What made you book with Amanda Marks?

ilovenola99

I'm very sorry for all of you who were scammed and taken by Amanda Marks. My heart really does go out to you.  It seems like this has been going on for a long time, even upwards of two to three years. Brides who were  on this chat board were posting and warning to not use her. Like most negative vendor postings on the knot they were not deleted either. The bride who was featured on this news story posted on this board that she found out about Amanda two weeks before her wedding yet still used her desipite of the warnings. Amanda already had an F rating on the BBB at that time when her Fall 2012 clients used her.

 

Just about every single wedding vendor and venu in town knew Amanda was not a real photographer and the problems and inexperience she had. Yet, she continued to book and shoot weddings. Furthermore Amanda just didn't have the experience or the portfolio. She doesn't know how to use photoshop. 

 

I'm asking those of you who used Amanda. Why did you? What made you book with Amanda Marks? Was it purely on Stacy Mark's recommendation? Did you shop around? Did you check the BBB? Did you read the knot.com before? Did you google her? Did you meet with her before the wedding? When you booked with her did you ask to see multiple examples of a full wedding she has shot? Did you ask for references? What was the sales pitch that hooked you into booking her? 

 

What would you recommend to future brides who book any photographer so this doesn't happen to them?

ilovenola99

I'm asking to help brides, so it doesn't unnecessarily happen to any bride ever again.

 

Also when booking any wedding vendor you should.

 

1. Check the BBB for negative reviews.

 

2. Don't believe all reviews you read online. They can easily be faked by any wedding vendor, their employees or their friends.

 

3. Google, and search for negative reviews. Note that vendors regularly have negative reviews such as theknot.com deleted.

 

4. Don't take referrals from other vendors at face value. They will often recommend close friends, family members or other vested interests. Some wedding planners will also get paid by vendors for their recommendations. Get recommendations but also do your research.

 

5. Ask your friends, coworkers and friends of friends who they used. Ask them what they liked, what they didn't like about that vendor.

 

6. When asking those in the industry about other vendors listen to what is not being said. Most vendors do not want to say anything negative about another vendor so they will often say, "no comment" or brief statements. If they give glowing reviews with examples of how and why they like the other vendor you know it will be real.

 

7. When booking a photographer or videographer ask to see several end products of videos or full wedding examples. Keep in mind the examples posted publically on blogs are often their best work. If you ask for full examples, realize they are also sending you their best work. So find examples of their work from other sources. You can ask brides on message boards such as this to see random full examples and end products of their weddings.

 

8. Contact brides though review sites. Most often you can click on their profiles and ask more detailed questions. Contact several so you are not being answered back by a fake bride or fake review. 

 

9. Don't feel pressured to book. You may feel all the other vendors are booked and you need to make a rushed decision. DON'T! Take your time. If one vendor is booked their is a good chance many others are not. 

 

10. Make sure you have a detailed contract. Make sure timelines, services, product and everything else is written out in full detail in the contract. Reputable vendors will have a complete contract which will help protect you and them.

LisaandMatt4Ever

Ok, my friend was one duped by Amanda, and she will be the first to tell you it was because Southern Oaks recommended Stacy Marks and he was booked, so he recommended Amanda.  After Amanda took her money and would not call her back a few time she booked someone else.   I have the same photographer she had and this person told me all kinds of things that people in the wedding business knew for a long time and that Stacy and a few other photographers knew but kept referring her.   The people referring her didn't know she was doing anything illegal, but there was complaints coming in.  Stacy and his family own one of the local wedding magazines, the Nola wedding guide, so I am sure it looks bad on them too.  When my photographer told me all the rumors going around and how when they were telling brides about Amanda, a lot of brides did not believe this person.

klosborn

I was referred to Stacy Marks.  Stacy was booked and referred me to Amanda.  i met with her before I booked her an all seemed great.  She had a great portfolio and was very responsive.  I looked her up on theknot.com and there were good reviews on her.  Nothing negative anywhere.  Nothing on her on the bbb website.  After contstantly badgering her for 3 months, I finally got my photos on a disc (many were unedited).   She continued to blow me off and I never got my albums, nor have my pictures been edited.   She is horrible but didn't show this until a few days before my wedding and by then it was way too late.   

I recently found out that she was hitting on one of my husband's friends at our wedding and stood outside with him for a while, and then asked him to take her home!!  Our wedding was still going on!!  So of course our friend said "hey there's a wedding going on in there."   So she went back in.  My God she is sick.   

I'm an attorney and I encourage everyone who was duped by her to call the ADA and press charges.
 

gabs813

I really believe that Stacy did not know what she was doing or he would not have referred her to so many people. I've known him outside of him being my photographer for quite a few years and he is not the kind of person who would do that. What she has done can potentially hurt not only his business but all of the Marks' businesses and they are some of the most professional people you could work with. They've worked hard to build their businesses and if they had truly known what she was doing to her brides their recommendations wouldnt have been given. This is just my opinion and I'm sure other people feel differently and I am terribly sorry for the Brides that she scammed. 

jdcook1

I started researching wedding photographers in June 2010 for my October 2011 wedding. I had it narrowed down to 3 photographers. I did extensive research online for all photographers. Amanda Marks had no negative reviews anywhere (theknot.com or the BBB). We met with her in person and she had at least 6 different albums for us to look at. She seemed knowledgeable and professional. Add to that everything included in our package (Engagment and Bridal shoot, 16x20 Bridal portrait, her shooting the wedding, the DVD of the edited photos, plus the wedding and mothers album). Our meeting lasted for over an hour and we asked her many questions about her experience and how she took certain pictures. After signing the contract, we felt very confident in our decision. To the brides who were not affected by Amanda's actions, please note, that the first negative comment (on the Amanda Marks - DO NOT HIRE thread) appeared on this site on September 11, 2011. I, like Katylady, the bride interviewed for the first WWL-TV news segment, found out about Amanda's scandalous ways two weeks before our weddings, AFTER we paid her in full for her services and too late to book another photographer. Katylady did not decide to book Amanda two weeks before the wedding.

