I was married yesterday!! Hurray! I wish I could share pro pics of my ceremony but my photographer did not show up until it was over.
Our ceremony and reception were held at a historic home. Our photography contract was for 7 hours of coverage (3-10pm). The ceremony started at 5pm. My girls and I arrived at the mansion at 3:00 to get ready. The groom's entire family also showed up at 3:00, specifically to take formal portraits of the groom's side before the ceremony. Our photographer didn't show up.
From 3-5pm, EVERYONE frantically tried to contact the photographer and come up with Plan B. I didn't even bring her phone number... for the price I paid, I assumed I was working with a professional. My officiant had an iPhone and found her number on her website. He called and the number was disconneted. Our DJ called his contacts and again came up with the same disconnected phone number. He also tried to find another photographer who could fill in last minute -- no luck. Our caterer ran to the store to buy 10 disposable cameras so guests could at least capture some moments. Someone emailed the photographer and she finally called back... she said she got food poisoning from the wedding the night before but she was feeling better and could come now.
I understand that bad things happen, however, there was absolutely no communication on her part. She never called -- instead, we had to hunt her down. Her absence threw off the entire flow of the event. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the day, we were forced to run around in a frenzy looking for a backup plan and wondering what went wrong. Not knowing why she wasn't there was the worst torture. I don't even know the full extent of what everyone else was doing to help -- they didn't want to worry me more than I already was.
I will never have pro pics of my dress on the hanger, my shoes, or more importantly, happy bridesmaid helping me get ready. I will never have a professional picture of my father walking me down the aisle on Father's Day. I won't have pictures of my wedding party processional or the look on my husband's face when he saw me for the first time in my dress.
Our photographer miraculously appeared 5 minutes before our ceremony ended. She started snapping away but it was too late -- the marriage ceremony was the most important part to me. What was lost I can never get back.
The rest of the night we were trying to cram everything in that we missed in the 2.5 hours that she was MIA. We had to do all of the family photos during cocktail hour -- it was so hard to coordinate because this wasn't the original plan.
The total cost for 7 hours of photography was $3,600. Her rate includes the service and digital negatives, no albums. I paid half in advance and was supposed to pay the balance on the wedding day. I told her I could not pay the balance and would settle this later -- it was just too heart-breaking to deal with on my wedding day.
I am deeply saddened by the situation. I had a happy wedding surrounded by my family and friends -- that part was wonderful! I'm just sick over not having photographs to remember it by. I couldn't sleep because after it was all over, I couldn't stop thinking about how devastating this was.
I don't know what to do now. It's a 1 in a million chance and I still can't believe it happened to me. I want my money back -- in my opinion, I didn't get what I paid for. I still "owe" money -- she has some photos of the reception. What's fair in this situation?
I'm so sorry to hear that you had to deal with this. What she did would be considered breach of contract (assuming you had a signed contract); I am not law-savvy, but I think you could take her to small claims court to get back your deposit and make sure that she gives you all of the proofs that she DOES have from the day. It's obviously a case of more than just breach of contract -- she missed the most important event of your life that you can never get back. She should have to pay for that and you should not have to lose a penny.
she should, if she was professional, give you your money back, and give you the pictures she did take. I would imagine that the entire wedding the night before also got sick if that story is true....it seems very strange. Its her reputation on the line, and if she wants to save it, she should give you everything she has and your money. Contracts usually protect the vendor in cases like this - so that may not work out to your benefit....check it and see what it says.
First, I would shoot an email or call your guests and ask them to send any copies of the photos (via an online website you set up or ) or send you a CD of the pictures. That way you can at least compile some remnants of your day. Did you have a videographer? Perhaps you can take some of their stills? I AM SO SORRY! Also, as for this photographer…I would 100% NOT pay the remainder of my balance. Check your contract for some kind of clause. There should be something in there that states you will pay "for services rendered" or for the specifc time frame you set. There may even be a vendor out clause which would say something along the lines of "if the vendor fails to show, provide services, etc you don't need to pay. I would work something out and explain how they not only missed the majority of your event (and the most important part) but that it was completely unprofessional not to call or send a replacement or anything. I would definitely publicize who they are in forums like weddingbee so others are warned of their business practices. And finally, I would definitely report them to the better business bureau.
