5 out of 5 stars and 59 reviews Best of Weddings (3x).
5
(59)Capturing love stories, available worldwide
About this vendor
Hello there and thanks for stopping by!
I'm Monica, a fine art wedding & lifestyle photographer and seeker of spontaneous, joyous moments, wrapped in romance and warm light. I'm a self-proclaimed old soul with a pesky knack for tearing up behind the camera. I'm passionate about crafting beautiful imagery that is emotional, organic, romantic, and timeless. To me, the best photographs are authentic and evocative of that moment in time.
When I'm not gasping for breath attempting to chase the last bits of sunset, you can usually find me at home with a sheet mask on with a bowl of Haagen Dasz rocky road ice cream, and falling asleep well before 10pm.
I am based in San Francisco, CA but I'll gladly travel anywhere in the world to celebrate you.
Details
Business Attributes
- Asian-owned Business
Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
- Boudoir
- Bridal Portraits
- Engagement
Photo & Video
- Digital Files
- Photo
- Same-Day Edits
- Second Shooter Available
- Social Media Sharing
Photo & Video Styles
- Artistic
- Classic
- Documentary
- Lifestyle
- Modern
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
Awards and Affiliations
3-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2023.2022.2021.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.059 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
This review is long overdue, but we truly can’t say enough amazing things about working with Monica! From the very beginning, we were drawn to Monica’s photography and editing styl...
e. Her images are crisp, bright, and natural and she absolutely delivered on dreamy magazine-worthy photos. She captured our wedding day so beautifully, and our gallery is filled with so many personal, joyful moments that we’ll truly cherish forever. We especially love how many of our friends and family are featured throughout, and how she captured both the big moments and all the little candid ones in between.
From our very first phone call, we felt like Monica was the right fit for us - she’s relaxed, fun, personable, and we immediately had both personal experiences and interests to connect over. The whole experience, from our engagement session to the wedding day, was so easy and fun. As two people who don’t take many posed photos together, we were a bit nervous, but she made everything feel really effortless. We kept saying how we barely even noticed we were being photographed and how seamlessly she fit into the day.
We were also so impressed with how quickly we received sneak peeks, just a couple of days after the wedding, which made it even more fun to relive everything right away while waiting on the full gallery.
You will not regret working with Monica, she’s incredible at what she does and you’ll enjoy the entire process working with her!
Monica is a talented photographer who blends personal style with her customer needs and requests. We hired her for engagement and wedding photos and could not be more pleased. Mon...
ica brings so much positive energy and enthusiasm--exactly what you need on your wedding day!
Monica is everything you would want in a photographer for your big day. I was very nervous about our ceremony/wedding (it being outdoors and not a traditional wedding), but Monica ...
made us feel very comfortable from the beginning on the intake call and in-person. She was taking photos nonstop (!!) both digital AND film (a huge plus). She went above and beyond to try different shots and angles. She also made sure to note what kind of shots we wanted (different variations with our family). On top of that, she gave us sneak peeks early in the process to get us super excited about the photos. The delivery was on time, prompt, and beautifully edited. Thank you so much, Monica for capturing the most perfect day for us.
I have so many wonderful things to say about Monica. She made our day feel incredibly special, and I truly can’t imagine it without her. She helped us feel completely comfortable, ...
we had so much fun, and by the end she felt like part of the family. Highly recommend Monica!!!!
Monica was fantastic! She took me on as a client pretty last minute since I had to let go of my previous photographer and she was amazing to work with. She is chill, funny, and jus...
t all around a bright person to be around. She doesn't hesitate to roll up her sleeves and get in the weeds (literally) just to get the best shot. Her style is great too! Cinematographic, bright, and very natural/candid. She also went the extra mile to help me scout some places since the area I was in was new to her, and she did such an amazing job!!! She made my day super chill and low stress and it was just so much fun to work with her! I loved, loved, loved my photos. I highly, highly recommend!
We truly could not have asked for a better wedding photographer! From the very beginning during our introduction call, Monica made us feel comfortable and prioritized. Through chat...
ting through the details and from admiring her previous work, we knew she would be a great fit for us!
Throughout our experience, Monica was an absolute joy to work with. We saw how kind, funny, professional, and incredibly easy to be around she was, which made such a difference on a day that can feel overwhelming. She was not only great with us but also our wedding party and guests. Her attention to detail was unmatched, and she was able to follow a jam packed wedding schedule, not missing anything, from the big emotional moments to the smallest, most meaningful details. Not only did she capture beautiful photos, but she also brought such a calming, positive energy to our day. We are beyond grateful and would recommend her wholeheartedly to anyone looking for a talented, professional, and genuinely amazing photographer and person. Thanks so much again Monica!
