Massachusetts Wedding Photographer

We are doing a very short wedding... only 3 and a half hours and its in the afternoon. We are looking for a cheap photographer since my mother recently passed and we will be paying for the entire wedding. Anyone???

I considered this photographer for muy wedding:

Richard Souza. He's very flexible and is willing to travel all around Mass, the Cape and even CT. He's very nice and helpful and his prices are very affordable for the area and his pictures are very very good. He will work with you w/ prices.

(please wait while I get his info)

EDIT: Here is his website:

http://www.richardsouza.com/

2008-07-24 08:11:20 by HeyitsMe!

Please let me know if you know of any inexpensive photographers in the boston area. Boston Massachusetts that is! :) My wedding is next week, we DO NOT HAVE a photographer. Last minute drama, photographer had to cancel i need HELP ladies!

Please star so that more people read and can answer. I'm working against the clock, and the wedding is NEXT monday... Digital cameras are cool, but I really would like professional questions.
Sorry I meant I really want professional pictures, as you can see I'm a mess.
Mushroom Jesus, thank you but no thank you. I said inexpensive due to the short time frame, i'm going to report your answer.

To everyone else, please just be helpful. Keep your personal comments to yourself. I really do not need them now.

Thank you to those who are understanding and considerate with their answers.

Digital-Only Package - $1200
Includes

Formal and candid photography with the groom (and attendants) prior to the ceremony
Formal and candid photography with the bride (and attendants) prior to the ceremony
Coverage of the wedding ceremony (with flash or not - depending on venue)
Candid and formal family group photography taken before/after the ceremony (depends on when this can be arranged)
Location photography with the bridal party at a location of your choosing
Coverage until the start of the reception or the 5-hour mark, whichever comes first. This includes:
pre-ceremony shots
The ride to the ceremony end venue entry
The entire ceremony and post-ceremony shots
Bridal party entering the reception
The start of dinner and a select few table photographs
This is often enough for many couples. To get coverage through cutting of the cake, dancing and/or until the end of the reception, you can select additional time for a fee (or select the Gold package).
High resolution digital negatives will be handed to you on a CD/DVD and this includes all permissions and legal rights to reprint.
Black and white, color, and sepia photos available at no extra charge.
Up to 30 minutes of high-quality video of various points in the day.
Complete data backup of all images for 5 years

Silver Package - $1600
Includes

Everything included in the "Digital Only" package, PLUS:
Up to 6 hours of photography
Password-protected online image repository that gets updated as the images are finished.
Proof album, filled with the best 200 images (4x6 prints)
11x14 Portrait Print - choose any image from your wedding photos
Up to 5 video testimonials

Gold Package - $2200
Includes

Everything included in the "Silver" package, PLUS:
An additional 3 hours of coverage, for a total of 9 hours of photography. This goes through most weddings completely. Yes, all the way through dancing.
Engagement Session included (can be swapped for coverage of Rehearsal Ceremony)
Proof album, filled with the best 400 images (4x6 prints)
An additional (2) 11x14 Portrait Prints, for a total of (3) 11x14 prints - choose any image from your wedding photos
Up to 5 additional video testimonials, for a total of 10
Large discounts on additional time and extras

Please visit my website at Wedding Photography to view several suggested wedding packages as well as detailed pricing information.

Location: MA and NH

2008-09-21 13:44:34 by rosei16

I know this is long, but its better to have a full understanding of this situation for you to answer this. First a little about me... I am a wedding photographer in Massachusetts. The style of photography that I offer is photojournalism which simply means I capture more candid and unexpected photos than posed ones because I feel that these are the captured moments that truly tell the story of a wedding when they are all nicely put together.

But back to the subject here, I just got back from doing a wedding tonight that was a casual styled wedding on cape cod. It was all outdoors on the beach with the reception outdoors as well under a tent.

Overall the wedding went really well, with a couple exceptions which brings me to a two part question, the first asking for your outlook and opinion, and the other is a "what would you do".

First, I wanted to know what people thought about this. Almost 100% of the times as a photographer I take photos right up until people are getting ready to eat. I will capture some photos of them in buffet lines, or being served their food, but I don't like to get photos of people eating, it just seems rude to me.

So during these times I am almost 100% of the times also invited to a plate of dinner by the bride and groom, until tonight... they did not at all offer me as much as a glass of water! So, my first question is if you have hired a photographer to capture your entire wedding day... keeping in mind that this is the person who is going to capture the moments that you will have for a lifetime to remember your special day.. would you or would you not invite them to have a dinner plate? And I don't mean to sit at a table or to reserve a seat for me, just in general, would you offer me a plate, or even a drink throughout the evening?

Now, this is where I get into the what would you do... sorry if I am long winded so far, but I could write a short story with everything that happened tonight with this wedding... okay, the what would you do...

Again, as I said, I feel uncomfortable about taking photos of people while they are eating because I myself don't even like someone watching me eat, never mind taking a photo of me with food having out of my mouth! BUT the grooms brother came over to me and as I thought he was offering me a plate of dinner, to my surprise he said to me that the bride and groom have a request for me to take photos of people while they were eating. The reason why is because the wedding was a non-traditional, casual beach side wedding with a clam-bake dinner and they wanted to have photos of people eating lobsters, etc..

So since I have been hired by them to take the photos, and this is what they want, of course I had to do it, right? Well as I am doing it the brides best friend (who planned much of the wedding) comes over to me and "politely" says to me, "do you mind not taking photos of people while they are eating, I don't think that it is too nice or even professional...."