I am so sorry you were forced into a situation like this. It’s so hard to think about your day and how beautiful everything is and then begin to wonder if you will remember it as well in the future because you do not have the photos. My heart truly goes out to you! Just try to remember that your relationship and this new journey you’ve begun for you and Mr. Pom is all that matters. You were there, he was there, your families were there and it happened. Its hard not to have the photos, but hang in there!
I'm so sorry to hear that! Don't pay her until you check the contract thoroughly. That sucks, but stuff like that happens from time to time. I'm glad you still managed to have fun :)
I hope the reception photos are marvelous, and will bring you great joy. I think what the photographer did was DEPLORABLE. most photographers have a back up plan, cause life happens and things come up. BUT TO NOT EVEN CALL YOU. I want to scream and shake that person for you.
I hope a lengthy apology comes from that person and they offer you lots of compensation- monetary and an additional photo shoot or two.
completely unprofessional on her part. that is so awful. i'm soo sorry to hear this happened. =/ the contract should have stated terms in the event that she is ill unexpectedly. either way, it should have said something along the lines of a substitute photographer in this case, or a refund. i would just talk to her about it all, that you are sorry to hear that was had gotten sick however, you are disappointed that you have no photographs of the getting ready, pre-ceremony and ceremony parts as well as having to give up time with your guests during cocktail hour; thus, you feel that she did not fulfill her end of the contract. hopefully, the contract mentioned specific times? either way, good luck!!!
you are married, and that is the happiest part!! :) don't worry about everything else, things that you can't change right now. you'll have plenty of times to take more meaningful photographs!
I can't even imagine the level of your disappointment right now. However, she will hopefully have some great shots once she did show up so stay focused and do everything possible to get those high-res pictures.
Talk to her first before you go the legal route. She would be an idiot to not want to work with you. Tell her that you'd like to see the images that she has first. If they are satisfatory to you, you can decide if you want to let her keep the 50% deposit in exchange for the pictures. Then take your pictures elsewhere for the album production because you probably won't really want to rely on her for anything at this point.
It's definitely not about the 7 hours she committed to, it's about capturing the moments, like you said. Since she was extremely unprofessional, she needs to make good. Most photog contracts state that if your photog is ill, they will supply a similar-quality photog. The responsibility was on her to find you a replacement photo if she was sick, not yours.
Best of luck, I hope you were able to enjoy most of your wedding regardless. You married the man of your dreams and that's most important.
i'm so sorry to hear that! i'm glad your wedding was fun and i'm sure you will have a lot beautiful shots to look back on. if i were you, i would demand a price break or some deal thrown into the package, you shouldn't pay for the full package. what's fair, is only paying for the hours she was there for at a discounted rate. she was in breach of her contract for not being there for 7 hrs. good luck!
this happened to my friend but he called the night before the wedding and cancelled last minute. he had the lamest excuse for not showing too - "really bad allergies" which is so ridiculous! she paid and booked for this photographer 2 years in advance! i felt so bad for her. luckily, that photographer sent a replacement and that photographer actually was pretty good. this made me concerned about my photographer after i seen what happened to her wedding. my photographer cancelled and rescheduled our engagement session twice (on the day of). so this really made me worried that i emailed them about my concerns. they tried to reassure me but you never know how things pan out until the day of. like they said "anything can happen"... my wedding is in 3 wks & we finally took our engagement pix last friday. crossing my fingers for the wedding!
I'm so sorry that happened to you! I make an appointment to meet with her. You flat out under no circumstances should pay her the balance. What she did was breech of contract. If she starts making a fuss about it I would start throwing around the terms better business bureau, local news station human interest story and law suit. I would then ask for the pictures she did take and at least a portion of the deposit if not the entire deposit returned to you. If she refuses, I would follow through with the threats. And honestly, as much as she doesn't want a law suit, she doesn't want negative publicity even more, so the first call I would make would be to your local news affiliate. And then I would post her name on your local here and at the Knot, regardless of whether or not she refunds your money. And then *I* would slash her tires, but that's just me... Good luck and congratulations on your wedding!