Monica Lam was recommended to me by a friend's friend and I am forever grateful our paths crossed. I contacted her through her website, and the rest of the booking went smoothly. M...
onica was responsive, clear, and so friendly! I was so anxious in the days leading up to our session having never taken professional photos before. Monica made us feel comfortable, and we had the best time. I cannot wait to book Monica again in the future for family portraits.
Monica was an incredible photographer for our wedding, and we’re so grateful we chose her! She was warm and accommodating, instantly putting us at ease throughout the day. Her expe...
rtise with wedding timelines really stood out. Her thoughtful suggestions helped everything run smoothly, allowing us to relax and truly enjoy the moments while trusting her to capture them all.
I wanted bright and airy photos, and Monica delivered perfectly. The images are absolutely dreamy. I also love her ability to capture both candid moments and beautiful classic portraits. Working with Monica and her second photographer, Jisoo, was a wonderful experience from start to finish. We couldn’t be happier with our decision!
If you're stumbling upon this review because you're debating whether or not to hire Monica to capture the most significant highlight of your life - do not hesitate!
First, Monica ...
embodies the utmost professionalism. Her kind demeanor, patience, and poise bring all her subjects at ease. She'll guide you toward taking that priceless photo while feeling completely natural, no matter your comfort level. If you have an idea or suggestion for a particular shot, no matter how crazy it sounds, she makes it work and executes it beautifully! Throughout the photoshoot, she knows how to be your #1 hype woman and has her subjects feeling like a million bucks!
Beyond the natural, classic, and timeless photos she produces, Monica's work stands out because she captures the emotion of every shot, every moment. Whenever we look at wedding photos, they bring us back to how we felt at that particular time and allow us to relive the joy of celebrating with our family and friends.
If you envision your photographer to be as invested as you are for your big day, look no further!
We are so glad that we went with Monica Lam as our photographer for our wedding. From our very first introductory chat with her all the way to the final moments of our wedding, she...
had such a great energy about her that really made us feel comfortable every step of the way.
While neither of us are naturals in front of the camera, Monica made us feel right at home suggesting poses and finding ways to frame us in different ways across our venue. The ceremony was photographed beautifully from start to finish. We truly appreciate her going above and beyond and she even stayed for a little extra to document more of our late night festivities.
We were so happy when we received the final pictures and we loved how they turned out! Everything was photographed so beautifully and with such a variety of shots that we didn’t even realize were happening. We feel like she did a great job capturing the energy of our wedding in an authentic and timeless way. And afterwards, when we had small requests like finding alternative angles of certain shots, she was quick to help out. We wholeheartedly recommend Monica Lam if you need a wedding photographer!
If you're thinking about hiring Monica as your wedding photographer - do it! We were initially drawn to her bright and natural style and had such a good introductory call that we k...
new we had to work with her. Monica did our engagement session as well as our wedding photos. She is really good at giving direction so you don't feel too posed or awkward - this was especially helpful during the engagement shoot. She even drove us to dinner when we were going to be late for our reservation after our engagement shoot -- above and beyond. On our wedding day, she made our friends and family feel so comfortable, captured the details and energy of our wedding perfectly and we are thrilled with the photos. Monica is also just good energy and fun to be around.
Monica was AMAZING. If you want the dreamy, romantic, airy type of photos, Monica is the photographer for you!
We are a very awkward couple, especially when trying to take cute pi...
ctures - my husband hates PDA. Monica made us feel comfortable and was the sweetest to work with. Our whole wedding party loved working with her! The morning of our wedding day, it was overcast, pouring and HAILING. It didn't bother Monica whatsoever. She took it as an opportunity to take cute umbrella pictures or pictures with the hail (it kind of made it look as if it were snowing!). She had a positive attitude the whole time...which we greatly appreciated. Eventually, the weather cleared up before our ceremony and she took even more amazing pictures, along with the most dreamy golden hour photos.
Monica made our wedding day less stressful because we knew that she had a plan and she knew what we wanted. Overall, we highly recommend Monica.
After browsing through photographers throughout the Bay Area, my partner and I decided to go with Monica and we were just amazed at how easy she was to work with. Neither my partne...
r or I felt comfortable taking photos in general but she eased us into the process. Not only was Monica very accommodating to our schedules but as we got closer to the big day, she was willing to meet with us a few more times to make sure everything was in order.
On the wedding day, Monica was right on time and made sure that both sides were taken care of throughout all the chaos and the sessions never felt like a chore. Even when my partner and I made some major last minute decisions, Monica continued to accommodate our needs.
