Matt Adcock

Quote: Originally Posted by Nini_Bride Ahh NOOOOO!... get the best of both worlds!! EDR is by far my favourite resort... it's SO amazing. I've said it so many times on this forum - if I didn't have children at my wedding, I would have had mine at EDR. The $500 fee has come up a few times - ask Matt Adcock, he'll tell you to fight it, and I couldn't agree more. Apparently there is a loophole to this fee - just simply add your photographer to your guestlist and there is nothing the resort can do about it! If you decide on a firm plan on having your wedding at the EDR, make sure you fight the holy hell out of this stupid policy. If they can't offer an photographer that is worthwhile, then why pay a penalty for substandard service (or lack of service). On another hand, Out of a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest) of resorts I have been to in the RM, I give the EDR a 2. The beach plain sucks there. Big time. There are many other amenities about EDR that are super sweet... I'm a beach lover and have been to too many places that made my jaw drop in the RM. NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, please please be a candidate in the fight against EDR and their sister resorts to punt this $500 fee out the window. If you do decide to relocate, you are the best example to get out there and make it known to Lomas Travel, EDR management staff (WC included), and any travel agency or any other coordinators that the ridiculous penalty has steered you in another direction. we must do this 1 voice at a time! thanks for supporting the foundation of fighting the fee no matter what Cheers & best of luck with your plans, matt

Quote: Originally Posted by Adamsgrrl Yes we're getting married there, actually our ceremony is at a church and the reception will be at the Paradisus on a covered deck that overlooks the ocean. And here is some weddings shot there: del Sol Photography http://www.delsolphotography.com/weddings/teresa&matt/ http://www.delsolphotography.com/wed...talie&geordie/ http://www.delsolphotography.com/weddings/tamara&brian/ http://www.delsolphotography.com/weddings/julie&shane/ I've attached there wedding info: Sorry, you got those links incorrect. del Sol is the team of (matt adcock & sol tamargo) these weddings were covered by Sol Tamargo and assistant at Paradisus Riviera Maya: Sol Tamargo Photography Wedding Photojournalism Sol Tamargo Photography Wedding Photojournalism Sol Tamargo Photography Wedding Photojournalism Sol Tamargo Photography Wedding Photojournalism and this one that we covered together: del Sol Photography My 2 cents on Moon Palace... Its way to big. They are actually building a 3rd section further south with another lobby. I actually dislike the location where they host their weddings in the Gazebo. It is actually about 2-3 football fields distance from the ocean, with ocean view. BUT, if you have a ceremony under the gazebo, it is more difficult to have ocean exposed well in the background...atmospheric conditions may vary and will have an impact on photos. If you are looking for a beach wedding, the moon palace is NOT the place to go. No outside photographer policy. Expect to have your photographer spend the weekend there as a guest. Palladium has 4 lobbies I like it there though cheers matt

Quote: Originally Posted by dragonfly I wish I had an option of local photographers, there is nothing (that I can find) in the DR, I think the resort photographers suck! I am seriously bummed. Hey Matt, I don't suppose you know of any photographers in the Dominican Republic? Kelly~ Kelly, unfortunately I do not have any contacts in the DR. As much as I like to support the local talent, I too haven't heard of any amazing photographers there. Sol & I have been commissioned to shoot our first DR wedding on Dec 17. I know a handful of top photojournalists from the US that have been there... Good luck with your search! Cheers, matt

Quote: Originally Posted by kemiller How much would it cost to use their photographer? It sounds like it could expensive paying for your own, flying them down, paying for lodging and paying the $500. You should do the math to see if it makes sense going with theirs. Just a suggestion. I'm going to go out on a limb here and upfront make an assumption that the individual who was confronted with the $500 penalty has already decided that the photographer "provided" is NOT up to snuff. You will totally get what you pay for by contracting photographers "provided" vs that as they have done everything in their power to provide a team of a TON of photographers to the resort so they can generate a factory money making situation (for the resort) that pays very little for the actual photographer that is doing that "provided" work. This system is NOT set up to provide top quality folks. I would like this sentence to be the KEY factor in this argument. If they offered an alternative that was pleasing and not the $500 fee, we wouldn't have a problem. BUT, they dont. its a Gestapo thing and that sucks! Also, in this specific case, I know for sure that the original poster was contracting a LOCAL photographer (not our studio). In this case, the client is choosing to already save money by not paying for travel expenses and hiring the local talent (THANK YOU ORIGINAL POSTER). This perpetuates the local economy! Ok, my 2 cents on this... Cheers, matt

