Disney Photography Questions

[Fairy Godmother]

I am planning an Escape wedding for February 2012. It seems like the majority of people who post here use an outside photographer for their photos. Is this because the Disney photographers aren't very good?
Part of the reason I am doing a Disney Wedding is because I don't want to have to deal with all the little details like finding a photographer. Have people been happy with their photos included in the Escape package?

 

[leonix8238]

Yes, there have been instances in the past where Disney photography has not been up to scratch. However, I think the reason a lot of people get an outside photographer is because you tend get more for your money and you can choose a photographer that suits your style and KNOW that they will be there on the day. Whereas with Disney you can request certain photographer but this cannot always be guaranteed.

I had an escape wedding and had the Disney photographers as well as Randy Chapman. Both sets of photographs were good but Randy's have a little sparkle to them and I can say hand on heart that Randy was the best decision we made about our day. He was with us from beginning to end, guided us through everything and even attached my husbands boutineer. Worth every penny

 

[Firefly09]

The issue with Disney photographers is that they can't guarantee you'll get the one that you've requested. Since each photographer varies by style and technique, whether you like your pictures taken by them is greatly influenced by both. Disney is trying to do a better job of matching up requests with photographers but if more than 1 bride requests a specific photographer on the same day then there is little Disney can do about that. This is the reason why I hired an outside photographer (Randy Chapman) even though I did end up getting exactly the Disney photographer that I wanted.

Finding an outside photographer wasn't that difficult if you read the Disney wedding planning boards enough. Just by seeing all the examples posted by previous brides I was able to pick out whose style I preferred.

 

[clarabella]

I was wondering this too - so im glad you asked!
Randy Chapman seems like a popular choice

 

[Fairy Godmother]

Thanks for the input, it was very helpful. All i really want out of it is some nice pictures to remember my wedding with. I don't really have a style I want them in which is probably why I can't figure out what to do about a photographer.

 

[leonix8238]

If you're happy with the the album and the number of prints Disney offer with the Escape package and you don't particularly wish for the photographs to be in a non traditional style then Disney photography could be all you need.

It may be good for you to take a look at the Disney photography website to get an idea of what they do. You can also look at the work of each individual photographer.

http://www.disneyeventphotography.com/weddings/escapeWeddings.php

I hope this helps a little more.

 

[Fairy Godmother]

That helps a lot. Thanks for the link to the website. I have been looking at Randy Chapman's website and I really do like his pictures I just don't know if I can justify if the extra expense is really needed. I think I am going to email him and find out how much he cost. For reading PJ he seems like he is laid back and easy to work with which is definately what I want. Thanks again for your input it has been really helpful.

 

[Bethany66]

Disney has been doing excellent work the past couple of years and the price is very good. You are given the option to select the types of shots you would like-candid, posed, traditional and so forth. If you tell your planner about yourself and what types of photos you would like they will do their absolute best to fit you with the right photographer.
We had an Escape wedding on 10-10-10 one of their busiest days last year and we had a great photographer who did all three photo sessions for us-the Wedding Day, EPCOT Bridal and the Trash the Dress. Some examples can be seen at http://101010EPCOT.shutterfly.com and at www.professionalelegance.com under the Disney/Destination Weddings tab.
We had Stephanie as our photographer. The quality of work was great, the photo albums were great and the cost was amazing for all we had done and received. We could not have asked for better customer service and we had a blast!
I know that some outside photographers do a great job, but I would not fret about using Disney at all.

Good luck and have fun planning!

 

[MeganAJ]

We're getting married in September, escape wedding as well. I've been going back and forth about this as well. From what I've read, it sounds like people have been much happier with their Disney photographers in recent years than in the past. I'm 99% sure I've decided not to hire an additional outside photographer, mostly because of trying to stay in budget.

I've requested Amy Alexander as our photographer, since I loved what I saw in her gallery and she had some great reviews on this site. Fingers crossed we get her!

 

[DisneyDream88]

We are looking at the $2800 package, I forget what it is called but it is the cheapest one through Disney. Do you brides who got married at Disney get multiple photo albums for parents and such, digital rights, and extra photos? I'm just wondering if it's still like the Disney photopass thing where you have to pay for the extra photographs. We're getting one of our friends to videotape the wedding.

 

[Tinker Bell Fan]

We had our VR in April and went with the Disney Photographers. It is true that you may not get who you ask for. I picked 3 and all three were busy that day (one was on vacation, one was getting married and the other was the photographer at their wedding). So we had Stephanie as our photographer - she was great!! We love the photos and are very pleased. The only thing we did was upgrade to the Cinderella "D" (or "B" - I can't remember which package, but it was $750 more). With the upgrade we get 24 8x10 photos in the album and an 11x14 photo. The only thing I was a little upset about was the number of photos - I guess I expected more than 130 (150 if you count the same photos but in black & white).

Here is a link to our photos online: http://www.collages.net/disneyweddings
Username: Henshaw Vow Renewal
Password: 1971

I toyed with the idea of going with an outside photographer but I really didn't want to spend THAT much more since it was a VR.

 

[SnowWhiteLove]

I would totally hire someone outside of Disney in order to hire someone that fits your style more. There are a tong of photographers out there who will do equally if not better job at the same price or more/less.

Have you checked out the photographers on the Disney Wedding Blog.
disneyweddingsblog[dot]com

Some of the work here is amazing! Check to see if anyone catches your eye!

 

[Fairy Godmother]

I wanted to thank everyone for their post. They were really helpful to me. I am leaning towards using Randy Chapman and STVS video (so my grandma could watch the wedding online) but we just found out DFi has to have eye surgury which throws a kink in my whole budget.

 

[leonix8238]

I'm sorry to hear about you DF, I hope it's nothing too serious.

These things are sent to try us but I'm sure you'll still get the wedding for your dreams. Randy is very reasonable and will worth with you to create a package that suits your needs and your budget.

I hope your DF gets better soon.

 

[Fairy Godmother]

Thank you. He just found out he is legally blind in his left eye but the surgurey to correct it is a pretty easy one.

 

[Ember]

I would totally hire someone outside of Disney in order to hire someone that fits your style more. There are a tong of photographers out there who will do equally if not better job at the same price or more/less.

Have you checked out the photographers on the Disney Wedding Blog.
disneyweddingsblog[dot]com

Some of the work here is amazing! Check to see if anyone catches your eye!

And with an outside photographer you may even get pictures that are in focus. (Of course, Disney was very sorry that I wasn't happy with my pictures.)

 

[Meg91]

I have a question, I've been reading so many things and I have officially confused myself so I figured i'd just ask

Okay, My fiance & myself are planning an April 2013 wishes wedding. We want our ceremony outside on the Canada Terrace and Reception at the Living Seas Salon. Can we use an outside photography/videography vendor as long as we meet the minimum expenditure? Or is there a regulation saying since we're inside a Disney theme park we have to use the Disney Photography vendor?

 

[tinkerbell 766]

No, you cannot use an outside photographer at these locations as they are inside a theme park. You would have to use DPS.

 

[Meg91]

No, you cannot use an outside photographer at these locations as they are inside a theme park. You would have to use DPS.

Thank you for clearing that up for me!