"In the unlikely event that the photographer is injured or becomes too ill to photograph the event, [name of photographer] will make every effort to secure a replacement photographer. If the situation should occur and a suitable replacement is not found, responsibility and liability is limited to the return of all payments received for the event package."
I'm leaving for my honeymoon in a few hours! I will finish dealing with this when I return -- I'll give an update in a week!
from this point forward, i would communicate through mail only. This way you have a paper trail, and she knows you are serious about taking her to small claims court if need be.
I would make the first communication a letter addressing every specific clause in the contract that she broke, what the contract outlined as the repercussions of that, and what you want from her (refund, digital files taken) to settle it.
I would rationally outline in a few sentences the impact that this had on your wedding and explain emotional damages that you and your guests suffered.
THEN i would send this letter through certified mail -- again, she will know that you are very serious and you will have no doubts that she received it.
I have had very few instances of unpaid bills as a freelancer that weren't solved through a stern certified letter!
I swear my family has a wedding photographer curse. My parents photographer didn't show up (he actually told them that he had a better offer).
The photographer for my brother's wedding showed up but then got sick halfway though the ceremony (as in puking over the side rails of the gazebo during the ceremony - the musicians finally pulled him out of the way). They got very few professional shots of the ceremony and none of the reception.
I was married 2 weeks ago. Our photographer did show up but her performance was pathetic. She was so slow that we didn't get even half the pictures we wanted before we had to leave for the reception. She sent us the proofs within a week with an apology letter and a refund as her pictures were horrible. She apparently had gotten some new equipment and hadn't bothered to try it out before our wedding. All of the pictures of the ceremony are so dark you can hardly tell there is anything in the picture. She tried to lighten them but they came out looking blurry and unnatural.
I felt the same way you did - that I am missing out on all these wonderful photos of this incredible day. I spent a few days in tears then started putting out the word to guests. In the past few days, we've had several friends and relatives who have sent us their non-pro pics and many of them are beautiful.
Put out the word about what happened and I'm positive you will find that you had some guests who had hidden photography talents and took some great shots that they can share with you.
gee i would be pissed off...mostly for the fact that she was so darn expensive. My friend does wedding photos for half that w/ the same 7 hrs and pics on cd/dvd (and I still think it's way too much).
I would definately not pay the remainning, and get all the copies of the pic...and maybe even get the depsoit back.
After the honeymoon, I contacted the photographer and asked what she thought we should do in this situation. She wrote a very long, heart-felt apology and took responsibility for 100% of her actions. I believe in her sincerity. She also agreed to not collect any more money from us... effectively a 50% discount in her services. I was satisfied with the compromise. The photos were proofed quickly and available about 2 weeks after the wedding. Many of them are gorgeous!
I've tried to put the initial disappointment of this behind me. I've accepted this situation as one of those things that was out of my control. It still makes me sad to think about it. Now that the photos are back, I realize that we missed some pretty important shots (other than getting ready and the ceremony!) In all of the confusion and chaos of the day, we never took a picture of the entire bridal party. We had a small wedding party -- only 2 BMs and 2 GMs... not too many people to coordinate IMO. We have pics of the girls and the guys separately, but none with the full bridal party. My 5-yr old neice was the flower-girl. There are a few cute pics of her alone but I wish she was included with the girls. We didn't get any posed pictures with the bride and the flowergirl together. Even in an ideal situation I realize there would always be photos that I wished I had, but these seem so basic. I feel so let down by the whole experience.
On the brighter side, our officiant was given a disposable camera and took some really unique photos of the processional -- those can't be beat! Other guests have shared their photos too... there are a few hidden gems among the multitude!
I just read this post for the first time and it was making me sick to my stomach. I could not imagine what makes peopel disregard professionalism when they are hired to capture a moment in our lives. Something you can't get back.
But I am so happy to hear that your guests and officiant were able to provide you with some expert and unique pictures that may have never been captured had they been trying to stay out of the professionals way. Your attitutude is also great... I had a mini meltdown yesterday regarding my invitations- but this is a reminder that all I have to do on time is get married. Thanks!
