DAVIDS BRIDAL PHOTOGRAPHY??

sandelwc · August 2011

Just wondering if anyone has used DB's photography? I had no clue the offered this but upon finding out their fabulous pricing ($900-2000) I'm super interested! The package I want includes 2 photographers for 8hrs for around $1900! My biggest hesitation is that you can't meet the photographers before committing to them. The packages also include a wedding consultant who you go through to meet the photographers after you've committed (easy $100 downpayment)! Hoping that someone has used DB and can give me advice! :-)
Happy Planning

studiofoto · August 2011

I would strongly advise you to look somewhere else. A discount bridal department store should not be offering photography!!!!!

Paul101010 · August 2011

I would STRONGLY caution you about using them. A discount bridal department store should not be offering wedding photography!!

davisphotos · August 2011

Don't do it! You are going to be spending 8 hours with these photographers, and you should make sure you know and like your photographer before you commit. I would suggest that getting one photographer whose work you like, that you can meet before booking, and that you like personality wise is going to be a better deal than 2 photographers that may just be beginners, students, never shot a wedding before, or could just be obnoxious people that you don't get along with.

On the other hand, you could wind up with 2 photographers that you really love and who do a great job for you, but is that really a gamble you are willing to make?

kpweddingsDOTcom · August 2011

I agree 100% with the above. I am a wedding photographer and a good relationship must be there between client and photographer. I've turned couples down before because the chemistry just wasn't right and I knew it would be a long day for both of us. I like to feel like my clients are friend-like, it makes the day go stress free for the Bride and Groom and it makes my job that much more fun!

I hope this helps.

photogbride12 · August 2011

Don't do it! This is just as sketchy as other big box photo companies like Bella Pictures and The Pros. I was actually contacted by David's Bridal about being one of these contract photographers and no photographer who is shooting full time on their own (which is what you want) has time to do this sort of thing, and would never shoot with David's Bridal if they could get work on their own. None of these photographers are vetted for talent, experience, or equipment, and from what I can tell they put out a mass inquiry to all their contractors for a date and whoever is available goes. This is not what you want in a photographer - they have zero accountability if something goes wrong, they don't have to worry about bad reviews or anything else, so what's their incentive to do a good job? Hire someone you like both in terms of their images and their personality. Gamble with anything but your wedding photography!

hanbran · August 2011

The thing about Davids Bridal Photography is that they have a pool of photographers they can choose from for your wedding. When you sign up for them they won't know who is availale for your wedding day. It's for this reason you probably can't meet your photographer first. They may do good work but you are taking a much bigger chance than you would be if you just found someone with work that you like and booked them. I'm actually a wedding photographer so I know that pricing can be high but there are a lot of great photographer who try to keep their pricing in a good range. I myself am now a bride to be and it's given me a whole new perspective!

Good Luck!

Hannah

hanbran · August 2011

I completely agree! The relationship has to have the right chemistry so that it flows well for both the bride and groom as well as the photographer! That's how you'll get your best photos!

angybanez · August 2011

ummm, when I think of David's Bridal Photography I think of Sears or your mall photographers! Research photographers. If you find one you like, call or email them to get a quote of what you're looking for. I always ask my brides and groom what their budget is and we work with that budget in a realistic fashion. Research! Ask around and see who used what photographer. You'll be surprised how affordable great photographers are.

RkyMountainRose · August 2011

On the other hand, if this is all you can afford, it is better than not having a photographer on your wedding day.

laura80smith · August 2011

Totally agree with the replies. One of my friends, an amateur photographer, was approached by them before. The photographer for DB will be paid $30-50 per hour. For a 8-hr session, the photographer is paid about $300, which is even much less than those on craigslist. Now you get a good idea how experienced and talented their photographers are.

hnokelley · October 2011

DO NOT sign up with David's Bridal. I did and it has been the most horrible experience ever. I am now 21 days from my wedding and they are wanting to keep half of my money for their screw-ups. I was never assigned a wedding consultant like I was supposed to, the people you have to talk to are in an office in Pennsylvania, and the photographer they "assigned" me didn't contact me so I had to contact the studio and then call him myself. After talking to the photographer he right off the bat told me he had never worked with David's which sent up red flags and he was rushing to get me off the phone. I asked if he could send me a site or pictures from previous weddings he had done so I could see his portfolio to know what I was working with and he said he would the next day....needless to say, two days later nothing. I called David's back and told them how unhappy I was with them and that I shouldn't have to chase down their photographers who aren't even doing their jobs and asked for my money back. Was told accounting would get back to me and of course, I had to call back and go through two other people and their prompted script for them to send me another contract to sign saying I was okay with them keeping half my money. Obviously I haven't signed it. I have contacted my credit card company to dispute the charges, am filing a complaint with the BBB, and am trying to find a manager to speak to, which apparently doesn't exist. So, please, please, please do NOT use photography by David's Bridal.

