I am so excited......Last Minute Wedding!

This isn't a question.... but a more wow, I can't believe it, how things work

type post when it comes to weddings, and maybe it could happen to you type post.

 

I got a phone call today from a woman who wanted to book for a wedding on August

26th. Very last minute, and she was not planning on even having a photographer.

She found me here and fell in love with my personal work here on PNet. First

of all I was amazed because my personal work is very dark and moody... and not

everyone gets it. But she did.

 

Funny thing is I am here in RI, and she's New Orleans! I don't what made her

look here, or how she found me amongst the bazillion other photographers on this

site.... but she did! Her fiancee is from RI and she's CA.

 

They met in NYC and she told me an awesome story about how they met on New Years

Eve and hadn't been separated since....

 

They only need me for 4 hours.... but hey I'm psyched.... Before shots at the

Biltmore, one of Providence's upscale hotels.... a walk to St. Peter & Pauls

Cathedral, a historical and most beautiful Catholic church... then a walk to the

reception ala New Orleans style to the restaurant for a casual affair/small

reception....

 

I just needed to share!!! And hey with this wedding I will have met my goal for

10 weddings this year!

Big, big chance this isn't for real. It might be a scam. Be VERY careful.

Good for you.

 

As mentioned, by careful of the scam thing.

 

Usually it's they send you a check for more than the amount or something and tell you to mail back the difference or somthing.

 

Make sure the check fully clears.

 

Good luck!

 

-Mario

I am so looking forward to it Dolly!!... I sincerely doubt it's a scam...we talked for about an hour, about all kinds of things, we just clicked, and she called my from New Orleans, so it wasn't a bad grammer email that I received.

 

Such a down to earth, non traditional girl, and I LOVE that, I know this wedding is going to be a blast.... it's funny because my best wedding photography has come from those who were looking for very non-traditional type work... laid back type people.... OMG I still can't understand how she found me here.

Be careful. There is a scam going on that involves something like this. Did you received payment for the wedding in advance? Make sure the check(s) clear before you put any money into this wedding. And I did notice that she "talked" by email to you. This is EXACTLY like the scam several of us wedding photographers were contacted by.

Sad. I hope it is for real Michelle.

I hope it is real, BUT do not send any money western union. Such as, they send you a check. You cash and then they accidentally overpay. They may ask for you to send the rest back Western Union or any variation of the details. DO NOT send it if they ask, no matter how nice they are about it. Anyway, like I said, I hope it is real. I do a lot of fraud type investigations and this falls right in line with what I am seeing on a daily basis. The money wire scam is big right now.

Big red flag. Danger Will Robinson, Danger Will Robinson.

 

If they send you any money make sure that is a certified check, and call the issuing bank to verify before depositing the check. Even if you do not send them money your bank may charge you a NSF fee for the check.

 

It may be legitimate, but tread very carefully with this proposal.

congrats michelle. sounds pretty legit to me. I hope it goes well!

Congratulations, Michelle! The only thing I'd worry about is the fact that they were not planning on having a photographer for what sounds like a nice wedding. Just be careful! I have had offers from scammers who found me here wanting me to do weddings at valid Idaho locations, but little things gave them away. I've also had a legit offer from a Michigan bride who found me here which I had to turn down, and I've traveled to the New England area to help a PNet member who has become a very good friend. It certainly can happen, just be very careful. You know all the do's and don'ts for scams I'm sure. Remember those until the very end. Us photographers are a popular target for the scam artists. It's easy to trust someone after talking with them on the phone. It's hard to believe they can be so nice and sincere sounding and still be a scam artist. But the good ones can. Good luck! I really hope it's for real!

If it is legit, then CONGRATULATIONS!

 

However, (knowing this is casual conversation in a post...) something doesn't pass the smell test here. They weren't going to book a photographer for a wedding in "a historical and most beautiful Catholic church." Okay, maybe buying it ...

 

In reflecting back to the 1 hour conversation did you exhibit more enthusiasm than her that she found you?

 

Just be cautious if payment terms start getting complicated. I too have recently been contacted by a schemer.

Thanks everyone.... I really appreciate the concern. Believe me I will not be throwing caution to the wind.

 

I'm well aware of what scammers can do, and I've received more than my fair share of smam email.

 

So I'll be watching for bogus checks, or any other type of payment issues.

 

Still I'm excited and looking forward to it.... will let you all know how it goes one way or the other. :)

"So I'll be watching for bogus checks".

 

How do you know the check is bogus? I can send you a check that looks, and is in fact real, real account, real bank number, even the name and signature on the check will match perfectly. Your bank will not know it is an invalid check. They could call the bank and the drawn-on bank would indicate a valid account. I could even make an effort to make the names on the check match the account.

 

The check will clear your bank. However, when the account holder finds the money taken from their account and protests, it may be a couple of weeks. Even then the account holder must prove they did not write the check. Now the check has to flow back through the system and that may take a week, perhaps more.

 

So in the end it coule really take as long as a month for a check to be found to be fraudulent. So be very careful and have the check carefully checked to the point of having the originating bank call the account holder to verify they are the same person and did in fact write the check.

 

If it is legitimate, then I applaud you with envy. Sounds like a great assignment.