El Velo Photography

We are saddened by Melinda's reaction in this comment. We would like to shed some light and truth on this matter.
We new about Melinda's interest in our services and a competing company thru the wedding coordinator (Tropical Occasions). Ultimately she had decided on our service due to the level of video/cinematography (without parallel in Costa Rica) that we offer with our photography packages.
Now it had turned into a matter of getting us to lower our prices as much as possible counter offering with the competing company (we consider this just healthy competition and normal - part of the business).
We kept getting emails where she would make her fiancee contact us, asking us if we could do better than the most recent bargain the competition was offering (from our $5000.00 7hr photo & video package with 8mm filming and a post wedding trash the dress session against a $1200.00 counter bargain from the competition for photography and video done with a handicam and no 8mm films with the trash the dress session, IMPOSSIBLE & ILLOGICAL!). After several of these emails and this final email, we decided we would not lower our prices further (which they had asked for again in a recent email, 5 price reductions total) and expressed to her that the competition had won the client. There was no retainer or deposit made to justify her saying we "reneged the agreement". I personally called her fiancee, Travis (whom I had been talking with) and let him know we were not interested in this race for the client any longer. The truth is, Melinda & Travis all along wanted to hire us, their bargaining/price lowering strategy back-fired.
We knew that this would continue and were not interested in booking their wedding unless we renegotiated and we got a retainer fee or deposit to move forward. There was no other wedding booked (which she claims), I, the photographer that met with them, was still available (which is our policy "the photographer that meets with the clients, is the one booked for the event". We are a company with 5 photographers and three cinematographers. We do have many bookings but Melinda & Travis' wedding was being booked months in advance and we still had plenty of staff available (including myself).
Booking destination weddings of over 80 guests is difficult, few and far between (Melinda's & Travis weddings was over 90 guests), so, there is no foundation in her saying I booked a wedding that paid more (a day later). Two of our photographers were booked for a 18 guest wedding and an elopement (bride & groom).
Melinda later expressed to the wedding coordinator that she wishes she would of hired us (her wedding video was nowhere near the quality we offer), furthermore, she was asked to retract her comments from other forums (which she did) since the first question she had to answer was: "Did you pay a retainer fee?". Better Business Bureau would contest her complaint that same way, "Did you pay a retainer fee?".
This is the first time this company has ever had a complaint, EVER, all wedding coordinators and All hotels in Costa Rica know of our level of service and professionalism, we invite anyone to contact any coordinator or hotel in the country for a review. We have the highest level of commitment to a professional and respectful service, so much so, that, we are the only company in Costa Rica approaching the Costa Rican Tourism Board advising this entity on destination wedding tourism.
We are the preferred service for Small Distinctive Hotels of Costa Rica: Arenas del Mar, Villa Caletas, Cuna del Angel, etc., Melia Conchal Hotel chain (worldwide asking us to expand our service to Dominican Republic), Marriott Hotels, JW Marriott, Hilton and many others.

It is truly sad that Melinda has gone to this extent to taint the respectable reputation of our company.

Sincerely,

JuanCarlos Villa Solano
Owner/Principal Photographer
El Velo Photography