Cheapskate bride asks amateur friend to photograph her wedding for $300, adds 4 more photoshoots and complains when she charges $250 more: 'Once I sent everything, they blocked me on all social media'

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Dec 16, 2024 3:00 PM EST

A wedding photographer is underratedly one of the most important parts of a wedding. Sure, you want to make sure that the venue is right, the flowers are flowering, and the dress is what you dreamed of, but what good is any of that if there are no photos to remember them by? Your wedding day is for the moment, of course, but you also do it so you can look back on it and remember the day you sealed the deal. A wedding photographer is there to make that happen. Photographing a wedding is no small feat, either. You can't just point and click and hope everything turns out okay. You have to be aware of lighting and angles, and you have to be like a hawk, ready to capture every moment as it comes. Or else it might be lost forever and nobody wants to be responsible for lost memories. 

That's why this situation became so tenuous when a bride hired an amateur photographer to do the job of a professional. Read on for the story and decide who you think was in the wrong. 

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  • 01
    Cheezburger Image 10440804096
    via Mariah Krafft
  • 02
    AITA for charging my friend more money after finding out I would be doing five separate photo sessions for their wedding?
    via u/Tired-and-eepy
  • 03
    I (25F) was asked to be the wedding photographer for my friend's (28F) wedding. Although I only had experience in artistic photography and public events, I reluctantly agreed after being assured it wasn't "that different." I offered to do the engagement and ceremony photos for $300, which is an extremely low rate, considering my limited experience.
    via u/Tired-and-eepy
  • 04
    A week before the wedding, my friend revealed new plans: I was to photograph the salon preparations starting at 7:00 AM, the ceremony, a reception the next day, and a park sh ot afterward. This was way more than we initially discussed. After consulting with her mom and sister (my best friend), I decided to increase the fee by $250 for the additional locations and time, bringing the total to $550. The couple agreed.
    via u/Tired-and-eepy
  • 05
    The wedding went smoothly, but the reception was small, poorly lit, and difficult to sh ot, and the park shot was long. By the end, I had thousands of photos to sort through. I told them it would take months to finish editing, which they understood, and reminded them I was still awaiting the rest of the payment.
    via u/Tired-and-eepy
  • 06
    Shortly after the wedding, I developed severe health issues, was hospitalized, and was later diagnosed with a tumor crushing my windpipe. Surgery and recovery delayed my ability to work on the photos. Needing funds for my medical bills, I asked for the remaining payment, but Bride 2 responded that they didn't want to pay because the photos weren't finished. She also claimed they had felt pressured to agree to the price increase. I reminded her that they had changed the scope of the work last-min
    via u/Tired-and-eepy
  • 07
    This was devastating. I had agreed to five shoots and worked through severe illness for a fraction of what most professionals would charge. Eventually, they agreed to pay the full amount but only after I delivered all the unedited photos. Once I sent everything, they blocked me on all social media, and I was effectively cut off from the family. This created tension with my best friend, as I couldn't attend events when her sister and wife were present.
    via u/Tired-and-eepy
  • 08
    Fast forward five years. My best friend, feeling caught in the middle, asked if I could apologize to smooth things over. Wanting to support her, I sent a heartfelt apology, admitting I should've drawn up a contract and regretting the negative feelings surrounding their wedding. Bride 1 responded coldly, claiming she didn't know I was sick and blaming me entirely. My best friend now feels worse, as her attempt to resolve things backfired.
    via u/Tired-and-eepy
  • 09
    I'm left wondering: Was I wrong to charge more for the additional work, even though it was still a very low rate? And could I have handled the apology better?
    via u/Tired-and-eepy
  • 10
    Any-Mode-9709 23h ago . • I reminded her that they had changed the scope of the work last-minute and that I was already undercharging. She dismissed me, saying I wasn't a "real professional" and implying my work wasn't worth the price. This is where you should have quit, OP. Shooting a wedding is HARD, really hard, and as a "non-professional" you are going to get sh on FOREVER for your work. You would have been literally
    via u/Any-Mode-9709
  • 11
    better off being blamed for NOT shooting it than having them look at photos they do not like, for the rest of their lives. A wedding shoot you are describing is easily 5000$ and would require at least three photographers. You were in way over your head. Apologies are not necessary and frankly you are better off without them.
    via u/Any-Mode-9709
  • 12
