Desmond Charles Photography

tial consultation before we even hired them, they treated us like friends and gave us incredibly helpful and thoughtful advice on our wedding planning.  We were so impressed by their work and the impression they made, we didn’t bother considering any other photographer.  They were very familiar and knowledgeable with our venues (Stanford Memorial Church and University Club of Palo Alto) and shared their experience and wisdom with us on how to plan our day.  They have such a warm and caring energy to them that we knew that we would be in good hands. And they did not disappoint.  We were even more impressed on the day of our wedding. Again, they were very familiar with our venues and knew exactly the best spots to take the most beautiful shots. They were efficient and also extremely accommodating of our requests and those of our guests. They also took the time and attention to adjust lighting and take multiple shots to make sure that our shots came out perfectly. Our pictures came out perfectly.  Both Desmond and Roxy have extremely artistic sensibilities. They framed the shots and had us pose in ways so that the pictures looked fantastic and were able to capture the joy and love we were feeling that day. We were also impressed by the ways in which they knew to nuance the shots for us as a same-sex couple. They were a joy to work with and we highly recommend them. They are simply the best. 

day. We were referred to Desmond Charles Photography by Stanford Memorial Church. After our initial meeting, we knew that Desmond and Roxy would be our wedding photographer(s). Their portfolio and our initial conversation proved what we know now: they two of them are experienced, knowledgeable, extremely talented, and the awesome type of people we love to surround ourselves with. Desmond and Roxy consistently went out of her way to make sure Ray and I were satisfied with everything before the wedding in the planning, during the big day, and afterwards. Desmond and Roxy obtained a "shot list" of the key photos a month before the wedding; they visited both the ceremony location and the reception location the weeks leading up to the wedding to scope the perfect shots, lighting, and logistical plans; they showed up early on my wedding day and split up, allowing amble time to capture pictures of our enormous bridal and groomsmen party (19 total); Desmond rode in the limo with me and my bridal party to the church, capturing an amazing dance party on our way to the church; when we arrived, he captured on of the most memorable moments of my life: a "first look" between my father and I outside of the church; when we entered the church, Roxy had my father and I look back, capturing the anticipation and emotions right before we entered; they ran up to the balcony of the enormous church to get panoramic shots. After the ceremony they were able to work with tight time frames imposed by the church, and manage to get the formals we were hoping for at the altar. They also orchestrated our wedding party pictures in the main quad of Stanford. When we arrived at the reception, Desmond pulled Ray and I aside and got pictures of us alone in the reception hall. After the reception began, Desmond and Roxy also pulled us outside during sunset (I suggest for all brides and grooms). We were able slow down time, getting some time alone to reminisce about the ceremony. The pictures of the speeches were also a highlight for me, as well as the first dances. Desmond and Roxy captured the exact emotions we felt that day. I am able to relive them each time I look at the pictures. Within two minutes of meeting Desmond and Roxy, we knew they truly cared about us and our event, and would be there to not only capture our day, but to celebrate in it with us. That is special and unique. In fact, they stayed much later than we initially discussed in our contract, dancing with us, capturing so many group shots and fun moments on the dance floor. At the end of the night, we agreed to get dinner sometime together, and I am happy to say we made good on that. Desmond Charles Photography is a shining example of professionalism and creativity. Every image of our wedding jumps off the page, as if coming to life. Desmond has a way of blending the authenticity and "realness" of people with magical auras. One thing that really stood out was how well the two of them worked together. They were truly partners in every shot and it was very beautiful to watch. We hope we have a marriage like theirs (and awesome kids too!). We love everything that is Desmond Charles Photography. We are lucky that we met them, and we know they will be a part of many more life memories in the future!

traightforward, and patient with us.

ok no further. Desmond and Roxy are an amazing team and their work speaks for itself. From the day my wife and I met these two, we absolutely knew that they were the right people for the job. They presented us with their work by sharing multiple customized albums (made out of high quality materials) along with very cool slideshows of recent weddings they shot. But before they shared their work, they shared their philosophy and approach in order to give my future bride and I an opportunity to see if it was a good fit for us. From there, they worked with us and created a detailed schedule to ensure all of the shots that we wanted were set in stone. Additionally, they met us at the venue (a few weeks ahead of the big day) and walked us through their vision and welcomed our feedback as well as our ideas of the shots that we wanted. Our wedding took place at Sanborn County Park in Saratoga in a redwood forest so being able to “see” the shots ahead of the event really gave us an excellent perspective of what the final product would look like. Of course they worked closely with our wedding coordinator so that everything ran smoothly the day-of. In a nutshell, their work ahead of the wedding allowed my wife and I to focus on other things because we knew that we were in great hands. The big day came and from the very beginning, both Desmond and Roxy, were so, so helpful, friendly and professional to our vendors, friends and family. They directed my fiancé and I to ensure we had the shots that we wanted as well as the shots they had envisioned. Furthermore, they were able to work with our videographers in order to make sure that both photos and video captured the right moments and complemented one another. Everyone at our wedding kept asking us, “where did you find those wonderful and friendly photographers?”. To say the least, they really brought out big smiles in everyone. They didn’t just take pictures. They captured intimate moments, the surreal redwood forest and the emotions that made our wedding so special. At the end of the day, my wife and I were completely blown away by their pictures. From the “getting ready” pictures to the pictures of our ceremony and reception, every single shot was so, so special and unique. We’ve received a lot of comments like, “that shot should be in a magazine”, “that looks dreamy” and “wow”. We highly recommend Desmond Charles Photography. Their hard work, dedication, level of professionalism and overall positive energy is second to none. I’ve worked with photographers in the past that simply give you direction and take shots. Not the case here. This team really thinks about the final product, incorporates their customers ideas/vision and delivers amazing pictures. If you’re looking for photographers that are going to deliver high quality and unique pictures that capture the right moments,look no further Desmond Charles Photography is it. Because of their work, dedication and final product,my wife and I are able to look back on our wedding and feel the emotions jumping off each picture. Thank you Desmond and Roxy.Your work is amazing and we're so glad we went with you!