We absolutely LOVED how our pictures turned out as it gave us the natural, "dream-like" shots that included some precise details we didn't quite see in other wedding photos we've seen. I would highly recommend Monica for her flexibility, professionalism throughout the process, creativity in picking locations, and simple but natural shots that can make a huge difference in your photos. Also brownie points for the timeliness of the first look and full albums that come in easy-to-use links!
Moni was our photographer for our engagement shoot and wedding day, and we absolutely loved having her! Moni cares about your story, what you’re trying to capture. She’s also great...
at making these sessions fun and easy!
We originally chose Moni because I loved her photography style with abundant light that is timeless. And we hopped on a call with her and immediately decided to work with her.
I was also eight months pregnant for our wedding day, and she captured me so well despite me having a big belly. I looooove the photos from both sessions we had with her. Now that our little one is with us, we want another with her!
We booked Monica for our engagement photos, since we were doing a destination wedding but wanted local photos for our engagement. She brought us to some great spots for the shoot t...
hat we hadn't known about. Monica has great energy and put us both at ease from the beginning. The fun we had shooting with her definitely came through in the photos! We are so happy with the results and can't recommend her enough.
Monica was outstanding and we were so happy that she was part of our special day. Our first time working with her was for our engagement photos and she made us feel completely rela...
xed and was a great guide. She was a valuable partner throughout the entire planning process of thinking through our wedding photos. We didn’t have a wedding planner or day of coordinator since our wedding was small so we had a lot of questions outside of photography as well. Monica went out of her way to answer all questions we had and provided her insights and expertise which really helped us with our entire wedding planning process! On the day of the wedding she was early and willing to help and go extra to make things easier for us. Soon after the shoots, she provided previews of the gallery and we loved her work! She was so easy to work with – we’ll recommend Monica to all of our friends and family.
Monica was the first vendor that we booked for our October 2022 wedding in May 2021. From the first call, we knew Monica was going to be the photographer for us. She was extremely ...
enthusiastic, matched our energy, and most importantly answered all of our questions. After officially choosing Monica as our photographer and leading up to our engagement shoot, her communication was timely when it came to choosing locations and she always included helpful information about what to bring, how to get there, and what to expect from the session. During the session, Monica made us feel super comfortable and gave us direction on poses when we needed it. When we received the photos, we were blown away and got so many compliments from friends and family.
Fast forward a couple of months to our wedding day, and Monica was a rockstar! Photographs throughout the day went perfectly, and Monica effortlessly wrangled all of our wedding party and family together flawlessly for group photos. Again, we were blown away by the photos we received from our wedding and couldn't be happier.
Hiring Monica as our photographer was one of the best decisions we made when planning our wedding. You need Monica!
When we first booked our initial consultation with Monica, we knew she would be the perfect photographer for our wedding. It was a half hour appointment that extended beyond a full...
hour because conversation was effortless and we just lost track of time. My (now) husband and I are very unconventional people. We're silly and offbeat and not used to being in front of a professional camera. From our engagement session though, Moni greeted us as though we were long time friends hanging out after a long absence. She put us at ease immediately and spent an afternoon getting to know us more while subtly getting the perfect shots. Our wedding of course was chaotic (aren't all weddings?) but Monica made sure we were on a good time schedule and that we were staying hydrated and feeling good throughout the day! When we got our full album back from the wedding we were absolutely stunned - there are so many amazing shots that we have a hard time choosing our favorites! Like it's actually hard to limit ourselves to the pictures we love the most because they're all phenomenal. And it's all because Moni just has that special way of connecting to people that brings out our best selves on the camera. Whether you are having a traditional wedding or something out of this world, you can rest assured that Monica and her team will be there to capture every beautiful moment of this next milestone in your life. She's a true artist who cares deeply about her craft and each and every individual person she works with. Thank you so much Moni for everything - you spun our silly chaos into timeless memories that we'll cherish forever.
Monica took my wife's and my engagement and wedding photos. She was warm, welcoming, and made us feel comfortable. Monica helped set up the perfect first look for us, and even acte...
d as almost a bridesmaid- touching up my wife's makeup and making sure she drank water. Her direction led to beautiful candid photos. 10/10 I do recommend.
