Wedding Photographer Praised For Canceling On Bride The Night Before Her Ceremony
She has no regrets.
TikTok/Africa Studios/Shutterstock An Arkansas wedding photographer is asking TikTok users for their opinions on an argument she had with a client who she canceled on at the last minute.
TikTok user @shaylamherrington shared her story in a video that has now been viewed 3.4 million times.
The photographer canceled the night before the wedding.
She says she ultimately had to cancel her services since the bride provided her with no details of where the wedding would be.
The wedding photographer, Shayla, started by saying that a bride reached out to her inquiring about a 4-hour coverage of her ceremony and reception.
“I immediately got her on the phone, and we talked about details, and she said she hadn’t chosen a venue yet,” she recalled in her TikTok video.
The bride still wanted to book Shayla’s services, so Shayla sent her her contract and her nonrefundable deposit, which the bride signed and paid.
“I let her know a few weeks before the wedding that I would send a questionnaire where she would need to give me the address of the venue and all the details so I could properly photograph her day,” Shayla said.
A few weeks later, Shayla did as promised and sent the bride the questionnaire.
After completing a questionnaire, she usually sets a time to call the bride and go over a timeline.
A week after sending the questionnaire to the bride, Shayla still hadn't received a response.
“I sent her a text with a 5-dollar Starbucks gift card and said, ‘hey, you must have a lot on your mind right now; go get yourself a coffee and try to get me that questionnaire as soon as you can.;” Shayla said.
The bride still did not respond.
About four days later, Shayla began to grow concerned since she still hadn’t been given the address of the wedding venue where she intended to photograph.
She tried calling the bride, sending an email, and a follow-up text but still no response.
The night before the wedding, Shayla still had no idea where she was supposed to be the next day nor what time.
“It felt like the bride was standing me up, but she paid her deposit,” she said.
Shayla ultimately decided to email the bride to let her know that their contract was void and that she could not perform her services since she had no information.
The bride finally responded on the day of her wedding.
“She told me that was the most unprofessional thing she has ever witnessed,” Shayla said.
The bride then proceeded to leave a bad review on Shayla’s Facebook photography.
Shayla told viewers that she wound up giving the bride her deposit back.
Some TikTok users came to Shayla’s defense and believed that she made the right decision since the bride failed to provide her with any information in advance.
“You were not wrong! Add that you need the questionnaire by X date. If this is not provided, the contract is void and deposit will not be refunded,” one user wrote.
Other users believed that the bride did not deserve her deposit back.
“Girl you gave her your deposit back?!? Nope. Please know your worth queen & stick to your contract ALWAYS!” another user commented.
However, some thought that Shayla should have canceled her services more than a day in advance.
“But why didn’t you cancel like a week before instead of a day before?” one user commented.
Wedding planning is stressful enough, so it is always essential to prepare well ahead of time so that services can be provided adequately.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.