Family of Bride wants Photos for a surprise album

[kevin_mora]

<p>Hi Folks,<br>

I have some family members of a bride contacting me asking if I could provide them with 20 photos from the wedding before I provide all the images to the bride and groom. They want to make a book/album for the bride and groom and want to include (among other images) some of their wedding pics and they want to provide the book/album before I provide the wedding images to the bride and groom. Per my contract, I provide the bride and groom with edited copies of the best images from the wedding. So, my contract is with them, nobody else. I do provide wedding photo books/albums as an add option when negotiating the contract with the bride and groom, but such a service is available as part of my contract with only the bride and groom, not third parties and it is agreed upon before the wedding. <br>

Has anyone run into this situation before? How did people handle it? If so, did you charge the family members for the photos? <br>

Thanks for your feedback regarding how you have, or would handle this situation. If you want to provide feedback about how to prevent such a situation in the future, feel free to do so, but please please please also provide input about the question at hand, which is, how should I respond to the family who is currently requesting images.<br>

thanks in advance!</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

You should

 

A) let them have them as a way of giving them a lagniappe so they might theme bed you favorably

 

B) charge for your time only,

C) offer to put the surprise album together at a very reasonable rate. That way you don't lose command of your photos.

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>I have some family members of a bride contacting me asking if I could provide them with 20 photos from the wedding <strong><em>before I provide all the images to the bride and groom.</em></strong></p>

</blockquote>

<p>I would not supply images nor an album to anyone<em><strong> before the B&G have viewed the images and perhaps made their choice of ablums etc</strong></em>. Your question is not clear to me on that point - i.e. will the B&G have seen the images and made their choices, please clarify?</p>

<p>I think that much of your decision will depend upon your general business practice/model.</p>

<p>As an example only - I always met with usually both the B&G before the Wedding. I also did this for the last few years when I was working as a contracted employee for the Studio that we sold. That meeting was about setting up rapport and engendering our business as one which supplied personal and ultimate customer service. After the wedding the B&G came to the viewing and selecting of their wedding photos – that was a special event, primarily because, they were the first to see these photos.</p>

<p>If I might make a simile: At Christmas-time the fun of opening a present is spoiled if Aunty Mary tells you what is in the box, before you open the box – I think that applies to adults as well as kids.</p>

<p>WW</p>

[kevin_mora]

<p>Thanks for the feedback. Just to clarify, the B&G have only seen about 10 teaser images and won't see the rest until I provide them all of the photos on a usb drive. I go through all the photos taken at the wedding and I select which ones to provide to the B&G. Hope that helps clarify...</p>

[BrianS1664879711]

<p>I'm sure they mean well but WW x2. Don't let the family get between you and your client.</p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>the <strong>B&G have only seen about 10 teaser images </strong>and won't see the rest until I provide them all of the photos on a usb drive<strong>. I go through</strong> all the photos taken at the wedding <strong>and I select which ones to provide to the B&G.</strong> Hope that helps clarify...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes it does clarify. Thank you.<br>

Then what I wrote above is my firm comment on the situation.<br>

I would neither supply images; nor an album; nor allow a viewing of images to anyone else until the B&G get those images that you choose to supply to them, after your final cull and edit.</p>

<p>By way of explanation to the "family members", I would very politely agree that their idea is quite nice and I would probably use the Christmas present example in concert with a brief but firm explanation of the contractual and professional/etiquette obligations that I had with the B&G.<br>

Note that some people might not react well to the Christmas present simile, as it could be interpreted by them as a negative message – (i.e. “you guys just want to stuff up their pleasure”) – you need to choose the best way to manage these people based on how you believe they will react.</p>

<p>WW</p>

[john_h.1]

<blockquote>

<p>WW x2</p>

</blockquote>

<p>WW x3. The clients may love it but, only having a teaser, they could become upset that others, no matter how well intentioned, had access they did not have. Profiting from that may make it even worse in that event.<br /><br />It's too risky.</p>

[goldbergbarry]

<p>WW x4. </p>

[dj_soroka]

<p>WW X 5.</p>

[john_h.1]

<p>The cynic and realist in me says that the clients, if told of an intended but unfulfilled surprise album later, will tell the family that they would have been very pleased to get one. Even if they actually wouldn't have.</p>

[katrin_d.]

<p>Bride and groom get to see the photos first. I will also not supply files to anybody else. If faced with a request like you have been, I offer to take an order for a album as a gift to the couple that I design & supply so the profit is mine.</p>