Are you our ideal client?

Our ideal clients are people who love photography! They appreciate the art of what a fantastic photographer can bring to their wedding day and it is one of the most important things they are looking for!!!

They want to have fun… and supply a fantastic, let’s-try-anything attitude to the wedding day. They’re looking for unusual and “out of the box” photography and want a photographer who isn’t afraid to get wet and get a little crazy with them to capture a once in a life time image!

Ideal clients want to let loose & celebrate, are outgoing and love to shine! They want candid moments from getting ready to fine art newlywed images. Also, those dancing images that come in the middle of a party in a sweaty celebration that can only happen here on a hot summer night in the Mexican Mayan Riviera.

These are our “ideal clients”. They are ones that share passion for photography. They are looking for something special on their wedding day and trust us to capture it for them!!! 

 

How does a typical wedding day unfold?

There is no such thing as a typical wedding day! That being said, we will be sending you a Wedding Planning worksheet after booking us to help you organize and line up your wedding day. Here is how we recommend your wedding day flows. Remember… this is just a sample of 4hrs of wedding coverage we are often booked for.

 

(Assuming a 5pm Ceremony time.)

 

3pm – Guys/Girls getting ready (Mayan Riviera photographers split up to cover both at the same time)
5pm – Ceremony (Both shooters work in tandem to capture your ceremony with artistic style!)
5:30pm  – Family Formals and Wedding Party
6pm – Newlyweds (plan to capture the couple  for 1 hr. Hopefully we will be shooting 1hr to 1.5hrs before the sunset!!!)
Newlyweds often plan the cocktail hour for their guests while we shoot the newlywed images
7pm – Reception start. If you like, often we arrive a few minutes early to capture the reception site, do a cake cutting and first dance.

 

That is how we recommend a wedding day unfolds. Again… you can add more or less time to your package to accommodate your needs!

 

I can’t decide how much coverage I need for my wedding day.

The amount of coverage you’ll want will depend on the schedule of your day, as well, what you would like captured.  It is best to get our services reserved first (with a deposit) for your wedding day so we don’t take any other bookings.  Simply choose the minimum hours you think you will need and we can adjust the package as needed. We are not shooting any other weddings on your day so we can make sure we are there for whatever you need!

Contact us now for our wedding planning worksheet and tips and advice!

 

Do I have to buy a meal for you at the reception?

For packages that include coverage during/past your dinner reception, please be sure to include 2 in the dinner reception (photographer and assistant).

This does not have be your reception dinner. This can include hamburger/club house/fries from the room service menu. As well, we prefer to have a seat/table off to the side so we have a place for our equipment.

As well, we will be getting up and running around to catch kissing/events/speeches/etc during the dinner!

 

What time should I have my ceremony in order to allow enough time for pictures before the sunsets?

The most ideal time is to have your reception 2hrs before the sun sets. Here in the Mayan Riviera, once the sun starts to set, it happens very quickly! Less than 20 minutes, so we need to work fast during this time.

If your ceremony time does not leave enough time for photos, you do have a few options.

1. Change the time of the ceremony

2. Do the newlywed photos before the ceremony

3. We will use as much light as we can for the newlywed photos, then use creative lighting  for the rest of your couples images.

These times are not set in stone… just suggestion for you to plan your wedding day schedule.

Check out the sunset time on your wedding day here.

 

Do you  ‘touch up’ my Wedding Photos?

All your images go through multiple passes before they are sent to you! We first choose the best images for your package. Then we start to expose each picture for the correct lighting and color balance. Another pass is made to apply any effects such as Black/White, Sepia or Mayan Riviera Photography effects that you have seen in our images making them magazine quality! Your pictures are processed again to correct skin tone and remove minor blemishes and lines. The last pass is done to remove unwanted objects and minor Photoshoping to perfect each and every image. YES… your wedding photos are touched up! Each and every one!!!

 

Are all the photos you take on my wedding day included in my package? Will I be able to reproduce these photos? Or do you retain the ‘rights’?

In a wedding day we capture between 2000 and 5000 images. Not all these images will be delivered in your package. Again, we use our judgment to choose which photos will be included. All the best photos will be on your Wedding Package and slideshow.

All the files on your Wedding Package are full resolution and you will have full rights to reproduce them or do whatever you like with them. You can bring them to any printer in your home town to do anything you choose (printing, albums, Thank you cards, canvas prints, Facebook…. anything!).

 

Are there any policies or restrictions for bringing an outside wedding photographer to my Mayan Riviera Resort?

Each resort has different rules regarding wedding photographers.  Most resorts in the Mayan Riviera have implemented a special rate that they charge to allow photographers on their premises.  This fee can range from $100 to $800 USD.  It is commonly referred to as a ‘Day Rate’ or ‘External Service Provider Fee’.  Please check with your wedding coordinator to find out what their requirements are for outside photographers.

Some Mayan Riviera Resorts do not allow any outside photographers. Resorts with these strict policies have been known to allow the Mayan Riviera Photography team access if we are booked into the hotel for the night. Please confirm this with your wedding coordinator, as you will be responsible for ensuring we have proper permission to be on the premises to shoot your wedding.

