David Lai Photographer Reviews

Reviews

+2 User photos

• Kelly Sent on 11/24/2021
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  best decision of wedding planning

  Hiring David and Des for our wedding was probably one of the best wedding planning decisions we made. From the beginning, David not only was organized and responsive, but also paid attention to what was important to us. We felt completely confident that we were in good hands!
  
  On the day of the wedding, David and Des were wonderful to work with. It was VERY hot (a record 99 degrees!), but somehow their energy never flagged. My husband and I aren't usually particularly comfortable in front of the camera, but they made the whole experience feel natural and easy.
  
  Finally, we could not be more thrilled with the final product. The photos are not only beautiful--they also capture the feeling of the day. I am especially happy with the beautiful candids of our guests--David and Des are wonderful at capturing small, fleeting moments.
  
  As a sentimental person, I knew I wanted photos that we'd be happy looking at for years to come. So much goes into planning a wedding, but photos are one of the few parts that lasts beyond the day! I am so grateful that we found David and Des--I really can't imagine having a better experience with any other photographers!

  Hiring David and Des for our wedding was probably one of the best wedding planning decisions we made. From the beginning, David not only was organized and responsive, but also paid attention to what was important to us. We felt completely confident that we were in good hands!
  
  On the day of the wedding, David and Des were wonderful to work with. It was VERY hot (a record 99 degrees!), but somehow their energy never flagged. My husband and I aren't usually particularly comfortable in front of the camera, but they made the whole experience feel natural and easy.
  
  Finally, we could not be more thrilled with the final product. The photos are not only beautiful--they also capture the feeling of the day. I am especially happy with the beautiful candids of our guests--David and Des are wonderful at capturing small, fleeting moments.
  
  As a sentimental person, I knew I wanted photos that we'd be happy looking at for years to come. So much goes into planning a wedding, but photos are one of the few parts that lasts beyond the day! I am so grateful that we found David and Des--I really can't imagine having a better experience with any other photographers!
• Sarah Sent on 08/25/2019
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  Speechless

  David & Des are an amazing husband & wife duo. I have the privilege to call them friends. I've admired their work for a while and knowing Des from childhood and, I told my then-fiancé, when we were planning our wedding that they're non-negotiable. David & Des are wonderful people and absolutely put a lot of heart and soul in their work. They make sure that you and your guest look their very best. I love how they're able to capture intimate moments of you and your guest in ways that I haven't seen with other photographers. Honestly, you'll be left speechless when you see your photos and you'll have the goofiest smile on your face as they remind you of that special day.

  David & Des are an amazing husband & wife duo. I have the privilege to call them friends. I've admired their work for a while and knowing Des from childhood and, I told my then-fiancé, when we were planning our wedding that they're non-negotiable. David & Des are wonderful people and absolutely put a lot of heart and soul in their work. They make sure that you and your guest look their very best. I love how they're able to capture intimate moments of you and your guest in ways that I haven't seen with other photographers. Honestly, you'll be left speechless when you see your photos and you'll have the goofiest smile on your face as they remind you of that special day.

  • +2 photos
• Jamie Sent on 07/11/2017
  5 out of 5 rating

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  David and Des were truly amazing to work with. We came across their portfolio early on in the wedding planning process, and wanted to make sure they were available when we booked our venue so we could definitely work with them! They were fun, kind, thoughtful and sincere and just such a pleasure to work with. They captured moments big and small from our wedding day, and the small moments are the ones that really mean so much - the little smiles and laughs we might not have remembered without their photos. They are such talented artists and their photos are stunning. We can't wait to treasure these photos for years to come. There is not a better wedding photography duo out there you could hire than David and Des.

  David and Des were truly amazing to work with. We came across their portfolio early on in the wedding planning process, and wanted to make sure they were available when we booked our venue so we could definitely work with them! They were fun, kind, thoughtful and sincere and just such a pleasure to work with. They captured moments big and small from our wedding day, and the small moments are the ones that really mean so much - the little smiles and laughs we might not have remembered without their photos. They are such talented artists and their photos are stunning. We can't wait to treasure these photos for years to come. There is not a better wedding photography duo out there you could hire than David and Des.
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• Valerie Sent on 04/27/2017
  5 out of 5 rating

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  I haven't even received my wedding photos yet (mine was two weeks ago) and I'm giving David and his wife Des five stars. Why? They're amazing, kind people who know how to capture moments in a gorgeous and unique way. Just take a look at his portfolio and you'll understand what I mean.
  
  After getting my engagement photos a few months ago, I'm 100% certain I will be just as over the moon about the wedding photos. The engagement shoot was so much fun. We got to shoot at a few different locations in San Francisco (that we picked) and he spent the entire day with us. Even though my now-husband and I are slightly awkward in front of a camera, David made us feel so comfortable and kept us laughing throughout the shoot. The results were amazing. He doesn't take staged, cliched photos. He truly captures the essence of the relationship and understands composition and lighting really well to make each one feel special, intimate, and epic.
  
