Photo/DJ/Video HELP!!

scalhoun125 · November 2010

I'm doing my research on all three of these services for my wedding. I received an email from theknot about a company called "The Pros."

Has anyone used them and have ANY feedback???

They have a deal right for all three services the package is $1995. For a couple on a 12K budget is this a good price???

Any help/advice is greatly appreciated!!

dibsontop · November 2010

Run. Fast.

You will find way more negative than positive things about them ont hese boards. What I personally can add is that a good photographer is going to run nearly that much, so I can't imagine that all three for under 2k is going to be any good.

How about you share some details with us and the ladies here will be more than happy to make some suggestions for you. You say you're on a 12k budget, but have you booked a venue or any other vendors yet? How many people are you inviting? The ladies here are very helpful so ask away and we'll be glad to help!

Ms.BriarRose · November 2010

Ditto Dibs. She knows what she's talking about- not only are they not worth it for the price (unless you want no pro pics at all and like giving that type of money away), but once you are on their email or phone list, you never get off. I still get emails.

What is your budget for each? More imporantly, what do you want?
Photog- Do you want an album, do you want the rights to your photos, do you want a DVD of the photos, do you want two shooters? My suggestion is get at least the DVD, the full rights to your photos (meaning you can print them however you want), and full day coverage. If you can afford it, a second shooter is great idea. Albums are not totally deal breakers, as you can do them a little later and you don't have to do them thru the photog if you don't want to. If you can afford it, though, it's not a bad idea to try and get one in your package now- you usually get it cheaper. Photogs can range from $1500 to $5k and beyond. Much of it depends on how well they are known and what type of a style they have. Your photojournalistic and candid photogs are going to cost more than your very traditional photogs. Most people want photojournalistic and candid- a mix of the two. We can help you get a rec for a photog (several of them, in fact) no matter your budget.

DJ- do you want reputation? A big personality? Or someone who does what you want them to, and stays in the shadows? DJs will cost (for 5 hours) from $700-$1500+. Again, we can help you with recs for those as well.

Video- do you want a 5 minute recap? Do you want a second shooter? Do you want the ceremony and reception? Do you want editing or just the raw footage? Do you want copies of the DVD, and how many? All of this plays a role. Video ranges from $800 to $2k+. We can give you ideas on where to go for this.

Some things to help you save money:
look around, and don't take anyone on just their word. Everyone has different style, so what one person may thing is the most best out there, you may not like at all.
While booking the pros is convienent, you don't get to choose your exact person (I don't care what they say- its not true).
Take the time to interview- you want to connect one on one with at least your photog and video.
Your DJ needs to have a reputation- make sure they play what you want and not what you don't, even if guests have a request.
Be willing to negotiate- if you don't want something in their package, like epics or a guestbook, maybe there is something that they will do in place of it, or will reduce the cost of their package for you.
Be willing to look at people who may not be as "established" as others- a college student, a person who was a second shooter, a person building their portfolio, a person who doesn't normally shoot weddings. None of that means they are bad- it just means it gives you negotiating power. They may be willing to reduce the price if you let them use items for their portfolio, or it may mean they are less expensive to begin with.

Like I said, we can help you out, hands down not a problem. Let us know what you have budgeted for these individual items and we will steer you that way

One last thing...

If you have not budgeted much, please rethink and try and do more at least for the photog and video. These are the two items you are going to have after the day is over and done and a distant memory- you want to try and invest in these as best as possible. There are ways to save, and we will help- but please don't think $500 for photos is a good idea. There are ways to save in other areas to pull as much money as possible for these two things.

Oh, and congrats- introduce yourself! The girls on here are FAB! Feel free to come on and post often!

wicked+faery · November 2010

scalhoun125 - i sent u a pm

paprika28 · November 2010

Back away from the Pros... Back away very quickly.

I used them for my first wedding. I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy.

ChadAngela · November 2010

If you look under the Philadelphia board, I asked exactly the same question. And got a LOT of descriptive answers about the quality of the Pros. The thread is entitled "The Pros."

MarinoRabeno · November 2010

my friend used them and cried for days over her pictures. rrrrrun!

scalhoun125 · November 2010

wow!!!
Havent been on the boards for a few days and missed these comments until now.
Thanks ladies for the advice!!