Monica was incredible to work with. Right from the first meeting, we really clicked with her and wanted a photographer we could spend the whole day with. We immediately knew she wa...
s the one because she was so easy to talk to, genuine, and fun! We had a blast at the engagement shoot and she followed up with planning meetings that made our wedding day that much easier. On wedding day her and her sister (second shooter) were attentive, professional, friendly, and so natural. She made the whole experience pleasant and stress-free. The pictures we’ve gotten are absolutely BEAUTIFUL and beyond our expectations. We’re so happy we chose Monica and can look at these cherished memories forever. We cannot recommend her enough!! :)
Monica is the best! We are so lucky to have found her. From the beginning, she was extremely responsive and friendly over email and on our sync call. It is such a joy to work with ...
someone who truly loves what they are doing.
On the big day, my husband and I arrived a bit late (weekday traffic is no joke) but she was so sweet and understanding about it! She was waiting at our first location early and immediately began taking photos while coaching my husband and I on how to pose. No matter how awkward you may feel in front of a camera (us in a nutshell), Monica's sunny demeanor and compliments make you feel like a natural! We felt so comfortable and at ease throughout the entire process thanks to Monica's guidance and constant encouragement! She is so funny and so real. She made the process so much smoother than it would have been otherwise!
When our families joined, we unexpectedly hit a snag in our schedule. Monica understood how important this was to us and was so flexible and sweet to make time in her schedule to take an additional hour of photos for us on that day. I can't thank Monica enough for giving us that opportunity to take more photos on that day and for giving us the chance to make more memories together! It really touched all of us and shows how great of a person Monica is.
Lastly, when we got our sneak peeks and our final wedding gallery, my husband and I and our families LOVED all the photos we got! We could tell from Monica's guidance on poses and placement that she had talent, but WOW! A picture is worth a thousand words, and we are so grateful for Monica's ability to take pictures that capture our love, happiness, and candid moments of that day. Capturing these feelings is a beautiful thing. I truly cannot gush enough about how much we all LOVED working with Monica. Please don't hesitate, and contact Monica for any of your photography needs!
Our wedding planner recommended Monica as our wedding photographer and when we looked through her portfolio we know she was the one we wanted. Her style captures all the little det...
ails, the scenery, the people, and all the moments just perfectly. We love how bright her editing style is and we really felt she could capture our wedding exactly how we wanted.
EXCEPT SHE DID SO MUCH MORE. She was such a great guide on posing, positioning, and lighting. And a HUGE +1 was she spoke Cantonese to my parents and helped ease their nerves when it came to being photographed and posing. Her sister was her assistant for our wedding day, and she was a joy to work with too! Monica, thank you so much for capturing our wedding day and for how you treated my parents, my in laws, and our guests.
I definitely recommend her and I would love to work with her in the future again!
Words can not express how AMAZING Moni was! From the engagement shoot to the actual wedding day. First off Moni is super professional but the same time she makes you fell like you...
've known her for years! My ( now) husband and I are far from models so needless to say, we're one of those awkward couples who simply don't know how to pose or what to do with ourselves for photos.
Our engagement session was amazing! She let us know right away that we just need to be ourselves and she'll guide us the rest of the way. Moni made us feel like we've known her for years and the entire session was easy peasy! We even had fun during the whole process. Definitely would recommend an engagement shoot so you could get a feel for what the wedding day is going to be like. Very very glad we did!
We had originally hired Moni for a big (ish wedding) but life had other plans. We had to cancel our original plans and have a smaller more intimate wedding. I let Moni know that we would understand if she no longer could photograph our big day, but she assured me that it would not be a problem and she would be more than happy :)
Ok now to the big day! working with Moni and her second shooter was nothing but pure joy! from the beginning to the end. We had a little set back during our tea ceremony and Moni handled it like a champ! Her second shooter ( tiffany) even offered to help with fixing my makeup due to the tears that has happened earlier! Flash forward to us getting our entire wedding albums and it was AMAZING! literally was speechless when my husband and i went through the photos. She not only captured all the typical moments BUT also all the candid moments with our guests! every picture was STUNNING! We loved loved loooooved the moments she caught between the two of us, but the candid photos was what truly made it special. Obviously, the being about us and all, it's hard to truly see whether or not your guests are having a good time, but with the photos that Moni and Tiffany caught, it was obvious that they did and it made me and husband 100% ecstatic. We literally cried when we saw the photos and it was truely like reliving the day all over again and experiencing it through another lens.
Moni captured our wedding day better than we could have imagined! She captured all the joy, laughter, tears and love that we experienced that day! And now we can forever look back and feel all those emotions again. I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER with having Moni there on one of our happiest day! 100000000/10 would recommend Moni!
Monica was such a great person to work with! She got all the amazing shots we wanted for our wedding and more. Her turnaround time is on point too. She also had major patience when...
it came to wrangling our family for photos and uncles who would bring their own fancy cameras to take photos. She really tries to get the best shots for the bride and groom, I couldn't settle on a picture for our thank you cards because they were all so great! Can I also talk about how much she would floof and adjust my dress so that it would flow beautifully?
