MikkiStreak

Quote: Originally Posted by anacgarcia ditto.. that's exactly what I think.. he's not the first offering a free or almost free package.. the thing is that he lives there so you don't even have to pay traveling fees... so it's great when spending thousands is out of budget.. I asked if he would include a day after session in the package and he said yes.. which is why I considered him.. but I already have a photog booked and I think it's not fair for either of them to book 2 photographers.. but I'm still thinking about it.. Maybe it's worth exploring--- If I were just starting out doing wedding photography, I would love to spend the day working on the same job as a seasoned pro. And if I were the seasoned pro, I guess I'd look at it like, well I'm still working the job at the agreed upon price. Not much different than battling family members with point and shoot cameras who get in the way.

Quote: Originally Posted by lambert13 I just looked at his gallery. Not too bad. But as I am sure some of the other photographers on here will agree with, the image below is full of technical errors. The photo below is badly exposed, color balance is way off and it would be impossible to put it in a standard frame without chopping off more of the top guys head, or losing part of the bouquet. Then you would be looking at even more money to get it custom framed. Just a quick critique of one of his images. I am not putting him down, I am just trying to point out that he might be offering a $1 dollar package to build a portfolio. I agree--- I posted somewhere about his work being somewhere between Aunt Thelma with a disposable and FA wedding photography. But it would do for people with a tight budget...

Quote: Originally Posted by jthrasherphoto.com I see where you are coming from but, none of the photographers who posted in this thread, including myself, are trying to find flaws in this photographer. But I wouldnt' say it's harmless to use words like "pricing structure is ethically wrong and deceiving and I would never price my work like this."Like I said, we are offering a suggestion to be careful based on our experience. If you choose to be suspect of our experiences, that's fine. But, it only makes sense to take advice from people who have been through situations and seen things that you haven't experienced yet. The advice is always appreciated, but when it's slipped into a paragraph that is loaded with implications that there must be something wrong with this offer, most people would question the motives of the person making the loaded statements. Of course there's more validity from a referral about a vendor from friend or someone you trust. But this isn't a referral. Have you used this photographers services before? Do you know all that his offer includes? Have you asked him about print/album prices? How are the brides here that you are posting the info for suppose to know if this is legit if you haven't used him either. You only saw him advertise. All we are saying is get all the info first. And, we are just sharing our experience with you. The truth is, you don't know any more than we do about this photographer. Which is true, but I simply posted that a photographer was offering a special so that brides could research it on their own, if they were interested. I didn't insinuate the guy was deceitful or trying to mark up other aspects of his services to make up for the labor loss. And based on what I've seen of the posts from the brides on here, I would certainly feel confident that they are smart enough and have enough common sense to ask for a printed pricing list and lots of other details prior to entering into any agreements with any vender. It might help if you posted the information so we could see for ourselves who he is, and what he's offering so that everyone can come to their own conclusions. I give people warnings based on direct experiences or experiences based on similar situations. I've seen similar situations, hence the caution. I don't mean to be in a debate over this. I'm just trying to help you and other brides see where we photographers are coming from. I'd also like to point out that while photographs are a great method of documenting and recording memories of our weddings, they are not the only means of measurement we have. We have our gowns, we have our guest books, we have our bouquets preserved, our invitations, our programs, our table cards and tons of other things we use in our weddings that can catapult us back to the time and place of the memory just as easily as a photograph. We just don't spend thousands of dollars on each of these items. And when it comes down to it, the photographs are wonderful, but a journal is even more telling and something that can be reviewed by future generations also. I think there are a lot of people who fall into the mentality of "the photos last a lifetime" and use that to justify spending so much more money on one aspect of their wedding. But the reality is that the photographs don't always last a lifetime. If I remember correctly, depending on what chemicals are used and papers printed on, the average lifespan is 25 years before the color starts to deteriorate. Which means, at your 50th, you may or may not have those photos anymore...

Quote: Originally Posted by anacgarcia Here's his info in case anyone else is speculating it's fake or it's a scam.. "eMac" Eduardo Machuca-Torres Eduardo Machuca - Fotografia|Photography -My general photography Eduardo Machuca - Wedding Photography | Fotografia de Bodas -My wedding photography Thanks Anny--- I'm at work and didn't have it with me.

Exactly my point--- I'm more suspicious of the motives of the photographer who posts his own special offers while trying to find flaws in other phtographer offers than of a bride posting something they saw and referring people to view it. Kind of like when brides post where they have seen items on sale with different venders. I don't see anyone posting that they should be cautious because there's a "catch" in the offer... And, we brides, are more suspicious of almost every offer we see because we're so used to seeing how people jack up their prices and try to screw us over simply because a vender attaches the description "wedding" to whatever service they offer.