    Tired-and-eepy OP. 23h ago • I had pointed this out to them and had explicitly said that I do NOT specialize in wedding photography months before their actual wedding. I do concert photography for multiple media sites which is extremely different from wedding photography. They insisted that it couldn't be that different and wanted to save money and were giving me "work and experience" that I did not ask for.
    via u/Tired-and-eepy
  • 13
    starfire92 • 23h ago • Top 1% Commenter You should have said no. This fault still is their court but if I'm a pastry chef and I'm hired for catering a 5 course meal, I have to say no. I'm the expert on what I do. They're just normal people. If they knew the ins and outs then they'd be able to make an informed decision but they don't as they're just normal people. So I wouldn't let them dictate what I do knowing my industry.
    via u/starfire92
  • 14
    The only fault here you have is feeling the pressure to say yes. They're callous, cheap people who expected the best photographer, whilst paying peanuts and being people to someone who's going through a medical issue with no compassion. I would drop ALL of them because I'm pretty sure they took advantage of you because you're unable to put your foot down. Even your best friend is putting the onus on YOU to make things less uncomfortable when you arguably did them a favour. People saving like 80%
    via u/starfire92
  • 15
    Flimsy-Field-8321 23h ago • - NTA did you ever actually get paid? Why the everloving heck would YOU apologize? You were more than generous and they were the ones taking advantage of you. If you did not get paid, can you still sue in small claims court? I would also tell everyone what they did to you.
    via u/Flimsy-Field-8321
  • 16
    Icy_Cardiologist8444 23h ago . NTA. 1. The bride was overly demanding and just wanted something for cheap. You decided on a price, and then she added additional tasks, which absolutely necessitated a price increase. Then, she tried to shaft you on the payment because you had severe health issues and couldn't get things to her in what she considered a timely fashion. People like this are not your friends, and anyone who sides with her is not your friend either.
    via u/Icy_Cardiologist8444
  • 17
    2. Your best friend was a j for asking you to apologize. This was one of those "be the better person" situations where you were asked to apologize when you were not the person in the wrong. The bride was aj, and you shouldn't have apologized to her at all. The bride had already shown you and everyone else what kind of person she was, so I don't really feel bad for your best friend being upset after the apology backfired. She should never have asked you to begin with, and I do question why you ne
    via u/Icy_Cardiologist8444
  • 18
    3. The bride's response to your apology just goes to further solidify the fact that she is a major j She was the one in the wrong, but you apologized anyway; she then doubled down and continued to put all the blame on you. She is a selfish human being who has jo empathy for others and is just not a good person in general.
    via u/Icy_Cardiologist8444
  • 19
    One of my biggest pet peeves is when people expect the person who was wronged to "be the better person" and make amends first. There is no point in apologizing when you weren't the one at fault to begin with. I really hope that your best friend rethinks her friendship with the bride; if she doesn't, I would rethink your friendship with her. You went out of your way to appease your best
    via u/Icy_Cardiologist8444
  • 20
    friend and apologize when you had. nothing to apologize for, and you were treated horribly again. Some people just don't change, and you should always think twice about people expecting you to be the "better person" rather than asking the person who was actually wrong to apologize.
    via u/Icy_Cardiologist8444
  • 21
    Civil_Monitor1512 23h ago . . No you aren't and based from your story you had the right to charge them and as the saying goes business is business if they have an ounce of respect for you and your profession then they would have discussed with you the change in scope and considered paying you more.
    via u/Civil_Monitor1512
  • 22
    UnfairEntrance159 23h ago. • NTA. I laughed when they felt pressured to pay when they pressured you to do more unpaid labour.
    via u/UnfairEntrance159
  • 23
    Diylion 23h ago • • I'm sorry but ESH I work in freelance. I often give my friends and families free projects and it's totally reasonable to be late on those projects because you have other priorities, clients etc. but even on underbid projects it is very unprofessional to ask for final payment before work is done. Your health issues are not your clients problem and when you asked for payment, they became your client.
    via u/Diylion
  • 24
    Also she shouldn't be expanding the scope of work, but that's also on you for not making a clear contract. This is why I never charge close friends and if anything I ask for a nice gift or a gift card.
    via u/Diylion
  • 25
    • xyzzy9099 1d ago · NTA, you weren't wrong and were more than fair. Agree that you should have had a contract, even with a friend. Life got in the way and ultimately they are the ones that are the least understanding of that.
    via u/xyzzy9099

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