Epcot Wedding, NON-Disney Photographer ... What do we think of this?

[pixie921]

So on Carly's Disney Wedding Blog today, she has a post about an Epcot wedding reception from THIS YEAR with an OUTSIDE photographer. That DFTW allowed. Here's the link, and I'd love to hear thoughts on this.

http://www.disneyweddingblog.com/2011/08/epcot-wedding-spotlight-karrie-chris.html

Personally, I'm shocked and a little dismayed at how arbitrarily rules seem to be enforced, and it makes me wonder just what a couple has to do to get DFTW to allow them to bend their rules.

 

[SusieQ79]

I sent a note to my planner with the link, asking if the policy had changed.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

Yet again I am absolutely appalled by the lack of consistency displayed by DFTW. Many brides have changed plans for an in-park wedding because of the (apparent) non- Disney photographer rule!!! There are going to be a lot of very cross brides and former brides out there!!!

 

[dezilou82]

Oh wow! Keep us updated please with what your planner sends back.. We are having our ceremony and reception in Epcot in October and were told we had to use Disney Photography... much like everyone else.

 

[v_misses_epcot]

Oh wow, Disney has a lot of explaining to do
I'm not surprised though, having worked for the company for a few years now, while I still love them to death, we're always out of the loop due to lack of the communication. It has a lot to do with the domino affect of he said, she said. So looking foward to the "excuses" Disney will come up with. Also, moola talks a lot, which isn't fair to a lot of us trying to budget.

With that said, that wedding is simply amazing!

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

i can't even come up with words about this.

 

[LittleKittyMarie]

Hmmm.... I would also like to know what your planner says about this.

 

[Stephie77]

If I was a current Disney Bride, I would be on the phone with my planner ASAP and not wait to hear other's people results. That's me though. I think that you all should contact them and demand to know why this happened. It is pretty unfair. I don't give a crap how much money someone spends on their wedding, if Disney has it posted on their website and in their contracts about the photography and then bend the rules for another bride that is just wrong. If they bend for a certain amount of money or whatever the reason, that is what should be standard all around the board. I agree with Carly that there is NO WAY a wedding that size would not get noticed at Epcot and at night. Being that it was in America, it would have to be planned through DFTW as that is where I had my dessert party moved to because of the cold and that was booked with DFTW. I would raise holy hell about it. Defintely post back to lets us former brides know what the planners say. I will bet money that each and everyone of you get a different answer or reason.

 

[vickxo]

I don't think an outside photographer in the park is a big deal, it's simple, if you are willing to pay for the photographer & their access to the park it should be allowed. I changed my entire dream wedding based on the fact that disney would not allow me to have who i want photograph my wedding, I however had the benefit of time and still have time to change my dream BACK if disney "changes" or STICKS TO certain rules. It's very confusing and annoying. I honestly do not like the quality of work disney provided photographers produce in comparison to the roots, studio 222 and the many others in the area. Being a photographer that is a huge deal for me and its a huge DEAL BREAKER if disney doesn't allow me to hire who i want. If the photographer isn't in the way of anyone else's park experience it should NEVER be an issue. just my opinion

 

[NicknNancy]

Here's what I wrote to my planner Pam:

Hey Pam,

I don't mean to be a pest...and I'm sure you probably have heard about this issue by now, but I just saw this post on Carly Morgan's Disney Wedding Blog:

http://www.disneyweddingblog.com/2011/08/epcot-wedding-spotlight-karrie-chris.html

In it she states that she spoke to someone at DFTW about this situation and they said that outside photographers can be arranged for in-park events. I am just inquiring as to what exactly I would have to do. I have an awesome photographer that I booked back when we were supposed to be at the Wedding Pavilion and Grand Floridian (we had to change ceremony venues due to construction and I figured the grand was a little too far for our guests to travel to a reception when the LSS is right there) and I had to shorten their time to just the ceremony because I was told outside photographers are a big no-no at theme park venues. Is there any way the rules could be bent for us like they were for the couple mentioned in that blog post?

