Hi All

For the very first time I have a bride who refuses to contact me regarding delivery of her DVD sets. Her wedding was on 29th November last year and in early December I sent her an email saying he product was ready (and please pay the remaining balance ..just a small amount for extras of $267) ..I heard absolutely nothing and eventually in early January she emailed and told me her baby got sick then she got sick and she will organise everything. Subsequent emails and phone messages (she never answers her mobile) are ignored and now it's coming close to 3 months since the wedding day.

I really couldn't care less about the small extras amounts as I have been paid in full for the wedding BUT what do you guys do if brides don't contact you??? How long to you have to wait while the DVD's sit on the shelf ?? I find it amazing that she has paid out all this money and got nothing for it so far.

Chris

Well it wasn't a set of DVDs but a VHS tape that sat on my shelf for about 20 years maybe more. I couldn't make myself toss it but I FINALLY manned up and got rid of it about 5 years ago or so. They got divorced BEFORE I finished the edit (remember deck to deck edits and the time they took) and neither one ever returned a phone call or a letter (before the unlimited use of cell phones and email-you know when people actually took the time to talk to one another face to face) and since they still owed some money they never got the tapes. I hung onto them on the off chance one of them would respond, pay me the couple of hundred owed and I could then deliver them. NOT!
Hang on to it Chris then you too will have a chapter for your book! ;-)

It's a reminder to make sure your contract has it spelled out about what happens if they don't contact you within a certain amount of time.

I'd hit them up with email, text, voicemail, and a letter, letting them know to contact you within (choose your time frame).

Thanks Guys

Yeah Don ..maybe it can be a nice sample to show brides and one for the book anyway.

Rob? I have left emails every two weeks, plus voice mail on her cell phone. Good idea on time limits too .."if you don't respond to my message/ email before 15/03/2014 then .........." What do you guys do, just put the DVD's in a cupboard for 20 years like Don?? I might not be around in 20 years!!!

Hmm they bought a house and have a baby so it would seem weird if they have split up already ..in this world however, anything can happen!!

Chris

Chris you should really change your policy! I get £250 deposit and 30 days before the event full balance is due! If they do not pay they lose their deposit and I do not film! This takes away the have no money after the event. Steve

18 months currently for an Indian wedding Chris - I agreed (covered by my PRS Licence) that they could have a selection of music over some of the sequences but since filming the wedding (they paid in full prior to the day - this is a must for me) I cannot get in touch - I have tried groom/wife/groom's sister email and left voicemail for the groom. I have also written to the address where I had a pre-wedding meeting. My next step will be a personal visit but I'm pretty busy at the moment so it will have to wait, also it can wait until I'm in the area - it's quite a drive and I don't see why I should put myself out to such a degree under the circumstances.

As it's an Indian wedding the music will have culturally more significance than western music so I can't just use anything. So I'm pretty stuck at the moment, I just hope that they don't deem to get in touch in the middle of July when I'm maxxed out! It was a long wedding and although I've edited the ceremony and speeches there's an awful lot still to go when (if) I get the music.

Pete

Hi Pete

I try and make sure that I have everything before the big day so I'm not waiting for the bride to give me media of any sort. If it's a special and she wants, say, photos of themselves in younger days, I make sure that they give me everything before their wedding day.

This wedding is complete and ready to deliver .. they just don't seem to want it!! If I had paid for something at the very least I would take delivery instead of getting absolutely nothing for my money.

Strange situation .. and the first one I have had where I collected the money up front. I can only guess that maybe the marriage went sour like Don's client??

I did have one wedding where the couple went on honeymoon and the bride asked for separate rooms. It was annulled when they got back but they still took the DVD's and paid for them.

Chris

I did a photography job few years back, they were separated before i could get the photographs to them.
Did a combined one in September last, still laying on a shelf here!
Seems like theres lots of reasons why couple's dont respond, but i'd say the main one is money.

I take about 8 weeks to deliver each wedding Chris, a long time for some I know but my customers are happy with that - I start off in the season delivering them within a few weeks but as the season goes on I tend to backlog - usually waiting for people to get back to me with music choices - for this season I've been asking people to give me a selection up front - hopefully that will cure it.