Quote: Originally Posted by JaimeLynne Matt, maybe you could forward them a link to a thread such as this one....?! Well, believe it or not, I have already sent them a long long writeup I did and referenced this forum, knot.com, wedding bells, trip advisor and a few others where brides talk about wedding vendors in the RM. My attempt (which was 4 months ago) was intended to bring awareness that their actions are transparently represented in the blog / forum / Internet world. Companies can no longer hide behind closed doors as the Internet is changing the face of how business reputations are managed. Google isnt just a search engine. It is a reputation management tool! Back to my email that I sent... they ignored my email. no reply. They are on the take and see every vendor that is hired as a source of income. Whoever pays the most gets the job. 0% attention to the vendor that will offer the best service. oh well. If 1000 brides complained about this fee, it may go away. Sorry for the rant...this just burns me. m

Quote: Originally Posted by MikkiStreak Some of the resorts will allow the photographer if you put them on your guest list for 1-3 nights... If you haven't signed anything with the resort yet, you might try and use your wedding there as a bargaining tool to get them to waive/reduce the fee.... I have no clue if that will work or not, but it's kind of what I plan on doing because it pisses me off that they want to force the couple to either use their (usually) crappy resort photographer or get more money out of them by playing with their (the couples) desire to have a decent photo album of memories... You are dead on with your thoughts... I *believe* that in this case, the hotel is being represented by a coordination / travel company that is levying this 500 fee. Basically, why should one have to "bargain" to spend THOUSANDS & THOUSANDS of dollars? Seriously? Client satisfaction should be 100% at the top of the list for these resorts. I would have WAY WAY WAY more respect for this 500 fee if the hotel offered an amazing photographer. BUT, as anyone can testify (sorry to those of you that settled for the resort photographer) typically resort photographers are "crappy" and if you go to Lomas Travel's website, you can see their photography add on fees are 300-700 for a photo package. It is pretty safe to say that you get what you pay for "in terms of wedding photography". I think you should be "PISSED off". You have a right to bring any guest to your wedding, camera or not. I simply would refuse to pay this fee.... Can anyone tell that i'm a bit edgy on this subject... It stirs my feathers for sure! One of these days, these resorts will realize that forums LIKE THIS ONE exist and their perception that they can get away with these fees under the table will fade because of reviews that are being published about the services (or lack their of) and especially on this very topic, PEANILTY TO BRING IN PHOTOGRAPHER. Through your concerns and complaints for this frivolity, this policy will change over time but only if we as a collective, make your voices heard... i'm ranting now..sorry. I am on a tear here because : I had a recent situation Lomas Travel on this fee issue(they represent the Karisma resorts (Azul, Eldorado & eldorado Suites, Moramo beach) I met the coordinator at a wedding at el dorado several months ago and we chatted about the photographer situation. I told them that we will blog their wedding coordination site every time we cover a wedding at one of the hotels they represent. This is free advertising folks.... We get 12000 hits PER MONTH on our blogs... Mainly because of forums like this one...there are literally TONS of forums that brides will post our wedding slideshow and blog links. The point is that it redirects potential new business to them. A Reciprocal relationship ---we offer you clients and they forgive the fee situation. We recently posted their link on Sol's blog and guess what? They got a referral. BUT, they told OUR REFERRED client about this $500 penalty and she told them thanks but NO THANKS. They lost a client over a $500 fee and more importantly the hotel lost 10-30k in revenue... Can you believe this? My client forwarded me their email where she specifically said "we wouldnt have known about lomas travel if it wern't for the link they posted on their blog that directed me to your site!" I followed up with them regarding this issue and they have not replied. sorry for the rant.... cheers matt

Quote: Originally Posted by Lauren_Hirshon So the El Dorado Royale apparently has a policy that you can have outside photographers as long as you pay the resort 500 bucks. What kind of policy is this?! GRR. Anyone gotten around this in anyway? I am started to get really frustrated with all these limitations and rules... And an unrelated question- for those who are having/had a beach wedding, what did you do for music? Did you just use a CD? How was the sound quality. Did you hire someone? Thanks in advance Smile, everything will be ok.

