Wedding photos

[professionaloverthinker]

We got married just over 7 weeks ago and paid cash for a photographer. She told us it would take 5 weeks for us to receive our photos.

The 5th week came and still hadn't received anything so messaged asking how she was getting on. I received a message back saying she had had a really stressful few weeks and was running a couple of weeks behind, annoying but ok I get things don't always run how you want so have been understanding and patient. I messaged again on Friday to see how was getting on again and told I would receive them Sunday evening....well Sunday eve came and still nothing other then a I'm really sorry text stating she would 100% get them to me Monday late night. Well here I am up at this time and still no wedding photos. I've been so understanding and now quite frankly I am very pissed off and upset about it all. I've sent a bit of a shitty message asking if I'm actually ever going to receive the pictures from our day.

She wasn't cheap and we found her on a very well known website site specifically for wedding services.

Has this happened to anyone else at all?

Photography is an art. Editing can sometimes take longer than anticipated and you've got to "feel" it. If you want the best photos try not to put on pressure otherwise they will be rushed. I think people often underestimate this. She should definitely change the contract to give extra time for this so I understand your disappointment around expectations. Breathe for another 2/3 weeks, they will come

@lululu16 thank you. I think it's more the being told they are coming and them not showing up. I'd rather just be told another 2 weeks then keep getting excuses lol. But I'll sit tight and wait a while longer 😊

5 weeks is a very fast turn around for wedding photos it's a bit more than poining a camera and get pic there's lots of editing and bits and pieces involved

She's been honest with you that she's had a rough and busy few weeks you sending nasty messages is just adding to that.
Remember she is human just like you are and she is not machine

Has she had all the money for the job?

Perhaps ask her for a realistic deadline, say three weeks, and keep in contact with her to keep her on her editing toes. You won’t be the only one - I bet she is drowning in emails like yours atm.

Like a lot of trades/skilled craftspeople, she maybe great at the practical aspect of the job, bad at the admin side.

Did you read reviews from previous weddings? I'm surprised by the paying cash aspect tbh. That's doesn't seem overly legit.

Also got married 7 weeks ago and still awaiting mine! 5 weeks is a very quick turn around tbh! We were told 6-10 weeks. But mine thankfully posts updates on her editing queue on her social media and we did get 10 previews the very next day

Never pay for cash for these things.

What utter nonsense are you talking?

Her contract says 5weeks, so who cares if she feels it or not. That's what she's committed to, and she needs to honour that. This is why I don't support small businesses after a similar experience

I believe the customer will care if she feels it or not as these are once in a lifetime photos to be looked at for years to come - photography isn't just pointing and shooting the camera.
There may be something difficult she needs to edit out in every photo which is taking a long time e.g horrible looking signage or unflattering shadows.
Hopefully she will alter her contract after this to manage customer expectations

Well then it is extremely unprofessional to commit to a date and then keep moving the date without being honest.

We also got married 7 weeks ago and no photos yet but our contract says up to 12 weeks so we might have a bit longer to wait.
I’d just like one photo so I can get our thank you cards sorted! 😂

She is probably very overwhelmed. We had two photographers and they both do the weddings then will each take 50% of the weddings to edit. Even then we didn't get the photos back for 8 weeks, which I think is pretty reasonable.

They did give us some "sneak peek" pictures within a week of the wedding and happily shared a full size version of one of them, which we used for our thank you cards.

I don't think 7 weeks is too bad, although not what she'd committed to. I would perhaps recommend to her, kindly, that she should perhaps give herself some extra breathing room on future contracts so she doesn't get herself too stressed.

Of course if you never get the photos that's an entirely different matter.

Going through some older threads and wondered if you ever got your photos @professionaloverthinker ?