I completely agree with Angelica! My FI and I have been living together for 1.5 years and it has really worked well because we talked through a lot of 'living together' subjects. It's a hard adjustment to make and having the conversations beforehand make the rough spots easier. For example, cleaning/housework is a major thing. I'm lucky because I have a guy that doesn't mind cleaning. Granted, he's not going to just jump in and do something because he sees it needs done (most guys aren't like that). But if I ask him to clean the bathroom, he will (including the toilet, which totally blows me away!!!). Housework is probably a major subject to contend with and decide who is going to do which tasks. We split chores pretty evenly. I cook and he cleans up afterward. I clean living area/kitchen and 1 bedroom, he does bathroom and bedroom. I wash laundry and he folds it. Another subject is money and being able to determine how to merge your accounts and budget, as well as who is responsible for paying the bills, investments, etc... When we first sat down to talk about it, the first thing FI said was that he pays his bills, he just has a hard time remembering to get the payments sent out in time. Well, that's about all it took for us to decide I'd be in charge of the money. I think the hardest thing for me was simply the adjustment to having someone else in my living space--- finding dirty socks on the sofa in the morning, or magazines scattered all over the place and papers just laying around. It drives me crazy, but I just ask him to put things away and he does. It's kind of like living with another teenager--- I can tell my daughter to put her CD's away and the CD's will wind up sitting on the floor in front of the CD tower.... She gets close to do what she should, but not quite all the way there yet...

I completely agree with Leigh - there are brides who simply can't afford the high-end photos from expensive photographers. Which is why I posted the info when I came across the *limited time* offer from this particular photographer. To me, it's much more suspect to see other photographers jump in to discredit this limited time offer when they themselves want the brides on here to trust that their freebie offers are sincere and valid. Just an interesting observation....

One of our favorites to cook that is really easy is sun-dried tomato fettucini alfredo with parmesan and pesto sauce. Items to buy: 1 box fettucini noodles 1 jar Classico Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo pasta sauce 1 loaf of french bread 1 bag of shredded parmesan cheese 1 jar of Classico Sun-Dried Tomato pesto dip (in the same section as the alfredo sauce) 2 chicken breasts (cooked however you like: we typically broil them with tons of italian seasoning on them) Cook the noodles. Add the alfredo sauce. Dice the chicken and add to pasta. For the bread, slice down the center and spread the pesto sauce on each half. Then sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and bake in the oven at 350(ish) for about 15-20 minutes until it's golden brown on top. (MMMM..... makes my mouth water already)

So I guess that means we should be equally as cautious about the photographers on here who 'give away' a wedding package because they are probably marking up their prints also to make up for the 'freebie.'

Quote: Originally Posted by lryates76 I ordered this last week and got it within 4 days - fast service! We got a lower case "g" It looks really cool! We didn't know if we wanted to keep it since it was lower case - but now we love it! Just watch when you order because the M is uppercase but not all letters come that way. I think we are going to add a few flowers on the cake also. I love the monogram letters---- we had to rule that one out tho since my letter is "M" and his is "F".... yep, can hear the best man right now about that one....

That is awesome!!! *sigh* moments like this, I wish I could get Frank on here to read some of the proposals---- I fear he will propose like my brothers by just asking me casually while watching TV ....

Thought it would be nice to have a thread showing what all of us are using for cake toppers. I did a search on the subject first and found one thread asking about monogram cake toppers, but nothing really showing what people are using / wanting to use. Last night, Frank and I were looking on E-bay at cake toppers and we're thinking of using the cake topper to show our sense of humor. So we found a bunch of the Wilton cake toppers where the bride is dragging the groom around. And then, our all time favorite---- the personalized bobble head dolls that can be made for about $100 each. *hehehehe* Yes, we're having a strange wedding with a strange wedding crowd...

On a more amusing note--- you could have a custom bobble head made in your likeness to sit at your place setting. (Frank and I came across them on E-Bay last night and thought it would be hysterical to have them made for all our guests as their place setting at the table! *hehehe*)

No site visit for us. Our TA is heading down there in May or August to check out the new Iberostar resort and plans on taking a bunch of photos for us. Curious, who are you using for a TA? It would be a kick if we were both using the same person and doing the same resort chain!

I like those! I came across them at the full price recently and had them bookmarked for welcome bags. I just may have to consider buying some of them this early--- I like the fact they can be re-used when traveling because they are pretty big...

I had some jealousy during the first 2 years we were together where one of Frank's sisters were concerned. It drove me crazy that she would call him every day to get him to do things she didn't want to do---- like take her trash out and throw it over the fence to the alley, or mow the lawn, or do this and that. And she would always call very early in the morning, but demand the stuff be done that day. If we had plans that contradicted what she wanted, she would act all huffy about it until he gave in and went to do what she wanted. In fact, I remember one time Frank and I went to his niece's birthday party and we had a card for his niece with some money in it. Then she starts opening presents and his sister had come alone and signed the card from her and Frank. I think that was my final straw and I told him that she was treating him like her husband, not her brother. But this was something he had to deal with in his own way and in his own time. When we were first seeing each other, he felt guilty about not being there as much for his family as he had previously. When he started getting over the guilt, he started standing up to her more often and setting guidelines when she needed help with stuff. Now, things are more normal. Well, except when it comes to her trying to talk us into getting married at the cathedral where she works instead of on a beach.

I love #1---- has a great beachy feel to it, not too formal and not too casual. I also think it emphasizes your shape better because it draws attention equally (hips, waist, bust). It also looks light and airy, which is always good for beach weddings.

