"Nightmare" is the most appropriate and fair description I can surmise after the ordeal of dealing with DB Photography. As of today it has been *8months and five days* since our wedding and we have yet to receive our prints or photobooks.
Initial appointment: We met with one of the bridal specialists in our Syracuse, NY store. She clearly outlined the available packages and advised us of some of the unusual practices DBP uses that keeps costs down. Specifically, we learned that we wouldn't actually get to see samples of our own photographer's work at any point. This was slightly disconcerting, but we were assured the quality of our photographer's work would be on par with the beautiful sample book we were shown. Secondly, we were told that we'd be contacted by phone about six weeks prior to our wedding by the photographer to "get to know" one another, but there would be no face-to-face meeting until the actual wedding. Given that the least expensive, quality professional photographer in our area was charging upwards of $5,000+ we felt that we could live with these idiosyncrasies for the $1,349 bargain price that DB was asking and we signed.
Photographer's first phone call: Lee initially seemed quite nice and enthusiastic. However, his enthusiasm soon spilled into total conversation domination as he gave me the litany of his teaching career, photography career, and recent purchase of some special lens that he "couldn't wait to try out!" at our wedding. I recall the lens being central to his belief that he would be providing us with unique and amazing pictures, as he went on about it for almost fifteen, non-stop minutes. I could elaborate further on the exhausting conversation, but suffice it to say Lee apologized profusely for his "adult ADHD" (his words) that he was proud of because it "served him so well as an artist." My only questions to him were (1) Had he received our list of requested shots / portraits (2) Being as that he was travelling from PA to Syracuse, NY (and wasn't familiar with our wedding venue), would he arrive early to scout out ideal places for photos? He informed me that he "doesn't use the DB lists; he's an artist." As for arriving early, he claimed "I have an amazing ability to *be* with a space and simultaneously take thousands of pictures in my head, reject the ones I don't like, and provide you with an unforgettable set of photos." Contrary to DB's policy, he then provided us with his website to peruse his work in other weddings. I would like to say that at least at that point, my fears were calmed. I would like to say that, but unfortunately that was only the start of my wedding-anxiety.
Our wedding day: Lee arrived on time; this is the extent of the "positives" I can share. Instead of "running the show" and establishing rapport as a good photographer should, instead of being a source of calm and professionalism, instead of helping me and my wedding party & family enjoy our last few minutes together as I dressed and made final touches, Lee twittered about exuding anxiety and insecurity like a nervous butterfly. He offended or upset literally everyone in the room and was cause for extreme stress at a time when nerves were already taut and on edge.
My husband later reported that Lee behaved no better when he arrived to take photos of him and the groomsmen. Instead of developing a positive rapport, he alienated and angered each of the gentlemen.
Wedding and Reception: Lee required more supervision than the toddlers that were present. He demanded I approve many of his photos on the spot, shoving his camera in my face, until I flatly told him to cut it out. An outdoor wedding, he dilly-dallied so much that we missed significant photo-ops as the sun was going down. “I’m used to having my assistant with me,” was the excuse we heard repeatedly. He was completely perplexed about where to take pictures; being as that he hadn’t bothered himself to scout out the venue, we were not in the least surprised. He had no clue how to go about getting the "falling flower petal" shot, which was the only specialty shot I had requested. He actually told the best man to jump up on a fence behind us and pelt us with the flower petals. In his tuxedo! Jump up on a fence! PELT US! Throughout the night he did keep busy taking several hundred photographs, so my hope was that despite his personality shortcomings, we would at least have the amazing, artistic photos he'd promised us. Several guests found his behavior bizarre, obnoxious, and annoying as evidenced by some pretty terrible photos he snapped them in as well as the anecdotes we got from friends days later... "I didn't want to tell you this at your wedding, but..." followed by one atrocity after another they'd seen or experienced by Lee.
