Willi Wong Photography
Studio 3B
New York, NY 10002
(map) Phone: (212) 228 - 6047 Hours: By Appointment
"Life is better with a good story. What's your story?" - Willi, theStoryteller
Willi Wong is a modern lifestyle wedding and portrait photographer based in New York City.
Willi’s photography (a fusion of candid, photojournalism and portraits ), editorial style and album designs have captured the eyes
and heart...
read more »
Reviews for Willi Wong Photography
You can’t hear enough good things about him. From the beginning of the day to the very end, he was truly the artist. What can I say? He took a total of 36 rolls which is over 1100 pictures. He was everywhere but you didn’t notice him. He was never intrusive, even when I was putting my gown on. I did mention to him jokingly that he was about to see my a** and he laughed but that was it. He truly does become invisible throughout the day – only when he wanted to direct certain shots with family – the traditional pics. For couple shots, I asked for some classics but also wanted shots of gritty and edgy New York. So to name a few, after the ceremony, we went to GCT, the NY Public library, the Flatiron, the front of Museum of Sex, a brightly painted shed by the Lighthouse. After the reception we continued to MacDougal St and then to Chinatown taking pics in front of graffiti and colorful shops. I cannot wait to see these pictures. I have requested them to be on CDs as well so I will put some up once I get them! We even shared ice cream and dropped him and his assistant home.
From the moment we met Willi, we knew he was the one (LOL) I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. His photos come out amazing and he really takes the time to make sure you’re happy. We’ve spent hours with Willi (before and after the wedding) - usually starting out talking about our pictures and then usually leading to us just shooting the breeze. We never felt like we were part of an assembly line in a wedding factory. We’ve always (and still to this day) feel like Willi has worked, not for us, but WITH us to make decisions that have helped capture our special day so perfectly. It’s nice to look at someone’s work and know that is what you are going to get, not fall in love with someone’s work, then get a different photographer who’s work is not what you fell in love with.
It took us a long time to pick a thank you, because all the pictures are beautiful. I have to say out of 1700 shots and then some, there were even pictures that we had no idea when he took them? But glad he did LOL, there is not one picture I don’t like. Almost a year later, we're still looking threw the pictures and seeing new ones LOL.
I have to tell you, my mom is no longer with us, so she was not there, (there in sprit) I lost a bridesmaid, my Officiants son had a car accent the night before our wedding, so she had to be with him, totally understand. She did find someone else to perform the service for us. DJ didn’t play the songs we wanted to dance to with husband’s parents or songs we picked out to dance with our kids, oh the cigar roller was good, but put the wrong date on the wrappers for the cigar, With all that was going wrong, there was Willi making things right. Making everyone feel so special and make it fun. The best part was at the end of the evening we went home with a CD instant smiles on our faces. Then willi surprised us with a slide show that Phil & I watched many, many time and cried every time. I also e-mail the slide show to family and friends and they all cried.
One more thing…Willi’s style of photography includes both traditional and “romantic” photos (I’m sure I’m not using proper photography terminology so pardon me!). I am thrilled that we chose Willi who provided us with the traditional wedding day shots and shots that captured the moments of our day. I plan on using Willi again for family pictures, and when we renew our vows. I have to tell you I miss speaking with Willi (LOL) I seem to have Willi withdrawal. Please take a minute to check out our pictures, especially if you haven’t chosen a photographer yet. Please know that not everyone has the same taste, and that's what makes Willi so special. Your pictures will be YOURS. Don’t only look at the pictures talk to him tell him what you want, and what you don't want he will make it happen. Willi is not only very sweet, he is very cute. You can email me for more info.
philsdeezy@yahoo.com.
One’s wedding day is the chance to not only dress up in a gorgeous gown or handsome tuxedo but also a time to gather all of your family and friends in one place to really celebrate love. My husband and I knew that our wedding day would fly by before we had a chance to really take it all in. After the many months of planning and hard work, we wanted to make sure we had great photographs that captured the moments we may not have had the time to fully appreciate on the day of. When we found Willi Wong, we knew he would be the perfect photographer for us. His portfolio was versatile and showcased a well-matched combination of art and tradition. And his laid-back, receptive demeanor put us at ease. Being able to actually enjoy our day at the time and look back at the amazing moments now to see what we may have missed is a great feeling. It was a pretty chaotic day filled with excitable family members, missing limos, several photo locations, and what probably amounted to almost 12 hours of photos but Willi didn’t skip a beat. Each picture came out better than the next and we were thrilled to see them all. We couldn’t have made a better selection for a photographer and we highly recommend him. Thank you to Willi and Robert for all the great work!
We wanted to go somewhere memorable to take our engagement photos instead of taking it where we currently live (Pittsburgh), so we decided to go to New York City. Through countless searches and phone interviews with photographers, we decided to go with Willi Wong Photography.
