This Wedding Photographer Is Being Asked For A Full Refund After The Groom Cheated, And He Doesn't Know What To Do
When wedding drama comes from within the family, things can be juicy. But when vendors get involved, it gets even messier.
Recently, Redditor u/Wedding_dude (or Wedding Dude, for short) took to the r/WeddingPhotography subreddit to share an incident with a bride who wanted a refund after he had already shot her entire wedding.
She'd found out that the groom had had an affair; but it wasn't just any affair. "Earlier this summer I shot a wedding," Wedding Dude began. "My typical second shooter couldn't make it, so I found someone else online who I felt did good work."
"Anyway, she and I shot the wedding, and everything seemed to be business as usual. The photos were edited and delivered to the client, everything was good. Then this morning I got an email from the bride."
"She wanted a refund because the woman I had hired as my second shooter for the day had ended up sleeping with her husband after the wedding. [In her email to me] she also included photos from his phone to prove it."
In later comments, Wedding Dude went on: "[The bride] sent a handful of photos taken with her husband's phone. Pictures appear to be in a hotel room. Images for some reason have today's date on them, with titles like 'img_01.'"
"I haven't responded yet — what's the best thing to do here? She hired me for a job, the job was completed, and the product was delivered. But I also feel like this would be like if I were a professional dog walker who walked a client's dog, then came back and shot it."
"Of course, the second shooter is considered a private contractor and not an employee... I really feel for this lady, but that's also a lot of money to have to give back for work that was completed."
In a follow-up, Wedding Dude said that he asked the second shooter for her side of the story. "She initially denied it," he wrote, "then after I brought up the pictures she said he claimed they were in an open relationship so she thought it was okay."
People in r/WeddingPhotography were having a field day with this post, which they're saying is "by far the best post of the year in this [subreddit]."
"First, this is the funniest shit I ever heard. Seriously, this is some sitcom-level writing right here. I know you may not see it that way, but come on. Second, tell them to eff all the way off. You run a business, and don't offer infidelity clauses in the contract."
"Work done, work delivered, obligations met. We are human, and can feel remorse for others, but you also have a business. Unless there were serious issues with the work or deliverables, no person in their right mind would expect to get their money back.
If she wants a refund for a wedding service, she can sue her ex husband. This is an open and shut 'no'. Good luck out there."
Another proposed compromise: "Offer her a discount on her next wedding."
Meanwhile, commenters repeatedly expressed that the husband was more in the wrong: "This sounds harsh, but her husband was going to cheat on her regardless of who your second shooter was. It’s not your fault that she married him."
"How about had you been the bartender? 'Hey bartender, my husband got drunk with your booze and cheated on me, give me a refund!' Lol, no, they wouldn't even ask. It doesn't happen with other vendors. Clients keep asking for unreasonable refunds from photographers because we keep enabling that behavior. Your job was completed and delivered. You can't take out the eggs after the cake was baked. So no refund. This is soap opera-level drama, lol."
And that ultimately, no refund should be granted. "Tell her you're sorry to hear that but there isn’t a way for you to refund for a service that has been completed per your contract. The second shooter is a contractor who you will not work with again, but she's not directly involved with your business. You can't refund her just because something unfortunate happened that you had no control over."
Not everyone held this opinion, though. One person wrote,"I don't know what the people here are talking about, I would refund her fully. If she shares this story all over the place, like online, in reviews, or in podcasts, it is YOUR name on the photography contract. I have refunded weddings for less than this because reputation is everything and it's just not worth it [to risk it]."
"Do you HAVE to refund her? No. SHOULD you refund her? Probably, if you care about your reputation, especially if you use your name anywhere. Weirdos on the internet will attack you instantly if she shared this and it went viral."
"Imagine that story being the second Google result for your business. Honesty, not worth the risk. Sometimes, through no fault of our own, we have to pay for problems to go away."
Okay, I read, like, a ton of Reddit replies and I'm still not sure what I would do here, LOL. Feel free to share your opinions below!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
