Maybe I’m over dramatic but i feel so impatient with my photographer!

Also he has a very young baby so I’m sure that keeps him busy. But also he knew that before making that promise!

It's definitely frustrating that the photos weren't delivered by the day he promised. Is this in your contract? I don't think that texting him is out of line, but I also don't think that a day or two after the promised date is the end of the world, especially so close to the holidays. I would wait until Monday to reach out via text.

8 weeks means 8 X 5 standard business days, excluding holidays and election day, and days a business was closed due to owner/ primary person taking vacation days off. This is the definition of courts enforcing business contracts,, and of most businesses. Unless excessive, like planned a 10 week vacation without telling you. So deduct Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Election Day, and since you know he went to Alabama for the holiday, Wed, Thanksgiving, Friday, maybe Monday. With 4 holidays and likely a few other closed Vacation days, like Wed and Fri or Mon to fly on busiest time of year schedule, he is on time if as late as Wednesday of next week, 11 days from now. This is someone who works lots of evenings and most weekends. He is entitled to take holidays like everyone else, and close his business some other business days, like around Thanksgiving, take 3 extra, to make up for all the weekends in addition to business days he works. If you were a small business person, you would do this too.

View Quoted Comment I 100% agree with this. I feel like your pictures will probably be in before the next weekend or week after.
Most people don't return work related messages until the next work day (regardless if emails go straight to a phone), so I wouldn't expect a response until Monday. Its Thanksgiving weekend and you know for a fact he's home with family.

I am sure the postal service has been slammed lately. So if he mailed them it may take longer.

We had a similar experience with our photographer. They told us 6-8 weeks. I never heard anything from them after the wedding until I reached out to them at the 8 week mark. They told us they were running a bit behind, but we would have them no later than the following Friday (8 weeks and 6 days). Well we returned from our honeymoon (no cell service/internet access) on Saturday (9 weeks) to an email that says the photos would be delivered no later than Monday (9 weeks and 2 days). On Monday, no email and no photos. Early Tuesday (9 weeks 3 days) morning (like 4 am) we received the email with our gallery. It couldn’t be opened. Tuesday afternoon, they resent the gallery. But some of the pictures were distorted when opened up from the thumbnails and half of the photos were in only black and white (all of our photos were supposed to be delivered in black and white and color). On Thursday (9 weeks 5 days), we received the corrected gallery. On Friday (9 weeks 6 days), I tried to download and the pin was incorrect. On Monday (10 weeks 2 days), we finally received the downloadable album (sent through a different platform than the original gallery).

No advice, just comiserating with you! We had no sneak peeks so the extra wait time was killing us. Our photos were absolutely amazing though, and definitely worth the wait. As a result of all of this and some other issues we had regarding our engagement photos, our photographers gifted us a wedding album as compensation.

I think you're being over dramatic. Not only is it a holiday weekend but you know he's out of town most likely with family. I understand being impatient since I also had to wait to the very end of my photographer's time range, but this is not the time to overly stress about it. I think if it gets to 10 weeks then it would be reasonable for you to bust his chops.

9/29 is the best date. 😁. I'm sorry he's taking too much time. That does seem to be a while. We got ours around a month. But a friend of mine went through sometime who it was like 8 months when she finally got her pictures back. So you may not get the deal you wanted, but at least he gave you a timeline. You signed knowing that time line, you should respect it too.

This is not an etiquette question, this is a business question. If he said 8 weeks, then he is late (and no, unless he said 56 business days, it is ridiculous to adjust for holidays). He knows how to use a calendar, and could have/should have looked at calendar before he said 8 weeks. Stop with the emails. Send him a hard copy letter with copy of the email. Inform him that you will be missing deadline for offer on album, etc. I would be very concerned he will rush through and do a crappy job, so keep copies of all. No, you are not being overly dramatic.

View Quoted Comment Agreed. You are paying him for a service. If something came up where he could not reasonably meet the agreed upon deadlines, he should have clearly communicated such. I don’t believe it is dramatic at all to have the expectation that a vendor will meet the service delivery expectations that you’ve agreed upon and are paying for.

If it were me, I would be understanding of an unforeseen circumstance that may have arisen (sickness or accident, etc.) but I would be peeved if they never communicated clearly with me about the service I’m buying and the associated timeline.

View Quoted Comment Agree with this. Yes a contract is in place. You are the bride but be a human being in this situation. He is with his family. If you otherwise had a wonderful experience with this photographer, hopefully that will be reflected in carefully edited photos. You are being a bit impatient. It’s very easy for any photographer automatically state 8 wks because that’s what their normal timeline is. As a human being, it is equally easy for them to not realize at the time of booking (often upwards of a year ahead of event) that the 8 week mark will land on a long holiday weekend. Give the person a break. I know you're excited and anxious but your photos will keep. We’re not talking about perishable goods here.

Don’t forget yours probably won’t be the only email he’ll need to get to. I’d give him until EOB Tuesday for getting back to you with a firm update. (Ask for an immediate sneak peak if that will make you feel better) I’m sure your pics will be amazing!

View Quoted Comment He is 1 day late. It could be in the postal service.

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I think she is waiting for an online gallery, so the postal service is irrelevant.

I don't think you are being ridiculous. It's tough to be patient! They deal with brides for a living, they should get that.

I am a bit concerned because the week after my wedding, my photographer went to another town and did 25 mini sessions in 2 days. I see her posting those pics on Insta and I am like HEY! What about me? You took mine first, Lol!! I know it's a lot easier to edit a mini session rather than thousands of photos of a wedding. Doesn't make my waiting any easier!

Totally get it! Our wedding hasn't even happened yet (little over a week!) and I'm having a hard time getting an answer out of our photographer! SO ANNOYING. I get that you're busy and have another job...but I shouldn't have to wait WEEKS before hearing a response. I was a travel agent for Disney and lived by a "respond within 24 hour rule". So I guess I'm biased...but still. I get your frustration.

View Quoted Comment Out engagement shots came in the mail on a flash drive.

I saw the OP posted in another thread with her pro pics, so I'm guessing she did finally get them and this has been resolved.

View Quoted Comment Yep this is right! And of course now I feel silly for being so worried lol. The pictures turned out great!!!

Did you guys have a signed contract? If so, theres a day that he has to have those photos to you and if its passed that, thats a legal matter for breaking a contract. If not, then just be patient!