8 weeks later: DB warns you ahead of time your proofs take 6 - 8 weeks to process. This is a ridiculously long span of time considering the photos are digital; however, we were clearly made aware of it ahead of time. We were, therefore, more than a little surprised that after 9 weeks, we had neither proofs nor communication from DB regarding their whereabouts. I called my Event Coordinator, Katie, and she informed me my proofs were "delayed" because the production department was "backed up." She offered (what turned out to be) the first of about fifty apologies and said we should be receiving notification "soon."
As I mentioned at the beginning, this nightmare spans eight months, so I'll admit ahead of time some of the details have left me (or perhaps I've blocked them out out of sheer self-preservation). I can accurately report that there were multiple phone calls, always initiated by me, following up with DB with regard to the fact that as the days and then weeks went by; our proofs were still not available. Where they were supposed to be sent to us within eight weeks at the latest, I recall that it was more along the lines of three months. There were vague explanations of “production department delays” and the inevitable “Hurricane Sandy delays.” However, when I asked how these delays specifically impacted their ability to fulfill their obligations to their clients, I was never provided any kind of concrete or even feasible answer. The small town of Conshohocken, PA, where the headquarters is located is approximately an hour to the Atlantic Coast.
The proofs: If you're a bride, you are very familiar with the sweet anticipation of your special day... the build-up, the preparation... it's a stressful but wonderful time. After your wedding, awaiting your proofs is also a stressful, wonderful time as you anxiously anticipate the day you can relive your beautiful wedding day through your photos. For us; however, this was a time of sad and angry tears. Most of our photos were ridiculous and redundant: 15 pictures, close-up of my earrings and bracelet? At the SAME angle and lighting? 12 pictures of the same couple dancing, from 20 feet away? There are multiple other examples, but I will spare you the pathetic details. And the worst of it... where most couples have literally dozens of amazing photos to sift through and have difficulty deciding the few they'll make into enlargements, because they have an abundance to choose from, we didn't have a single one. Yes, there are some "decent" shots in our portraits, but not one of the quality or skill one would expect from a professional photographer... or “an artist.” I was- and am- heartbroken. Where were the beautiful photos we were promised by the sales girl so many weeks ago in our Syracuse, NY store? Where was the evidence of their “highly experienced, certified wedding photographers and videographers (to) make you and your day look absolutely gorgeous?” We would have had a better outcome with a student or amateur, and frankly treasure a few token photos taken by friends on the iPhones.
Photos & Photobooks: Despite their taking three months and being in no hurry to fulfill their contractual obligation to me, once we had been sent a link to our proofs, almost immediately I was contacted with emails and phone calls inquiring when I would be sending them my choices for prints and books so they could begin work. After a great deal of deliberation my husband and I decided to forfeit our right to our prints because (1) We were told the turn-around time was 3+ weeks, and we were desperate to have SOMETHING to offer our families for Christmas (which we purchased from Shutterfly, which took four days) and (2) We demanded we be compensated with a second photobook at no extra charge, which our Event Coordinator, Katie, could only get her manager to agree to after multiple phone calls back and forth.
Photobook: Weeks and weeks after we submitted our choices we were notified our photobook proof was available online. We requested a few changes, which DB complied with, but which naturally resulted in further delays. One question I submitted online about the cover of the photobook to them was ignored, but then resurfaced in an email and phone call when my representative wanted to know if I would be choosing a cover photo. On April 12th we approved the book in its entirety and that was the last contact we had with her. Frustrated, disgusted, and saddened; we were relieved that at least this awful experience and abusive relationship would be coming to an end. We were glad to know that despite not being able to gift the photobook to my mother-in-law for either Christmas or her birthday, at the very least we could plan on it for Mother’s Day.