Thank you everyone---- Doc says it could be anywhere from 5-21 days. I woke up this morning and thought some spots looked a bit better than yesterday. I'm hoping it goes away quickly because I only have about 12 days of PTO, which includes time needed for the wedding....

Hi Jaime--- Hey, you and I are both in Dallas! I'm getting married at Iberostar Lindo in January too! I would also recommend Moon Palace. I know there are several MP brides on here. They have a package where you can get the wedding for free if you book 10 rooms. You can also do a reception dinner in one of their dining rooms to keep costs low. Another resort I had looked into was Marival Club & Suites. I couldn't find a whole lot of photos of the resort on any websites, but I came across a bride who got married there and she answered a ton of questions for me. Basically, she purchased a wedding package for $1300 and it included everything: cermony, dinner on their terrace for all the guests, flowers, etc... Her wedding was very nice also from the photos she sent me. And the plus side of their resort is not terribly expensive for guests.

It depends on how many people you think will attend and where you are having it. I've seen some budgets run $10-20K in Mexico. We're estimating 50 guests for our with a pricetag of $4000 for wedding with cocktail/appetizer with sit down dinner in a resort restaurant plus favors, welcome bags, flowers, etc.... That doesn't include any welcome/rehearsal dinners, our travel, our rings, our attire or our attendant gifts.

Thank you, Melissa---- right now, I'm just ***really, really*** glad they gave me some killer meds that knock my butt out!!! I knew on Friday that there was something wrong--- I had 2 spots on my arm that were itching like crazy and within a couple hours, it spread up my arms. I wound up at urgent care twice this weekend and they're having me see another doctor tomorrow to keep an eye on it. It's a little dangerous to have this as an adult, apparently...

Thought I'd post this little thought as a lesson learned the hard way--- Ladies, next time you're at your doctor's office, ask him what updates on shots and immunizations you should consider having at your age. The reason I bring this up is because my unlucky butt is learning the hard way about a second round of chicken pox! Yes, at age 36, I am going thru this for the second time in life, and this time, it's not "cute" like it is on a small child. I have huge red blisters covering about 90% of my body (yes, gross) and if all you remember from your childhood episode with this virus is itching, count yourselves lucky! Because as an adult, it is ***PAINFUL***. Appparently, most children who acquire chicken pox at a young age retain the virus in the body, but with every exposure they have to other people who have the virus, the body strengthens it's immune system for the virus, which keeps it laying dormant in the body as it grows older. Well, now that there is a chicken pox immunization, adults are not getting exposed to children with the virus often enough for the body to maintain it's immunization to chicken pox. Which means, studies are now being done to see exactly how many adults are suffering from it a second time around and how much worse it is as an adult. And, not just this immunization. Lots of adults haven't kept their shots updated (booster shots, etc...) and really should consider it when you're at the doctors...

We're doing 2-3 registries--- Bed, Bath & Beyond because of their flexible return policy, Target for the things we need replaced. But since retail has a high turnover on their products, we won't put items on our registry until we're about 6 months away from the wedding. In the meantime, we have a honeymoon registry on our website for those in case people don't want to wait until the retail registries are filled in with products.

Quote: Originally Posted by Debs Us too! I wrote about it before.. his thing is because he's afraid to fly. So, ya, let's cancel the whole thing because YOU don't want to fly. Stick to yer guns. My parents aren't going because they aren't "adventure people" haha. But they are cool with our decision and are happy for us regardless. Our BM hasn't come right out and said he doesn't want to go or won't go... instead, he's more subtle with statements like, "Do you really think anyone is going to show up? I'd hate to see you disappointed" and "No one is going to have enough time to plan if you don't tell them all the expenses now" (um, hello, that's why we announced we were going away to get married 1.5 years before the actual date and told people to estimate between $1000-1500 for it!) and my favorite, "Why don't you guys just go do a JP wedding and go out to eat like my sister did? They wanted to save money for a house." I think he's just doing it because he has another friend who is getting married in Mexico this year and he's wondering how he can squeeze in both of them. Hell, last weekend he even had his other buddy call my FI to tell him about how for their wedding, they both got 1st class airline tickets, plus hotel stay for $1800 (total for both). Ummm, right- don't think so. Just 1 first class ticket costs more than that...

Definitely! We've all heard this in various degrees. Here's something I learned when dealing with my daughter---- when she's upset and wants to feel validated, she will throw everyone else into her opinion (ie, the whole family thinks this and that, etc...). Usually, it's simply not true. Or, at other times, she is taking a minor statement from someone and blowing it out of proportion. I've actually been dealing with this from the Best Man in our wedding. I finally got tired of it and told him to put up or shut up--- if he wants the wedding here, he needs to start shelling out the dough to help us fund the 500+ family members we have. And if he can't, he needs to shut up because for us, this is what we want and it's also a method of budget control. We started out just like you---- planning on going by ourselves and really liked that idea. Then, when we announced, the whole family jumped in and said ' No way, you guys aren't going by yourselves.' Every once in awhile, they will gripe about paying to attend and when they do, I just tell them, hey, if you can't afford to go, then don't. We didn't invite you anyways...