buffkin81 · November 2011

I just thought I'd share the wonderful experience that I had with David's Bridal Photography. The main reason I chose them (even though my parent's paid for our photographer) is the price. You can't beat how amazing their prices are. Everyone I talked to with their customer service (when setting up payment/going through details, etc.) was very nice and helpful and easy to talk to.

I got married on 10/15/11 and I wasn't super picky about my wedding to begin with (I'm very laid back and easy going) so not meeting the photographer beforehand, seeing his/her work, etc. didn't really bother me. I was excited for the big day, to meet him and see what we could accomplish together. As a note, you do get to talk to the photographer beforehand to go over details on what you want to get out of the experience, etc. We ended up being so pleasantly surprised with the individual they selected for us. He was fun, energetic, and seemed sincerely happy to be there for us on our wedding day. We couldn't have asked for more!

My main advice for selecting a photographer is to go with what makes you feel confident and comfortable. If not meeting him/her first and seeing their work gives you an uneasy feeling, then go a different route. I went with DB because that worked well for me.

Hope this helped!

Hannah Din · November 2011

I booked Davids Bridal Photography for my wedding day. I have to say that my wedding pictures turned out beautifully. I had 800 pictures on a CD given to me to do whatever I wanted. The photographer was okay personality wise. I was getting aggrevated because I had to tell him towards the end what I wanted and group pictures that I wanted which I was frustrated with because I did not feel like that was my job on my wedding day. If you have the money and are able to feel out a photographer and get to know them and their personality and them get to know you well, the style you like and the pictures you want to capture- I would recommend going that way. However, with that being said I am very happy with the final product. Hope this helps!

slwilliams84 · January 2012

We would love to see your photos, can you share some of them with us?

babywendy05 · January 2012

I don't care what anyone else says... I used DBP and LOVED my pictures. I never met my photographer but we talked on the phone numerous times and I loved him. He did an amazing job. I'm not kidding when I say this or trying to be coincided but my pictures could be used in a magazine!!! He was super nice, and the pictures were fantastic and that's the only thing that matters right? I think so! We spent about 1600 dollars and got a whole lot of prints, and a gorgeous album that they put together for me. I got to pick what pictures I wanted for prints and my album. AND they gave me full copyright of all my pictures on 2 CDs that I can do whatever I want with. I highly recommend them!!!!

kathy1215 · February 2012

I was married in September 2011.We decided to use DBP and had what we thought was a good experience until we were in receipt of the CD. The pictures were taken at bizarre angles, hardly any of the portrait pictures we requested were shot, shadows galore, no attention to detail- a total train wreck! DB has been working with us trying to make good on prints by photo-manipulation so we can at least have what we paid for and are entitled to. We are still working on this project! I most definitely would not recommend them.

donnamarie1984 · February 2012

DO NOT GO THROUGH DAVIDS BRIDAL PHOTOGRAPHY!!!! I signed up with them in Nov, paid my balace 60 before my event like the contract states, heard from my photographer 6 weeks before my wedding and he is TERRIBLE www.photosbydsb.com I emailed my event coordinator a week ago and they still have yet to find me a new one, which is funny because per the contract they always have a back up photographer in case something goes wrong day of. I am fighting with them now to get a full refund. DO NOT sign a contract with them!!!

pedrovoter45 · March 2012

I'm considering DB for photos but im scared after reading this forum.

does anyone have a refference in wa?

Angie0714 · April 2012

Me and my Fiancee have already booked our DB Photography. I can say Im a little scared about all the experiences. Im a very laid back person and didnt do as much research, all I saw was price and what we were getting for it. My Fiancee paid for it and the final payment comes out next week. We took took our engagement pics with another photographer and she was awesome! After reading this forum, I might convince my Fiancee to change photographers. I dont want to have great engagment pictures but mediocre wedding ones.

sweetangel8213 · May 2012

wow am i now scared because we booked with them due to the afordibility. We have a VERY limited budget, so it was either DBP for 5 hours or nothing at all and since i am not the one paying i didn't feel that it was my place to insist my mom come up with any extra money for us to do a typical photographer selection process. Believe me i tried, i shopped around, tried working with independent photographers but none could fit in my budget for this area and still give me the coverage we needed.

