Vallarta Palace Photographer

brennanandmari · October 7, 2010

Hello there! We are getting married at Vallarta Palace on 12/20/10. They do not allow outside photographers. They want to assign us Edgar Navarro Mancilla. Has anyone had experience with him? They provided us with a website for him, which was useless. Have not been able to see any of his work. They may allow an outside photographer if we buy a day pass for them. Just wondering if we should try an outside photographer. Any other reviews/experiences are greatly appreciated! Please help! Thank You!

AfricanVenus · October 7, 2010

The answer to your question is how important is photography to you. I'm getting married at Grand Velas Vallarta, just nearby. Our hotel allows outside photo/videographers without incurring the non-guest fees. Even if they didn't, I would have paid because photography is a huge part of our budget and I wouldn't trust just anyone to do it. I need to believe in their style and click (no pun intended) with them.

If you're like me, and photography is a big thing, then consider paying the extra fee to have a photographer whose work will best complement what you and your day are about.

1) Maybe you can try to contact the photographer directly and get him to send you some of his work if the resort is proving unhelpful.

2) If you haven't already, run a search for his name on this forum. If nothing pops up, try Google or other wedding websites.

3) TripAdvisor is a great resource also, because you can find some couples who married at the property and may have used this guy.

Hope this helps! God bless your wedding planning and day

NateBroshot · October 7, 2010

Couldn't agree more with AfricanVenus! When you're paying for an outside photographer you're not just paying for the photos, you're paying for a personality and an experience.

I can definitely tell you that my relationship with my clients definitely affects the photos. If we click, the photos click and everything works out perfectly.

Brennanandmari, if you can get in touch with Edgar Navarro Mancilla, have a phone conversation with him or exchange some emails and it seems like you will all get along great, then go for it! Awesome! But if you're not feeling his vibe, or even another photographer's, I would definitely consider searching until you find someone that meshes with your own style and personality.

Good luck!

LandT2011 · January 12, 2011

BrennanandMari- I am curious as to whether you ended up going with Mr. Navarro or not. I am getting married at Vallarta Palace next October and they have also told me that he is the only option. If you did use him, how was he? If not, did they give you a hard time about bringing someone in from the outside?

I'd also love to hear about your experience in general at Vallarta Palace. VP seems to be new territory on this blog as far as brides that have actually had their weddings there so I'd love to know if you have any advice for me.

Many congratulations on your recent nuptials!