Leigh, Hands down, your photos of this venue are amazing! I am only posting this because I want brides to have awareness that the beauty of the RM can be seen in an WHOLE different light if you stay at a different resort. Yes, you could visit this el dorado a handful of times and never see it the same way a photographer would see it... Key point (leigh is no ordinary photographer).. Great great shots! Unfortunately, I dislike El Dorado. The sandbag beach whale things just make this place stink for my taste... If you are traveling to the Riviera Maya, i believe you should see a natural undisturbed beach habitat. This is becoming harder and harder to find these days... one thing I can guarantee, El Dorado is DISTURBED. In regards to the "hotel photographer" I think it is pretty safe to say that the worldwide stereotype about resort photographers is mostly true. When you stay at a AI resort and contract their local photog staff to shoot your wedding, you are gambling at having an assistant of the assistant of the assistant showing up. He / She will have an amateur camera with little or 0% backup equipment. The package you get will have 30-100 pictures and one can guarantee that the hotel / coordinators have a cut of their package... There is NO quality guarantee. IMHO, a wedding is NO place to take risks like this. In regards to your associate getting sick... First, i'm so sorry this happened. I only hope he / she is better now. I had a bug on my first trip and it turned into a 1 year problem for me. I will tell you that bacteria is a strange thing and it is odd to see local people NOT get sick while you get blown away (literally out of multiple ends) by eating / drinking whatever... After being engaged to a "local", I have figured out that they are seasoned veterans to the harmful bacteria that exists. Seriously, locals have this amazing ability to have adapted to the bugs. I can say that after my 30+ trips there in the last year, I have too grown more immune to the bacteria. (I'm ADAPTING) I am still careful and paranoid, but feel MUCH better after having been exposed. Mexico can do some serious damage to your insides... wow. Well, again, I'm wanted to say great shots again, leigh...the venue pics are super! Cheers, matt

Quote: Originally Posted by mellibean hello matt, well i went on tripadvisor and im not doing the azul place because of the kid thing and also i read someones post and they said that this place doesnt have a beach at this resort and you have to walk far to a beach. i was looking at one of your pics of the wedding at the mayan palace maybe i will check that out. as for the rocky beach ... im thinking like in san francisco i was swimming in at rocky beach and when i came out of the water my whole swimsuit was filled with rocks and my feet were hurting me. hehehe. well if it comes down to it i might stay at the royal i just want to take pics at the cave and maybe akmal beach or ruins. while im there i just wanted to enjoy the beach since the beaches in california sucks and my husband might want to leave the resort and hit the bars at playa del carmen i think he might get bored and want some nightlife. he likes to get his drink on hehehe. do i need to rent out a car? if im staying at royal i think im only going to stay there 4 nights 5 max. oh by the way I sent you 2 emails and i think i going to stick with the ai resorts i dont want to be bother with where im going to eat at... i never been to an ai place and i like knowing i dont have to worry about the food. thanks for your help matt. The Azul Beach is 2 seconds from the rooms. The rocks can hurt your feet, but are nothing like that of the CA Coast. We will not shoot at Gran Puerto Royale but you are welcome to stay there. All I can do is highly advise against offering them any referrals. I will not speak more outwardliy about any other resort in the RM. Your money is well spent elsewhere. You can get a cab from the airport $50-60. Bus $18 per person, or maybe the hotel you choose may have transportation included. If you stay in Playa del Carmen, you can have a cab tote you around for about $2...its a small town. Dont be confused.... Hotel Esensia is an all inclusive but it is WAY more intimate than the big resorts. Good luck with your research. matt

Quote: Originally Posted by leigh miller heres a link to the pics i took when there to share with everyone ....- Nice venue pics leigh... This should be a helpful resource! Too bad the beach isnt a pretty.... There are many other places in the RM with similiar accomodations and service with a beautiful view without the whale sandbags. I don't mind the rocks there so much... cheers! matt