Carlap0911 · June 2012

Anyone in CT used DBP? & what was their name I'm 20 days away from my wedding and I don't think I like the photographer they assigned..

tpgibbs · June 2012

I'm a wedding photographer myself, and I just got married about a month ago...so of course, my photography had to be AMAZING. Unfortunately, the same "bad" situation happened to me with DB photography... A friend of mine who does AMAZING work...I couldn't afford him, so I went with DB photography ONLY because they did a whole presentation about how excellent the photographers and their work was, and I was promised that I could switch out photographers until I was satisfied with their personality and portfolio. That didn't happen at all! My event coordinator ALWAYS got back with me late, I was assigned a photographer and the photographer didn't contact me until the WEEK OF my wedding, and I had to almost hassle my event coordinator to send me portofolio samples, after I spent weeks calling and asking when and how could I meet with these photographers they promised. One of the biggest regrets of my life is choosing DB photography to do my wedding photography. The photographer didn't get all the shots I asked for, his personality was too sarcastic, and the quality of his work was horrible. He claimed to have been in the industry for 14 years; well, I think that was a lie, because our photos hadn't proven it at all. I'm trying my best to make sure other brides don't make the same mistake I made. PLEASE DO NOT choose DB photography for your wedding photography...it's pretty much a scam. If you want amazing, here's someone who can always deliver:

http://blestphotography.com/ (his name is Cole Gorman, a friend of mine)

His work is amazing, his personality is the best!, and his prices are very reasonable considering the quality that you get! Tell him Tammie sent ya!!

ashleyrose222 · June 2012

We used Davids bridal photography, and our photos are amazing! I Strongly suggest it to anyone and everyone, what people dont realize is that with davids bridal you own the copy to your photos! which many photographers dont even offer, and i can promise you that it is a good decision to make, Like i sais our photos are AMAZING and we couldn't have asked for a better, and lets face it ladies we know that life happens and if your photographer gets sick that day or in an accident they have that is on back up for your event! how many other photographers can offer you that?

FMPhotography · June 2012

I am a wedding photographer that was contacted by them to work for them. I would say RUN far away. First of all I don't believe you will have any contact with your photographer you will only be in contact with DB. I can't imagine not meeting the Bride & Groom before the day of the wedding to get to know them and find out exactly what they want for photography to remember their day forever.
Second DB states they will edit the images themselves which means they really don't care about the photographers work or experience since they will be taking the work and making it their own. Any self respecting photographer would not just hand over their images without editing them themselves to put their own touch on them.
Third I saw that the cheapest package was $899. With DB taking a portion of that how much do you think the actual photographer will be getting?!?!?! Do you think someone is going to want to bust their butt off only to be paid a couple hundred dollars and have their images taken away from at the end of the day to be edited however.
There are many photographers out their for every budget. You get what you pay for but many are also very willing to work with the Bride & Groom.
This is the most important day of your life and the memories and photographs will be what you are able to take away and hold on to forever. Davids Bridal is not a place any couple or photographer should want to work with.

FMPhotography · June 2012

And decent photographer is not going to give away copyright. You will have printing rights but owning copyright will give you the right to alter the images or possibly make money off of them. { example entering an image into a contest and winning money from it } A photographer that worked hard to make the image is not going to want to see somebody edit it some other way. Most will give you the digital files and a print release which allows you to print as much as you need in any size which is really all you need. Copyright is put into place to protect a photographers work. If you worked hard to make something beautiful you would want the same thing for your work. DB has most likely had a ton of photographers run the other way when they saw the info about copyright.
It would also mean that DB has the right to do whatever they want with a photographers images. That's just not cool IMO especially for a small business owner which is what most photogs are.

kblssm74 · June 2012

I felt the same way as you did about the prices. The person I spoke with originally in the David's Bridal store in Glen Burnie, MD was wonderful and she did a good job explaining everything. I was nervous about not knowing who would be my photographer as the pics are very important for me as I don't plan to do this again. Unfortunately, the way the locak rep understood the process was not how it's worked out. I booked in march and as of today 6/29 I have not been assigned a photographer for a sept 15 wedding. since this is a popular month, I was freaking out because I was told I would be contacted by the coordinator to then get assigned shortly after paying the deposit ($200 in my case). I booked, got a call and was sent a form to fill out describing the day. then waited, and waited. Called, emailed. Only once I said I wanted to cancel, did the event dept respond. They were then ready to assign me. I said too late at this point, I want my money back. They are refusing to refund the deposit. I am fighting them, but this is not the kind of stress you want when you're so overwhelmed with every other detail.

