[jennifera]

We hired a photographer who charged by the hour and told us we would get a disc with all the photos. She was to give us a letter releasing the photos. A few weeks after the wedding, I received an e-mail stating the photos were ready. When we spoke she told me she printed 600 proofs. She did this without consulting us first. I asked if we were supposed to sit down and choose which ones we wanted. She stated we were to purchase all of these. We feel that she should have informed us of her intentions. Now we don’t know what to do. We did not want her to print these as this was a way for us to cut down on costs by printing them ourselves. Please help!

Thanks,

Jennifer

[Wedding Queen and MOG]

Jennifer -

Do you have a contract? if so, what does the contract say with regard to printing proofs and making payments?

This post has been edited by TWQadmin: 12 November 2025 - 09:38 PM

[jennifera]

We did not have a contract.

[Visual Media]

Ouch. I hate to say it, Jennifer, but the absence of a contract makes it very difficult to prove who agreed to what. Unfortunately, deals that begin with only a handshake have a way of ending up in arm-wrestling if anything goes sour.

Certainly, if your photographer accepted the job without putting the terms in writing (and giving you a copy), that wasn't very professional. You should have been told up front exactly what was or wasn't covered by the amount you agreed to pay. Many photographers include the expense of proofs in their basic fee; after all, you need the proofs to decide what prints and albums you want to order. (You might need to pay extra if you wish to keep the proofs, however.) What you're describing sounds a bit unusual, especially if electronic copies of the images were available.

That said, though, if you have nothing on paper that specifies how the proofs were to be handled -- and paid for -- then it's your word against the photographer's.

I don't think the situation is hopeless. In this line of business, having happy customers -- and thus, getting good referrals -- is very important. Your photographer has an incentive to see that this problem is resolved satisfactorily. I'd suggest that you call your photographer and say, "Look, this really wasn't what we were expecting. What can we do to work it out in a way that's fair all the way around?"

That's usually a much better first step than calling the Better Business Bureau, or calling a lawyer. Once a situation turns hostile, it's hard to salvage a worthwhile outcome.

Good luck.