Derek Wong Photography

Derek & Bonnie did a great job on both our engagement and wedding shots. They are definitely professional and know how to take amazing photos. They were great in accommodating for the weather, lighting, rain, etc. We were very pleased with Derek and would recommend him to any bride and groom!

Derek was the consummate professional and beautifully captured the most amazing shots of our wedding. Derek magically blends into the background during the wedding and did not "stage" or create fake scenes or poses - rather, his experience and skills allowed him to always be at the right place at the right time. Looking through his 900 pictures of our wedding, we were able to relive the "story" of that special day. It is very difficult to put into words what sets Derek apart from the rest, but in a most general sense, it was his ability to be exceptional and professional at every single stage of the process. It is also important to note that his partner, Bonnie, was unbelievably quick in responding to each and every request (including providing advice on vendors in Hawaii, etc.). Their process (from setting up the dates, explainng the various packages, scheduling the shoots, etc.) is extremely organized and thought through, and we did not have one problem or hiccup during this entire process. We were very lucky to have Derek and Bonnie as our photographers for our wedding!

When planning our destination wedding in Hawaii, we met with a few photographers before hiring the right one. Derek and Bonnie of Derek Wong Photography stood out amongst the rest because of their outstanding work, Derek's renown experience in the fashion world (this impressed my husband, the art director), and their professional, yet friendly, composure. You see, it was very important to us to find a photographer who would be easy to work with and be respectful to our guests. From our very first meeting, we knew Derek and Bonnie had the right vibe and perspective to capture our special day. We also hired Derek and Bonnie to shoot our engagement photos. They travelled to the SF Bay Area (we're so fortunate that they work in this city, too!) to capture us in our "local" surroundings. Another sign of their professionalism is their strong sense of organization and thoughtfulness. Before the engagement shoot, they made the effort to discuss (via email and over the phone) possible locations around the city, what we should wear (Bonnie has a really great eye for style!), and what to expect on the day of the shoot. Upon arriving, they called us to let us know that they were in town, which was a couple of days before the shoot. Then, they took time in advance to scout out locations around the city. The night before, we reconnected over the phone to review where and when to meet as well as to go over the schedule - which was planned out according to the type of natural light they wanted to capture. We were very happy with the engagement photos, and they were able to deliver them to us in time to print a book for our reception. Throughout our entire experience with Bonnie and Derek we felt comfortable and, more importantly, relaxed, which we feel transcended into our photos. We were very impressed with their knack for find interesting and captivating backgrounds in everyday settings. For example, they would use a what-seems-to-be ordinary brick wall or door way but the way they frame the photo creates interest by taking advantage of the angle, the colors and the lighting. After the shoot, they edited our photos and re-touched as needed while keeping them realistic and natural. We feel strongly that our decision to hire Derek and Bonnie of Derek Wong Photography was one of the best decisions we made throughout the whole engagement and wedding process. And now we have photographic mementos to cherish for a lifetime! Mahalo Derek and Bonnie!

I'm a graphic designer and have worked with many photographers, and Derek Wong's work stood out from all the photographers I searched for in Hawaii. His style was very true and honest. We weren't looking for gimmicky photographers that use super wide angle lenses that tends to distort the images. He is an experienced photojournalist and portrait photographer, and it really shows in the quality of his work. His candid shots really captured the essence of our wedding and his portraits were amazing. We were extremely happy with our images and he exceeded our expectations. Each and every image was so beautiful. Our prints and album turned out really great and we received several compliments on them from our friends and family. I would highly recommend Derek Wong Photography. He was great to work with, extremely knowledgeable, and his work speaks for itself.

Just had Derek capture on June 19, 2009 wedding at the Halekulani. Although, I have not yet received our proofs, I am sure they are spectacular. He had us take some great still photo shots that we are very anxious to see, and we can't wait to see the candids:) He was so nice, laid back, and very easy to work with. He did not add any stress to our day. We had a budget to work with and he gladly made us a custom package. I highly recommend Derek and his services.

Derek and Bonnie are great to work with, we had them photograph us on 3 occasions for our 2 wedding portrait sessions and the wedding day.