You won't regret hiring Monica for your special day. Posed and candid photos came out amazing and we had NO REGRETS when we received our album. Thank you Monica for capturing our special moment.
Could not be happier that I hired Monica as the photographer for my proposal photos. I knew she was excellent based off her online photo galleries, but what cannot be overlooked is...
just how awesome the customer experience was. At every touch point, Monica was extremely responsive and professional. Our first meetings we just discussed my proposal plan and the venue, timing, goals, etc. Next was the contract which was seamless. Day of, Monica got there early was able to capture the moment perfectly and even stayed late as our event went late. She knew exactly what works and guided us towards having some really amazing photos as couples and with friends. She also took the liberty of also capturing some great macro shots of the ring and catering.
BEST PART, Monica sent us sneak peak photos within hours of the event, and I was shocked because they looked good enough to be finals. You know your photographer’s good when they don’t need to spend weeks editing, they just get it all right (focus, framing, composition, lighting, etc) the day of the photoshoot and don’t rely too much on post-processing.
If you’re looking for a photographer to capture those special moments in life, then look no further. I’m definitely hiring Monica again. Thank you!
We worked with Monica for our engagement session in June and wedding in October. When browsing for wedding photographers in the spring, we were looking for someone whose work was n...
ot dark and moody, but bright and vibrant without being too washed out. During our first virtual meeting, she had the professionalism of more seasoned photographers we interviewed but with the enthusiasm and care of a newer entrepreneur.
Monica's enthusiasm translated to the engagement session. We were just looking for one good photo that we could put on our invitations, and ended up with a gallery of so many beautiful photos we couldn't believe that they were of us. I cannot emphasize enough how helpful doing the engagement session was for our wedding day to help us understand Monica's cues and not feel so awkward taking photos. We also learned that we didn't need to be shy about being vocal with what we wanted. Monica was really down for everything! ...Even when it was almost completely dark and 50 degrees by the beach and I wanted a silly picture of us eating ice cream. It was also great that the wedding package we wanted included the engagement shoot; if it wasn't, I probably would have convinced my frugal self that we didn't need one.
Our wedding day went seamlessly and was so. much. fun. We did a first look at a secondary location and Monica was great at scouting out places to take pictures while keeping everything on time. She also worked well with our videographer. When we got our wedding gallery , we were amazed at how beautifully she captured the details of the day. We were especially happy with the reception photos. Monica & her assistant got so many great shots of our guests having fun, laughing at the speeches, and dancing their hearts out on the dance floor. It really gave us a window into parts of the wedding we couldn't see with our own eyes.
You only get married once (hopefully) and there are so many great wedding photographers out there, it can be hard to choose. For us, Monica was an excellent choice and we will cherish these photos for the rest of our lives.
Wow - wow - WOOOW!!! Monica did our engagement shots and we could not be happier with both the process and the results.
To be clear... my fiance and I are both very awkward people...
in front of cameras. This stuff does not come naturally to us. But the two hours we spent with Monica felt like 15 minutes. She made us feel so comfortable to be ourselves, to be silly, and to feel like we were the only ones there.
And it definitely showed in the RESULTS. For one, she delivered our 'sneak peak' in 24 hours... I didn't expect them to come so fast and despite how fast it was, the quality was 100% there. Now that I have the full album, I still can't stop scrolling through them and sharing with friends and family.
Separately - We also had our 8-month-old ENERGETIC AND NEEDY puppy with us and I'm in complete shock at how well Monica was able to capture the very few moments that she was cooperating. So much so that our pup looks like an angel -- you would've never been able to tell that those moments of calm were few and far between.
Honestly, I'm most touched by how much Monica cared about every step of the process... from making sure we went to a location that achieved our 'vision', to accommodating our very crazy puppy, to throwing in a few extra shots to try out a pose that we completely failed at during our actual engagement.
Thank you Monica for being there to capture such an important milestone in our lives.
Monica is an AMAZING photographer!
We are so happy with our decision to choose Monica as our photographer for our wedding and engagement photos. When we first met Monica virtually...
on google hangout, we instantly connected. She is so friendly, enthusiastic and very passionate about her work. And, one of the first things she said to me was that she’ll be like one of my bridesmaid and it truly felt like it. Monica was there for us every step of the way from postponing our wedding due to the pandemic till the big day! She is flexible and accommodating to our schedule. She listened to our vision, took the time to learn about us, and captured our day perfectly!
