More photographer nightmares- ADVICE NEEDED!

I don't know what to do anymore. the wedding is in 2 weeks. I REALLY need to talk to this p.o.s. photographer and i really need to do it in person but i am REALLY not liking the idea of going alone.

I can cancel for a 500 dollar fee (we owe him 800). Or maybe IF there is anyone available i can try to demand another photographer in the company but then i'm stuck with whoever - although who knows maybe that would be a good thing.

I actually met with our photographer alone. FH didn't meet her until we went for our E-pics Monday lol. Can you possibly talk with FH about his concerns and take those concerns with you. I don't think I saw any of your previous posts. If the guy is good and you really want him I say just go see him for your final meeting. I would be too afraid to switch at this stage in the game. Whatever you do I hope it works out for you!

I don't think you both need to be there. I really hope this guy turns out to be awesome.

I agree both of you don't need to be there

Is one of us in person better then both of us web conferencing? FH works at a warehouse so he couldn't even get to a computer... he said he could go to his car and call in while i'm there tho.

https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-forums/wish-dumped-my-photographer/387219fa222fd2ed.html

Thats my most recent post. He's horrible to deal with... like literally worse then your worst nightmare. This is just icing on the cake. I HATE him and I DO NOT trust him to do good work. BUT our wedding is in 2 weeks and we have zero extra money. We dont even have a videographer cus we cant afford it.

Worst part is when we first met this guy we met with him at 6pm on a weeknight. If i would have known 3 was the latest he meets theres NO WAY we would have booked him. Clearly he was just trying to get my money.

I do not think you should go alone. He sounds like a bully, and going alone he'll take serious advantage of the situation. Who else can you go with? Any of your friends or family? I think going to see him in person with ANYONE is better than you and FH web conferencing with him.

Ugh. So sorry this is happening to you

I guess you have to ask yourself if you NEED FH there or WANT FH there I just read your past post. Some of the pics are not great but seem to get better on down. I hate to say this but I think you should try to make the best of this and you may be surprised in the end. Did you ask him if you could meet him at night like the first time? I am sorry this is happening to you but my advice is take a deep breath, go see him alone, take another deep breath and look forward to your big day. I have a feeling after it's over you will see you worried for nothing. I am sure your pics will be beautiful and in the end all the matters is you and FH

Here's my advice: Shop around for a new photographer. If you find someone you like and they have the date open, cancel your current contract and book the new photographer. If not, at least you tried and have a backup.

Also, if he's not the owner of the studio, I would request speaking with the owner about your concerns with him. Hopefully the owner will be able to address the problems and find a solution. Good luck!

Ur pictures on ur wedding day will be memory for life. If ure already having all these bad instincts about him, what makes u think he will make ur memories Beautiful? Ure obviously not satisfied with him even just a bit. If it was me, I would just pay the extra and hire a new photographer because like I said, ur wedding is once in a lifetime. Its one day. That one day will be in memory through photos. A good photographer, someone u trust, is a must. All this in my opinion of course. Good luck future Mrs.!! ♥

This is not an easy question. What it sounds like you're asking (though not directly) is if you should stick with this guy. IMHO, you need to ENJOY the company of this person...if you don't, it will definitely come across in your photos. I would ditch him and get someone else. There are MANY talented photographers and MANY who will treat you better than this guy! I wouldn't worry about meeting with him. I would find someone else ASAP! It may even improve your stress level!

If you aren't comfortable with the guy, it's gonna show in your pictures.

Since I live in a different state, I met with our photographer over Skype. It was so easy! My fiance wasn't able to be there, but it was very comfortable and felt like we were meeting in person.

That being said, our photographer is VERY easy-going and fun to work with. It doesn't sound like your photographer is the same. I wish you luck, though. Pictures are not worth the gamble.

Am I missing something here? This guy has office hours and wants you to do business during his business hours. Because he's not flexible (photogs can be quite the divas) he's now the "photographer from HELL" and you're really thinking about giving up $1k over a meeting? And 2 weeks from your wedding date?

Not taking his side but just wondering what part of the equation I'm missing. Hope it works out to your satisfaction.

I would take someone else with me.

Have a back up plan for him too, does any of your friends or family have really nice cameras?? Have a friend take some pictures as well or if he turns out to be terrible and you don't want him there you'll at least have that friend. Also if it is a super nice camera no one will know that they aren't hired professionally. Good Luck this sounds awful and very unprofessional of him!

I am thinking along the same lines as Rick R. - I may be missing something, but it sounds like he has working hours. While this may not be the smartest idea for him to be so strict with his hours, he is human and probably tries to keep his hours so he isn't working 24-7 (and since you mentioned babysitter it sounds like he has young kids too.) Most banks, bakeries, restaurants have set hours and require you to work around your hours, so if this guy works as part of a larger company, I don't see it being unreasonable for him to want you to work within your hours. Does it say anything about the hours in your contract?

I think that in order to have a good relationship with you, he could probably be more flexible though.

Also, looking at the photos, I don't think they suck at all. The first batch threw me off a bit because the bride wasn't wearing any makeup, which you don't see often, but I think the photos are pretty good.

I agree with Rick and Michelle. You did hire him for a job, but that doesn't make you his boss. I'm sure he has a bunch of other brides who also feel like they should be his top priority.

If you're this upset with him, you aren't going to be comfortable having him follow you around for the whole wedding day. That energy can come through in the photos, and then no matter what his talent is or how beautiful you look, the pictures can turn out poorly.

I think you need to cut him some slack, and try to start with a clean slate. 2 weeks unit the wedding, no money for a new photographer, little time to research and interview potential new ones... I'd think time/money/stress would be better spent repairing your relationship and opinion of the guy you originally chose.

The situation isn't great, but it's not the worst thing either. Take a step back, breathe, re-center, and it will all turn out ok.

Just out of curiosity... if you aren't sure about the quality of his work, and it seems you're having trouble getting along with his personality- why did you choose him?

One more tidbit (realizing you're probably cussing me already), airing all this on WW, and in such an inflammatory manner, is very risky business. If you decide to keep him, and he's reading these posts, how do you think it's going to affect his attitude on your wedding day? I'd strongly suggest you nuke these threads. They may feel good but in the end they may come back to bite you hard.

Really hoping for the best for you, Katie. Hang in there.

I wondered the same about hiring him if you didn't like his work?