  I originally heard David through a friend who hired him for her wedding and was excited to learn that he was now based in Oakland. He was an established wedding photographer in Chicago, but now he's making waves in the Bay Area. Be sure to jump on his services before word spreads and he gets fully booked, because he and Des are fantastic to work with, excellent at communication, and above all extremely talented photographers who will make you feel so at ease on your special day. Not only that, but they're humble, easygoing, and fun to have at your wedding as guests :)

  I haven't even received my wedding photos yet (mine was two weeks ago) and I'm giving David and his wife Des five stars. Why? They're amazing, kind people who know how to capture moments in a gorgeous and unique way. Just take a look at his portfolio and you'll understand what I mean.
  
  After getting my engagement photos a few months ago, I'm 100% certain I will be just as over the moon about the wedding photos. The engagement shoot was so much fun. We got to shoot at a few different locations in San Francisco (that we picked) and he spent the entire day with us. Even though my now-husband and I are slightly awkward in front of a camera, David made us feel so comfortable and kept us laughing throughout the shoot. The results were amazing. He doesn't take staged, cliched photos. He truly captures the essence of the relationship and understands composition and lighting really well to make each one feel special, intimate, and epic.
  
  I originally heard David through a friend who hired him for her wedding and was excited to learn that he was now based in Oakland. He was an established wedding photographer in Chicago, but now he's making waves in the Bay Area. Be sure to jump on his services before word spreads and he gets fully booked, because he and Des are fantastic to work with, excellent at communication, and above all extremely talented photographers who will make you feel so at ease on your special day. Not only that, but they're humble, easygoing, and fun to have at your wedding as guests :)
• Marylou Sent on 11/11/2015
  5 out of 5 rating

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  We have known for years that we would want David to capture our special day. He is truly passionate about is work and he’s very talented. Alongside with Des, their team is amazing. Very easy to work with throughout the wedding prep and made sure they got to know us and uniquely capture our love through our engagement shoot. They were very punctual and our Bridal Party had a lot of fun with all the photos throughout the day! We loved our engagement photos and are very excited to see the wedding photos. We would highly recommend David Lai Photography to anyone looking for unique, elegant, and creative photos of their special day!

  We have known for years that we would want David to capture our special day. He is truly passionate about is work and he’s very talented. Alongside with Des, their team is amazing. Very easy to work with throughout the wedding prep and made sure they got to know us and uniquely capture our love through our engagement shoot. They were very punctual and our Bridal Party had a lot of fun with all the photos throughout the day! We loved our engagement photos and are very excited to see the wedding photos. We would highly recommend David Lai Photography to anyone looking for unique, elegant, and creative photos of their special day!
• Danielle Sent on 12/31/2018
  5 out of 5 rating

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  Best Experience!

  ABSOLUTELY!!! David and his partner, Des, are amazing! David did our engagement photos in Chicago, and then him and Des did our wedding photos in Redmond, WA. They were professional from the beginning to the end, so kind and genuine, and gave helpful directions when needed but overall prized my partner and I's organic style with one another. I loved that he captured a balance of detail photos, the venue's natural beauty, canned interactions among our (220+) guests, and flirty smiles between my partner and I when we didn't think we were being watched. I especially love that he cleans up the photos, but gives you the digital copies of hundreds of them to use as you wish. His creative eye is unbeatable - he finds the perfect angle for a cool light shot, and you walk away having too many options for which one you want to turn into a canvas for your home. What a fantastic problem! ;) He enters a new space and immediately begins walking around, I observed him doing this. He said he wanted to get a "lay of the property" and did he ever?! He found the best nooks and natural arches. I would work over and over again with David and Des! I am so grateful that my maid of honor suggested that we look at his work. We were immediately impressed, but best of all - we continued to be impressed from our initial meeting and engagement shoot, to follow-up discussions after the Big Day. BEST experience! I highly recommend working with David and Des.

  ABSOLUTELY!!! David and his partner, Des, are amazing! David did our engagement photos in Chicago, and then him and Des did our wedding photos in Redmond, WA. They were professional from the beginning to the end, so kind and genuine, and gave helpful directions when needed but overall prized my partner and I's organic style with one another. I loved that he captured a balance of detail photos, the venue's natural beauty, canned interactions among our (220+) guests, and flirty smiles between my partner and I when we didn't think we were being watched. I especially love that he cleans up the photos, but gives you the digital copies of hundreds of them to use as you wish. His creative eye is unbeatable - he finds the perfect angle for a cool light shot, and you walk away having too many options for which one you want to turn into a canvas for your home. What a fantastic problem! ;) He enters a new space and immediately begins walking around, I observed him doing this. He said he wanted to get a "lay of the property" and did he ever?! He found the best nooks and natural arches. I would work over and over again with David and Des! I am so grateful that my maid of honor suggested that we look at his work. We were immediately impressed, but best of all - we continued to be impressed from our initial meeting and engagement shoot, to follow-up discussions after the Big Day. BEST experience! I highly recommend working with David and Des.
• Disa Sent on 12/29/2013
  5 out of 5 rating

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  If you look at David's pictures you know that he is an amazing photographer. He is a friend of a friend, so I attended weddings he shot at, but didn't know him. When we were looking we looked at a few photographers and got quotes, David's were competitive and we loved his style the best. He met with us before we hired him so that we can all meet, and he is the most genuine and kind man you will meet.
  