jdcook1

Also, I had a detailed contract.

jdcook1

Ilovenola99, I have a suspicion that you are a wedding photographer. If not, then a wedding vendor. I am curious if anyone asked you about Amanda prior to everything falling apart for her (before October 2011). If so, did you honestly say, "No comment" or give short answers or did you tell how you really felt about her. Some people, not related to this issue, are saying that other photographers and vendors knew about her and would warn clients from using her. Just curious if you did the same or followed what you said in your above comment. I also have another question... Please note that I AM NOT DEFENDING Amanda Marks, but so many people keep saying she only had 3 or 4 years of experience and so on. Doesn't everyone and every business start somewhere? There were times when the big names in the wedding photography industry (Studio Tran, Stacy Marks, Robert T., and Robert Faust) were just getting started. In fact, some of the new ones on the scene have just started their business and are not getting knocked because of it, (one of them was trained by Amanda Marks!) I'm just saying that her years in the business should have nothing to do with this. The brides that chose her decided to do so based on her portfolio. If we didn't like her work, then we would've went elsewhere. Her inexperience with business and money is ultimately what led to the current situation we are in now.

ilovenola99

Everybody starts somewhere at the bottom of the ladder. They work hard to move up. Amanda started at the top of the ladder and fell to the bottom. My opinion is she was marketed as a much more experienced photographer than she was or was capable of being. Maybe you don't agree or feel that's the truth. That's ok.  

Think of it this way. A photographer has to know how to pose, how to work the camera and how to light. Lets say photographer #1 posed the bride, lit the scene and set the camera settings. Photographer #2 pushed the button and put it on their portfolio page. Is photographer #2 the capable artist or is photogapher #1 the capable artist? What happens when photographer #2 has to go out and do it on their own? 

Lets also say for principal photographer #2 has never used photoshop and it confuses them. Photographer #1 does all the post production work. What happens when photographer #2 can't do that post production work because #1 is not there any longer to do it for them? 

October 2011? What about the non album deliveries in 2010 and 2009? She got caught in 2011, but it sounds like it was falling apart long before that.

jdcook1

Good points. I honestly never thought about it that way. Just because I was married a few months ago doesn't make my situation any less. I'm still out over a thousand dollars for non-delivery. I want all the wronged brides to receive justice. That's why I'm here all the time updating the boards with the most up to date information. I was contacted by the DA's office yesterday and will be talking to them again today. I've been urging all brides to follow suit and contact the DA's because trying to sue her isn't getting anyone anywhere. She is living in an unknown location (a hotel) and has yet to answer a demand letter. She has no assets, either. I wasn't bashing you or your profession, I just wanted clarification and you provided it to me. Thank you. But please don't lessen my situation because I haven't been waiting for a year or more.

ilovenola99

Of course not, it's an awful awful situation. My heart really does go out to you.

jdcook1

Thank you, I really appreciate it. Hopefully, this will all be resolved soon!

janeqdoe1180

Amanda Marks purposefully scammed her brides. She knew exactly what she was doing. She didn't know how to produce the albums, and every bride's money was spent on her life style the day it was in her hands. I have known her for a number of years now. Everyone pretty much knows that she was a stripper when she met Stacy. She married him and he did turn her into an instant photographer. She had no desire to be a wedding phoyographer, but it was easy money for the highschool drop out to make. She spent every dime of these brides money on herself. She is financially irresponsible and personally irresponsible. After Stacy divorced her, she had no knowledge of how to produce or edit any of the photos because Stacy took care of all that. I'm sure he didn't know the extent of her deception, but he knew she wasn't capable of running a business. Amanda has played the damsel in distress card and she has gotten others to take care of her mess right now. She isn't financially producing any of the photos or disks. Other people are paying back the brides or are editing and producing the albums owed. Amanda is NOT worried about any of this. As far as she is concerned, this is no longer her mess to deal with. She has gone back to Vision's Mens club, she is planning on moving to Biloxi, she is going to change her name and start all over. Her legal advice has been for her to not ever have anything in her name, so that civil lawsuits will not bother her. She is planning on none of this affecting her life, and it's not affecting her because she's been getting everyone else to handle this mess. Unless brides press criminal charges for theft, you're never going to phase her.

jdcook1

That's what I plan on doing... I am in the process of pressing criminal charges right now.

janeqdoe1180

good. I dont ever want to damage Stacy Marks in any of this, but he did know that she had no business accumen at all. I think he was just hoping that she would sink herself, but she managed to drag him into the whole debacle. I've  always felt sorry that he had ever gotten messed up with her. Stacy and his family are wonderful and they know how to run a professional business. Amanda married him or the money, used him for everything she could and then thankfully Stacy got smart and divorced her. I've talked to her many times beofre and since all this broke out, and she hasnt been phased at all. She was practically laughing at all this and planning her next steps to get out of New Orleans. She has already been taking steps to moving to Biloxi and she honestly believes that ever bit of this is behind her and that she isn't going to be held responsible legally for any of it. She and her lawyer made a deal with judge that if she produced the one bride's albums before the next court date that she will have everything wiped from her record and she will walk away scot free. She is waiting for that date so she can leave.

jdcook1

Ugh.  I sure hope that the Detective I've been in contact with doesn't let the charges go.  I have proof of her lying about the albums and lots of other evidence that really can't be ignored.  I've also spoken to her lawyer and he is a skeeze.  She needs to be held responsible and accountable for everything she has done.  I hope justice will be served.