MK photo shoot or no MK photo shoot?

[daisygirl902]

OK so my budget is tight, I am paying for most of the wedding myself....the MK photo shoot as we know is $1100, plus the hair and makeup which is $200 plus the floral refresh which for me is $175. I also want the CD of the pics...so in total we'd be looking at $2225...which is starting to sound vry ridiculous to me all of a sudden....

One side of me thinks I would regret not doing it....the other side of me is thinking "Why in heck would I ever spend that kind of money on pictures?"

Please give me opinions/feedback....

 

[Disney9.9.10]

I can definitely understand where you are coming from - we are also doing our wedding on a budget. But I am going to do the MK shoot - I know that this is the only time that I will have this opportunity, so I don't care if I have to spend the money, I think it will be worth it. I heard somewhere that you don't have to buy the CD immediately - so maybe you could wait until after the wedding and buy it then? (Please feel free to correct me if I have been misinformed). Is there anywhere else you could cut some out of your budget? Maybe if you cut a little out of some other places, it won't be as bad. But it also depends on what your priorities are for the wedding - if having the photos is a priority, I would go for it, if having a good time for your guests and other things are the main priority, maybe you can skip the MK shoot. Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Bridie1996]

I agree with Disney 9.9.10, it depends on your priorities. We also did our wedding on a budget and paid for it ourselves, and I don't regret for a second spending the money on the MK shoot. Actually, in order to make sure we had enough to do it, I picked up extra hours at my p/t job which I was working to help pay for the wedding in the first place!


We loved the experience of being in the park and seeing everyone working to make it beautiful for the guests just as much as we enjoy having the pictures now. It was an experience we shared together that no one else from our wedding party or families was involved in, something just for us. Going back later that day and riding the carousel with DH just added to the experience and we'll alway associate that carousel with our wedding and how happy we were.

 

[girli565]

To me the biggest perk of having a DFTW is getting the MK shoot. Only DFTW brides get to have pics in their wedding dresses at MK. I would be very disappointed if we couldn't have the MK shoot. It put us over our budget but I had to have it.

Now, all the added costs... My makeup and hair is only costing $120 for that day, I will not be buying the CD because it's just WAAAAY overpriced. I will select the portraits I like best and will wait until the 3-year mark and order the CD then. I just want that one gorgeous pic of us in front of the castle for our house, and I'm sure I can wait for the rest.

Can I ask... why is your floral refresh so much? Mine is only $100.

 

[daisygirl902]

Can I ask... why is your floral refresh so much? Mine is only $100.

The only day we can do the shoot is Saturday morning, and the wedding is Wednesday so Rosie said she basically has to recreate my bouquet.

 

[girli565]

The only day we can do the shoot is Saturday morning, and the wedding is Wednesday so Rosie said she basically has to recreate my bouquet.

Wow, that's awful. Maybe keep checking back for a date closer to your wedding, I wanted 2 days after the wedding and it was already held, then they cancelled and we booked it.

 

[PrincessShea]

We also paid for our wedding ourselves, and did not do the MK shoot due to money.

Almost a year later, I do not regret it. The Magic Kingdom had nothing to do with our wedding, so I didn't feel the need to get pictures in front of the castle. I put the money toward the actual wedding day and have plenty of pictures to commemorate it.

Again, it's all about what's important to you. The MK shoot wasn't important for me.

 

[*Pixiedust1438*]

I keep going back and forth on this as well. One minute I can't live without it and the next minute I think it's way too expensive. Right now I am leaning toward having it, but DF does not want to spend that much, so convincing him is going to be tough, but I am paying for a lot of the wedding out of my own pocket, and my parents are paying for a lot as well, so. If I do end up doing it, which I think I will, I am doing my own hair and make-up, using a bouquet I will be making, and not getting the C-D. If I were you, I would think about doing some or all of these things to make to cost a little more reasonable. To me the cost of the C-D is just ridiculous, the C-D alone is more than my entire wedding day photography and C-D with all the images is going to cost!!!

 

[My sister's princess]

You don't have to be in MK to get pictures that are pure Disney magic

This was taken on the beach at the Poly, and for me holds more magic than I can express

 

[daisygirl902]

You don't have to be in MK to get pictures that are pure Disney magic

This was taken on the beach at the Poly, and for me holds more magic than I can express

Wow that is a beautiful pic!

 

[kimysbug]

We did the MK shoot the morning of our VR and had an early VR then a reception later in the day.