Katie Disappears: Hearing nothing from DB in almost thirty days (how long does it take to print two photobooks??), I phoned them Tuesday, (5/7/13) to assure I would receive my books by Friday. I discovered that not only were my books not complete, but my Event Coordinator had “left” her job several weeks ago. My photobooks have been “sitting in the Production department”, collecting virtual dust. While the young lady I spoke to, Sarah, stated she’d do all she could to expedite my order, in her follow-up call to me the following day, she indicated that the earliest I’d have my photobooks would be Monday. As it turns out, the “first run from a few weeks ago” had “several mistakes” in it (no details provided) and while they were working as quickly as they could to create the pages for my books, there is “drying time” involved that cannot be hurried. She advised me they would be ready by close-of-business Friday and *should* arrive Monday. Too late for Mother’s Day, too late again. I advised her that was completely unacceptable and asked to speak to someone who could get me the promised books by Friday. She assured me her manager, Candace, would be calling me. Beyond defeated and frustrated at this point, I logged-in to Wedding Wire and read all the other brides’ horror stories that had contracted David’s Bridal Photography, desperately wishing I had done so before signing with them the summer before. Out of a need to simply vent, I created my own entry hoping to save at least one bride the trouble of a “bargain” with this deceitful company.
Further Questionable Practices: Candace did indeed call me that afternoon. She listened attentively to my detailled rant and was lovely and apologetic for all we’d been through. She made no promises about getting the books to us by Saturday but genuinely seemed concerned and sincere, and I believed that she would personally try. She asked me what it was she could do to make things “better from this point on?” And only half-joking, I replied that, “Nothing less than a full refund would begin to make this right.” She actually said she’d look into it and get back to me. Shockingly, she phoned me a second time. Her lovely and apologetic tone was long gone, however. She advised me that “her director” had authorized a full refund, but that they would not create any “product” i.e. PhotoBooks, on my behalf. In a very efficient, cold, and terse manner Candace stipulated that I should not continue to seek “social media outlets” or pursue my state’s Division of Consumer Protection as I’d indicated in our previous phone call. The reason for her tone then became evident when she specifically referenced my post from Wedding Wire. Her high-pressure tactics continued as she informed me she would need a quick decision if indeed I expected to have my PhotoBooks in my hands by Saturday. Wanting to discuss it with my husband who was still at work, I informed her I wasn’t comfortable making a snap decision. She said she would call me the following day.
No Other Option: As I sat and reflected on all that had occurred with the company… the ridiculous phtographer, incompetent production department, shifting blame and responsibility within the event coordinators responsibilities (and I’ve not even mentioned up until now the fiasco it was dealing with their Invitations Department!) I became fullyconsumed with anger and sadness at the series of colossal mistakes, lack of communication, and overall apathy on the part of David’s Bridal Photography. I couldn’t help but wonder if turning to an attorney weren’t the most appropriate option. And so I did.
Last Calls: True to her word, Candace followed up, looking for my decision. I thanked her for her help but advised her we wanted nothing less that what we were ethically owed: A full refund and our photobooks. She reminded me she wasn’t authorized to make that decision, but would talk to “her director” once again and get back to me. Our last phone call a few hours ago yielded an offer of both photobooks and a partial refund of about 1/3 of what we paid. I declined.
Next Steps: The lousy $1,000 we “saved” monetarily literally almost ruined our wedding, and has cost us so much more that we can never get back. DBP is the scourge of the wedding world that practices deceitful, apathetic business practices. If you are a savvy bride-to-be and considering David’s Bridal Photography, I would strongly urge you to keep looking. If you’ve read any of their reviews online, you’ve surely built up a degree of uncertainty about their reputation. Listen to that doubting voice inside your head and spend your money elsewhere. Sometimes, you don’t even get what you pay for.
If, like us, you have already been mistreated and swindled by David’s Bridal Photography, I implore you to contact me. I am currently seeking your one, frustrated voice to join together with the hundreds or thousands of others to gather sufficient plaintiffs to begin a formal class action against David’s Bridal Photography. When I read the reviews of the brides who have endured, and continue to endure, these unethical business practices, I become enraged. When I consider the pittance I was offered this very day for my silence, I become righteous.
CONTACT : dbpclassaction@gmail.com with your own nightmare.