Willi was awesome!!! He’s personable, down to earth and wonderful to work with. Needless to say, my fiancée and I are quite stiff in front of the camera seeing how we usually don’t have a photographer around us. Willi noticed our trepidation and was quite patient and told us to simply enjoy the day and be ourselves. Despite our inability to relax and function in front of the camera, Willi took beautiful photos of us. I know this sounds pretty cheesy, but through the images, you can see the love that we have for each other through his photo journalistic approach. The images he captured told a story about us. Willi spent hours with us (more so than what we had agreed upon) and led us to parts of Central Park that we had never seen before.
Willi knew we were from out of town and spend the whole night editing the images for us just to ensure that we would be leaving with all of the images on DVD. The trip to NYC was totally worth it!
Thanks!
Wynette & Tuan
Definitely worth every penny we spent!!!! We absolutely loved our wedding photos. I studied Fine Arts so when it came to photographs I am quite picky. The first time I saw Willi's work was at my sister's wedding 5 years ago. His photojournalist style caught my eye and decided then that I'm definitely using him for my wedding. We booked the 10 hour package and Willi and his assistant came early and well prepared. Every moment of the day was captured beautifully. He was by my side the whole day. We also booked Willi for engagement photos 6 months prior. I strongly recommend this. You'll be much more comfortable and relaxed the day of. Wedding photos and video is the only thing you have to look back on that day so choose wisely. Don't skimp on this if you're budgeting. Choose Willi and you won't be disppointed. Good luck and happy planning!
Willi Wong was exceptional!!!! What was most impressive about Willi, was that he and his assistant were undetectable during our wedding, taking great shots from many different and interesting angles. I love the way he finds a story to tell in his photos. Layer upon layer, he weaves a web of photos that range from reflective and soulful to joyous and spontaneous. Without a doubt, Willi is a master at the art of the real photograph, the one that captures the moments when we are most candid and expressive.
To have those moments captured on film is what my wife and I have enjoyed countless times when we go back to look at them. Most recently we have continued our journey behind the trusted lens of Willi as he did a family portrait shoot for me , my wife and our 2 year old son. It was an incredible experience! One you can check out here:
http://williwongportraits.com/blog/
We had a great time and plan to continue to entrust Willi with photographing our family for a long time to come!!! If you are looking for photographs that are inspiring and evocative , and really capture the essence of your most precious moments, then look no further than Willi Wong!!
With all the complexity and stress of organizing a wedding you hope that each step of planning goes smoothly because the liklihood is that it won't. Even trying to keep things simple is complex. We wanted a no-frills, tasteful wedding. We wanted to enjoy it ourselves and have happy memories of the evening. The easiest decision I had to make (other than saying 'yes' to my fiancée) was picking Willi Wong to be our photogrpaher. Willi is a talented, humble, sweet guy. He was easy to deal with, reasonable, understanding of who we were, a genius behind the camera lens, and funny. He is totally the kind of guy you want at your wedding. For us he was the ideal photographer, capturing hundreds of great photos, yet blending with the evening in a way that allowed us to truly be present at our own wedding. Thanks Willi!!- Molly & Jeff
We just recieved the proofs back from our wedding, and they are truly breathtaking.
We are very happy to have chosen Willi, and we interviewed MANY photographers. His gentle spirit and artistic vision is what drew us in, and we are happy to report that he lived up to our expectations. He was a pleasure to be with the day of and there were many shots I wasn't even aware he was taking, so he has a comforting presence while at the same time has the ability to blend in and make you feel comfortable enough to forget you are being photographed. My favorite shots were very unique and take a talented photographer and true artist to accomplish. You won't be sorry if you hire Willi for your wedding day. We sure feel lucky to have had him documenting our once in a lifetime day. Marni and Mike
Artistry does not even begin to describe Willi’s work. My wedding pictures were beyond anything I ever imagined them to be…I will forever be grateful to Willi for capturing the entire essence of my wedding day. I did not get “pictures,” still frames of events that occurred throughout our special day…I got to see the entire story of my wedding…bringing back emotions, smells, thoughts that I experienced throughout the day. He was everywhere, and yet he was nowhere to be seen. He captured moments, both private and public, of myself and of my husband, as well as those of my guests. I was able to see, despite being pulled in a million directions, that my beloved family and friends were having a great time, and more importantly, they felt the love that was in the hall that day. I got to see my wedding through someone else’s eyes and to relive my wedding day without the “burden” of being the bride.
I got Willi’s name from a friend who was incredibly interested in photography, and who had spent months researching the “perfect” photographer for her wedding. She unfortunately had to go with another photographer in the end, but she’s always regretted her decision throughout the years. When it came time for me to get married, she gave me Willi’s number and insisted that I call him. I remember the very day that I got in touch with Willi. We spoke for over an hour on the phone; we spoke of the wedding, my vision for my wedding day, but more importantly, we talked about everything else. Willi wanted to get to know ME. He wanted to know my interests, how my husband and I met…everything!! He wanted to tell the story of Chris and Lily…not just give me still frames of a day when we played dress up.
