Budget for Pics? Or not?

[jennyatk]

Well I just can't seem to make up my mind and need some help! I have read everything about why each and everyone of you chose your photographer. I just can't seem to make up my mind and my FI just wants me to be happy so hes not much help so I am turning to all of you. A little background on the money going out for the wedding. I have about 20 guests traveling to Dreams Tulum. I have booked my FI wedding/honeymoon about 5k with that. I am also paying for my parents to be down there thats another 2500. Plus the wedding package 2500 and I hope thats it so the pics need to fall in somewhere? Do I use the ok resort guy or go with Sol Tamargo & Matt Adcock's associate Deigo for 2000? The other photographers run pretty close to that around 800 to 1500. So do I choose what I love and just work about 20 more extra shifts to make it happen and just be happy about it? I love the photos but will it really matter in 10 years? I don't know I think I would really love to have great pics but I am also paying for all of this myself and I have the reception back home to put together yet? So Ladies PLEASE help me out. What would you do? How did you decide? Thank you!!!

[KLC77]

I would say to go for it and get Diego (or whoever you decide is wonderful!). I do think that it will matter in 10 years (and beyond that) as the photos will be all you have left, especially when your memories start to fade. lol For me, photography is the most important thing next to marrying my FI so we splurged on it. I would also say that I wouldn't go way beyond your comfort zone budget-wise. There are a lot of good photogs out there, so if it were me, even tho its super important to me I wouldn't have gone into major debt for photos. IDK if I helped at all. haha I'm a walking contradiction.

[anaderoux]

My advice is to go with Diego or whomever you know is really good at it, I like my wedding pictures but I do regret not having a better photographer for just $1K more..

[jennyatk]

Thanks for your response! I just got back from taking my FI dinner at work and we talked about this and I think your right why not!!?? I have a lot of family that can't make it to my wedding in Tulum and what better way to make them feel as if they were there then to have some awsome pics!! I just hope they are as great as I think they will be! Again thanks with all the wedding stuff the simple things pile up! Though simple and 2k well thats a lot of money even for one simple decision!! lol Any ideas about pics would be great I am going to take the weekend to think about it!

[jamisoncollette]

Think of it this way, you can always make the money back later but you cannot recreate your wedding day. Your friends and family that cannot attend will also enjoy great pictures.

[Teesha]

I'm in the exact same position right now. I am getting married at Dreams Tulum as well and have been trying to decide between Diego and the resort photographer.

 

I have sent a few emails back and forth with Sol and she has said that you can't get any quality pictures in the Mayan for less than $2,000.

 

My fiancee thinks the price is outrageous but wants me to be happy.

 

We are also paying for the entire wedding ourselves - Dreams Ultimate package, staying for 2 weeks, we have 40 guests and will have to pay extra for the additional 20.

 

I'm glad you chose to get the photographer and I might now too. I think the pictures are very important and I wasn't impressed at all with the resort photographers pictures.

[yamille]

As other shave said I think photos WILL be important in 10 years and beyond. Both for you and your future family. List the most important things for both of you and see id you can skimp on something else (ie.. invitations...) KWIM?

[~*petals*~]

I agree with the other girls-- you'll have those pics of your wedding day to cherish forever. If you can cut back a little bit in other areas (decorations, invitations, etc.), I think it'll be worth it.

[rodent]

I almost went really cheap with my pictures. We kept our wedding budget really small. but, with all the things I kept cheap, photography was the only thing really bothering me.

 

I started off just hoping to get good pictures from our guests. I'm so glad I didn't stick with that plan.

 

Then I thought I'd pay the $600 for the resort photographer & just hope they were decent. Luckily I found some info on them to see pictures in advance. they are not good at all.

 

so my 3rd step was to book erick rodriguez for 2 1/2 hours for $1000. I think I would have been very happy with the pics, but we wouldn't have a lot of them with just 2 1/2 hours.

 

I ended up meeting kristie on this site not long before my wedding. It was pretty impulsive for me (i'm not impulsive) but I totally changed my photography plans & hired her.

 

so instead of 2 1/2 hours we had 3 days of pictures. I can not describe how much my pictures mean to me.

 

also, with the digital negatives I can do so much with the pics. it's not just one album of prints. I'm currently working on photobooks for our family for Christmas. When we were home recently I brought each mom & grandma a 5x7 metallic print. They loved it. I've mailed my mom some prints & she carries them all over with her.

 

I love pictures so I am so glad I allowed myself to go over budget on photography. other than that, we kept everything in budget (or below). can you cut back anywhere else? I did cheap invites, cheap dress, DIY for just about everything...

 

I do think 10 years from now the pictures will mean even more. I still look at kid pictures from 25 years ago all the time. if my grandparents had wedding pictures, I'd love looking through them. unfortunately back then they didn't take so many pictures. I only have one of my grandma in her dress. but, could you imagine how cool it would be to see an entire album?

[Amarillis]

I think Morgan hit the nail on the head... pictures are definately one bit of the wedding you don't want to cheap out on.

 

I mean, the dress is important, but when people ask about your wedding are you gonna pull out your wedding dress that cost thousands, or your photo album

 

pictures are worth a thousand words, and good pictures are worth a million.

 

Ciao!