Pro photos received late - what next?

Summary timeline of communication:

email on November 10 - "I'll have some done by the end of next week to send you though!"

text on November 11 - 2 photos texted and message "Actually hoping to finish the wedding edits today or early next week!!!"

email on November 18 - "I'm so close to being done, just need a few more days, be done by Thanksgiving (November 24)"

November 24 - received first half of photos (getting ready, pre-ceremony family photos, ceremony, some formal family photos)

December 5 - "Sorry I didn't answer straight away - I'll be done with the rest this week!"

December 7 - some additional formal family photos added

December 19 - email indicating the rest of the photos had been uploaded

Is there any appropriate recourse or follow up (receive partial refund, etc.) other than noting frustrations in vendor reviews?

You're only 6 weeks out- most people way 3 months to get their pro's back.

I know the contract said 3 weeks- but honestly that's unrealistic.

You can give them as gifts later. IMHO- this isn't a sword to die on- see if you can get a few pictures and send them instead of the whole photobook.

You have your photos, right? Move on.

Sorry, but I'm with @JoRocka. So they get their Christmas gift AFTER Christmas. This just really isn't a big deal to me.

Omg seriously? get over yourself. it was 6 weeks. Most get them back months after. It takes many hours to get them edited and he got it all done in 6 weeks and your putting bad reviews and trying to get money back? wow.

Thanks all - I think more than anything I was frustrated with the "I will have by xxxx" and then that time came and went with nothing and this happened on multiple occasions. I feel as though I was promised something (photos by a date) and had made plans accordingly. I have not submitted any reviews of the vendor yet nor asked for money back just looking for suggestions of what to do - it sounds like the best thing to do is start working on making the photobooks now to give as non Christmas gifts.

Sites likes Walmart have 1 hour photo books, so it's not too late to do those as Christmas presents.

Mines are barely getting shipped out to me (i got married in September 16...a little more than 3 months ago) but i was okay with that, since my photographer told me that it would take her 8-12 weeks to have them ready since she was going to be doing wedding on every weekend in September and October. Be patient, that's all my advice here.

Not sure this is worth the fight. You got your photos. Remember he was also editing around Thanksgiving, may have been traveling, etc. Pick your battles. Pick what you allow to stress you out.

Move on. It's really kind of unrealistic for a photographer to promise that based on the amount of editing that happens post production, but everyone seems so fixated on getting photos back instantly, I can see why photographers exaggerate their ability to turn around.

Give your photo person the time they need to make the photos as fab as possible. Give your photo book people empty photo books (for their own pix) with an IOU!

For reference- I was part of the editing process with my photographer- she posts an online gallery- and I send her the URL link and give her direct instructions on what to do "trim this- I want this in black and white- use this filter here- can you P/S out my dress strap" shit like this.

We went back and forth for almost a month. Just her editing alone was a 3 week process- and she had 3-4 shoots in front of mine to do. Add on MY input- it was almost a month. The amount of time it took to select then edit the photos is significant. it takes a LONG time.

@Celia - I like the suggestion of a empty photo book with the IOU

I don't doubt in any fashion that editing is a quick and easy process. My biggest frustration is feeling as though I was promised a deadline and it wasn't met and the deadline kept moving and only because I kept asking.

However, since I don't plan on getting married again I won't have to worry about this moving forward but will advise friends getting married to anticipate the date provided might be longer than indicated in the contract and to prepare accordingly.

I'm with everyone else about letting it go but they're not my pics.

If you're hellbent on it, write something like:

A note to thank you for the photos, we really love them. We must tell you, however, that we were very disappointed not to receive them according to the timeline you gave us nor did you fulfill your emailed promises. This also meant that the delay of getting the entire collection of photos meant that I couldn't purchase photo books as Christmas gifts for both sets of parents and my grandmother. As much I would like to give you a glowing review, these delays have kept me from doing that. I prefer not to give you a poor review as well, because we love our photos. Hoping we can come to a mutually agreeable solution for this situation. I look forward to hearing from you soon and Happy Holidays!

Or some such bs

I had a similar issue with my photographer (i.e. I'll have a preview to you by Nov 7 and I just got it on Dec. 17). Am I a little frustrated? Sure. But overall I love what I've seen so far. I'm happy!

Once you are finished with your business with the photographer, ONLY IF you feel like you HAVE to say something. Say it nicely. Something like "Hey, we love the pictures. Our only feedback would be to not give deadlines if you won't be able to meet them. We were getting antsy!"

Honestly, I doubt I'll say anything to our photog. Life happens! Photographers are people too and maybe they forgot about the 6 other weddings they were working on, or many they had last minute bookings, or a family emergency. I think we really do have to cut them some slack ESPECIALLY because it's the holiday season and everybody is busy!

@Celia's idea is cute!

I see the word "about", so I don't think the photographer was under contract to get you the pictures at 3 weeks. It sucks, but that's how it works. Life happens and your photographer probably had other clients he needed to take care of first. Costco has a good photo center...maybe check them out and put together something small and let them know the albums are coming later?

You have every right to be frustrated with the poor communication and failed promises of this photographer. She is a professional and if she couldn't deliver the photos within her specified time frames, then she should never have made those promises in both the contract and the subsequent texts. Those texts full of unfulfilled promises are just ridiculous.

Yes, editing photos takes a LONG time. It is a lot of work. My photos took 4 months to be delivered to me, but that is what the contract said so I expected it. This photographer should never have made promises she couldn't keep and that falls on her.

While I would not expect or ask for a refund, I think a fair online review is justified. You can talk about how you love the photos (if that's true), but also talk about how she did not deliver them within the timing promised in the contract, and subsequent dates were promised but not met.

Did she really state "about three weeks" in her contract? That's very bad communication and not very professional to leave out a set date/time frame. I wholeheartedly agree with your feelings of being frustrated about her communication/not following through with what she tells you she will do. But I also agree with others... It's not worth being upset about now, and I'm confident you wouldn't win if asking for a refund (since she said "about"). Many photographers take longer than three weeks to deliver photos, so the fact that you have them by now is great. Do you love the photos? If so, I'd just move forward from it and make your photo books/gifts and give them to people a little later than planned.

ETA: WHOA!! Sorry guys, I have no idea why my comment posted so many times, I only hit "post comment" once!

Heh- rachel- you got some WW glitching issues- just saying.

You got them, move on, be thankful and let it go. That photographer should solidify their contract terms and make them more realistic. But your holiday cards aren't their problem. The about part in the contract makes the terms nondescript, unfortunately, that's unacceptable. But in the end, you got them. Nothing you can do, go on with life and enjoy your photos. You can mention that in your review for the photographer however.

And what would your damages be? You didn't get to make photobooks for Christmas? I'm not being snarky, I just don't think that can be perceived as damages. I really don't see where you're entitled to a refund, partial or otherwise. You have your images, you've been made whole, and the contract has been fulfilled. Besides, she covered herself. Her written contract didn't promise you the finished photos in three weeks; she promised you the finished photos in "ABOUT three weeks from the date of the wedding." Yes, it's ambiguous, but it gives her several weeks wiggle room. Additionally, it does look like she was sending you photos on 11/11 (very early), 11/24 (the first half), and 12/7.

These are gifts you can certainly work on after Christmas. Wrap them in Christmas paper and send them when they're done. Your family will love them, on Christmas or a few weeks later.