  Both of our families were asking how we found the photographer after the wedding since they loved how he did ALL the family portraits. Checking for blinkers and being very patient as we organized all the groupings. He even sent a few portraits to us after the wedding so that we could use them as Christmas gifts!
  
  There isn't too much more to say, if you like his style that you can see on his blog then hire him, because he is a joy to work with.

  If you look at David's pictures you know that he is an amazing photographer. He is a friend of a friend, so I attended weddings he shot at, but didn't know him. When we were looking we looked at a few photographers and got quotes, David's were competitive and we loved his style the best. He met with us before we hired him so that we can all meet, and he is the most genuine and kind man you will meet.
  
  Both of our families were asking how we found the photographer after the wedding since they loved how he did ALL the family portraits. Checking for blinkers and being very patient as we organized all the groupings. He even sent a few portraits to us after the wedding so that we could use them as Christmas gifts!
  
  There isn't too much more to say, if you like his style that you can see on his blog then hire him, because he is a joy to work with.
• Julie Sent on 09/09/2013
  5 out of 5 rating

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  I don't even know where to begin with David Lai. It is so hard to find true artistic genius that is perfectly meshed with a positive spirit of genuine warmth & a mind that zooms into each and every precise detail but also can see the birds-eye view of the story unfolding through photos.
  
  We hired David for our engagement photos from a friend's referral back in May, and that was one of the best decisions we made all year. As soon as I saw his work online and on his blog, I fell in love with his style and we went back and forth through so many dates until we could finally find one where he wasn't booked. Leading up to the shoot, his prompt & thorough emails always reassured me that we were a priority and that he was thinking about unique and creative places to shoot in Chicago. His ability to make me feel so comfortable and understood early on was surprising to even me, and when we all met in person, it was no question that he was truly remarkable.
  
  Dave is probably one of the nicest guys I have ever met, so humble and kind, with a smile that lights up the entire photo shoot, and his passion and focus for his art is so evident as he is always honing his craft and becoming a better photographer everyday. He made my then-fiance and I feel SO comfortable the whole time, giving us guidance and demonstrating poses with lightning-quick thinking, encouraging us and letting us know how great we were doing. Any hint of awkwardness and discomfort was gone within the first 2 minutes thanks for David's constant reassurance and ninja-like abilities to disappear into the background. ;) He brought along his partner Des, who was an equally sweet and talented photographer & helped capture shots from different angles and emotions. It was the most fun 4-hours we had had in a while, and we were so thankful for the session, and they kept telling us later what a fun time THEY had, too. How cool is that? :D
  
  Remember the name & also check out his work!
  http://davidlaiblog.com

  I don't even know where to begin with David Lai. It is so hard to find true artistic genius that is perfectly meshed with a positive spirit of genuine warmth & a mind that zooms into each and every precise detail but also can see the birds-eye view of the story unfolding through photos.
  
  We hired David for our engagement photos from a friend's referral back in May, and that was one of the best decisions we made all year. As soon as I saw his work online and on his blog, I fell in love with his style and we went back and forth through so many dates until we could finally find one where he wasn't booked. Leading up to the shoot, his prompt & thorough emails always reassured me that we were a priority and that he was thinking about unique and creative places to shoot in Chicago. His ability to make me feel so comfortable and understood early on was surprising to even me, and when we all met in person, it was no question that he was truly remarkable.
  
  Dave is probably one of the nicest guys I have ever met, so humble and kind, with a smile that lights up the entire photo shoot, and his passion and focus for his art is so evident as he is always honing his craft and becoming a better photographer everyday. He made my then-fiance and I feel SO comfortable the whole time, giving us guidance and demonstrating poses with lightning-quick thinking, encouraging us and letting us know how great we were doing. Any hint of awkwardness and discomfort was gone within the first 2 minutes thanks for David's constant reassurance and ninja-like abilities to disappear into the background. ;) He brought along his partner Des, who was an equally sweet and talented photographer & helped capture shots from different angles and emotions. It was the most fun 4-hours we had had in a while, and we were so thankful for the session, and they kept telling us later what a fun time THEY had, too. How cool is that? :D
  
  Remember the name & also check out his work!
  http://davidlaiblog.com