying to pick pictures to make our wedding album, but because all the pics he took of us are all so nice it makes the choosing process so hard. I just wanna pick all the pictures!!! Derek is the best photographer you can find!!! We love Derek Wong! -
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Timothy Sent on 05/28/2009Derek was the right choice for our wedding. He and his lovely assistant Bonne calmly photographed our wedding, never raising alarm if we fell behind on our schedule or someone wasn't at a certain place at a certain time. He also did our engagement shoot, one of whose photos was beautiful enough to make the New York Times!
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