It was even better when we met!! We looked at his portfolio…but I already knew that he does amazing work. Everyone’s wedding was unique; it was a reflection of the couple. I loved the fact that he speaks Cantonese and mandarin, and is traditional enough to understand my parent’s concerns and wishes, but yet he’s Americanized enough to understand what Chris and I wanted as well. I interviewed one more photographer afterward, but in my heart, I knew that Willi was the one. There was no competition. It was the easiest decision I made in all of my wedding planning! Willi’s pictures were just perfect. It was the perfect balance of traditional and modern, of candid and formal. I loved all of our formal pictures, where I knew I looked my best, but my favorites were the ones where I was cracking up over a joke that Chris told, or the one where Chris and I were just having a moment, marveling in our day, and we didn’t realize that Willi was able to capture that moment in a photo. It was just a perfect mix. Choosing a picture for our thank you card was torture; there were many pictures that were just right…we eventually went with a collage of pictures just because we couldn’t choose. I never thought I would get so many responses to my thank you cards, everyone marveling at the beauty of my photos and how Willi captured us perfectly.
Willi works so hard to create photos that are completely yours; every wedding is unique; and every couple’s personality will be sure to shine through. I am honored to call Willi my friend and I hope he will be there to document all the stages of our life. Thank you Willi, for my treasured photos.
What Willi Wong does with his camera is pure genius. He manages to capture the exact emotions and details of the moment on film. He has a passion for his art and it shows in his work. He is very creative so his photos are not your typical wedding portraits (although, he’ll do traditional shots if you ask him to). Willi will climb up a tree or stand in the pouring rain, just to get the perfect shot!
Not only is Willi incredibly talented, he’s also the consummate professional who is hard working and takes his job very seriously. He’s great at letting the day unfold and going with the flow. I’m not sure how he does it but he manages to be everywhere without you even noticing him. There are shots of me speaking and dancing with people I don’t even remember speaking and dancing with! Many of my friends who had been guests at the wedding were so impressed with Willi’s photos and work ethic that they eventually hired him to be their wedding photographer as well. It was a pleasure to work with him, from start to finish.
You can’t go wrong with Willi – I highly recommend him!!
You have a great talent that not very many people possess. I have seen the smiles on my friends' faces as they bring out their wedding albums with your pictures. Please keep up the good work and we look forward to our pictures!!
You have certainly made our day memorable for you have captured the essence of our joy that day.
Thank you for taking such wonderful, beautiful and artistic pictures!
P.S. It's been 2 years since we've been married and we still enjoy looking at our pictures.
We can't thank you enough for being a part of our wedding day. We are THRILLED by the results of your amazing talents! Please let us know if we can ever do anything for you.
Thank you for being the best photographer a couple can dream of for their wedding. We appreciate everything you did.
Martin and I would like to thank you for the wonderful, incredible, amazing and of course beautiful photographs you took. You truly have a gift.
Martin and I spent the next day reviewing the 10 CDs reliving our wedding day. It was absolutely prefect. You captured all the special moments. Your attention to detail and dedication to your work shows. Not only did you meet our expectations, you exceeded them far beyond anything we could have imagined.
We especially love the shots from Kissena Park. Who knew we could find such natural beauty in New York. Thank again.
We wanted to thank you for the beautiful engagement pictures. Everyone has been raving about them. One friend even told us, “I hope this is your wedding photographer. If not, hire him!” We had a great time with you and Robert and we really appreciate the care you took in producing such lovely photos.
Thank you for being a part of our special day. Your artistic eye captured our wedding in such a beautiful and romantic mood. We love sharing our pictures with our friends and family and look forward to treasure them through many more years and generations to come. We really appreciate your professionalism and perfectionism and feel so lucky to have you as our Storyteller! Thanks again for helping make our wedding truly a day we will remember fondly forever.
Willi and Robert, thank you so much for taking such beautiful pictures of our wedding. Many people have told me they are the best wedding pictures they have ever seen. It was a pleasure to work with you both.
Thank you so much for all your hard work during our wedding. When we first saw your work online, we immediately liked it. You were the first and only photographer that we met with. When we saw how great all your work is, how accommodating you were, and how comfortable we were with you, we just had to book you immediately. The wedding day went by so quickly and we were tense at first but you helped to loosen us up, another sign that you are great at what you do. You have so much energy. It’s so inspiring. Thanks for putting up with all the annoying family shots. I hope that we’ll have a chance to work together again (perhaps at my brides maids weddings - a lot of them are not married yet). Thanks again & we’ll see you soon. I’m sure the proofs will be great.
