Post-wedding Photo Teasers

Re: Post-wedding Photo Teasers

• lovesclimbing member

  

  October 2017 edited October 2017

  
  

  Knottieb703c8ae834c657f said:

  Hey everyone,
  
  Sorry that this post is long - but I'd like some advice concerning my wedding photos and how I should handle the situation.
  
  I got married on September 16, 2017 which was 6 weeks ago tomorrow. When I booked my photographer earlier this year, I signed a contract that said I would get my full photo package 6-8 weeks after the wedding. As of now, I am not concerned about the full photo package, but I am concerned that I haven't received ANYTHING yet - no samples/teasers, nothing.
  
  The day after the wedding, I emailed him and asked him if I could just have 1-2 pictures in the next couple days that I could share with friends and family. No response. 5 days after that, I emailed him again and just asked about a timeframe of the pictures - when I expected to receive teasers and the full package. No response. Then about 2 and a half weeks after that, I finally emailed him again and stated that since I hadn't heard anything back at all from him, that I was concerned about my pictures in general and just wanted to know if they are okay. He finally responded to the third email and said that my pictures are fine and that he has not started on them; also that his pregnant wife had been in the hospital for the past week or so. I can't imagine what they might be going through and I do feel terrible for them, but after 6 weeks of not receiving anything - not even a couple pictures - and the lack of communication - I am very irritated. I've looked at his facebook and he posted a live video of a band playing on Oct. 6th and when you spend a lot of time in the hospital with someone who is sick, you do have a ton of free time - at least free time to email someone back.
  
  I've messaged the assistant photographer just asking for a couple pictures, who told me he didn't have the authority to provide any. I've also messaged one of his former clients who said she received teasers within 10 days of the wedding. It is really disheartening to watch everyone who gets married AFTER you to receive at least 10 or so teaser pictures within a couple days after the wedding and you have absolutely nothing 6 weeks later.
  
  How would you respond to this situation? What action would you take, if any? Because I signed a contract saying 6-8 weeks, I'm not sure that I have the right to get angry about not receiving my 1-2 teaser pictures yet.

  
  So, this might sound a little harsh, but it's the truth of what business is.
  
  What does your contract say about teasers? If it doesn't say anything, then, no, you should not expect teasers or get upset. Just because someone else got them (maybe that was negotiated?) doesn't mean you will. 
  
  If you wanted a couple photos just a couple days after the wedding, you should have negotiated that in the contract. 
  
  Why would you get concerned after 2.5 weeks when you signed a contract that said 6-8 weeks?
  
  I think you're major overstepping especially for bugging him multiple times after less than half of the time stipulated in the contract. I'd be annoyed if I was the photographer. Leave him alone, and don't email him again until it's been 8 weeks. 

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• nicgetsknotted member

  

  October 2017

  Agree with PP. Unless he is breaking contract by not providing sneak-peaks you have no recourse here. It sounds like you are getting a little intense with all the emails, emailing other people and checking in with his previous clients. It's not really any of your business how he is spending his time (i.e. the Facebook video), as long as he is meeting contract obligations, so I definitely wouldn't bring this up to him.
  
  At this point I would wait until the full 8 weeks is up before you reach out again, if you get to the point where he is breaching contract, reach out at that point.

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• Knottieb703c8ae834c657f member

  

  October 2017

  @lovesclimbing I guess I didn't really make myself clear - I'm not concerned about my full photo package. I do realize the contract said 6-8 weeks and therefore I won't take action on those until the 8 weeks is up. The reason I became concerned is because I asked for 1-2 pics the day after the wedding, which I'm sure is super common among brides and didn't hear anything for 6 days. I am a young working professional and I know that 6 days is way too long to wait to respond to someone's email if they have paid you nearly $3k to do a job. All the email was was just asking a question - I did not demand photos. If he had emailed back and said "I'm sorry, teaser pictures will not be available" that would have been absolutely fine with me. But when someone just doesn't respond, that's unprofessional and a little worrisome. That's why I sent the second email. I do thank you for your straightforward response and time though as that is what I requested. It's good to see another point of view.

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• Knottieb703c8ae834c657f member

  

  October 2017 edited October 2017

  @nicgetsknotted Thank you for the advice!

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• lovesclimbing member

  

  October 2017

  Knottieb703c8ae834c657f said:

  @lovesclimbing I guess I didn't really make myself clear - I'm not concerned about my full photo package. I do realize the contract said 6-8 weeks and therefore I won't take action on those until the 8 weeks is up. The reason I became concerned is because I asked for 1-2 pics the day after the wedding, which I'm sure is super common among brides and didn't hear anything for 6 days. I am a young working professional and I know that 6 days is way too long to wait to respond to someone's email if they have paid you nearly $3k to do a job. All the email was was just asking a question - I did not demand photos. If he had emailed back and said "I'm sorry, teaser pictures will not be available" that would have been absolutely fine with me. But when someone just doesn't respond, that's unprofessional and a little worrisome. That's why I sent the second email. I do thank you for your straightforward response and time though as that is what I requested. It's good to see another point of view.

