Elizabeth Medina - Photographer

[ellepv2007]

Hello everyone.

I just thought I'd add my thoughts about Elizabeth Medina.

Her work is amazing, and she is on our short list for photographers. I find her prices pretty reasonable, given the quality of her work.

She's sent me her destination wedding prices, and I wanted to point one thing out to everyone -- travel costs are NOT included in the prices as of September 2007. She told me that after September 2007, travel costs are ADDITIONAL to the package prices. We're getting married in Puerto Vallarta, so this would mean paying for her plane ticket from Cancun (she said it would be about $500, and I looked into it a little and its about that amount), plus her hotel. I didn't ask specifics about meals or a per diem fee though, that may be additional.

We are still considering other photographers at this point, because her fee plus travel costs is a lot above our budget. But in the end we may up going with her anyway because we really love her work and she is able to capture the feeling of Mexico in her pictures.

I know there's a Puerto Vallarta bride who is flying her in for her wedding, I've spoken to the other bride on the Yahoo list. The price this bride paid is less than the 2007 package prices, and travel is included, so I think she got an amazing deal.

[Adamsgrrl]

I was also looking into her.... the wedding package she sent me is a bit different than what Ann was showing us.

In my package for Riviera Maya option 3 was $4,500 but did not include the 500 4X6 pics like in Anns document. The 500 pics would be an additional $750.... So, basically she is charging me $5,250 for the package she quoted Ann for $4,750.

I will email her with this discrepancy and see what she says.....

Makes me almost not want to use her.


I'll keep you posted.

[AnnR]

I posted this a while ago (back in Nov I think), I am sure her prices and packages have just changed since then, not that she's being deceitful. She was so nice to work with, I just waited too long to book her, then she was already taken! Lucky for me, I found Leigh - but I'd suggest nabbing a photographer you like as soon as you can! The good ones go fast, and they also raise their prices each year typically, or possibly more often if they're too busy.

[TA Jill]

I'm confused about something with her. When I contacted her for my wedding in cancun she said she would have to travel about 4 hours to get there, which I thought was strange because I thought she was from that area. But now it seems like she's telling PV brides the same thing. Does anyone know exactly where she is from?

[AnnR]

This is from an email she sent me ...

That is because I had until recently been working primarily in my local area (Merida, Yucatan, which is about 4.5 hours from the Riviera Maya).

Again, this was back in November.

[Bella]

Saw the post and wanted to add that I'm using Elizabeth for my wedding. I think she can be a bit flexible with her rates. I told her my budget and we worked it out from there.

[evonut]

Originally Posted by akh

I am so happy to hear other people that like her - some people on The Knot weren't nearly as agreeable. I do want to hear honest opinions, and will go what what I feel is right - but they were a little negative a feel. Sorry to any Knotties reading this - nothing personal! I guess when you really like something, you just want to hear opinions that agree with yours!

I also loved Sol Tamargo (not available for my date) and Juan Carlos Tapia. Juan wasn't available for me either, but he recomended Elizabeth to me! So I feel pretty good about my decision.

Elizabeth did send me a couple links to other weddings - here they are from an email ...

First, a "honeymoon session" on the beach with a local couple (they were married in a church and had a hotel reception, we did this the week after): www.elizabethmedina.com/aurora_jc_playa

Here is a link to a gallery from a fun destination wedding: tia_shawn

And to a couple of the albums I have designed with my photographs:
album_g_l
Albúm Elizabeth Medina Photography

I was in the same situation--wanted Sol but she wasn't available and booked Elizabeth instead.

I booked her for my wedding at Riu Palace Riviera Maya on Nov 2007.

My price package of $3250 includes:

- 8 hours (broken up into two sessions: ceremony+ reception and post-wedding pics the next morning)
- unlimited B&W, Color, Sepia pics
- Web gallery
- Web slide show
- 4X6 proofs
- digital negatives (on CD)

She requested one night's stay at the hotel for her and her assistant, which is fine with me.

[evonut]

Originally Posted by akh

Also, if you're interested I thought I'd post a small list of Q&A in case you had any of the same questions - I don't even know what to ask a photographer! Since you're fiance is a photographer, he'd probably know better!

1) Have you ever been to/shot a wedding at Las Caletas? I am guessing not, since you're not from the area and it's a small place. No, I have not shot a wedding in Puerto Vallarta as of yet, but I am looking forward to it!

2) Is it possible to split up the 8 hours of coverage, possibly getting an hour or so either the day before or day after? I don't know yet if this is something we'll want to do, but I thought I'd ask to see if the option was there. Splitting up coverage: that is probably not a problem, especially if I am able to stay in a hotel close to the location where the photo session would be.

3) How many photographers/assistants will be there? I do all the photography and my assistant would most likely be either one of my daughters (aged 18 and 20), or my husband. The mostly help me with my equipment, although one of my daughters is starting to do some photography as well.

4) Typically how many pictures are you taking in the ~8 hours of coverage?
In eight hours I usually take upwards of 1000 pictures and present you with around 500 that I feel best tell the story of your day.

5) (I think I asked her about her experience doing beach weddings - I can't find the actual question) Up until now I have not done a lot of beach weddings, That is because I had until recently been working primarily in my local area (Merida, Yucatan, which is about 4.5 hours from the Riviera Maya), and sadly my local brides do not favor beach weddings. Our beach is on the Gulf of Mexico side of the Yucatan Penninsula, and while we love it it is not the amazing beach of the Maya Riviera/ Cancun/ Cozumel. The weather can be much more windy as well. (I do have two local beach weddings the books for 2007 though, so maybe the trend is starting.) I do cover destination weddings locally in the wonderful restored haciendas here in Yucatan and I really enjoy them because they are so relaxed, intimate and fun compared to my local weddings (I have had several weddings with upwards of 700 guests in recent months!). I decided this year to cover weddings outside my local area and do have several beach destination weddings coming up, hopefully yours will be among them.

This is helpful information. Thank you for posting it.

[evonut]

Originally Posted by akh

What bums me out even more, is that I said in my last email that she was my #1 pick, and that I just needed to talk to my fiance about it. I wish she would have asked me before allowing the other bride to reserve the date. I guess they can't manage everyone that asks them if they're available ... but still! (poor me)

:-( I'm sorry to hear that you weren't able to book her.

[AnnR]

I am so excited to see your pictures though - she's a great photographer!