A wedding photographer in Texas has pled guilty to felony theft after being charged in a case involving $11,000 (approximately £8,600 / AU$17,200) and 12 people. The photographer allegedly made false claims of illnesses and family emergencies, and failed to show for the engagement and wedding photos.
The case originated in 2022 with a Better Business Bureau complaint and a local news investigation involving as many as 14 couples. When the news organization investigated and aired an original report, a Collins County, Texas, police officer who had also hired the same photographer saw the report; the police department began an investigation the following day.
Court documents call the photographer’s actions “an intentional act to deceive.” According to CBS News, three clients were told on different days that the photographer was on the way to the emergency room with a sick child. In another instance, the photographer was allegedly booked for two weddings on the same day and canceled them both but gave different reasons to each couple.
Another client said the photographer canceled only hours before the ceremony, yet the replacement photographer she sent said she was hired a week before. According to the report, at least four photographers hired as a replacement say they were not paid.
Three steps to help avoid scams when booking a wedding photographer
The case could serve as a warning for couples in the middle of the wedding planning process – but are there any warning signs to look out for when choosing a wedding photographer?
I’ve been photographing weddings for nearly ten years and reading the report left a sour taste in my mouth. Yes photographers are people, too, and some emergencies are unavoidable, but there are a few things couples can do to avoid a no-show photographer.
1. Meet the photographer before booking
Online booking and website portfolios make it easier than before to book a photographer without actually meeting them in person. While that does make the planning process easier, skipping out on meeting your photographer is one step that shouldn’t be cut for convenience.
Your wedding photographer is the vendor that you’ll be seeing throughout your entire wedding day – you should like them, and you won’t know that until you’ve met them in person or at least had a phone conversation. I’ve photographed a surprising number of weddings where I had never met the couple until the morning of the wedding.
2. Consider the engagement photos a trial run
I include engagement photos in most of my wedding packages because they serve as a practice run for the wedding. But besides helping couples feel more comfortable in front of the camera, this is also the best chance to meet your photographer ahead of time. If you’re booking a photographer that hasn’t been recommended by any friends or family, you could even book an engagement shoot first; then only book the wedding if you love the engagement photos.
In the Texas case, one client that had the photographer repeatedly cancel the engagement photos hired another photographer for the wedding – a good move since the original photographer ended up canceling the morning of the wedding.
3. Ask what the backup plan is
Wedding photographers are people, too – and emergencies do happen. Before booking a photographer, ask what the backup plan is in case they are ill or some other emergency comes up. If the photographer doesn’t have another photographer they can call as a replacement, that’s a big red flag. Couples could also ask who the emergency replacement is, to avoid ending up with a replacement that has little experience.
