To start deleting these wedding pics?

[JonSnowsWhore]

This is soooo outing but I don't know any other way of putting it.

5 weeks ago, I did the photography for an old friends wedding. I don't have a photography business but I did photography in college as an adult so she knows I do it cheaply to help out people I know. Before this wedding I hadn't seen her for a couple of years btw & wouldn't have been close enough to be invited to the wedding which is fine.

The wedding ended up being brought forward to when I'd still be pregnant, so I asked another photography keen friend of mine if she'd come & help me out as I knew I'd struggle doing a whole day at 7 months pregnant. Said we'd split the money between us & she said great as she'd love the experience.

So we get there at 10.30am, do the getting ready photos, horse & carriage photos, go to venue & do ceremony, group & couple photos, get a break for the food, then back again for the speeches, some of the party, cutting cake & first dance, eventually leave about 8.30pm. Bride said she'd pay me by bank transfer the next day & as I know her, I was fine with that.

Sent her my bank details the next day, got an excuse that their online banking was playing up, they'd go to a branch on the Monday to pay it. Monday morning I see on Facebook that they're setting off to their honeymoon in the uk. Don't hear anything. Midweek another message, there's no English banks so they'll do it as soon as they come back from honeymoon. I'm a bit pissed off now as it's not just me going without, I'm meant to give my other friend half. Since then it's been an excuse about their car breaking down, this money issue that money issue, can she pay me half & then the other half at the end of the month (now) so I say if that's all she can do then we'll have to do that, as I felt bad that my other friend hadn't been paid yet. She never paid the half, & never replied to my message. Now it's the end of the month, 5 weeks since the wedding & we still haven't had any money.

So, WIBU to start deleting her bloody wedding photos, what should I say to her as I'm getting bloody pissed off now, at first I didn't want to demand money as she was a 'friend' & didn't want to make things awkward, but can clearly see now that she doesn't give a shit about making things awkward!

I agree with you about the editing, OP. She may have no standards, but you do.

But hold the pictures ransom until you are certain that your friend has been paid!

Good that she has paid your half hope she does pay your friend today too

*I think you make her wait for the photos the same length of time you have waited to be paid

After all, you are busy about to have a baby etc and you want to do a fab job on editing and that will take a very very long time won't it?
*
Fab job OP, good luck with your baby, hope he turns round ok

It took us about six weeks to get ours back after editing. I had paid obviously but I didn't mind that, so take your time.

No a professional would want a deposit up front.

You need to tell her firmly that YOU were hired by her, and your business arrangement with your friend is none of her concern. Also that this is to stop right here and if she does not pay YOU the full £200 by 5pm today then she leaves you no option but to take her to small claims.

Exactly right Elphaba. The verbal contract was with the OP - no-one else.

OP's arrangements with other people are not pertinent to this .

Wait until your friend has been paid before giving her the material. Once she has paid her, then give her the material, without editing. Her behaviour has been unacceptable.

I never claimed to be a professional though

No, you were saying about the videographer, wedding professionals, like a photographer, videographer, car hire, etc would require a deposit first.

God sake, I've just had a newborn photographer from Emma's diary ring me up trying to sell me photography packages for when the baby is born, I've had enough of photography for one day 😂

Oh sorry aero I thought you meant me, yes I really can't see that the videographer hasn't been paid something for turning up on the day. The only reason I was silly enough to risk it is because she was a 'friend'

If she has only paid you half of the money, only send her half of the photos - preferably the bottom half.

I would certainly do as M007 suggests and make her wait a loooooong time if you intend to edit them. If she complains, tell her you are on maternity leave, and because she didn't pay you sooner, you didn't start the editing. You will begin it when your friend confirms that she has had her £100 - though personally I would have insisted on all of the money coming to me.

She owes the money to the person she made the arrangements with, nt your friend. This is another attempt to get the photos cheap. Tell her that if your friend chooses not to accept the £100, you want it (legally you are entitled to it). You can then buy your friend some photographic equipment if she feels she can't accept cash.

Make sure your friend knows what an awful time you've had getting paid, and that you really need to make sure this Bridezilla comes up to the mark. (Tell your friend to donate it to a charity if she doesn't want to accept anything herself.) It's very important this woman doesn't get away with her sh!tty tricks.

