Bella Pictures - Advice Needed!

notjustneighbors

Hi.  I am considering Bella Pictures, however the mixed reviews are turning us off.  Any advice if you have worked with this company would be much appreciated.  Thanks!

jagore08

They spam the boards here and that really pisses me and a lot of the other girls on here. I personally wouldn't use them because if they're this pushy on the boards then there's no telling what they're like in person. Try other photographers girls have used here, I'm sure they won't mind giving a recommendation.

SBgirl228

I agree, the best vendors I found did their business from word of mouth recomendations/referrals mostly and so they are dedicated to their customer service.  When vendors advertise a lot it makes me think they focus more on quantity rather than quality.  Just some things to think about.  There are lots of great photgrapher recommendations on this board if you look around a bit.  Good luck!

garavito_16

I would look into other photographers. For one, I read/heard that you won't know who your photographer is until you book them. In other words, you get  assigned someone. In my opinion I would not feel comfortable with that because what if I don't like their work, or don't hit it off with them. There are so many great photographers out there that will suit your style and budget. I would look into their sites and their blogs to get a feel for their work. You also want to be able to meet the photographer to 1) view their work 2) get pricing 3) see if you like them, after all you will be working closely with them and you want someone that is professional and fun to work with. You should shop around and if you need recommendations,  you can ask the board. Good luck!

CANDEE43

I went to a bridal expo and I got a call later that week that I had won a free engagement session from Bella Pictures.  So I set up the date and time and the day before I called to confirm and they said the engagement session was only 25 minutes, it was in their studio done as portraits not an actual engagement session and the man was super persistent in getting me in there and he was already talking about their "deals" on photography for the wedding.My fiance and I didn't go after all because we felt like it was a scam.  I have also heard that you don't know who the photographer is going to be, and I have seen their prices and IMO there are other photographers who do a great job if not better for the same or less than they charge.The mixed reviews are just kind of iffy and when it comes to your wedding day, you want to make sure you don't have to worry about anything.

nickknackx

Ditto to everyone!FI and I met with bella and as soon as we heard that we wouldn't be able to meet with our photographer until the day of our wedding and we saw the prices, we said PEACE!!!Their packages are based on hours 4 hrs, 6, 8 etc. IMO, the photographer should be there all day, from the time your getting ready to the end of all the important stuff at the reception. The cheapest package was around $4000, twice our budget. After we met with a "representative" and told her it wasn't in our budget, she continued to call. It was very annoying.The photographer we found is awesome! None of his packages are on an hourly basis, his work is amazing and we're getting more albums, proofs, etc then what bella was offering. He also offered to come to our rehearsal dinner or bridal shower for a half hour or so and take some pics for us. I'm positive that after our wedding we will be using him for our kids baptisims, family portriats etc... if you would like a referral page me or email me at nickknackx85 at yahoo dot com.HTH!<3 nic

verdes

I agree with everyone, I have heard a lot of bad things about them and would not consider them an option. You definitely   want to know who your photographer is before booking.

[Deleted User]

Bella is a middleman pure and simple.  When you hire them you are hiring them to hire someone for you.And you don't know whether the person they get for you is a legitamate photographer or Joe Schmoe with a point and click.So they go out and they find someone willing to work for X amount of money.  Then they turn around and charge you X times an ungodly multiplier.They actually changed their website so you don't have to give them your information anymore in order to see their rates.When I was looking for a photographer after giving them my information to see their rates they called me and then my mailbox was flooded with wedding junk mail.Yeah, really professional.  So I gave the lady on the phone a piece of my mind and they haven't called since.LA is such a big city with so many good and talented photographers.  Bella is like the bottom of the barrel photography-wise.

notjustneighbors

Thanks everyone for your feedback.  Very helpful and confirms my original feelings...we have moved on to compare other photographers.