Dear DBS...

What do you do if it has been a while after your wedding and you have not heard back from the photographer or Videographer about your pictures or video?

First things first, refer to any previous communications or contracts with your photographer or videographer to see if they stated what their turnaround time would be. Although editing can take some time, most photographers/videographers have a good idea of their own turnaround and usually state it up front.

If you have checked back and are either not finding any info or are way past that turn around time stated, then we suggest you reach out to them to check in. If you do not hear back at all, especially if you have paid for your product, then we definitely encourage you to reach out to them through every form of possible communication: call, text, email, and even reaching via social media. Remember some people are better at one form of communication over the other.

Although we are suggesting you reach out on multiple platforms, we need to make clear we are not suggesting you be rude or demanding. If anything, you should lead with being as understanding as possible. Feel free to be direct, but understanding. In our experience it generally gets better results, and even if it does not get you better results up front it will serve you in the long run if you must hire legal help.

Keep in mind what time of year it is; this is extremely important when dealing with photographers/videographers. There are “busy seasons” and there is a good chance they are not responding because they are completely booked and backed up on work. This should not be an excuse for not responding, they should be communicating with you in some form, but the busy season could affect the amount of communication, as well as its timeliness.

If you are still hearing crickets, after you have reached out in every possible way, then you may need to resort to hiring legal help. But, before you do, we suggest sending one final blast of written communication warning them that you are going to be forced to hire an attorney if you do not hear back. It just might convince them to reply.

We truly hope none of our couples experience a situation like this. This exact situation, however, is one of the reasons it is EXTREMELY important to vet your vendors. Always read the reviews and make sure they have a good record of great service. If you see a red flag bring it up in your interviews with them to hear how they respond. This is such an important day, and you need to be working with people you trust!

Sincerely,

Denton Bridal Show

Have a wedding dilemma or question about planning? Maybe we can help! Whether you are a bride or a groom, MOB or FOB, member of the bridal party or family, or a vendor please send your questions our way and we will do our best to answer them. Contact us on Instagram or via our website contact page.