This saved a ton of money and we had the same photogrpher the whole time

 

[My sister's princess]

Wow that is a beautiful pic!

I saw the same picture of another bride, that is how I found my photographer. Really go with what is in your gut. I know right now pictures seem to be SUPER important, and they are. But you really can only hang so many in your house, and the rest sit in a book, or you use them online.

 

[MsEsty]

Not sure if someone mentioned it before but I believe you can do the photoshoot a year from your wedding date. If I can't afford it now, we'll come back and do it.

Oh and as for the CD, the price of that is just rediculous. I'll take them to a photocenter and have them scanned in for a heck of a lot less.

 

[daisygirl902]

I saw the same picture of another bride, that is how I found my photographer. Really go with what is in your gut. I know right now pictures seem to be SUPER important, and they are. But you really can only hang so many in your house, and the rest sit in a book, or you use them online.

I know - this is what makes this hard - however I am a person that actually hangs photos up, and puts them around the house...In the room I am sitting in I have our caricature from our first trip, a collage type frame full of various family Disney pics, 5 different attraction photos (plus a shelf with my collection of mickey ears)...I am a nut, I get that....but photos are SUPER important to me.

I am kind of leaning towards doing the shoot, but skipping the DVD, and just getting one big print of our favorite photos to frame and have at our at-home reception....that would save us the $750 for now at least...

I agree with the previous posters, when else can you be in MK alone with just the 2 of you plus a photog....it just sounds like such a great experience...

Thanks for the help gals! Much appreciated!

 

[Dani916]

You sound a lot like me! I hand the pictures up. We are doing a Disney wall in our house with pictures of our first trip there together, framed pics we have from the parks, all sorts of Disney stuff. I can't imagine not having a pic of us in front of the castle. I was shocked to learn you had to pay for the CD in addition to the 1,100. Seriously? Everything is so expensive, but if you love pics as much as me, and it sounds like you do, I think you should go for it. It is once in a lifetime! I am going to have to give up other things to make our castle shoot happen, but I am doing it. Ours is a few days after our wedding too. I might just go to Costco and get a 14.99 bouquet. Seriously!

Good luck-Dani

 

[Lorelei528]

You also can get a lo-res CD as well. We did that for now and I bought us and my mom a digital picture frame and all the pics we like are in there. We used it also at our at home reception.
We ordered some enlargements and will get the CD after the 3 years have passed..(almost 1 down, 2 more to go!)

You do get prints of all the pictures too I believe (we did, but that was last year so I don't know if they changed that or not)....I'm pretty sure they didn't.

HTH!

 

[bowqueen]

I say get your favorite prints to hang, wait 3 years to get the CD, and go for it!

 

[DVC Bride 2011]

I'm debating this issue too. I really want the shoot, but DF thinks it is too expensive. Do I understand correctly that the hi-res CD is $750? Is there a different cost for the low-res CD or is it free? What is the deal with the three years? Does the cost of the hi-res drop then? Does anyone know how long you get in the park?

Thanks for the help! I really hope I can cut back somewhere else to make up for the cost of the shoot - even though it doesn't count towards our minimum, right? I think I've read that some brides get it to count and other's do not, does it depend on your planner?

 

[Swmhc]

Not sure if someone mentioned it before but I believe you can do the photoshoot a year from your wedding date. If I can't afford it now, we'll come back and do it.

Oh and as for the CD, the price of that is just rediculous. I'll take them to a photocenter and have them scanned in for a heck of a lot less.

Ummm...that is a HUGE copyright infringement. Good luck finding someone willing to do it and hope DPS doesn't find out !

We did the MK shoot. DH thought it was too expensive, but I finally begged and convinced him and that is one of his favorite parts of our whole DFTW. Nothing screams DFTW more than the photos in front of the castle ! We are almost at our 3-year mark for the lower cost of the CD. I got a 16x20 and an 8 x 10 and have been waiting to get the CD to do any more photos. We did get all our proofs, so a couple of those are in frames as well. You can always get an 8x10 or 11x14 and surround it with your favorite proofs to hold you over until the CD is cheaper. The time really does go quickly.

 

[Nicsnick]

I LOVE our MK pictures! For me it was totally worth it.

I was able to get my CD for a cheaper price by giving up the proof book and album. I don't remember the price. We did the MK and EPCOT shoots and loved every minute of it.