During our engagement session, we told Monica we are not used to taking pictures professionally and she was so encouraging with her positive energy that it immediately put us at ease. We really appreciated all the coaching she gave us on how to pose and take natural/candid photos.
On our big day, Monica was so fun to work with! She’s super sweet, proficient, and very detailed oriented. She identified the best lightings and spots to take pictures ahead of time which made things go smoothly for the day. On top of that, she gave us sneak peeks the next day after the wedding to share with family and friends. We absolutely love our full wedding gallery! I want to thank Monica and her assistant for capturing all the best parts of our wedding!
We cannot stop flipping through the whole wedding gallery and relive all the precious moments that were captured. Thank you so much for the gorgeous photos you gave us!
We would 100% recommend Monica as a photographer!
Monica is a wonderful person and an amazingly talented photographer, and I'm so glad we hired her for our wedding! From the first phone call to meeting her at our engagement sessio...
ns and all throughout the day of our wedding, she was enthusiastic, kind, and helped us feel comfortable in front of the camera while making sure we looked good too! I had wedding guests tell me how she was kind and approachable as she asked for pictures of our guests, and she stayed calm when we started running a bit behind schedule.
Not only is she a calming presence for your wedding day, she will deliver incredible pictures that, if you're anything like me, you can stare at endlessly. They're bright and romantic and timeless, and I wish I could hang every single one of them on my walls. Hands down would hire Monica again!!
How I chose her: When searching for wedding photographers, the process can be overwhelming. How do you choose the person who will be documenting the memories you look forward to sh...
aring with your children and grandchildren? I heard about Monica through a friend. Turns out Monica and I went to the same high school, which left me reassured that she might “get me” and my vision for my wedding close to our hometown.
Preparation: Monica really works to get to know you in the preparation for the wedding. You will fill out a questionnaire that not only helps her know your expectations for the day, but also helps you think about aspects of your wedding you didn’t consider! Turns out she was also quite familiar with my wedding venue, The Mountain Terrace, as she’s worked there several times before. I appreciated all the tips during the planning process.
Photo timing: With the second wave of COVID under way, I planned my wedding within 3 months. Monica made time for an engagement shoot and got us sneak peeks the next day (for wedding invites/website). She agreed to work a wedding on her birthday during the 2021 Thanksgiving holidays, and she sent us 30 sneak peeks within a week, and the amazing full gallery within two months.
Quality: Monica is able to capture moments and emotions. Aside from the typical shots, other treasured moments included teary guests in the ceremony crowd and reunited family during cocktail hour. Somehow, she was able to get the picture of various friends during their favorite songs, too. It was so great to relive moments that I was a part of on the wedding day but also see moments I missed while wrapped up in my own schedule!
The bottom line about Monica. She is calm, organized, super kind, and talented, which on the day of your wedding is key to successfully staying on time and managing enthusiastic, rambunctious family and friends. Her disposition contributed to a fun and low stress environment on a day sure to be taxing on your emotions and energy. I recommend Monica without reservations. I look forward to using her as my photographer for other life milestones!
If you’re looking for bright, airy, romantic and classic photos taken by the absolute sweetest soul who is beyond organized, very professional AND priced very fair… LOOK NO FURTHER...
, Monica Lam is your gal.
Monica photographed our wedding and engagement photos and was a joy to work with the entire process. She was very thorough with initial questions in getting to know us and also learning about what we wanted out of our wedding photographer. I feel as though our experience with her was very tailored to us, even though I know how busy she was with so many other weddings. She remembered so many small details we told her about our engagement, our family dynamics, specific photos we wanted to get and more… We, along with our families, were blown away by the final photos! Monica overdelivered in every expectation we had. The creativity in her editing style and shooting, the efficiency of gallery delivery (she sent us sneak peaks the next morning!!), and the quantity of photos. We can’t say enough good things about Monica and her skill, we hope to work with her for all of our future big milestones!
My husband and I only had six weeks to plan our wedding and we were so lucky Monica was available to take our wedding photos. She was very professional and friendly in all of our i...
nteractions and honestly helped us think out our wedding more clearly. When we were taking photos she was amazingly helpful since my husband and I don't really know what we are doing when it comes to having our photos taken and I love how the photos turned out.
This review is for our engagement shoot. I'm so grateful my fiance found Monica. My jaw dropped when looking at our photos - you won't be disappointed! I could tell from the start ...
that Monica is talented and passionate about photography. She is organized and punctual as well (those matter to me). She also cares to make you feel special/ comfortable. Our photoshoot went seamlessly, and the resulting photos look perfect. My family and friends are also pleased with the photos. Note the pricing is very reasonable. I strongly recommend Monica all around.
