DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

I heard nothing but rave reviews about Duet. My FH just came back from an appointment and he was ranting and raving also. He liked the quality of their work and ofcourse the price. Compared to some of the other photographers we reviewed, they are a bargain!

Can you girls either confirm that Duet lives up to the praise or provide constructive criticism.

Thanks

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

I thought they were great! Very unobtrusive on the actual day and I loved my proofs. I guess they could have been more assertive in getting the table shots I wanted (a hard request as everyone was mingling!), but that would be it...

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

I was very happy with Duet! I have nothing but good things to day about them.
There were a few girls who weren't thrilled with their proofs lately... nferrandi I believe was one of them.

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

i just got my proofs back and have to say i am so delighted with the pix they took...i know i will have a hard time picking out pix for my album, because on top of the good pix, they also took so many

i must admit, when we did our engagement shoot, i was a little concerned with the way the pix came out, but as i said, all that is out the window when i saw my proofs

all i can say is check out their work and if you like their style you should go with them

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

---

Posted by bklynmoone

I heard nothing but rave reviews about Duet. My FH just came back from an appointment and he was ranting and raving also. He liked the quality of their work and ofcourse the price. Compared to some of the other photographers we reviewed, they are a bargain!

Can you girls either confirm that Duet lives up to the praise or provide constructive criticism.

Thanks

---

you have fm

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

From the proofs I've seen posted by girls on these boards Duet does a magnificent job...although I LOVED my photographer...I found this site after I had booked my photographer...if I hadn't, Duet would have been a photographer I would have seriously considered.

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

My proofs were wonderful...they were great on the day...but I have been having just a bit of trouble with my albums.. although, I've moved to Lonodn in the meantime, so the distance is a problem.

I think Duet do a wonderful job, but communciation is definitely the key. FM me if you want more details (PS: I'm on their website )

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

Thanks for the feedback ladies, I have a few more questions ...

did they take all your 'must have pics'?

did anyone use them for video? how would you rate their service

who is there a photographer that you would recommend above all others?

who is the photographer you would advise that I stay away from?

And for the non-DUET brides, did you consider Duet and if so why didn't you select them.

Thanks in advance for the info.

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

I dont know anything about duet but if you do a search on this board for that word, you will probably get a lot more information about raves and rants.

Also keep in mind that most people won't post their compliants on a board like this so you may want to follow up with some of the girls who havent posted and ask them how they liked the services directly. Thats what I did before I booked my photographer.

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

---

Posted by bklynmoone

Thanks for the feedback ladies, I have a few more questions ...

did they take all your 'must have pics'?

did anyone use them for video? how would you rate their service

who is there a photographer that you would recommend above all others?

who is the photographer you would advise that I stay away from?

And for the non-DUET brides, did you consider Duet and if so why didn't you select them.

Thanks in advance for the info.

---

Another VERY satisfied Duet bride here! To answer some of your questions:

I had a long list of very specific 'must haves' and they took every single one of them.

I used them for video but haven't gotten it yet, I have no worries though based on my proofs, seeing their sample video and hearing from other LIW girls.

Our photographers were Jay and Alberto and videographer was Hung. They were all amazing. They were so much fun and made us and the rest of the BP very comfortable. They were VERY unobtrusive yet didn't miss a beat.

I believe there is a Duet thread on the BHB board if you do a search. Good Luck!!

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

I was extremely satisfied with Duet - our causal day and wedding day proofs were great. We have just begun our video process so I cannot yet comment on that end product

Any issues I might have encountered throughout our planning was resolved easily, since Eric and Nicole are truly a pleasure to work with and definitely will accomodate your likes/dislikes.

Our photographers were Alberto and Sung - Hong for video. They were definitely NOT in the way yet got tons of pics. Alberto does more photojournalistic styled pics, Sung more traditional. We wanted a mix of the two, so we definitely got what we were looking for.

I did give Duet a generalized list of 'Must take' pics but I didn't get extremely specific. So in retrospect any pics that they did not get are b/c I didn't specify how much I wanted it - (i.e., I realize in retrospect we didn't take a pic with DH's grandparents, and there is only one picture of me with my parents alone, etc)

I highly recommend the casual shoot - first because you get used to your photographer and how they work, and secondly it helps you see what style and types of poses you feel you look most natural in. I realized from our casual shoot that DH and I actually looked better in more traditionally 'posed' shots so that's what we requested more of on the wedding day

As with any vendor, I recommend that you do your research (even outside of these boards) and educate yourself thoroughly on the subject. Duet is indeed wonderful (IMO), but so are many photographers out there.

Good Luck

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

I would say that my experience with Duet was not the greatest. Working with them up until my wedding date was great. They were very accommodating since I was an OOT bride. My situtation could be an isolated incident due to various factors.

On my wedding day, there was a problem with my wedding dress and while they were trying to fix the photgrapher was very impatient. He kept knocking on the door asking when we'd be done even after he was told what happened. Then tried to leave bc he wanted to get to the church to take pictures there. So lets just say that I was a little annoyed with the fact that he was not very understanding.

When I met with Duet 2 days before the wedding, I made it clear to them that the pastor did not want anyone on the alter and wanted all pictures to stop during the actual ceremony. (We would stay at the end of the ceremony to recreate certain poses.) They said no problem. Well after my entrance the photographer who was at my parents house climbed over the rail on the alter to get some shots. He would not remove himself until the pastor said something to him.

DH had a great experience with the photgrapher who met him at the hotel. Once we got to the reception everything was fine. They were great at capturing a few candid shots on the dance floor. They were always right by my side when we went around to thank people at their tables. The video guy was good, I never noticed he was around.

When I called Nicole about my proofs, I told her what happened and she was very apologetic. This leads me to believe that this is not the way their photographers normally act. It did take me 6-7 weeks to get my proofs though. I was told that they would be done in 4 weeks and that they would mail them to me in Chicago. I sent Nicole my address as a reminder, but she never called me when they were completed. I finally called back after 5 weeks and it took almost 2 weeks for her to mail them. Again, most brides may not have this situation bc they are in NY.

Overall, I was a little disappointed with my proofs. There were some great shots, but they didn't get all of my must haves. I don't think I got as many as some of the ladies here. Many of mine were duplicates of various shots. In all fairness, I think that maybe due to my dress situation and us getting a late start may have contributed to them using their judgement as to what shots to take.

In the end, I do not regret booking them. I met with Eric over xmas break and he was very apologetic again. I am confident they will do a great job with my albums. Emergencies happen, clients make certain requests and I think that the one photographer should have been a little more professional and understanding of the situation.

Good luck!

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

thanks for all the feedback ... please keep it coming

Any non-DUET brides who considered Duet but decided not to use them. What service/quality did your photographer provide that you thought was missing with Duet.

I have FM if you do not feel comfortable posting.

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

Like Julz said, I had some issues when I first saw my proofs. I didn't feel they got enough photojournalistic shots, but the photos they did take are gorgeous. They didn't take everything on my 'must take' list and there were some shots I thought for sure they should have taken (like my FG and RB busting a move on the dance floor), but overall my pictures are gorgeous and they did a great job. In fact, DH and I are having a hard time narrowing down the pictures for our album since there are so many that we like. I think if I had been more concerned with which photographers I got things may have been a little different.

Re: DUET BRIDES - It can't all be good

I recently got my proofs back from them and I was very happy with them. They did such a great mix of photojournalisitc shots and formal poses. They made us feel very comfortable and we did not even know they were there taking a shot until after we got our proofs back!!! They really were great-- now the final part of working with them will be getting our album, but i have no doubt that will be fine!