Bridezilla!!!!

[KAikens318]

I need some tips from you wedding photographers out there on how to deal with a Bridezilla or if this is even worth bothering with. So this girl I am shooting a wedding for doesn't have a lot of money, which is fine. I am not a professional by any means, this will be my first wedding so I am only charging her $150 for an all day shoot plus I gave her a free engagement shoot. She decided she didn't want an engagement shoot, she wanted me to shoot her daughter's first birthday party instead, which I did.

I am running a special for my business of booking/completing a shoot in the spring, clients get a free sitting fee/shoot (prints or CD not included) any time they want this year. So she decides to tell me that she thinks she deserves a free shoot since she booked her wedding with me in the spring. I reminded her that the shoot wouldn't be completed in the spring, not to mention she already got a free shoot for her daughter. She finds this unfair and wants a discount on the wedding. I already explained to her that she isn't going to find a wedding photographer that will charge as little as I did and she was already getting a HUGE discount, especially considering the list of required shots that she sent me is 45 shots, just to start with.

Is this even worth it? She harasses me every single day, on Facebook, on Yahoo mail, on my cell phone...at this point I am ready to say adios...what do you think?

 

[bigtwinky]

I'd say adios in an instant.

You are charging her $150? Not only do I find this price ridiculously low, and possibly hurting the wedding photography market in your area, if someone wants to give attitude after getting a free shoot already, things are only going to get worse.

Do you have a contract with her? If not, then document everything as to the reasons why you are terminating the verbal agreement (just in case things come back later on, you'll at least have more details written down) and tell her to go find another photographer willing to do her wedding, all the while being polite and professional.

Not worth the troubles at all. People are so freakin greedy.

 

[Big Mike]

This is the kind of thing that happens when you charge $150 for a wedding.

If you can get out of it, without looking too bad, do it ASAP. If you go through with it, you will only get more of the same.

 

[photographyfanatic]

Cut your ties!! Even if this is just your first wedding...$150 for an all day shoot plus hours of editing and post processing? $150? Really? That's easily $1000 minimum! Don't sell your efforts short!

 

[KAikens318]

I just never know how much to charge because I haven't been trained at all or anything, but I do have an eye for photography and have been doing it religiously for a year now. I sent her a letter and also called her on the phone and told her that I am not going to be doing the services. She emailed me 3 more times since I originally posted this with other demands so I am done. I was very professional and polite but I am sure once she gets the message the storm will come. I am shooting another wedding in September that is paying $1000. She just doesn't see photos as being that important and yet she has all these demands. Good luck to her I say. I doubt I will even go to the wedding even though my husband is part of the bridal party. Oh well.

 

[Jeff Colburn]

Dump her. If you think she's bad, just wait until all of her friends line up at your front door for their $150 weddings.

Have Fun,
Jeff

 

[Derrel]

Cut, tactfully, and run. Is it worth this kind of hassle for $150, for weeks on end?

 

[bigtwinky]

Good on you for dumping her.

I really do want you to update the thread with her reaction. Due to the lack of drama on this forum in the last few days, I'll take anything at this point

 

[photographyfanatic]

If you let her take advantage of you and push you around well then she will! If she doesn't see the value of photographs and wants to rob you just move on. There are plenty of people who know talent and are willing to pay for it.

 

[Jim Gratiot]

In addition to your time being MUCH more valuable than $150... there is pretty much 100% chance that she won't be satisfied with the final result. And she could then proceed to trash your reputation beyond repair, if she is one of those types of people.

It doesn't pay to make enemies like this when you're just starting out--so say goodbye and let her go harrass somebody else.

Good luck.

 

[KAikens318]

Here you go for a little drama:

Here is my initial email that I wrote her and essentially what I said in the phone message too:

I don't think I will be shooting the wedding, for a few reasons. 1. There are a lot of photos to be taken from your list. It's going to be a long day. Long days and lots of photos equal many hours of post processing which can add up to quite a bit of money. 2. After adding all of your shots together, plus the time to do the wedding and the processing, plus a CD, it will end up over $400 and I understand that you guys don't have that in your budget, and that is okay (Trust me, I know all about money crap!). But doing something that requires that much work and then getting paid $100 for it including the prints, I will end up with $40. Not to sound greedy or anything but this is using hours of my day, not to mention creative fees and such, plus I need to buy equipment for this as well and equipment is not cheap. I can't sell myself short. I know that I haven't been to school or anything for this however I do believe that I have talent and while the home portrait shoot I did of Shauna didn't take that much time and effort, this will. Not to mention for all the shots you want I would have to bring on a second shooter and pay them as well. Sorry if this seems like it is greedy or whatever, but those are what I have come up with after calculating all these factors together.

Her response:

What the f*** b**ch? You told me that you were going to shoot my wedding and that it would be cheap. Over four hundred is not cheap by any means. Now I only have 7 months to find another photographer. You are leaving me in a f*cking ditch and I don't appreciate it. Don't expect us to be friends with you or Steve after this, he will be lucky if he even gets to be in the wedding. What is worth your time oh great one? Two shots? Would that be worth $100? I hope that you never find work again and if you do I feel sorry for those people. Get off your f**king pedestal, you aren't that great and your photos suck anyways. I am better off finding someone else and I am sure they will give me a fair price that is lower than yours. This is not your average wedding and I am not settling for crap so see you later. Thanks a lot b*tch.


Now keep in mind, this wedding is taking place in their hick town's town hall, not in a pretty church. No flowers, no decorations, nothing. The reception after is in their backyard in a trailer park (Not that there is anything wrong with trailer parks, it's actually quite nice) but the 'this is not your average wedding thing threw me into a fit of laughter.

 

[Jim Gratiot]

Sounds like a charming girl... her husband's a lucky man.

 

[mwcfarms]

Ah thanks for my daily dose of drama. Lol just kidding sorry your husband friends wife sounds like a total douche. You did not need that in your life. Glad you could get out of it. Lol I had our wedding celebration in the nearest towns hall and it has carpet on the walls lol. I do not lie. It was ok our real celebration was the day we got married in mexico and I paid my photographer 1950$ and got a deal lol. Good luck with your business though.

 

[KAikens318]

Ah thanks for my daily dose of drama. Lol just kidding sorry your husband friends wife sounds like a total douche. You did not need that in your life. Glad you could get out of it. Lol I had our wedding celebration in the nearest towns hall and it has carpet on the walls lol. I do not lie. It was ok our real celebration was the day we got married in mexico and I paid my photographer 1950$ and got a deal lol. Good luck with your business though.

She is horrible. I feel bad because this is probably going to ruin the friendship with my husband and his friend, but at the same time, I don't want or need her drama. Very immature. She is one of those overly controlling women and her husband-to-be is a very timid guy who never speaks up for himself. Oh well, her loss!

 

[Rosshole]

Lol, wow. Good thing you got out of that... You should go to the wedding though just so you can see who she finds to do it for less than $150!

More power to you!