Christie Photo
No longer a newbie, moving up!
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2005
- Messages
- 7,199
- Reaction score
- 148
- Location
- Kankakee, IL
- Website
- www.christiephoto.com
I've never come across this before and I'm not sure how I will proceed.
I shot a wedding late past September. I've been shooting weddings since 1972, so I'm not new to this.
My policy the entire time has been to collect a deposit to hold a date, and then collect the balance of my minimum order upon completion of the proofs. These days, I no longer make paper proofs, posting a web gallery instead. So the gallery doesn't go up until I get paid.
The bride booked me last January after seeing my work online. At the time, I thought it was a bit unusual... she called asking if I had the date available, came the same afternoon, paid the deposit and signed the contract. No muss, no fuss. She was in and out in less than 15 minutes. We exchanged emails a couple of weeks before the wedding day to confirm some details including when final payment was to be made.
I began contacting her about 18 days or so after the wedding to tell her the gallery was ready and payment was due. I did not get an immediate response. I wondered if they were still honeymooning. Several days passed without hearing for her. Her mother did call, twice, asking if the photos were ready. I gently let her know I had not yet heard back from the bride, and that would have to happen before the photos were made available.
After two emails, two phone messages and a mailed paper invoice, there was still no word from the bride. I received an email from the mother asking when she could see the photos. I decided to let her in on the problem I was having with payment. I finally got an email from the bride advising me it was OK to talk with her mother about the matter and that her mother was to make payment.
So, I phoned mom... told her how much to pay and explained the she could see the photos upon payment. That's where its stalled. I sent a second invoice marked "past due, please remit." That was mid December. I haven't hear a word for either of them.
I have NO clue what's going on. My first reaction is to call mom to discuss this some more, but my gut tells me any communication should be documented. It seems she knew the whole time her daughter expected her to pay, but mom never told me she was to handle that. This all seems a bit fishy to me. I can't believe the bride is willing to go this long without seeing her wedding photos.
I'm baffled.
-Pete
I shot a wedding late past September. I've been shooting weddings since 1972, so I'm not new to this.
My policy the entire time has been to collect a deposit to hold a date, and then collect the balance of my minimum order upon completion of the proofs. These days, I no longer make paper proofs, posting a web gallery instead. So the gallery doesn't go up until I get paid.
The bride booked me last January after seeing my work online. At the time, I thought it was a bit unusual... she called asking if I had the date available, came the same afternoon, paid the deposit and signed the contract. No muss, no fuss. She was in and out in less than 15 minutes. We exchanged emails a couple of weeks before the wedding day to confirm some details including when final payment was to be made.
I began contacting her about 18 days or so after the wedding to tell her the gallery was ready and payment was due. I did not get an immediate response. I wondered if they were still honeymooning. Several days passed without hearing for her. Her mother did call, twice, asking if the photos were ready. I gently let her know I had not yet heard back from the bride, and that would have to happen before the photos were made available.
After two emails, two phone messages and a mailed paper invoice, there was still no word from the bride. I received an email from the mother asking when she could see the photos. I decided to let her in on the problem I was having with payment. I finally got an email from the bride advising me it was OK to talk with her mother about the matter and that her mother was to make payment.
So, I phoned mom... told her how much to pay and explained the she could see the photos upon payment. That's where its stalled. I sent a second invoice marked "past due, please remit." That was mid December. I haven't hear a word for either of them.
I have NO clue what's going on. My first reaction is to call mom to discuss this some more, but my gut tells me any communication should be documented. It seems she knew the whole time her daughter expected her to pay, but mom never told me she was to handle that. This all seems a bit fishy to me. I can't believe the bride is willing to go this long without seeing her wedding photos.
I'm baffled.
-Pete