Keep me posted!

Thanks a lot!
Nancy

Hopefully I hear back with good news!

 

[meggydoodle]

I sent a note to my planner with the link, asking if the policy had changed.

I sent my planner the link as well and asked her to call me asap as I would like to have the same opportunity to use someone else. Let us know what you hear back and I will do the same! Fingers crossed for everyone who is hoping to use an outside photographer!

 

[meggydoodle]

So I just got off of the phone with my planner's assistant and she said I was the 4 person to call today. They have all seen the blog and checked into it and said that the policy still stands that non disney photographers are not allowed in park. They said they used to be allowed and the only reason this person must have had an outside photographer was because they were grandfathered in by an old contract where they had to postpone their wedding until this year. Not the answer I was hoping for but it was the one I got.

 

[DVC Bride 2011]

So I just got off of the phone with my planner's assistant and she said I was the 4 person to call today. They have all seen the blog and checked into it and said that the policy still stands that non disney photographers are not allowed in park. They said they used to be allowed and the only reason this person must have had an outside photographer was because they were grandfathered in by an old contract where they had to postpone their wedding until this year. Not the answer I was hoping for but it was the one I got.

But I thought you could only postpone a contract for one calendar year? I could be wrong...and hasn't the no outside photog rule been in effect for almost three years now?

 

[Stephie77]

I call shannigans. Notice she said "must have", to me that means that she has no idea and did not check therefore hoping the answer she gave you was sufficent enough. And yes if I remember correctly the grandfather clause was 1 year (I know when I had issues with my wedding photos and Disney Photography, my outcome was only good for a year) and it also it has been 3 years since outside photographers were allowed in the parks. I would not accept that as reasonable but again that's me. I am a spitfire and get to the bottom of things.

 

[meggydoodle]

But I thought you could only postpone a contract for one calendar year? I could be wrong...and hasn't the no outside photog rule been in effect for almost three years now?

I agree with you girl! Something is fishy about this whole situation and believe someone, if not me, on this board will get down to it. Hopefully I will hear from my planner before the week is over and we can talk about it.

 

[princesswendy720]

If Disney is going to have crazy, restrictive rules, the least they can do is enforce them. I hate planning my wedding around this rule (we'd be having a theme park wedding if outside photographers were allowed) and seeing them turn a blind eye when other people break the rules. It's just unfair to those of us who do follow them.

 

[pixie921]

I call shannigans. Notice she said "must have", to me that means that she has no idea and did not check therefore hoping the answer she gave you was sufficent enough. And yes if I remember correctly the grandfather clause was 1 year (I know when I had issues with my wedding photos and Disney Photography, my outcome was only good for a year) and it also it has been 3 years since outside photographers were allowed in the parks. I would not accept that as reasonable but again that's me. I am a spitfire and get to the bottom of things.

Yup. I'm calling BS on that one, too. Outside photographers weren't allowed after 2009, so there's no way anyone could be "grandfathered in".

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

Wow, I'll be watching with interest to see what we find out about this one. Beautiful wedding and photos, but makes me sad if the rules were bent. I'm a rule-follower by nature and this kind of thing irritates me.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

If Disney is going to have crazy, restrictive rules, the least they can do is enforce them. I hate planning my wedding around this rule (we'd be having a theme park wedding if outside photographers were allowed) and seeing them turn a blind eye when other people break the rules. It's just unfair to those of us who do follow them.

agreed!! anyone see the thread in the completed TR forum where the girl got married on the monorail and all the CMs thought it was just fabulous.

if that was one of us, we'd be escorted out and told never to come back.

sorry--off topic--but kinda not.

 

[SusieQ79]

Just FYI, no reply yet on my side, gals. I wonder if we startled them and they've having to meet about it. Honestly, it's gotta suck to be in their position, because between this and the GF construction, we seem to find out stuff before they do!