Photographer dilemma- advice please!

twigz314

Hello! I am a first-time poster, and I have really enjoyed reading all the good advice posted on these forums. I am getting married in August 2014. A couple days ago, I came across my first planning issue, and I am very torn on what to do. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I booked a photographer for our wedding in early November 2013, paid a deposit, and signed a contract. We also completed our engagement session with her, and everything was really great. Our personalities were very compatible, and both my FI and I were very comfortable with her. However, I received an email a couple days ago. She said that one of her close friends is getting married on our date, and she really wants to shoot that wedding as well. So, her suggestion was to do all my pre-wedding pictures herself, then have the family photos, ceremony, and reception photos done by her assistant team. She will basically spend the first half of the day at our wedding and the second half at her friend's wedding. She also gave me the option to find a new photographer if I was not satisfied with these options. She did offer to refund my deposit if I chose to look elsewhere.

I'm very torn, because I really enjoyed working with her, but I'm worried that her attention will be mostly on her friend's wedding, which is at the same time as ours in a city 1.5 hours away. I'm also worried that most of the good photographers in my area are already booked! Do you have any advice? Should I stay with my current photographer and her assistant team or look for a new photographer? Thanks again!

emmyg65

I'd look for a new photographer, partly because I don't think her idea will work, and partly because it's not very professional.

photokitty

I would find a new photographer or make her honor the contract. If you make her honor the contract, which should be within your rights depending not he contract - you risk being in a ver awkward situation.

This is very unprofessional behavior. I would get a new photographer. I do not think her suggestion will work. You are not paying for her assistant, you are paying for her. 

I think you have time to find a new photographer by August. I would tell her you are not happy with this and you will try to find a new photographer, but you will not make your decision until after looking into your options.

If you stick with her I would ask for a 50% price reduction since she is only going to do half the work and she is trying to break the contract. I still think that is a bad idea and you need to find someone else. After it is all worked out I would write a review stating what she did. That's the risk of being a wedding vendor - you can't attend weddings if you are booked. 

If this is a really a close friend and she wanted the photog there, she should have considered it when selecting her date.

GL! That stinks

Love_Cam

Oh man that sucks. I would honestly ask for a refund and find a new photographer. Technically you're doing her a favor and letting her out of a contract so she can be at her friend's wedding. Also if you do decide to keep her I would worry about the quality/attention she has for your wedding and the photography she's doing- you don't want her to rush you just because she wants to be somewhere.

CLI242009

Oh man that sucks. I would honestly ask for a refund and find a new photographer. Technically you're doing her a favor and letting her out of a contract so she can be at her friend's wedding. Also if you do decide to keep her I would worry about the quality/attention she has for your wedding and the photography she's doing- you don't want her to rush you just because she wants to be somewhere.


*stuck in the box*

I agree completely with the bold!

This is her asking you for a favor which is completely unprofessional. I would start looking for another photographer ASAP and if she doesn't want to refund you the deposit then I would  make her uphold her side of the contract. You're upholding yours, she isn't if you go with what she has suggested so it fits HER schedule.

The other reason to get out of it with her is because if you decide to make her uphold her end of the contract you might have a very pissy photographer you'll have to deal with. Which doesn't sound very pleasant. Maybe she isn't that immature but the fact she went and asked you this in the first place, IMO, doesn't make her sound very mature to begin with.

twigz314

Thank you so much for all the good advice! I will start to look for another photographer.

Jen4948

twigz314 said:

Thank you so much for all the good advice! I will start to look for another photographer.

I agree with this advice.  If you had booked her, she should have known better than to expect you to let her cut her work for you short so she could go somewhere else later that day.  She can't work both jobs well simultaneously.