The best part of the Derek + Bonnie duo is that they are genuinely great people. They are people that you would want as your friends.We had met with a bunch of different photographers and videographers and once we met with Derek and Bonnie we knew our choice was made. We were impressed not only by their portfolio but the fact that we actually wanted them to be at our wedding. Of utmost importance to us, was that we felt comfortable with the people that were going to be spending and capturing some of the most intimate moments with us. When we met some of the competition, they were so concerned with the "poses" that we were going to do and the "set up". Derek and Bonnie never once mentioned any poses or staged scenes for us to do. They were concerned more about capturing the moments versus creating them for us. At our rehearsal, Derek and Bonnie made a point of getting to know our wedding party and all of our close family and friends, to ensure that everyone felt comfortable with them. Our guests made a point to tell us that they loved our "photographer friends". Bonnie and Derek were so amazing the day of our wedding; they were there early to capture all of our getting ready shots, and Bonnie even MacGyver'ed my dress when the clasp broke! She's amazing, her styling advice and the fact that she fixed my dress made her the MVP of the day. They were so amazing throughout the wedding and the reception, staying behind the scenes, yet appearing to capture all of our most important memories. We had asked Bonnie and Derek to take pictures of us the day after our wedding, and we had the crazy idea to go in the water with our wedding attire, and get on surfboards. Although they were both a little hesitant for us all to get wet, they were open to our ideas, and made the day work for everyone. Our album and the pictures we received are AMAZING. We had heard horror stories of people who got their pictures back from their respective photographers, and were terribly disappointed. We know we will always cherish our photos. We are so happy with their work and everyone we've shown our album to is equally impressed. We can't wait to use Derek and Bonnie again. We're just finding a good self indulgent reason to do so! Thank you Derek and Bonnie! Jill and Eric

When we first met a year ago to discuss our wedding plans, I instantly knew that Derek and Bonnie were our ideal photographers. Both were excited about the details of our wedding, eager to answer all of our questions, and shared with us an extensive portfolio of their work. I was impressed by Derek's good nature and keen eye for photography, as well as Bonnie's detail-oriented nature and creative ideas about how to best capture our special day. Choosing to work with Derek and Bonnie was one of the best wedding decisions we ever made. Our engagement photo shoot was absolutely fantastic. They graciously drove all the way to Lanikai Beach to photograph us in our preferred backdrop. We were always in capable hands: while Bonnie helped me choose our photography attire (thereby saving me a lot of deliberation!), Derek guided us on how to look and pose so that we were no longer camera-shy. They even rushed to edit and have printed one of our engagement photos so that we could display it at our wedding, which took place just four days later. Jason and I truly enjoyed spending time with them on our wedding day. Derek and Bonnie captured our special moments-such as getting ready in our hotel rooms, exchanging vows, and the energetic fun of our reception-with both flawlessness and ease. They struck a perfect balance by expertly instructing our families during formal portrait-taking, while shooting in an unassuming way to capture candid moments. They were even open to our own ideas of desired shots around the hotel property. With Bonnie and Derek, you do not receive simply photographs of your wedding. You receive personalized, thoughtful images that tell a story you will always hold close to your heart.

Derek was pleasant to work with.

Derek was a very good and professional photographer. He took great pictures from many angles and had perfect lighting. The pictures turned out beautiful

Derek 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!

Aloha, It is my pleasure to offer this recommendation and referral for Derek and Bonnie. They are genuinely a gracious, thoughtful and talented couple. Upon meeting them, we instantly felt comfortable and knew that they were the perfect fit for our wedding. Not only is their work truly breathtaking, but they were enthusiastic, warm and professional from our very first meeting. We were confident that they would make both us and our guests feel at ease while capturing every detail of our big day - and they did! We received so many positive comments following our wedding from family and friends regarding how much they liked our photographers. It is now a little over 3 months after our wedding, and while we've only received a preview of their work, what we've seen is AMAZING !!! We cannot wait to see all of our pictures.  MAHALO to Derek & Bonnie and BEST WISHES to all the engaged couples out there!!! We know we made the right choice by going with them, and you will too!

Derek and Bonnie are some of the sweetest people you will ever meet. They know what it is like to be in love and married. Because of that, they always keep the bride and groom’s expectations in mind. Not only can you can trust them to capture your most cherished moments, he makes you look pretty good. I had a really bad cold and was bloated on the day of my wedding; amazingly the majority of the photos did not look that way! The great thing about Derek is he’s an absolute perfectionist and will go through each of your photos to make sure the lighting and color are perfect. That being said, the only con about working with them is it will take awhile before you get your photos back. If you want to see your photos by 3 months, I’d recommend discussing this with them beforehand (I did not know any better) or to satisfy you in the meantime, have that crazy uncle go to town with a digital camera.

Derek will go above and beyond for you and has a great journalistic style in capturing a wedding ceremony and reception. My only disappointment was that I don't think he's as good at taking still portraits of the wedding party/families as he is as capturing the "moment." Still, he was very accommodating and helped create a package that suited my needs.

Derek is so easy to work with! He is good humored and such a nice person. He looks like a regular guest at the wedding. His photos take a little long to develop though.