I'm not angry with the photographer. I really liked her before the wedding and in a strange way, I still like her. My husband and I decided not to disclose the photographer's name in any public forums because we understand how delicate this type of publicity could be for her career. I honestly believe this was an isolated case, not a reflection of how she conducts business typically.
It's difficult to describe how it felt to be in this situation on my wedding day. I was too excited to finally be getting married that I was incapable of being angry with one person that was missing. (I've faced much bigger problems in life, even in the last year!) I was deeply saddened and disappointed but it didn't ruin my day. Lots of stuff went wrong all around me but I was still happy.
I was still incredibly hurt by someone I trusted. The fact that I was willing to pay that much of my hard-earned money meant I trusted her A LOT. It's always more painful when you get hurt by someone you trust. I hope the sadness goes away in time.
At times, I still feel like something is missing. We never had engagement pictures taken because money was tight at the time. We were hoping to have great wedding photography. When I look at the photos now, I still feel some of the sadness and awkwardness that was present on that day. My husband and I talked about having some post-wedding-engagement photos taken to make up for what we lost. At least it would give us a chance to have some nice pictures taken when we're not wearing fancy clothes that make us feel a bit silly!
I was married yesterday!! Hurray! I wish I could share pro pics of my ceremony but my photographer did not show up until it was over.
Our ceremony and reception were held at a historic home. Our photography contract was for 7 hours of coverage (3-10pm). The ceremony started at 5pm. My girls and I arrived at the mansion at 3:00 to get ready. The groom's entire family also showed up at 3:00, specifically to take formal portraits of the groom's side before the ceremony. Our photographer didn't show up.
From 3-5pm, EVERYONE frantically tried to contact the photographer and come up with Plan B. I didn't even bring her phone number... for the price I paid, I assumed I was working with a professional. My officiant had an iPhone and found her number on her website. He called and the number was disconneted. Our DJ called his contacts and again came up with the same disconnected phone number. He also tried to find another photographer who could fill in last minute -- no luck. Our caterer ran to the store to buy 10 disposable cameras so guests could at least capture some moments. Someone emailed the photographer and she finally called back... she said she got food poisoning from the wedding the night before but she was feeling better and could come now.
I understand that bad things happen, however, there was absolutely no communication on her part. She never called -- instead, we had to hunt her down. Her absence threw off the entire flow of the event. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the day, we were forced to run around in a frenzy looking for a backup plan and wondering what went wrong. Not knowing why she wasn't there was the worst torture. I don't even know the full extent of what everyone else was doing to help -- they didn't want to worry me more than I already was.
I will never have pro pics of my dress on the hanger, my shoes, or more importantly, happy bridesmaid helping me get ready. I will never have a professional picture of my father walking me down the aisle on Father's Day. I won't have pictures of my wedding party processional or the look on my husband's face when he saw me for the first time in my dress.
Our photographer miraculously appeared 5 minutes before our ceremony ended. She started snapping away but it was too late -- the marriage ceremony was the most important part to me. What was lost I can never get back.
The rest of the night we were trying to cram everything in that we missed in the 2.5 hours that she was MIA. We had to do all of the family photos during cocktail hour -- it was so hard to coordinate because this wasn't the original plan.
The total cost for 7 hours of photography was $3,600. Her rate includes the service and digital negatives, no albums. I paid half in advance and was supposed to pay the balance on the wedding day. I told her I could not pay the balance and would settle this later -- it was just too heart-breaking to deal with on my wedding day.
I am deeply saddened by the situation. I had a happy wedding surrounded by my family and friends -- that part was wonderful! I'm just sick over not having photographs to remember it by. I couldn't sleep because after it was all over, I couldn't stop thinking about how devastating this was.