I had one couple who had split up 4 weeks after the wedding, before the DVD was ready - I still have it and neither of them want it - I got paid though!

Hi Chris,

I would be inclined to send them a final email stating that you need to clear their footage from your hard drives to make way for other weddings, and that in view of the time that has elapsed, if you haven't heard from them within 7 days, you will forward the finished work to them with an invoice for the balance with a time limit on payment.

I filmed a wedding 11 years ago, waited a few weeks to hear from them about the music and details for credits that they wanted. when I didn't hear from them, I tried to contact them again and found that they had run up massive debts and done a runner? As I have always been paid on delivery, I put the unedited tapes and their contract on a shelf and didn't do any more. Early last year, I was contacted by the bride's sister who told me that their parents who were paying for the wedding, had split up and both refused to pay, so as the couple had booked it they became liable for quite a few thousand pounds and decided to disappear. A couple of years ago, the groom was diagnosed with a terminal illness and by the time the sister contacted me had only a few months to live.

She had phoned to appologies to me on behalf of her sister, who was highly embarrassed at having let me down, but even more so because her foolishness had lost her the memories of her wedding day and soon her husband. When I told her I still had the original recordings, she was speechless and ithen asked if I would be prepared to edit them of she paid the current rate. I said I would and delivered them a week later, but charging the original contracted price.

Shortly after, I had a lovely letter from the Bride, apologising, but very emotional saying that I had given her something to cherish for the rest of her life. I also heard that the Groom had passed away at the latter part of last year.

My contracts now though have a non payment penalty clause that starts two weeks after the video is complete, just in case they decide they have run out of money or try to stall for time. Interest is charged at the rate of 1% per week.

Roger

Thanks Roger

Good idea but I'm hardnosed so the DVD sets are staying right here...if I deliver and send her an invoice she simply will not pay it, based on her current performance so it sits on my shelf and when (if) the money is paid for the extras THEN I'll deliver. She is not disputing any prices and hasn't mentioned money issues so I'm not sure what the problem might be at all???

It doesn't look like she wants to tell me either! Shucks, I'm a nice guy and if a bride was a bit broke I would be quite happy to accept any money owed in bits and pieces BUT at least communicate with me!!

I "trusted" one bride a very long time ago who owed me the balance of her shoot (it was a tiny one too ..just ceremony) so she owed me a couple of hundred at most. I foolishly delivered the DVD's and she promised to put the payment thru that very night. I gave up waiting and trying to communicate after 12 months but, of course, had delivered the product. Nothing moves from my office until it's fully paid for now!!

Chris

I do agree with that Chris, I don't leave any dvds on delivery unless they have paid, and the penalty clause is invoked from completion date not delivery date. I expect to deliver within a week of completion, but the clause is to avoid any stalling.

Perhaps you can just invoice them for the balance, with a late payment surcharge if they don't pay by a due date. Make sure that they know that delivery is following payment. If they still aren't responsive, you could also suggest that they are in breach of contract, which I assume they are anyway.

Roger

I suppose I would deliver anything that is already paid for.

From here on out, an email won't cut it. You'll have to do a certified letter where they have to sign for it, if you want to pursue the rest. Keep records of all your actions, in case 2 years from now, they cry foul.

In our contract, they have fourteen days to contact us back. I'm pretty lenient, though, and the 14 days would begin from where you are: after numerous and thorough attempts to get a hold of them. I have to send an official notice of the deadline.

I once had a wedding where they were split up within 3 months - he was a long haul trucker and she started cheating with someone from the wedding. Fortunately, that's a minority. I'm always glad when I run into couples years later and see them still together (just happened at Christmas, a couple from 8 years ago).

Is there only me that gets paid before hand? I would not work one hour if they did not pay me 30 days before the date. Been stung once never again. steve

Is there only me that gets paid before hand? I would not work one hour if they did not pay me 30 days before the date. Been stung once never again. steve

No you're not. The vast majority of us get paid up front for everything because we all know they'll be no money left after he honeymoon!

Even the OP seems to have been paid up front, but there are a few add-ons that needed paying afterwards.