You can already imagine the thoughts that were going through my head. But I POLITELY told her back that I was requested to take these photos, she asked by whom, and I explained.. so she says "okay, hold on and let me look into this, come with me"

Now this woman has already crossed the line telling me how to do my job which I hate, brings me over to the bride and groom and explains that I was out taking photos of people while they were eating and that I told her that the bride and groom wanted the photos... almost like a 5 year old tattling!

The bride and groom simply said, "ya....?" and the best friend, or planner, says "and you want him taking these pictures?" and they said yes, that they already told people that they had me taking them and thought it would look good for their album since it was a beach wedding with a clam bake.

So now I am already getting ready to walk away and the lady yet again comes over to me and says "okay, but maybe for only a few minutes... okay?" I just simply said to her "my job takes however long it takes me to get the photos that I need to put together what the bride and groom hired me to create, and I cannot create a lifetime of memories in a few minutes"

At this point she looked at me, said nothing and walked off. The rest of the night she gave me dirty looks, said nothing to me at all, except for when she thought she could continue to direct me to get more photos that she thought I should be getting... and meanwhile I already went over all of the photos with the BRIDE and GROOM that they wanted for me to get.

Well, because of this woman's interruptions there are many photos that I had missed out on that I should have got... so that is my "what would you do"....

Seeing that this woman is the best friend of the bride and helped plan the wedding, would you tell the bride and/or groom about this? What if they ask about why there are not too many photos of people eating lobster, or the other photos that they wanted that I k
Part got cut off, lol here is the rest....

What if they ask about why there are not too many photos of people eating lobster, or the other photos that they wanted that I kept getting interrupted by this woman while I was trying to get them... would you tell her then? Seriously... in this situation, what would you do?

I have never been in this situation before and hope to never go through it again and it almost seems that because she was upset that I was in the right about getting the photos of people eating lobster since the bride and groom wanted them, that she just tried to sabotage my work or something.

What do you think... would you offer me a dinner plate? would you offer me something to drink? would you tip me? (this is usually common, but again not here.. . and it's not expected anyways, but it's the point and just a question) and lastly your opinion on this wedding planner from hell.... lol... thanks!
I did have the photos most important to them arranged before hand as I always do, which is also put into my contracts.

Speaking of contracts, I have a detailed one in place for every wedding I do and all of their money is paid for the wedding before their wedding day, so no money is ever owed to me.

Speaking of money, I charge less than half of what the average photographer does in my local market, and I do quite well because of that.

I also brought another photographer who assisted me and took photos adding even more to their final product, this too is why I think the least they could have done back was dinner or a tip considering I didn't charge them for this.

I do have photos of the dirty looks! In fact not once did she smile in any photo I tried to take of her. I also later found out from the mother it was her who was suppose to offer me dinner, but not until we were about to leave, this is why I thought she attempted to sabbotage me, do you understand better now?
One more thing, as for bringing food or drinks with you, this is hard to do because if you are not present to capture any particular moment because you had to sneak away to your car, then this is the cause of the bride and groom being upset about not having that moment in a photo... and if you think a few minutes would not contain a precious moment on a wedding day... think again!

This is why 100%... well now 99.9% of the time you are offered dinner and drinks while you are there. Not to mention that it would not look professional with me carrying around a drink that I brought with me while I should be taking photos....

If you all add me as one of your contacts I will update you once I get the photos finished... lol this should be interesting considering how little their "planner" wanted to work with me to get things done.

And yes, I should only listen to the bride & groom, but it was arranged for her as the "planner" to help me as the photographer, which made it hell for me!

Ah, yes- weddings never cease to amaze! I too am in the industry.

I'd say that you had a pretty bad night my friend! You do have every right both as a professional AND as a human being to feel degraded.

The point of the dinner- these folks are ignorant. Not being mean, it's just the truth. It absolutely NEVER occurred to them that you would need to eat, or that it is normal to offer a plate to the photographer. These seem the type to include where they are registered right on the invite, and I'd hate to be their server at any restaurant. I'm sure they'd be surprised to find out the 15% gratuity is a minimum norm.

Now, the touchy subject of business. 9 times out of 10 you do need your customers to walk away with the warm & fuzzies so that they will be inclined to pass your name along. So upon your next meeting, be cordial, funny, complimentary (of course, as I'm sure you always are) and IF the subject arises at all- not enough food in face pictures- than tell them professionally that being pulled from your job to be tattled on CERTAINLY took away from their potential photographs/experience. Their "planner" was way too involved for their own good- she should foot the blame. That is the truth, and you shouldn't suffer the blame if it comes up...which it probably won't.

HOWEVER- if they do cause a stir- stick up for yourself. You are a professional. You do great work, all of your other clients are blown away...and do you really need these people to enhance your career? No.

You need to be happy with your work- clearly you were not happy taking pictures of people eating. So don't put up with this bride & groom if they make an issue, that is- don't apologize and become a doormat.

There is a major misconception abrew today- that the bride & groom (the bride) is the only person in the universe that matters. Brides-to-be are the only ones with this idea...unfortunately we as professionals cater to that as part of the business and thus get used/abused in the process.

Look at the grand scope of your work- I'm sure more than 90% of the time you are very happy with your work- with good reason ; )

2009-06-06 20:58:27 by Brunelle Photography