Lost $150 on a photography gig I shouldn't have taken

I got asked to shoot a wedding for a friend's cousin back in June. They offered $150 and I figured hey, easy money, but the contract was all handshake stuff and no deposit. Day of the wedding, the bride's mom kept pulling me aside to take separate family photos and I missed the first dance. When I sent the gallery two weeks later, they said it wasn't what they wanted and refused to pay. I should have walked when they got pushy about the price upfront. Has anyone else had a small job turn into a headache like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_west1mo ago

$150 for a whole wedding? That's a red flag from the start.

juliag101mo ago

Think of it this way though... maybe they're just keeping it simple and real. Some people don't have the money or the desire for a huge fancy party with all the trimmings. I've seen couples do a courthouse ceremony with a small backyard cookout that was more meaningful than any expensive venue. Not everyone measures love by how much you spend on centerpieces and caterers.

dylan_bell1mo ago

and honestly the bride's mom running the show like that is the real nightmare here i once did a family christmas shoot for a neighbor and the grandma kept demanding we retake every single shot because someone blinked or wasn't smiling "right" ended up spending 4 hours on what should have been a 45 minute session and got paid the same flat rate so i feel your pain on people not understanding the time commitment