  I don't know if it's common or not to ask for teaser photos. I didn't at my wedding. 
  
  Sure, he could have responded, but I know I don't always respond to emails immediately and he could have been busy. Frequently, I won't respond immediately but will wait until I have a better answer for the person. Like, not a business example, but my sister texts me to ask if we want to come over for dinner. Rather than texting back with "I'll ask H when he comes home," I just wait until he gets home, ask him and we decide, and then I text her back with a yes or no. 
  
  I could see something like that happening and he was waiting until he had the photos done to respond. 
  
  I don't think it's a huge deal. 
  

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• kaos16 member

  

  October 2017

  I'm sorry, but pregnant wife in hospital trumps teaser photos.  Give him the 8 weeks to get your albums done, heck I would be lenient on that too, you don't know what's going on with his wife.  If you want to see teasers from the wedding, and really can't wait. . . . ask your friends to send you some shots they took.

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• climbingsingle member

  

  October 2017

  I think it's a little out of line to be emailing a photographer the day after your wedding asking for photos. I certainly didn't ask my photographer to provide me with teaser photos, and it was not mentioned at all in our contract. 
  
  I honestly think you are overreacting. September is a busy time for photographers, and I'm sure he has shot many other weddings besides yours. AND his pregnant wife is in the hospital. 

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• flantastic member

  

  October 2017

  Again, the contract. Just because you asked for teasers (after the fact, and not promised by your contract) doesn't make him obligated to provide them or even to respond... even if he didn't have anything more important going on, which it sounds like he does.
  
  I also agree with PP that he probably hasn't had time to do them, but maybe plans to when he does have time. Ergo, instead of just responding promptly your your request with a "no" or to give a timeline for teasers that he's not sure he can follow, he'll just send them when he can get them done.
  
  I just heard today about a friend of a friend who was on bed rest last week at 28 weeks and is now in the hospital 8.5 cm dilated. They're doing everything to keep her from having this baby 12 weeks early. If my husband were in that situation, I think teasers that I'm not actually obligated to provide would be super, super low on the priority list, and I think that's something you should be more understanding of.

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• charlotte989875 member

  

  October 2017

  Would it be nice to have teasers? Yes, of course. But unless it was in your contract or he promised them to you, I think you have to let it go. It signals nothing about his ability to delivery your pictures as promised.
  
  Also, no not everyone who is visiting someone in the hospital has tons of time on their hands, and honestly I'd be annoyed if I was having a health crisis and my husband was emailing about something that was not an emergency. 

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• justsie member

  

  October 2017

  I never got teasers, didn't ask for them and they weren't stipulated in my contract. It sounds like you weren't promised anything until 6-8 weeks so wait until then. I don't think you should get upset because he didn't provide something that was never promised. 

  

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• ahoywedding member

  

  October 2017

  Knottieb703c8ae834c657f said:

  @lovesclimbing I guess I didn't really make myself clear - I'm not concerned about my full photo package. I do realize the contract said 6-8 weeks and therefore I won't take action on those until the 8 weeks is up. The reason I became concerned is because I asked for 1-2 pics the day after the wedding, which I'm sure is super common among brides and didn't hear anything for 6 days. I am a young working professional and I know that 6 days is way too long to wait to respond to someone's email if they have paid you nearly $3k to do a job. All the email was was just asking a question - I did not demand photos. If he had emailed back and said "I'm sorry, teaser pictures will not be available" that would have been absolutely fine with me. But when someone just doesn't respond, that's unprofessional and a little worrisome. That's why I sent the second email. I do thank you for your straightforward response and time though as that is what I requested. It's good to see another point of view.

  Did you guys take a honeymoon? Maybe the photog also figured you were away and didn't want to email you while you were on vacation. Then his pregnant wife got sick and his priorities changed. Could he also have had other jobs in that 6 days between emails? Also, photographers don't like to send out un-edited photos, and usually don't have time to do that immediately. If it wasn't in your contract, there's nothing you can do.
  
  And as an aside, it's really childish when people stalk someone else's social media and say things like "he posted a live video at a concert, so his wife can't be that sick." Maybe the ticket was bought before shit happened. Maybe a friend took him to try to distract him. Maybe he was scouting a location for another job. Either way, not your beeswax. 
  
  Have some wine, chill, and ask your friends for some photos in the meantime. 

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• southernbelle0915 mod

  

  October 2017 edited October 2017

  You need to relax. Your contract says 6-8 weeks for a total photo package. You can start getting irritated at 8 weeks plus one day. Not before. And stalking his FB page to make sure he does nothing fun until he gets you your teaser photos (which were not promised to you)? Wtf, really?
  
  Your contract says nothing about teasers so idk why you "expect" them. If you wanted them by a certain time, you should have written it into the contract. Lesson learned.

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