My Wedding Photographer Ghosted Me: What Can I Do?
Your wedding day is one of the most important moments of your life. Having a photographer capture those memories is crucial.
But what happens when your wedding photographer ghosts you?
Whether they disappear before the big day or fail to deliver your photos afterward, it’s a devastating situation.
If you’ve found yourself in this position, here’s what you can do to take action and, hopefully, recover some of your memories.
1. Contact them in every way you can
The first step is to exhaust all possible ways of contacting your photographer. Try reaching them via:
- Phone calls and text messages
- Emails
- Social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
- Their website’s contact form
If they’re part of a photography studio, try reaching out to the business directly.
Sometimes, ghosting happens due to miscommunication, personal issues or technical problems. Persistence can help you get a response.
If you still can’t reach them, check their online presence. Have they been active on social media? Do they have recent reviews? If not, they may have shut down their business – making it even more important to take further action.
Sometimes, however, your photographers will ghost you because they are hiding something.
Maybe they were scammers. Maybe they lost your photos and don’t want to fess up. Maybe they’re just nasty people.
2. Ask your guests for photos (and obviously explain what happened)
While it won’t replace professional shots, your guests may have captured some beautiful moments from your day.
Make a social media post or send an email explaining the situation and kindly ask guests to share any photos or videos they took.
Many couples are surprised by how many special moments were captured by friends and family.
Consider creating a shared album (such as a Google Drive or Dropbox link) where guests can upload their photos.
3. Report the photographer to your state’s consumer affairs department
If you paid for services that weren’t delivered, you may be able to lodge a formal complaint.
In Australia, each state has a consumer affairs department where you can report dodgy businesses:
- Tasmania: Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading Tasmania
- Victoria: Consumer Affairs Victoria
- New South Wales: NSW Fair Trading
- Queensland: Office of Fair Trading Queensland
- Western Australia: Consumer Protection WA
These departments might be able to assist in mediating disputes, helping you get a refund and warning others about dishonest photographers. Contact them to see how they can help you.
4. Seek legal advice
If your photographer took your money and vanished, you might have legal grounds to take action.
A lawyer can help you understand your rights and options, including sending a formal letter of demand or pursuing a small claims case.
The Australian Consumer Law protects consumers from misleading or deceptive conduct.
You also have rights under the regular law of contracts.
So, if your photographer falsely represented their services or failed to deliver as promised, there may be some legal basis to pursuing a claim.
5. Make peace with the situation
While legal and consumer complaints can help you seek justice, sometimes the best thing you can do is accept what’s happened and focus on moving forward.
It’s heartbreaking to lose professional wedding photos, but holding onto anger won’t bring them back.
If your guests captured candid moments, consider hiring a photo editor to enhance them.
Some couples also arrange a post-wedding photoshoot in their outfits to recreate some of the magic.
Most importantly, remember that your wedding day was about love and commitment and those memories live on regardless of the photos.
Looking for a wedding photographer who will never ghost you?
If you’re searching for a reliable, professional wedding photographer in Tasmania who will capture your special day and deliver your photos on time, contact Linda Pasfield Wedding Photography.
With years of experience and a reputation for excellence, we ensure your memories are preserved beautifully.
Get in touch today to book your wedding photography package.