Our experience working with Monica was nothing short of amazing. We interviewed over 15 photographers to capture our big day. Because we decided to forgo hiring a videographer, we ...
prioritized finding an experienced, professional, and incredibly talented photographer to capture all of our special moments, details, and emotions. From the very first Zoom chat, Monica immediately put us at ease with her enthusiasm, excitement, and openness. Rather than cut to the chase, Monica spent the first meeting sharing about herself and getting to know us to ensure we would work well together. Because she had a great understanding of our personalities and our photography preferences, the entire engagement and wedding shoot went seamlessly.
The day of the wedding, Monica and the second photographer worked their magic without a hitch. From building in time to do photos of the first look, bridal party, and wedding details, to patiently gathering our 100+ family members together for multiple guest photos, Monica took what could have been chaos and turned it into pure perfection. We were especially grateful to her for accommodating our request to take moonlight photos mid-reception.
Upon receiving our final photos, we were floored by their quality, attention to detail, and composition. Monica and her team not only brought back to life our special day, but also captured countless moments my husband and I were unaware of. From heartwarming moments in the wedding party, to candid photos of our guests sharing laughs and enjoying the night, we couldn't have expected anything more from her.
Monica blew us away in all aspects of working with a professional photographer. In reality, working with Monica really felt like partnering with a friend, and we're looking forward to working with her again in the future.
My wife and I hired Moni to be our engagement & wedding photographer, and we are very happy with the results! My wife and I often get nervous in front of the camera, but Moni made ...
the photo sessions a fun and enjoyable process for us. On our wedding day, she captured the cultural essence of the event and the joy of the celebration. She has an eye for detail, and a great personality to work with. She exceeded our expectations, and we would love to work with her again!
Monica's photography is beautiful and timeless! It's hard for me to articulate how stunning her work is. I recently received both my engagement and wedding pictures (they were take...
n only 2 weeks apart), and both portfolios were dreamy, bright, and romantic, exactly the style of what I wanted! Being an avid amateur, I noticed that Moni also uses film cameras during her shoot, that alone says a lot already because it is difficult to get great pictures out of a film camera due to its requirement on the photographer's skill and professional sense on lighting.
Another important point besides the amazing pictures is that Moni is just a really friendly and energetic person! Both my husband and I do not do well in front of cameras, but Moni is so good at guiding us on the poses and giving encouragements, in the end, we just had so much fun with her during the photo sessions while feeling comfortable just being ourselves. She is also super organized in every stage of the planning, making sure we had the family/friends shot list prepared, and the timeline of the day so that we can catch the best lighting.
In short, if Monica's available, you'll want to book her for your event, big or small, as her work will speak for itself to be priceless and timeless!
My wife and I had a small intimate - family only civil ceremony at San Francisco City Hall and wanted Monica to capture the moments for us. In essence, you can easily look at Monic...
a's portfolio and quickly recognize that her photos are amazing and her craft is definitely something she takes exceptional pride in. Monica was extremely easy to communicate to and an absolute pleasure to work with. Monica's presence and demeanor made not only my wife and I, but both our families too, feel completely at ease and comfortable when taking photographs. Monica was super friendly and personable throughout this entire process. (Both of our families loved her!) The photographs were then provided to us in a timely manner and the results were both incredible and stunning. My wife and I were in utter awe when we saw the photos and how Monica was able to capture each moment so beautifully. The whole wedding process thing can be overwhelming and stressful at times, but going with Monica will definitely make those issues feel nonexistent.
Moni was an absolutely wonderful wedding photographer, from our first intro phone through to the our final delivered images. Leading up to our wedding day, we had a couple calls wi...
th Moni to discuss the plans for our wedding, the photos we were looking for, and logistics. Moni was great at listening to and understanding our wedding and desired photography style. We didn’t have to worry about anything photography-related during the “pre-wedding” planning stages - Moni was on top of everything! On the wedding day, she made us feel completely comfortable during all of the photo sessions. We, our family, and our guests all felt like we just had another friend at the wedding. Moni was also super-fast at getting our photos back to us - we got our complete wedding album within a couple weeks of our wedding, and the photos looked great! All in all, would highly recommend Moni!
Monica is an outstanding photographer with a tremendous set of skills and a whole lot of passion for her work. She will coach you through whatever you need and step back when she n...
eeds to as well. She helped us think through locations and potential outfits to consider, additional things to bring to be comfortable in the "down" time, and even gave us tips on the best places to park :) During the shoot she was so good at getting us to be comfortable while posing and our images came out beautifully. If you're looking for a photographer for your engagement shoot, it doesn't get any better than Monica.
