It’s always nice when you find a client who knows exactly what they want and have no issue communicating that to the photographer, but is this bride going too far by refusing to pay her wedding photographer the final payment unless they capture everything on her five-page checklist?
There may be situations when a potential client is struggling to explain what their exact requirements are or they may not give you enough input when it comes to organizing a shoot. However, when it comes to wedding photography, it’s quite common to eventually run into what may be called a “bridezilla”, namely, an intolerably demanding client who is insistent in running things her way only, and would provide her input more than required for the job to run smoothly.
In a recent Facebook post, one bride-to-be laid out her advice to other brides and grooms, by explaining that she would not be paying her photographer their final payment, unless her five-page long checklist of must-have photographs has been fully ticked. In her post, the bride assumed that her advice will be helpful to other couples planning their big day, however, she was quickly criticized for her attitude, and looking at her original post, it is not surprising.
Unfortunately, this will not only apply to her photographer, but also to the videographer. As the bride claimed, she will note specific videos she wants recorded in full length, edited, or otherwise. She justified her advice by reminding that her wedding is a once in a lifetime event, and as such she wants to ensure that she receives every single photograph and video that she has envisioned.
Unsurprisingly, others quickly reminded the bride that this is not how the process works, and the photographer and videographer will provide a contract on their terms, not otherwise. Equally, others explained that the general booking process involves paying a deposit upon booking the service, followed with final balance days or weeks before the wedding date, depending on each photographer or videographer’s terms and conditions.
Upon seeing client requests such as these, it may be beneficial to revisit your contract and ensure that your contract is up to date and you have protected yourself from similar issues, should any ensue. It’s unknown whether a particular photographer and videographer have already been booked by the bride concerned, but hopefully the bride will revisit her demands and minimize the risk of feeling let down, should certain requested shots and videos be impossible or be missed. For some of us, this may be a reminder about the realities of wedding industry.
What would your response be, if a client approached you with such specific demands?