Our package prices do not include the cost for us to enter your resort. This is an added expense that is out of our control.
Check our Resort Policies now

 

How long does it take to process our Wedding Photography package? When can we expect to receive it?

Our normal processing time for each package is about 4 - 6 weeks. This time is used to digitally enhance your photos. We look through every single photograph to be sure they are  enhanced to their full potential. This estimate is dependent upon the amount of weddings we are covering around the same date as yours. In high season when we get 10+ bookings/month, delivery times are 6 to 8 weeks. If for any reason we are not able to delivery your package to you in 8 weeks we will be in contact with you but this is a very rare occasion.

 

Do you also offer wedding video services?

Yes! We are now offering wedding video services. If you are interested in finding out about our packages, please Contact us now

 

My wedding package at the resort included a photographer for 2 hours and a 30 minute video. Will there be any issues having the extra photographers during the ceremony? How can I use their services to get the most possible coverage of our wedding day?

We obviously understand your desire for a video of your special ceremony and we will work with anyone else you have capturing your wedding. We need you realize that they will set their video equipment in the most optimal position. This will mean we cannot move in front of the video camera, nor take photos from that position. As well, that video equipment can be present in a lot of photos from other angles. This is a concern whether they are taking video or still images. We will be competing with them for the best angle on those important moments.

 

If you have another photographer that is included in your wedding package, we recommend you ask your wedding coordinator about using him/her for another day. They will normally allow you to use their services for another part of your day. We suggest using them at a rehearsal dinner or cocktail hour with your guests, while you are off with us for the newlyweds shoot around the resort. Adding a resort photographer to your ceremony will only take away from the professional creative images that you have hired us to capture for you. We recommend you ask them not to attend the ceremony. Yes, they are included in your resort package, but they will add no value to your day in regards to photography… only take away from it.

 

 

What is a TTD? Will it ruin my dress?

“Trash the Dress” is a bit misleading in terms of damage to your dress. A Trash the Dress session includes getting sandy, walking or jumping  into the ocean, swimming in cenotes and climbing up on rocks or locations you normally would not in a wedding dress!  Most dresses can withstand the sandy beach and salt water without a problem. We recommend rinsing your dress with fresh water when you return to your room. Once you are back home, you can have it cleaned and more often than not, it will be as good as new. Ironically, the dress tends to get a bit dirty on the wedding day, while the TTD cleans it.

View our Trash the Dress Photography

 

Where will we do the TTD? Can we leave the resort?

Often we have clients come to Playa del Carmen where we have many locations to take you to and capture beautiful images! Its all up to you if you want to have a rustic, run down, old style dirty Mexico shoot? Maybe you would like to have some jungle, Mayan Ruins and beach? Possibly an urban Mexican street shoot? We always end up on the beach where we will get wet and sandy! Hopefully the sun will come out to play and make for some amazing skies and silhouettes to end your TTD session!

A popular request is to travel to a cenote. There are several cenotes along the Mayan Riviera. Although entrance into the cenote has been permitted in the past we have now experienced first hand that not everyone will let us enter with the brides, and our camera equipment (The Gran Cenote near Tulum).  Cenotes are now starting to allow TTD shoots to take place. The cost is often an additional $300 to $500usd for the shoot to enter the property. The entrance cost is included in the Cenote Trash the Dress session!

If you have something else in mind, please let us know and we can discuss whether or not it will work. We always welcome new ideas that will make this shoot unique to you and reflective of your personalities!

 

Can I get a better price on your wedding packages? Do you negotiate your rates?

Our prices are the same for everybody. How would you feel if you booked us for your wedding only to find out a week later that I discounted the same package to another bride because she asked for a discount? To treat everybody fairly, our prices are set and we do not negotiate the rate.

 

I found another photographer in the Mayan Riviera that offers a “better package” than you do. Can you match their offer?

The most important thing for you is to find a photographer who’s work you love and connect with! There are lots of different photographers with prices and packages for everybody’s budget. You need to find the right one for you! We feel we offer the best photography services for the best prices here in the Mayan Riviera. Our work is compared with photographers that charge twice as much as we do and offer the same product. Our style is young and trendy! We use the latest equipment and bring upwards of $20,000 usd of photography equipment to your wedding and end up using it all.

 

What makes your photography different than other photographers I find in the Mayan Riviera? 

For us, photography is not just a “job”, it is our passion and a labor of love. We do not farm out our work to third party companies to put your images together. We do not over book our services to maximize the amount of money we make. We only shoot and work on weddings that fit into our schedule. Some may say that is being selective, but we love photography and want to be emotionally invested in every job we do. We love to get to know our couples and put a bit of their personalities into every shoot We do! We do not offer discounted services and then save money by not doing the best post editing workflow job We can. Some companies only do a partial job on your images because you didn’t pay their premium rates. We shoot every wedding and then spend up to 20 hours after your wedding editing your package. We make a minimum of 3 passes through each pictures touching them up and delivering to you the best images possible. We love our job and wouldn’t change it for the world. It just so happens, that we make a living doing what we love the most!