HOLA Melinda...I'm glad you took my advise and registered here... You will find answers! Azul beach hotel rocks. Gina & Steve's honeymooner photos shows the absolute BEAUTY of this beach. I can respect that you are worried about kids, but I didn't remember being annoyed or feeling that our shoot was about to be interrupted or halted by rogue children or beer slamming college party goers.. This isnt Disneyland. Not Rocky either! Rocks... The Riviera Maya has some beaches with rocks but they are all different. I may recommend doing some research in Akumal. There are some rocky areas and some perfect sandy areas. Our studio will NOT work at the Gran Puerto Royal because this resort has proven multiple times that they are NOT committed to customer service. Check out this post to read a little about "customer NO - Service" It is also surrounded by a"city" environment of Playa del Carmen, which you told me was an issue as you wanted to escape from that. El Dorado...i've been there 5 times. Beaches get a big fat thumbs down from me. The rooms are great and the staff is nice... the pools in front of the casitas are awesome...BUT, the ocean is stinky there... Quote: Originally Posted by loretuke I just came from El Dorado Royale and their beach is not swimmable at all. I would not stay there just for that reason. But I am a big beach lover and it's a big factor for me in choosing a resort. ...words of wisdom Quote: Originally Posted by mellibean eww. am i being too picky. i think i dont want to stay there if i cant enjoy the jacuzzi. sorry i need to get my jacuzzi on hehehe. how was the beach at playa del carmen? im starting to realize that no matter where i stay the beach is going to be rocky from playa del carmen to tulum. oh by the way how did you book your trip? i saw at another post that you paid 2500 for 6 days. did you go threw their website or something like expedia, travelocity, etc.? and did you fly out threw lax and how long was the flight? thanks Keep in mind that just because there are rocks, doesnt make it bad or ugly....its actually very beautiful and a geographical characteristic that makes up part of the beauty and wonder of the region, IMHO. For some reason, I gather that you have a visual of this gigantic rock formation that litters the coast... This is not true..there are beaches every other 2 seconds that are not rocky... Some of these ladies can testify to that. This forum is a super resource After reading your thoughts in this forum, I might recommend you look at a boutique resort. HOtel Esencia has like 50 or so rooms. Staff is amazing! Food amazing. Tatiana, coordinator... [email protected] will hook you up. Located in the RM about 15 minutes south of Playa del Carmen. I think based on your words here, you may want to stay away from the BIG All inclusive... We were hired last year to cover their concierge's wedding: Sergio & Erica married at mayan palace... This resort is in Xpu-Ha Beach area... HOTEL ESENCIA Xpu – HA Beach: Danny & Addy | Cheers & all the best, matt

Quote: Originally Posted by akh i can't wait to hear who their photographer is! HA... well, we have 4 great great great photographer friends coming to our wedding... IF WE CAN BOOK SOMETHING... geeze, we are having a tough time making something happen... We picked a thursday, dec 6. Off season in the RM and slower season for wedding photographers... I have some news... we got this TTD Movie posted on trash the dress.com!!! We would LOVE the support ladies & gents... If you have a chance, please go check out this site and spread some love... Provide some comments there for us, por favor Cheers & much love, matt

Quote: Originally Posted by ajncooter im going to start playing the lottery again to hope that i can win and hire him.... he rocks! HA...we are firm believers that your photography will be one of the best investments of the entire wedding. I appreciate Quote: he rocks! but it is a complete HE & SHE operation. Sol Tamargo Photography Wedding Photojournalism She ROCKS! Go Sol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! cheers & thanks for taking the time to comment! Matt

Thanks again for the nice comments... Here are a few more This one is the same as the 2nd one above, just with a little different editing..Cool huh? We definitely are all about getting the shot here. As you can see, we shoot in the ocean and in water neck deep. That is a HUGE liability for us but we always carry backup equipment and will pretty much do anything to get the shot... including jeapordizing our $5000 cameras yikes..

Quote: Originally Posted by akh hi, Matt -I hope you don't mind me posting this video! Ann, I don't mind at all...We appreciate your posting this here. I actually really this to serve as an educational tool and i'm glad to know that brides can see that we are real people shooting real people hangin out in a cave Photography is fun, we love our career:) Cheers & much love, mateo Here are a few images from that (these credit Sol Tamargo) This image has 2 flashes that we gel Red & Blue going off at the same time the camera takes a picture, all wirelessly. Its pretty cool technologie and yields super dynamic one of a kind imagery...what do you think? Which one is your favorite?

HOLA ALL, thanks for the nice comments. This has been on of my favorite projects to work on... Funny thing is I didn't tell anybody that we were going to shoot a video...just sorta pulled it out of my Ar$$ at the last minute and as you can see, I'm a BIG OL DORK on camera... HA We wanted to showcase how we go about our shoots... We mention the special lighting setup and can't emphasise enough that we bring this style to every wedding / session we go on. Dynamic lighting if you commission us Leigh, sorry we will miss you in the RM next week...headed to Freeport Grand Bahamas for a little gig for del Sol....Next time FOR SURE Cheers & thanks for the comments everyone. Hopefully this can be inspiration for all... By the way, Jen (bride from this movie) is wearing this dress for her 200+ guest reception in Canada later this year! AND, for those of you worried about being the "focus of attention" with the camera in your face...well, I must admit that its not that bad. First off, it is your wedding day, ALL about U, and, a good photojournalist photographer should be able to snag MANY amazing shots of you without you loosing your ability to naturally enjoy your day as you envisioned it! Cheers & mucho love, mateo del Sol