I don't know what to do now. It's a 1 in a million chance and I still can't believe it happened to me. I want my money back -- in my opinion, I didn't get what I paid for. I still "owe" money -- she has some photos of the reception. What's fair in this situation?
posted by MrsPomegranate 72 posts 5 months agoI'm so sorry to hear that you had to deal with this. What she did would be considered breach of contract (assuming you had a signed contract); I am not law-savvy, but I think you could take her to small claims court to get back your deposit and make sure that she gives you all of the proofs that she DOES have from the day. It's obviously a case of more than just breach of contract -- she missed the most important event of your life that you can never get back. She should have to pay for that and you should not have to lose a penny.
posted by cupcake 274 posts 5 months agoAnd by the way, congratulations
Despite the photographer heartbreak, at least you're married to your honey!!!!
posted by cupcake 274 posts 5 months agoshe should, if she was professional, give you your money back, and give you the pictures she did take. I would imagine that the entire wedding the night before also got sick if that story is true....it seems very strange. Its her reputation on the line, and if she wants to save it, she should give you everything she has and your money. Contracts usually protect the vendor in cases like this - so that may not work out to your benefit....check it and see what it says.
posted by dreambml 429 posts 5 months agoMrs Pom!!! OH NO! I am SO SORRY THIS HAPPENED!
First, I would shoot an email or call your guests and ask them to send any copies of the photos (via an online website you set up or ) or send you a CD of the pictures. That way you can at least compile some remnants of your day. Did you have a videographer? Perhaps you can take some of their stills? I AM SO SORRY! Also, as for this photographer…I would 100% NOT pay the remainder of my balance. Check your contract for some kind of clause. There should be something in there that states you will pay "for services rendered" or for the specifc time frame you set. There may even be a vendor out clause which would say something along the lines of "if the vendor fails to show, provide services, etc you don't need to pay. I would work something out and explain how they not only missed the majority of your event (and the most important part) but that it was completely unprofessional not to call or send a replacement or anything. I would definitely publicize who they are in forums like weddingbee so others are warned of their business practices. And finally, I would definitely report them to the better business bureau.
I am so sorry you were forced into a situation like this. It’s so hard to think about your day and how beautiful everything is and then begin to wonder if you will remember it as well in the future because you do not have the photos. My heart truly goes out to you! Just try to remember that your relationship and this new journey you’ve begun for you and Mr. Pom is all that matters. You were there, he was there, your families were there and it happened. Its hard not to have the photos, but hang in there!
posted by SoontoBEEMrs 39 posts 5 months agoI'm so sorry to hear that! Don't pay her until you check the contract thoroughly. That sucks, but stuff like that happens from time to time. I'm glad you still managed to have fun :)
posted by Maude 131 posts 5 months agoMy heart aches for you.
I'm so sorry.
I hope the reception photos are marvelous, and will bring you great joy. I think what the photographer did was DEPLORABLE. most photographers have a back up plan, cause life happens and things come up. BUT TO NOT EVEN CALL YOU. I want to scream and shake that person for you.
I hope a lengthy apology comes from that person and they offer you lots of compensation- monetary and an additional photo shoot or two.
Please keep us updated!
posted by beesknees 274 posts 5 months agocompletely unprofessional on her part. that is so awful. i'm soo sorry to hear this happened. =/ the contract should have stated terms in the event that she is ill unexpectedly. either way, it should have said something along the lines of a substitute photographer in this case, or a refund. i would just talk to her about it all, that you are sorry to hear that was had gotten sick however, you are disappointed that you have no photographs of the getting ready, pre-ceremony and ceremony parts as well as having to give up time with your guests during cocktail hour; thus, you feel that she did not fulfill her end of the contract. hopefully, the contract mentioned specific times? either way, good luck!!!
you are married, and that is the happiest part!! :) don't worry about everything else, things that you can't change right now. you'll have plenty of times to take more meaningful photographs!
posted by bride 170 posts 5 months agoI can't even imagine the level of your disappointment right now. However, she will hopefully have some great shots once she did show up so stay focused and do everything possible to get those high-res pictures.
Talk to her first before you go the legal route. She would be an idiot to not want to work with you. Tell her that you'd like to see the images that she has first. If they are satisfatory to you, you can decide if you want to let her keep the 50% deposit in exchange for the pictures. Then take your pictures elsewhere for the album production because you probably won't really want to rely on her for anything at this point.