My advice....if price is your only concern and you're not too particular on who you'll end up with, go for it. If you want to be sure of who's doing your pics and what kind of work they do, shop around. If you're in MD I can give you some referrals to some great people who will do a good job and have spectacular pictures.

Good luck!

airicka29 · July 2012

I advise anyone to NOT go through Davids Bridal Photography. My wedding is in 3 weeks. I got my dress/ bridesmaids dresses from Davids Bridal and they were wonderful. I was also sold on a wedding photography package and was told that we would have the opportunity to choose from a variety of photographers that would suit our needs. We were told that as soon as we pay off our bill in full that they would send us canidates to view. My fiance and I paid right away and we had such a hard time from there on getting communication from the photography corporate office. Basically they assigned one photographer to us and did not give us the option to choose. We found out about our photographer that was assigned to us from a voicemail, which stated...Hi, I am your photographer. If you have any questions give me a call, otherwise I will see you on your wedding day! We were not sent any photos or websites to view on our canidate that they assigned to us. Davids Bridal Photography said that they do not give you the option and that I was misinformed. No bride and groom ever wants to have a photographer that they know nothing about or have seen any of their work! Before you ever make a big purchase, you always want to compare so that you get the best fit for your wants and needs. We were by far not picky at all, but this company lacked major customer service. When you call, you expect a call back right away or within a day or so...not weeks later if that!
We have called repeatedly our coordinator MaryEll and contacted her boss Candace, and Candaces boss Adam throughout this process. We never heard back from anyone of them until now 3 weeks till our wedding when we recieved a call from the VP Eileen of Davids Bridal Photography. Their solution to the problem because they could not find a photographer for our wedding date that was available, was to just refund our money back. When you sign up for their package, they also gaurentee you a back up photographer on the day of your wedding, god forbid anything was to happen to the photographer the day of your wedding. If they had troubles locating a photographer for our wedding day, what about the backup photographer??? A bride and grooms worst nightmare is not have a photographer on their special day to capture all the special moments. This battle for communication from them throughout this whole process has left us stressed, frustrated and without a photographer. I wish we would have read the reviews on this site before signing a contract. Many of the posts are very similar to what we have been dealing with. So PLEASE, do not choose Davids Bridal Photography!!!!!!!!!!

librachic · July 2012

I DO NOOOOOOOOOOOOT RECCCOMEND THEM!!! THEY R HORRIBLE - i ended up getting a refund 20 days before the wedding and lost 50% of my payments AND the deposit because of their poor customer service -i am right now in the middle of hiring an attorney.
In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_davids-bridal-photography?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:30Discussion:7eb704c6-f3cf-4885-a4fc-91ac4de524f0Post:a0b4b401-756e-4540-9ab3-b2c363314894">DAVIDS BRIDAL PHOTOGRAPHY??</a>:
[QUOTE]Just wondering if anyone has used DB's photography? I had no clue the offered this but upon finding out their fabulous pricing ($900-2000) I'm super interested! The package I want includes 2 photographers for 8hrs for around $1900! My biggest hesitation is that you can't meet the photographers before committing to them. The packages also include a wedding consultant who you go through to meet the photographers after you've committed (easy $100 downpayment)! Hoping that someone has used DB and can give me advice! :-) Happy Planning
Posted by sandelwc[/QUOTE]

mbatraiwedding · July 2012

Does anyone have any examples of what these "horrible" pictures look like? I am skeptical because half of the posts her seem to think they did an "incredible" job and the other half think they’re really bad. I think I’d like to judge for myself.
I'm wondering if some of the people here wouldn't be just as dissapointed with a private photographer?

Freckly006 · August 2012

How can I view my friend's wedding pictures (i was the maid of honor) was told that i can view them online... How ?

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