First- I will back away very quickly from The Pros! ahah

Second- our budget...
Like I said it is about 12k. we have our venue booked at Pizzadili Winery in Felton, De. Anyone know of it?? The price was pretty good and it includes the ceremony, reception, and catering. We know the other big amounts will go to photography and DJ. We were hoping to find a good photographer in the $1500 range. Has anyone heard of Katherine Escudero? She has a friday package for $1300 that includes 2 photographers, 2 videographers, DVD, copywright disc of photos, some prints, 4 hours of coverage. Anyone know of her??? Her website shows some descent photos but not the best I've seen. (Although they are from over 2k photgraphers!) ii know that sounds cheap for all that, but cheap doesnt always mean they aren't good. She told me they had their photobooth at the winery our wedding will be at and are "itching" to do a full wedding there! with photographers being really excited about the setting and scenery, im thinking that would mean good work...right?
Any other recommendations??
I'm not having a wedding planner so I want a photographer who will lead the show! We also don't want to spend a lot of time taking photos after the ceremony. I want someone fast, good, and reasonably priced.

Thirdly---DJ. I'm clueless on this one, so any help or advice is greatly appreciated! I also want a DJ who will take control but in a "bride is the boss" kind of a way. ahha. I want to give him/her direction before the wedding and for he/she to implement the plan as discussed! I want someone who will also get all or at least most guests dancing! We want to get the traditional dances out of the way early, cake time, maybe dollar dance, then have everyone party!

also....how do i add my ticker to the end of my post?? Mrs.BriarRose--Is that what you mean by introducing myself? haha or how do I do that?

Thanks for the help!!!!!!!!!

Ms.BriarRose · November 2010

Okay, now we are getting somewhere! I know this post is going to be a bit long, but I figured the more I can help you, the better off you will be

DJ first. We went with Tom Barrett, and he was $700 for 5 hours (though I think he has raised his prices a bit since we booked). We researched a ton of reputable DJs (using the Philly board and the NJ board for guidance, plus Martha Stewart Weddings for ratings), and found that they were exactly what we wanted. Our DJ the day of (for the life of me I can't remember his name, though he introduced himself several times) was exactly what we wanted- he did his job without being intrusive or cheesy. He nailed everything right, said all he was supposed to, played requested songs except for our do-not-play list (which was huge, we had songs we DID NOT want at all). You could understand every word he said (no accent of any kind) and was very professional.
6 weeks before the wedding we recieved a paper in the mail that outlined all the details- songs you want (and don't want), introductions, specific songs for specific times (cake cutting, garter, parents dances). One thing we really, really liked was they included a sheet of their most popular songs requested- if you wanted it played, you circled it; if you wanted more of that artist, you starred it; if you didn't want it all, you crossed it off; if you wanted something not on there, you added it at the bottom. It made it really easy to choose our songs that we wanted and didn't want. They also had another section for absolutely do not plays, which basically reinforced what we wanted on that sheet- we really liked that, so things didn't get mixed up and a song we hated get played.
You mail it back, and they call you 24 hours before regardless, just to check in with you. At that time, they go over the sheet with us, and let us know if there were any problems (there weren't). They also went over all the introductions as well.
What we did, because our introductions were so difficult (we had a best maid and my parents are divorced), was a Word document outlining each and every one of the introductions. We wanted specific songs for our introduction (you can let them choose, or you can do it), and that was not a problem at all. During the cocktail hour, he came and introduced himself, and went over the phonetic pronunciation of everyone's name with me. Then, he went over the pronunciation of everyone's name again when we lined up to go into the ballroom. He followed our sheets perfect, which made for some mixup (my MOH/sis was supposed to go first, but didn't want to, and ran the mike over to our Best Maid), and he injected some good humor into it all.
Basically, you want someone who is going to do that- too much more, you are going to get cheesy and wordy and mouthy, and guests hate that. Too much less, and they won't do their job. Finding a good balance of what is appropriate is important, and I found Tom Barrett did a really good job of that. They were the cheapest I found.
There were others that were much, much more ($1500+), but we could neither afford that nor fathom spending that much on a DJ. We did have a bad encounter with one DJ that is frequently recommended (you can read their name on this board in another post), but I will never ever ever recommend them. If you (or anyone else for that matter) would like more details, PM me and I will be glad to share my story.