Monica was such a delight to work with!! We just got our pictures and we are so overjoyed by how wells she photographed us! She was really easy to work with and she made the proces...
so seamless! My husband and I recommend her to every couple! She's the best! 😍
Moni was a delight to work with for our engagement photoshoot. She was communicative throughout the planning process and gave plenty of tips for locations/outfits/hair/makeup.
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On the day of the photoshoot, Moni gave clear instructions for poses and put us at ease. She kept our spirits up during the 4 hour photoshoot with positive energy and conversation to learn more about our story. She also maintained a safe distance and kept her mask on for the whole time.
We received the photos 2 weeks after the photoshoot and they look SO BEAUTIFUL! We can't wait to hang the photos on our walls and share with our family.
Monica was great to work with for our engagement photo shoot. Very down-to-earth and friendly -- just the right amount of instruction where we felt comfortable.
Throughout the pro...
cess, she was professional, gave tips/feedback when we asked, helped us make outfit and location decisions. We received a ton of great photos that we'll cherish forever. Highly recommend
We booked with Monica just before the pandemic occurred for our wedding this year. Despite the SIP and unplanned changes, she was very flexible and responded timely. She provided l...
ocation ideas and suggestions for our engagement photos and made the session smooth and easy. For our micro wedding, it was like our engagement session but better! The photos came out beautifully and we couldn’t be more pleased with her work! She is also very detail oriented and made sure to capture all the small details along with the usual photos. We’re lucky to have her again for our postponed wedding celebration. We would definitely recommend her!
Monica is amazing! She is responsive and has a strong eye for detail. We booked our engagement before COVID but had to postpone. We were lucky to reschedule to a later date. She mo...
nitored the weather and provided us details of what to expect. We are not comfortable in front of the camera but Monica made it fun. She was able to capture the candid moments which we absolutely love! Monica maintained her social distance and wore a mask throughout the session. So glad we found her!
I reached out to Monica to help me plan my engagement. She was incredibly helpful through every step of the process and made sure that everything went to plan. I knew I was in good...
hands even being as nervous as I was! Would highly recommend!
So happy to have called Monica to help take photos for our very small (6 person), backyard wedding ceremony. The pictures turned out gorgeous! She's such a positive, warm, funny pe...
rson - and she made the whole experience great!
We are so glad we found Monica and we are even more grateful she was still available after we had cancelled our original wedding plans. What a crazy year! Monica captured our mini ...
ceremony so beautifully! It may not have been the wedding we planned but we wouldn’t change a thing! We are both so in love with the photos and can’t help staring at them for way too long haha Monica was always responsive which kept our minds at ease every step of the way.
You’ll be lucky to have Monica on your special day!
I’ve known Monica for a long time, but have never had the chance to work with her in a professional setting before. While I’ve always respected her decision to give up a role at a ...
high profile tech company to pursue a different career path, it was very clear that the moment I reached out to her about capturing one of the most important moments in my life that I knew she had found her true passion. I knew I wanted to do a proposal off embarcadero in San Francisco with an engagement party after, but she was great in providing recommendations around the best time of day, how long pictures would take, and her willingness to scope out the area ahead of time. We even took practice photos to get the right angle, the right lighting, and the right position – pictures we eventually framed and placed at my engagement party. As a friend, it was great to have her part of the entire experience. As a client, it was amazing working with a true professional who was easy to work with, collaborative, and produced amazing engagement photos my fiancé and I will cherish forever.
Monica is a wonderful photographer to work with! If you're looking for someone who is skilled, personable, and professional, I highly recommend working with Monica. My fiance and I...
have worked with Monica twice now on two sets of engagement photos and both sets of photos turned out beautiful! Monica does a great job capturing intimate moments while making you feel comfortable and confident. She listens to you and will give guidance as needed. We're so grateful that Monica helped us capture our special moments. We can't wait to work with her again. Thank you!
Monica is the absolute best. Not only is she a phenomenal photographer with an eye for the perfect frame, but she is a genuinely thoughtful and kindhearted person. She monitored th...
e weather and contacted us a week ahead of our engagement session, noting that rain was in the forecast for our scheduled day. She knew we were eager to get our photos done and she quickly rearranged her schedule to fit us in the day before the rain. My fiance and I had never taken professional photos before, so we knew nothing, but Monica was so great! She put us at complete ease and walked us through all of the steps/poses. Our photos turned out BEAUTIFULLY. We are over the moon about them and cannot wait to blow them all up for our wedding and home. BOOK WITH MONICA! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT :)
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