Quote: Originally Posted by Just Martha They said the wedding itself was ok but the mother of the bride was 15 minutes late because they were trying to get her a ride from Sandos to Gran Porto Real and the WC was mad trying to tell them they had to start right then WITHOUT the mother of the bride. She eventually gave in and waited for the mother to get there but was rude and unprofessional. Thats too bad that this resort seems to be practicing a customer NO service policy. They don't seem to realize that their actions are transparently reflected via websites and forums such as this one. It doesn't "PAY" to not make your guests happy, especially if you are rude and unaccommodating. An online reputation can make a difference.

Quote: Originally Posted by playabride2007 Hi, I'm new to this site I'm getting married July 18, 2007 at El Dorado Royale, is anyone else getting married there? HOLA, welcom to the forum! Check out this post for a little research on the El Dorado...we have a 1/2 dozen slideshows from this location... You will have a WAY better visual picture of the location Cheers! matt

Quote: Originally Posted by tsizemore Hi Gloria I'm a newbie too. I am planning my wedding in Playa del Carmen for may 16, 2008. I have already picked my photographer and videographer because I have heard nothing but great things about them and so far they have been great, Matt and Sol from Del Sol Photography and Paul at playaweddings.com. Check out their websites. You'll fall in love. Good luck with your planning! HOLA Tobie, we look forward to seeing you!!!!!!!!! Gloria, welcome to the Forum! For newbies getting married in the RM, I highly recommend you check out this post "wedding slideshows" This should help you decide on a location or research the location and how it actually feels with real photos Cheers! Cheers

Quote: Originally Posted by cheese_diva Here's our time line. 4:00-4:20: Ceremony and well wishes (may end sooner, but would like for Trio to play until DJ takes over) 4:30-5:30 Photos with family/wedding party + group photo (all guests) immediately to follow well wishes- romantic sunset photos for couple First off, this is WAY easier than you think, if handled by a true professional. If you want to have a group shot, TELL THEM prior to the ceremony date that you want everybody on the beach prior to the cocktail hour but just after the congrats and hugs you will get after walking back up the isle. you and your photog should be on the same plane with this. If he or she is one their game, they will make an announcement and call EVERYBODY to a location close by and set up the shot...likely shoot 5 or 6 frames to get 1 good one and then all your guests (except fam & bridal party) can jet to have drinks. My formals are 10 minuets on average. 2 min per group. (usually 3-5 shots per group to get 1 good one)... You shouldn't need to budget 1 hour for them, for sure! If so, get shots with your immediate family on each group The group first has siblings & g-parents and then whittles down to mum's & pops... then switch sides and do it again.. Her family then his Fam. If everybody knows whats up, then its ON. Then, a few minutes with the bridal party ( a few poses )...and BAM, they go have drinks. EASY as it should be. Then, the residual time is spent with b&g chillin on the location, hot shots in and around the resort while the group is chillin on cocktail hour... If it were us, you would end up chillin with them on a few cocktails... Answer to your question: 30 minutes MAX to have fam & bridal party away from coctail hour. Formals are easy, and if planned, easy does it. I am a firm believer of simple groupings. B&G in all of them. Pre ceremony formals with bride & groom apart with their respective groups help minimize the post planning Its all about an organized pro's plan and the wedding going along with it hope this helps Cheers, matt

Quote: Originally Posted by itsme7396 Sol... jeff and i can't wait for our photos... the photos you and matt took were amazing... we've had so many people tell us that looking at the photos brought tears to their eyes... i cannot thank you enough for capturing such incredible pictures... thanks again... Julie Julie, thanks for the awesome words... I hope that you love the disk with all the images... hopefully we can get your album cranking soon!!!!!!! I love the emotional ceremony...we got some great tearjerkers at Al cielo Cheers! matt