Photography!
You said it yourself- price, low or high, doesn't always equate to good. I have been on this board for two years, and have never heard of her, though I did take a look at her work. It seems to me she is very, very traditional- which isn't a bad thing. Many brides today want either candid, photojournalistic, posed candid, or a mixture of those; traditional tends to fall by the wayside. You need to decide what you want in terms of your poses, and go from there.
One photog that does a decent job in the traditional photography is Pete Lounsbury. His website is http://lounsbury.us/, and he did a knottie's wedding a little over a year ago (knottie Donnalynn in July 2009). He photos were traditional, but for $850, you can't beat that.
For the candid/photojournalistic, you are going to pay a bit more, because these photogs tends to have more experience, tend to take many more pictures, and tend to do much more editing of the photos themselves. The outcome, however, is what most of your today's brides desire, and they are willing to pay that price. A good example of a great photojournalistic photog is Cindy Guessford http://cindyguessford.com/ but you are going to pay for her- she starts at no less than $4k, which is a ton of money to brides today.
The first thing I will tell you is, don't combine your photog and video people. While they often have a little knowledge of what the other is doing, they don't know enough to make a living off of it. I will address videographers below.
You often have to find a compromise. You can find good photogs for your price range. What do you want from your photog? Most brides want similar things- all day coverage (4 hours is not enough at all, IMO), the rights to the photos on a CD or DVD, and 2 shooters. That's the basic. Some want more- an e-pic session, a guestbook, an album. You will also want to get recommendations from brides- were they happy? You will want to know how many pics you will recieve. 900 may sound like a lot, but in reality it's not- especially when they are the same 300 pics just done in color, b&w, and sepia.
If you are willing to cut down and get the basic 3 things I mentioned, you are usually able to find a good photog for a decent price. Remember, you can always go back and do an album later- even if you do it yourself. An engagement session is nice, but IMO, not a requirement especially if you are want a decent photog.
Be willing to bargain. Many photogs are willing to talk price nowadays because of the economy. If you are willing to cut stuff out, how much will that be? Ask those types of questions. Tell them your absolute highest amount you can afford- you will be surprised at what some may be able to compromise on. Your wedding is on a Friday, right? That makes a difference as well- see if they are willing to come down in price more.

There are some great photogs that are recommended that fit in your price range. My photog, Stephanie Glover, was awesome. I loved working with her- she was so nice, bubbly and willing to work to get that shot- and I love her work. Some say her work isn't the best. I wholeheartedly disagree. You can see the slideshow of my pics by clicking the link in my siggy. We paid $1300 for her and the rights. A second shooter is included in all her packages. If we had gotten the e-pic session, a guestbook, and an album, it would have been $1700. I wish we had the money, becuase it would have been cheaper to order the album with the package, but it wasn't doable at the time. I don't know if she is booking around your wedding date tho, as she is pregnant and due in that time frame. BUT if you contact her, she should be able to point you to other photogs she would recommend.
The girls on here should be able to help you find a photog in your price range- they helped me find Steph a month before our wedding (LONG story). Trust them- they have done the research, they know who is out there. I would suggest getting recommendations ASAP, as many photog prices will be going up come January- if you can book in 2010 and lock in 2010 prices, I would highly suggest doing that.

Videography.
There are several well known videographers in this area. Martins does a basic package for under $1k, and that includes ceremony and reception and editing and a 5 minute recap video. The other suggestion I can make to you is a student. Our video person, Brent Weischel, is a film student at UArts. He knows his stuff (if he is a film student there, he's gotta know his stuff). Right now, he is doing weddings for really, really inexpensive, so he can build up his portfolio. My suggestion would be to contact him and at least consider him based on his pricing. You never know if it may be worth it.

I think I addressed everything. If you have more questions, ask away. I would do a post entitled Photog suggestions, tell the girls what you want, and wait for the suggestions.

scalhoun125 · November 2010

Thank you sooo much!!!
Yes, after reading some of the other boards and the feedback I knew I could get some help from the girls on here (and you)!

I am looking Stephanie now. I really like your photos! I do like the photojournalistic type but Brian likes more traditional. I think I can win that one any day, though. haha!

Does Brent have a website? I will google him.
Thanks again!

Ms.BriarRose · November 2010

Brent doesn't have a website yet. He is a senior at UArts, and is in the middle of finishing his senior thesis (AKA craziness). If you would like his info, let me know and I can send you his email.

The thing I really liked about Steph is that she was able to combine the traditional photos and the photojournalistic photos. We have a nice combo of both. All of the photos she took are in no way up in that slideshow; she took a crapton more (in fact, she will be putting more up tonight or tomorrow). I haven't recieved all the photos yet on the DVD (editing takes time when you are preggo and have a two year old, which I completely understand), but when I do I plan on uploading them to picasa and sharing them with y'all.

My suggestion would be to page JLJC (paging is where you put their name in the subject line, and ask your question in the post; kind of like a public email). She researched several (many, actually) affordable photogs, and can give you the list of ones to check out. That's how I got Stephanie's name. She's got several very good photogs in that list.

I would suggest booking your photog next, and doing that very quickly. Good photogs, whether affordable or not, book quickly. Make that your mission, and try and have it done (or at least several meetings set up) by the end of the week.

Photo/DJ/Video HELP!!

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