It's definitely not about the 7 hours she committed to, it's about capturing the moments, like you said. Since she was extremely unprofessional, she needs to make good. Most photog contracts state that if your photog is ill, they will supply a similar-quality photog. The responsibility was on her to find you a replacement photo if she was sick, not yours.
Best of luck, I hope you were able to enjoy most of your wedding regardless. You married the man of your dreams and that's most important.
posted by SoCalBeachGirl 385 posts 5 months agoi'm so sorry to hear that! i'm glad your wedding was fun and i'm sure you will have a lot beautiful shots to look back on. if i were you, i would demand a price break or some deal thrown into the package, you shouldn't pay for the full package. what's fair, is only paying for the hours she was there for at a discounted rate. she was in breach of her contract for not being there for 7 hrs. good luck!
this happened to my friend but he called the night before the wedding and cancelled last minute. he had the lamest excuse for not showing too - "really bad allergies" which is so ridiculous! she paid and booked for this photographer 2 years in advance! i felt so bad for her. luckily, that photographer sent a replacement and that photographer actually was pretty good. this made me concerned about my photographer after i seen what happened to her wedding. my photographer cancelled and rescheduled our engagement session twice (on the day of). so this really made me worried that i emailed them about my concerns. they tried to reassure me but you never know how things pan out until the day of. like they said "anything can happen"... my wedding is in 3 wks & we finally took our engagement pix last friday. crossing my fingers for the wedding!
posted by ecochicbride 50 posts 5 months agoI'm so sorry that happened to you! I make an appointment to meet with her. You flat out under no circumstances should pay her the balance. What she did was breech of contract. If she starts making a fuss about it I would start throwing around the terms better business bureau, local news station human interest story and law suit. I would then ask for the pictures she did take and at least a portion of the deposit if not the entire deposit returned to you. If she refuses, I would follow through with the threats. And honestly, as much as she doesn't want a law suit, she doesn't want negative publicity even more, so the first call I would make would be to your local news affiliate. And then I would post her name on your local here and at the Knot, regardless of whether or not she refunds your money. And then *I* would slash her tires, but that's just me... Good luck and congratulations on your wedding!
posted by prettykatie 158 posts 5 months agoThanks for all the encouragement!!
I checked the contract and it states:
"In the unlikely event that the photographer is injured or becomes too ill to photograph the event, [name of photographer] will make every effort to secure a replacement photographer. If the situation should occur and a suitable replacement is not found, responsibility and liability is limited to the return of all payments received for the event package."
I'm leaving for my honeymoon in a few hours! I will finish dealing with this when I return -- I'll give an update in a week!
posted by MrsPomegranate 72 posts 5 months agowanted to add one more thing!
from this point forward, i would communicate through mail only. This way you have a paper trail, and she knows you are serious about taking her to small claims court if need be.
I would make the first communication a letter addressing every specific clause in the contract that she broke, what the contract outlined as the repercussions of that, and what you want from her (refund, digital files taken) to settle it.
I would rationally outline in a few sentences the impact that this had on your wedding and explain emotional damages that you and your guests suffered.
THEN i would send this letter through certified mail -- again, she will know that you are very serious and you will have no doubts that she received it.
I have had very few instances of unpaid bills as a freelancer that weren't solved through a stern certified letter!
posted by missrae 88 posts 5 months agoI swear my family has a wedding photographer curse. My parents photographer didn't show up (he actually told them that he had a better offer).
The photographer for my brother's wedding showed up but then got sick halfway though the ceremony (as in puking over the side rails of the gazebo during the ceremony - the musicians finally pulled him out of the way). They got very few professional shots of the ceremony and none of the reception.
I was married 2 weeks ago. Our photographer did show up but her performance was pathetic. She was so slow that we didn't get even half the pictures we wanted before we had to leave for the reception. She sent us the proofs within a week with an apology letter and a refund as her pictures were horrible. She apparently had gotten some new equipment and hadn't bothered to try it out before our wedding. All of the pictures of the ceremony are so dark you can hardly tell there is anything in the picture. She tried to lighten them but they came out looking blurry and unnatural.