And remember - you're not a professional, as you say, so are under no obligation to produce professional quality work. (Though I absolutely understand why, for your own satisfaction, you don't want anything less than the best leaving your hands - it's called taking pride in your work and fulfilling your obligations. Something Bridezilla would know nothing about.) If you must edit - make them neat but don't lose a massive amount of time on them. You deserve a rest after all this stress.

Oh - and have some and some .

not to be taken internally until you have finished b/f , though feel free to throw the bottle at anyone you want.

You sound very level headed and rational!

Oh bless you, now you know for next time. YOu should be able to trust a friend, but she is awful . They would required to have a deposit or some % of the overall cost paid upfront before they do any work, to prevent things like this happening.

Oh I love that idea flappy! It was my birthday 2 weeks ago & my partner got me one of those mobile photography studios with the backdrop & lights. My friend actually does have her own little business doing children's photography that she's only really just starting out, if she refuses to accept any money I could buy her one of those! She does more natural shots at the moment but then she could offer the mini studio sessions aswell

Dirty these are not words that are usually associated with myself 😂

You sound very level headed and rational!
these are not words that are usually associated with myself

Must be your pregnancy hormones making you act out of character OP.

Don't worry - you'll be back to daft-as-a-brushness in no time once you've had that little 'un!

If anything pregnancy turns me into even more of an irrational ranting lunatic!

You know what it is, I've been given some stronger tablets by my dr for my spd/sciatica combo so they've probably chilled me out!

Is there any way you can edit the photos so that she only gets the bottom half of each one until your friend has been paid?

exactly as Happy Flappy said

How absolutely DARE the bride decide to give you half. It is none of her business what you do with the £200. The agreement was with you not both of you. I can imagine her and her DH plotting how to get one over on you. I'd publicly write on her wall that she has only given you half of the money and you want the other half paid directly to you. Only if paid in full and after you have time to settle with your new baby, would I even attempt to do as few photos as possible and shove them at her. Do not go out of your way to deliver them! Do you have to give her the disks? It wouldn't! She is really horrible for deliberately messing you around. At this stage I'd refund her the half and say as the agreement wasn't met I was deleting the photos. . That would mean she would lose out far more long term. Your reputation would be intact as she did not pay you in full. And you could get on with relaxing while waiting for your baby. She might think she is being very clever but she is playing a very stupid game. In years to come this reality will hit her when she doesn't have any good quality photos.

I never thought I'd say this but I nearly hope the Daily Fail would pick up this story.

Noooo don't say that! This is sooo outing people would know it was me from a mile off lol. Obviously I've been having a good old bitch in private with some people I know aswell haha.

Apparently my friend has messaged her back & told her what we've all said, to pay me the rest of he money as the 'contract' if you like was with me. I'd still be just as happy with her being paid directly though, well I would have been had it not felt like it was being done because I'm the one who can't be trusted to split the money haha!

But all I've wanted was for us both to get our little share for working a 10 hour day, and for them to be happy with their photos. Can't believe it had to come to all this drama over a poxy £200! I'm exhausted from all the drama today haha!

Good for your friend for backing you up. Bride has tried to 'divide and rule' but it's not working

Stick to your guns, get payment in full, do minimal editing at a pace that suits you.

FFS - who quibbles over paying someone £200 for 10 hours of photography by 2 people followed by however many hours of editing?

I'd wager that after travel and fuel costs and editing time (never mind time chasing cowface) you're probably getting NMW.

What a tight cow.

She isnt going to pay your friend.
She will assume that your friend doesnt want the money and so its costing her £100 now.
Do not hand over the photos until you have £200, either in your bank or between you and your friend

I made it very clear to her that if my friend wouldn't accept the payment, she's to give it to me so I can physically hand it to her, or like happy's great idea, at least buy her something photography related for her business if she point blank refuses the money off of me. So she knows she still has another £100 to pay. The original agreement of £200 was meant to be all mine anyway, before the wedding was brought forward & I realised I'd be 7 months pregnant. It was my idea to ask someone to help & to split the money so I didn't have to let the bride down & make her have to look elsewhere for someone much more expensive. How we live to regret our decision eh!