Has anyone ever used a bridezilla clasue in their contract?

[thorpe]

<p>We have begun to branch into wedding photography. We did 6 last year and all were fine (and fun). Wife is also my business partner and shoots or assists. We were recently watching this show called Bridezilla. sure some have seenit. The one we saw the bride is treating eeryone like garbage, threatening not to pay everyone, etc. etc. I know - it's an emotional day for many.<br>

We pride ourselves on very high customer sat and going way beyond to ensure that. But we also protect ourselves wrt the contracts themselves. including terms, payment, etc.<br>

Watchign this episode and seing how badly this bride was treating the everyone, includign the photog, assistants, etc. ourright yelling and swearing at them.<br>

So we started discussing adding a bridezilla clause to our contract - not sure what it would say specifically. But the thought is that if you are way overboard and are verbally or physically (I saw this bride physically shove the photog on his ass) then we leave. You get a subset of the shots up to that point. We even thought of stating it as "Bridezilla Clause" right in the contract.<br>

I can see the implications of some not using us - but honestly, if that were their only issue it's probably not a wedding we shoudl shoot anyway.<br>

Any thoughts, experiences? Does/has anyone done this? I am just looking to protect us, assistants, etc from this type of garbage up front.</p>

[jimstrutz]

<p>I wonder how real that program is? Are the brides acting out to make the show more interesting? I've never seen it, so I really have no clue, but have wondered this from when I first heard about it. Anyway, I've never witnessed anything like it, so I've not seen a need to address it. But I also wonder if there is a way to put something in the contract without specifically calling out a potential problem with the bride. Use more generalized verbiage about harassment, or conflicts or something?</p>

[art_tatum]

<br /> You can also forget about your 'Bridezilla Clause' as it is impossible to 'prove' and quite preposterous really. By this I mean you are sending a paranoid signal to the couple reading the contract and by inference suggesting SHE may be a bridezilla.<br>

<br /> You can never protect yourself (as you seem to want to do). You should be totally focussed on doing the best you can, and good things will follow. I know it sounds like a cliche, but it actually works.</p>

[thorpe]

<p> - thanks for the comments. It was, as I stated, merely a thought while watching that show. So we began to wonder if anyone has explored this or found it even remotely necessary. <br>

Jim - i wonder the same thing. I am sure it's at least partly playing to the camera.</p>

[farceur_coince]

<p>You can make them pay (with a contract and the law behind you), so the bride threatening not to pay doesn't matter anyway. Can always chase that up.<br>

What you're suggesting... that's why sometimes you have to reject wedding shoots. Pretend you're busy.</p>

[john_h.1]

<p><em>honestly, if that were their only issue it's probably not a wedding we shoudl shoot anyway.<br /></em><br /><em></em><br />I think it would give pause to clients that ARE the type you want to have. Its pretty difficult to draft a "we walk if you get fussy" clause. Its hard to articulate a standard for that and the client won't know where the line is drawn making the clause possibly unenforceable. As Farceur reports, there are already some legal standards in place and there are other interference provisions in other contracts that do not spook good clients and do reasonably articulate (if well drafted) a standard... interference. Those clauses too are imperfect but the more there is interference, the more clear the violation is. Of course a remedy is another issue.</p>

[missy_kay]

<p>I wouldn't put anything like that in the contract. I always meet the couple first and if I have a bad feeling about them, I don't book them.</p>

[daverhaas]

<p>First off - any of the "reality" shows are far from it... there's tons of stuff going on behind the scenes that we don't see. My guess is that they (producers) find a bride that is on the edge and then they proceed to push her over the cliff.</p>

<p>Secondly - any person in a wedding party that pushes me - unless it's to save me from a hazard, is going to be facing assualt charges.</p>

<p>Third - as mentioned - threats of non-payment are just that...threats.. As long as you've got a contract in place and have lived up to your end - you'll get paid.</p>

<p>The best thing is to try to avoid bridzilla's up front. Most of the time you can tell.</p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

[jc5066]

<p>Not really a bridezilla but I do have a clause that if I'm put in any situation that may cause me harm, out of there, with no reimbursement due to loss of images, etc...</p>

<p>As others have stated, reality shows are from reality. Most reality shows encourage people to act like Jack Ass's because it makes for more entertaining video. <br>

<br /> If I did a couple weddings like what I see on those shows, I'd quit. Of course you'll run into a bride or mom that gets a bit stressed out on the day, but I've never seen anything like what they want people to believe bridezilla's are like.</p>

 

[thorpe]

<p>It's great to hear that so far no one is having "those" kind of experiences. The 6 weddings we did in the past 12 months we havent seen that either. We were just taken back by what we saw. the input here is very good and I would imagine if there were truely a bridezilla "as seen on tv" it would be part of her personality and would show through in the consult as David points out.</p>

[railphotog]

<p>I my years of doing weddings (in the past) I only ran into one Bridezilla, and the commotion started after the wedding. Nothing during the wedding. She didn't like the sizes of some of the enlargements I supplied with my package - they were borderless 5 by 7's and 8 by 10s that did not fit in her 5 by 7 and 8 by 10 store bought frames. She had other issues and ended up not buying any reprints from the wedding at all. Her loss, I got paid for what I did supply. </p>

[wedding-photography-denver]

<p>One thought about this subject as it concerns me.</p>

<p>If I have a bride who gets a little under pressure and somewhat stressed, I make it my mission to give calming help and encouraging words, sprinkled carefully as the time passes through the day.</p>

<p>I have not had a bridezilla. I don't expect I ever will.</p>