I felt the same way you did - that I am missing out on all these wonderful photos of this incredible day. I spent a few days in tears then started putting out the word to guests. In the past few days, we've had several friends and relatives who have sent us their non-pro pics and many of them are beautiful.
Put out the word about what happened and I'm positive you will find that you had some guests who had hidden photography talents and took some great shots that they can share with you.
posted by LisaL2B 30 posts 5 months agogee i would be pissed off...mostly for the fact that she was so darn expensive. My friend does wedding photos for half that w/ the same 7 hrs and pics on cd/dvd (and I still think it's way too much).
I would definately not pay the remainning, and get all the copies of the pic...and maybe even get the depsoit back.
posted by superstar 157 posts 4 months agoMrsPomegranate - What did you end up doing?
posted by missbean 131 posts 4 months agoIt's been a few weeks and the dust has settled...
After the honeymoon, I contacted the photographer and asked what she thought we should do in this situation. She wrote a very long, heart-felt apology and took responsibility for 100% of her actions. I believe in her sincerity. She also agreed to not collect any more money from us... effectively a 50% discount in her services. I was satisfied with the compromise. The photos were proofed quickly and available about 2 weeks after the wedding. Many of them are gorgeous!
I've tried to put the initial disappointment of this behind me. I've accepted this situation as one of those things that was out of my control. It still makes me sad to think about it. Now that the photos are back, I realize that we missed some pretty important shots (other than getting ready and the ceremony!) In all of the confusion and chaos of the day, we never took a picture of the entire bridal party. We had a small wedding party -- only 2 BMs and 2 GMs... not too many people to coordinate IMO. We have pics of the girls and the guys separately, but none with the full bridal party. My 5-yr old neice was the flower-girl. There are a few cute pics of her alone but I wish she was included with the girls. We didn't get any posed pictures with the bride and the flowergirl together. Even in an ideal situation I realize there would always be photos that I wished I had, but these seem so basic. I feel so let down by the whole experience.
On the brighter side, our officiant was given a disposable camera and took some really unique photos of the processional -- those can't be beat! Other guests have shared their photos too... there are a few hidden gems among the multitude!
posted by MrsPomegranate 72 posts 4 months agoi'm so glad to hear things are settled! what a terrible thing to have happen, though it is good to hear you do have some great photos.
posted by missm 485 posts 4 months agoI just read this post for the first time and it was making me sick to my stomach. I could not imagine what makes peopel disregard professionalism when they are hired to capture a moment in our lives. Something you can't get back.
But I am so happy to hear that your guests and officiant were able to provide you with some expert and unique pictures that may have never been captured had they been trying to stay out of the professionals way. Your attitutude is also great... I had a mini meltdown yesterday regarding my invitations- but this is a reminder that all I have to do on time is get married. Thanks!
posted by cbkj 38 posts 4 months agoOne more thing...
I'm not angry with the photographer. I really liked her before the wedding and in a strange way, I still like her. My husband and I decided not to disclose the photographer's name in any public forums because we understand how delicate this type of publicity could be for her career. I honestly believe this was an isolated case, not a reflection of how she conducts business typically.
It's difficult to describe how it felt to be in this situation on my wedding day. I was too excited to finally be getting married that I was incapable of being angry with one person that was missing. (I've faced much bigger problems in life, even in the last year!) I was deeply saddened and disappointed but it didn't ruin my day. Lots of stuff went wrong all around me but I was still happy.
I was still incredibly hurt by someone I trusted. The fact that I was willing to pay that much of my hard-earned money meant I trusted her A LOT. It's always more painful when you get hurt by someone you trust. I hope the sadness goes away in time.
At times, I still feel like something is missing. We never had engagement pictures taken because money was tight at the time. We were hoping to have great wedding photography. When I look at the photos now, I still feel some of the sadness and awkwardness that was present on that day. My husband and I talked about having some post-wedding-engagement photos taken to make up for what we lost. At least it would give us a chance to have some nice pictures taken when we're not wearing fancy clothes that make us feel a bit silly!
posted by MrsPomegranate 72 posts 4 months ago