Quote: Originally Posted by Kevsbeachbride So I could share my wedding photos & not jack Julie's thread, I made my own. We got married at El Dorado Royale in Mexico on Feb 2nd. Having a DW wedding is w/o a doubt the best WR decision we've made. I couldn't imagine doing it any other way. The resort is incredible... immaculately maintained grounds, delicious food, unbelievable service & the casitas were so romantic. We have no complaints. We had 25 guests join us. Everyone is raving about what a great time they had... We hired Sol Tamargo & Matt Adcock to shoot our wedding from DelSol Photography. del Sol Photography. There are no words to explain how amazing they are. Individually, they are both topnotch photogs but together their work is mind-blowing. They completely capture the emotion of the day in their photos. They were a dream to work w/ & we are more than thrilled w/ our wedding photos. I can't recommend them enough! Here's our slideshow: del Sol Photography I'm happy to answer any questions about EDR or our photogs! Sol Tamargo Photography Matt Adcock Photography Blog Its taking me some time to dig through this forum, today I noticed this post... April, thank you for the kind words... Thank you for the recommendation. There is nothing more powerful than a testimonial such as yours!!!!!!! Obviously we had a blast with you guys....we loved your images day of and as well, the after wedding shoot....hot stuff.... I was actually on the plane coming to mexico last week and showing off some after wedding images to an engaged flight attendant...she stopped on your photos laying on the beach in awe... pure hotness!!!!!!!!!! Hope to see you around here more!!!!!! Cheers & thanks again, Matt

Quote: Originally Posted by mexicobride Hi, everyone! This might be a stupid question, but I have never been to Mexico before and I'm confused about this... I have heard two differing opinions: some say it is safe to use ice cubes and eat fresh produce washed in local water at the AI resort, and others say it is not. I don't want my guests to get sick, and I want to be able to advise them well on this issue. But I also don't want to go overboard with avoiding these things if it's not necessary. What are your experiences/opinions? This comes from a guero who has been to the Riviera Maya on probably 30 or 40 times in the last 12 months (i really dont count anymore)... I spend lots of time here, 2 -5 weeks at a time. My first trip, i got sick because i ate the wrong food... Staying at a resort, you should be fine. I recommend bottled water and not worrying about the ice. These hotels do have filtered water and have your health in their best interest! Also, I am a firm believer of mind over matter. Think positive about your health during your stay in Mexico and you will be in TIP TOP shape the entire time! Plus, your body will have lots of adrenaline and endorphins running through your body due to the excitement and RUSH of your wedding experience! much love, mateo

Quote: Originally Posted by JaimeLynne Hmmm... I was planning on bringing in my Uncle who just happens to be a nationally known photographer to do my photos as well as a good friend who is an amazing makeup/hair artist to do that for me. These two people are obviously guests of mine as well and would be invited regardless. Do you think I'll have a problem with this...? I'm planning on having the wedding at one of the Iberostar Resorts. This is a perfect example of how insane the rules actually are... if you told them My uncle is coming to photograph my wedding. Seriously, do you think they will lift a finger and say anything? not a chance. you will be fine! Elizabeth, HOLA Amiga, I hope things are going well for you... Glad you like the advice here.. Keep in mind that my friend Paul had the wherewith all to compose it... he is a smart dude! I hope to see you soon! Cheers! matt

Quote: Originally Posted by TAMMYM Gosh this is really sad that they are doing this. I'm having somewhat of a similar problem at the Sheraton in Cabo, After I booked our wedding their they are now telling me no salon outside service vendors are allowed since they opened their new salon. I'm pretty pissed about this because I had already set up a hair and makeup person to come to my room. This really makes it difficult for people wanting to get married at a specific resort if they have all these stupid rules, kindof makes wanting a DW not as much fun. I'm sorry they are making these changes on you too. When you look at the big picture, everything is going to work out..it always does. Your destination wedding will be a positive experience and the goal here is to use hotels that focus on a perfect experience. I don't want to organize a mob here against any specific resort, but I do want to raise awareness. Together as a voice, we can slowly impact their choices with this no outside vendor gestapo stuff. Awareness is the key. I think most of us have heard the words "the customer is always right" and I think this can apply... Specifically speaking of photography / video, Paul's words are right on: Tell them you'll be bringing in photographer(s) and/or videographer(s) as invited guests. Expect them to be treated as all your invited guests from outside the resort and don't tolerate any additional fees or penalties for choosing not to use their services. Nobody wants 40 American/Canadians complaining on the Internet, on message boards like this. You the consumer have a right to demand free market competition. They have the right to expect you to purchase a day pass for outside guests. Cheers & prepare to have the best destination wedding experience on the planet! Matt