Thanks so much for our fantastic engagement photos. They are truly beautiful, and you made us look like movie stars! We have 110% confidence of your talent and artistry, and we will be very relaxed on October 19th! Not to worry We’re thrilled! Thanks again from both of us!
About Willi Wong Photography
Willi Wong is a modern lifestyle wedding and portrait photographer based in New York City.
Willi’s photography (a fusion of candid, photojournalism and portraits ), editorial style and album designs have captured the eyes
and hearts of many. He has been published in various publications including Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot - Best of Weddings.
Willi is also available for destination weddings anywhere in this galaxy, please contact him for more information.
Blog: Willi Wong Photography
Wedding at Avenue Le Club, Long Branch {Melissa & Joe}
Weddings are a once in a lifetime event that most, if not all brides dream about. When it comes to weddings, perfection is not an option but very much preferred. We are only human and can sometimes err in our choices and planning a wedding is nothing but making choices and hope that in the end it all comes out perfect.
On Melissa and Joe’s wedding day the entire bridal party cheered and chanted my name as I walked through the door of the bridal suite; because I was available to phatograph Melissa and Joe’s wedding. I was elated, surprised and humbled by the ovation; it showed me how important my photography services are to a bride, her friends and her family.













Bungalow Hotel
50 Laird Street
Long Branch, NJ 07740
phone: 732.229.3700
email: info@bungalowhotel.net
Avenue Restaurant
Le Club Beach Club
23 Ocean Avenue
Long Branch, NJ 07740
phone: 732.759.2900
email: info@leclubavenue.com
Portrait of Willi Wong, a Modern Lifestyle Family Portrait Photographer

A few of weekends ago; we met a little girl while shooting a Modern Lifestyle Family Portrait session. By the end of the session Willi and the preschooler became buddies.
Children are very observant and it’s amazing to see a child’s reaction to the new things and new events happening around them. We told her to carry on as usual as if we were not in her home. She was not at all shy with us nor was she shy in front of our cameras.
At the end of the session while we were putting away our cameras and equipment she quickly drew a picture of Willi. She insisted on walking us out to the elevator. When the elevator came she surprised us with the picture.
She drew a very handsome Willi with his camera on his hand. She even noticed the way Willi has to wink his eye when he looks through the viewfinder.
I am very touched by the little girl and her drawing. It brings tears to my eyes each time I look at the beautiful hand-crafted Thank You note. This is by far one of the best Thank You notes that Willi have received.
We want to take this opportunity to thank this little preschooler for making the Modern Lifestyle Family Portrait session so special for us. We were there to capture the moments in her life, but in the end she captured our hearts. I am sure that she made a greater impression on us than we had on her.
Click here for expert advice from a modern lifestyle portrait photographer on getting the best photos from your family portrait session.
Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo Engagement Photography {Mikaela & Brian}
I’ve been documenting weddings, engagements and other celebrations since the turn of the century
and have not shot a wedding or engagement photography session on the Brooklyn Bridge itself, but always with the Brooklyn Bridge in the backdrop from afar. Is it just like being a native New Yorker who has not been up to the Empire State building or the Statue of Liberty?
It’s easy to make things look beautiful from afar and always a challenge at close distance. I faced that challenge when I met Mikaela. The challenge, of course, is the Brooklyn Bridge and not Mikaela and Brian.
When I first met Mikaela in my studio she was coming straight from yoga class and was carrying her yoga mat. If I could have taken a photo of her then, I would say that she was enveloped in light!
Two weeks before their wedding, Mikaela and Brian wanted to do a pre-wedding (engagement) photo session on the Brooklyn Bridge and in Dumbo. The best way to capture both locations is to start at the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge and walked across the bridge to Dumbo. And the best time to do this engagement photo session is in the morning, sunrise to be exact.
Some of you may already know that I am not an early riser, but I will wake up and will stay up any time and every time for a photo shoot. Mikaela and Brian rewarded me handsomely with beautiful images and on their wedding day they received enthusiastic compliments on the sunrise engagement photos we did on the Brooklyn Bridge and in Dumbo. Of course, my artistic skills count for the stunning results of the engagement photos; but a huge part was truly that of Mikaela and Brian.
It did not hit me until later into the shoot why they choose to have a photo session so darn early in the morning! If Mikaela is the light, then Brian is the Greek god Helios who chariots the sun across the sky.
When I finally met Brian that early morning, I saw why they are in each other’s life. They are both so happy and couldn’t stop smiling. I had to tone them down for some of the shots; so that we may have variety of expressions!
I later learned from a friend of Brian’s at the wedding that it’s a hobby of Brian’s to take sunrise photos every where he travels to. Well, they are a couple that brings the sun up every morning!




