Real Bride Photographer Recommendation

[acw271011]

Thank you Tammy! You do help keep this site real!

 

I want to clarify something too. First of all I've been on this site since late 2010/ early 2011. I don't remember the exact date but I got married in October 2011 so it was a good while before then. Planning a wedding is stressful enough without people adding to that stress with negativity. Nevertheless it's guaranteed that some bride somewhere is going to have a bad experience. It's the nature of the beast. I have definitely seen brides here that have had things happen that very much upset them or their wedding plans. I've read reviews on here that are definitely negative so to say they aren't here is wrong. I dealt with multiple photographers both in Jamaica and right now in Mexico and not one single one offered me a "deal" to write them a positive review and they all know that I'm on this site. I almost wish someone would. I'm not going to say it doesn't happen but with the hundreds and hundreds of brides that have been here and still are and all of the conversations I've had with brides I'm going to come out and say I think you're wrong about the number of reviews that are "fixed". You know maybe if you took some time to actually get involved with some of the individual conversations with the brides here you would see the real good and bad points that they're dealing with instead of reading reviews and judging them to be untruthful. There isn't any bride here that I've dealt with in 4 years that has had a negative comment removed by anybody so I'm going to totally disagree with both of you. And I'll also say that the photographer we used in Jamaica was Awesome!!! And that's completely the truth!!

[julianow]

Thank you Tammy! You do help keep this site real!

I want to clarify something too. First of all I've been on this site since late 2010/ early 2011. I don't remember the exact date but I got married in October 2011 so it was a good while before then. Planning a wedding is stressful enough without people adding to that stress with negativity. Nevertheless it's guaranteed that some bride somewhere is going to have a bad experience. It's the nature of the beast. I have definitely seen brides here that have had things happen that very much upset them or their wedding plans. I've read reviews on here that are definitely negative so to say they aren't here is wrong. I dealt with multiple photographers both in Jamaica and right now in Mexico and not one single one offered me a "deal" to write them a positive review and they all know that I'm on this site. I almost wish someone would. I'm not going to say it doesn't happen but with the hundreds and hundreds of brides that have been here and still are and all of the conversations I've had with brides I'm going to come out and say I think you're wrong about the number of reviews that are "fixed". You know maybe if you took some time to actually get involved with some of the individual conversations with the brides here you would see the real good and bad points that they're dealing with instead of reading reviews and judging them to be untruthful. There isn't any bride here that I've dealt with in 4 years that has had a negative comment removed by anybody so I'm going to totally disagree with both of you. And I'll also say that the photographer we used in Jamaica was Awesome!!! And that's completely the truth!!

Please don't downplay my concerns for the amount of posts I have. I prefer to read others posts. I don't have much to contribute as I haven't started really planning.

 

Here's an idea. On trip advisor you have to declare if your review is in partnership with the hotel/resort etc. Just take a look. It was refreshing to see. I've been in contact with some cancun photographers and I'm going to go with someone who has had a slip-up or delay every now and again. Because they are real people. Not portraying a fantasy. And I'm sure brides would love to see some negative reviews rather than have a negative experience.

 

Just my 2 cents. I'm sure you had a wonderful wedding/photographer.

 

I'm not attacking bdw. It happens all over the Web. People can pay others to give reviews. I just wanted some suggestions because I didn't find the vendor review section helpful in this situation.

[kmk2016]

I actually don't bother to put much stake in ANY online review... Be it Yelp, tripadvisor, BDW or any of the other places you can read someone's quick summation of an experience. I would rather, as ACW noted, have real discussions (online works) with fellow brides (in this example) to hear their actual experiences and feelings on things I am considering. A review is a simply place to vent or an easy payoff for a perk... Not always- but often times reviewers don't share the same attitude or vision as I do. If I want a reccomendation for a place to eat- I don't check Yelp, I ask those who know me, my tastes and my expectations and ask them! Same works here... Reading people's planning threads, getting to know one another on this forum and creating dialogues (even if you aren't sure of your plans) will lead you to fellow brides who you can tell enjoy the same aesthetic or they chose the same region or hotel because of similar budgets/tastes/priorities... THESE are the way you will find great vendors and honest feedback. The number of posts you have isn't being judged (I can assure you that was not @@acw271011 's intent... But the more you interact here the more info you are given to create the perfect day YOU envision.

 

At least IMO

[acw271011]

I completely agree that a negative review benefits someone trying to decide on whether or not to select that vendor and I was in no way downplaying your concerns. Bear in mind though that in a community like this screwing up will put you well on your way to being out of business because word travels very quickly. I'm very glad you made your decision on a photographer that you feel you can work with but also sorry that you feel BDW wasn't of any help to you. I sincerely hope that the photographer you chose doesn't have a screw up or delay that affects your wedding. Being happy and confident with who you're working with is important and it sounds like that's what you have.

 

Good luck and happy planning!

[julianow]

Thanks everyone! I'm sure I'll get more into it as the date gets closer! Focusing on the dress right now.

[emmapalmer]

I've noticed the review pages for photographers are full of one timer reviews. With similar grammatical mistakes and 5 stars no cons, always AMAZING!!...

 

Very fishy and very unnerving. I'm looking for an affordable photographer in Cancun who doesn't pump up his/her own reviews. ... Please help!!

 

The only less than perfect reviews I have seen were in our resort search. For photographers, and other vendors I also notice 5 stars and the rare 4 stars.

 

Do your own research by visiting the photographers’ website, see if you like their work first.

Check to see if they are involved in more than one wedding website, and crosscheck the reviews.

The same review in two different sites could mean a fake review ( A tip for when I was searching for a nail salon ). Visit their facebook or twitter if they have one, and see the types of comments others leave there. Avoid a photographers that are not willing to be flexible for you, shows hesitation or speaks ill of other vendors. Best tip is to send the photographer an e-mail to see how well they will work with you. Try to reach them by phone or meet them if even possible.

 

Our photographer is from Toronto and will be taking our pictures this week. You can try him. His name is Enrique and the company is Decordova Photography.

Edited January 12, 2015 by emmapalmer

[TammyWright]

also, as they say "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".  I think you can double or triple that with a bride scorned.  If a bride is REALLY unhappy with her wedding vendor, you will hear about it.

[LisaAnthonyPoppy]

Agreed. Every wedding is unique so finding a photographer or dj or whatever that is flexible and dynamic is a good sign. Also gauging their communication to see if it is aligned with your style will give you a tip right form the beginning. )))

[dreamweddings]

I've noticed the review pages for photographers are full of one timer reviews. With similar grammatical mistakes and 5 stars no cons, always AMAZING!!...

 

Very fishy and very unnerving. I'm looking for an affordable photographer in Cancun who doesn't pump up his/her own reviews. ... Please help!!

 

Just to add my opinion or how I handle reviews,  I am wedding planner here and you will find a number ofmy reviews on this site mostly 5 stars.  what I usually do with all my past bride, I ask them to write their experience they had with us, not offering any discount, in fact non of my preferred photographers would offer anything extra for a review. We all take pride in doing our work and make sure we deliver services that is expected of us.

most cases once brides are done with wedding planning they just dont write reviews.   what you can do is ask your top 3 photographers for reference of actually brides to chat with.

This will help you keep your mind at ease.

 

This forum is one of the few pages I know that keep it so real!  You know when you have found a photographer that fits your requirements plus budget.

 

Happy Planning

[TheBHolders]

yep, that is why I am not going with Octavio Montes. He offers a 10% discount if you write a review. But that discount is offered before you work with him. I could not find one review of a wedding that has occurred after working with him. His prices are really good. But, my sanity is more important to me.