I was paid 100% upfront for a wedding I filmed in March 2009. Waiting since then for music choice etc. A year. Email address and telephone numbers not working. The second I delete it the project I'll probably get an email the music selection. I haven't edited it yet and wont until \ if they contact me but I could do with getting rid of the project files.

I was paid 100% upfront for a wedding I filmed in March 2009. Waiting since then for music choice etc. A year. Email address and telephone numbers not working. The second I delete it the project I'll probably get an email the music selection. I haven't edited it yet and wont until \ if they contact me but I could do with getting rid of the project files.

I see a lot of people waiting until 'after' the wedding to ask for this stuff. Why?

I send a questionnaire to the B+G about 3 weeks prior to the wedding asking all sorts of stuff about the day, one of which is about what music is being used on the day (entrance to the ceremony, signing the register, leaving the ceremony, first dance etc) and also if they have any preferences for music used during the rest of the film. Usually I can figure out from the 3 or 4 they've chosen to play during the register signing (assuming a civili wedding) what I can use if they don't express other preferences.

If it's a church wedding then it's slightly different and I have to be a little more insistent on music choices, but again it's all done before the day.

When I get home from a wedding the footage is copied and backed up that night - no waiting. If there's no wedding the next day then all the footage is ingested by noon and key worded within an hour or so ready to get going on the edit. I don't see the point in waiting a couple of weeks (or more) for them to come back from honeymoon to answer some questions on music. In fact, my goal is to have the completed film by the time they get back. Our edit times have come down dramatically over the last year (since adopting FCPX) and we rarely take more than a couple of weeks to deliver, even though the T&C says 4 - 8 weeks.

Maybe everyone waits until after the wedding for a reason. If so, please enlighten me :)

Whoops sorry Chris / Dave i seemed to have not read the end of Chris post saying he got paid in full and this is all about add ons, sorry Chris!!

I've had a few that have run on for 3 or 4 months; all were finally collected, one that went on for just over two years, they got back to me after the wedding with a series of financial hiccups, including child sick, washing machine broke down and finally husband lost his job. After 2 years they finally paid the balance and took the VHS (it was that long ago), Two days later the wife called to ask if I had a copy as somehow the tape had got chewed in their machine, I had long since dumped the original camera tapes so I couldn't help.
The longest oneI've held on to is from July 2006 I had all the payment apart from £200. The husband turned up with £100 of it but I didn't let the DVD go. He has never been back with the final £100, despite my contacts by phone, email and registered letter. As I have now retired from weddings and moved county I doubt they'll ever get to see it but I still have it just in case they do contact me, after all a DVD doesn't require much storage space and ironically I considered it to be one of my best wedding videos: Photogenic couple, good location, friendly families, fine weather etc.

Hi Chris, I've had two of those situations in the last year and both causes were lack of money. I would just hold on to the DVDs but also email them and as suggested already, tell them that your hard drive needs to be cleared within 14 days so act now.
That did the job for me and they replied within hours. In both cases, the clients had not pre-paid as both weddings were last minute bookings and even though I told them that full payment was due on the day, it didn't work out that way. I do think that a scare tends to make them pay up quick if it means they could lose the lot. Good luck!

Hi Steve

On this one yes, she paid up front BUT I don't always make them pay up front. My normal deal is you pay 1/3rd on booking and then 1/3 2 weeks before the wedding and the final 1/3 when the DVD's are ready.

This is actually the first issue I have had where she paid everything prior to the wedding but doesn't want her DVD's ... I only got caught once and gave a bride her DVD's after she promised to put the money in the bank that very evening! Otherwise they will normally pay as soon as I email them and once I see the money, I can deliver.

I always try to get all the stuff I need before the big day otherwise you wait for ages or they simply lose interest! I just bug them until they comply so at least I have everything I need to complete the project.


BTW Chris ?? Are you still heading out to Australia again sometime or is that on hold???

Chris

True story:

I have a wedding in my editing deck from 2009 (actually my last standard def/Canon XL2 wedding). They had made a full half payment 6 months prior and, when on the day no final payment came (and this is common as I'm fine collecting it prior to editing in the days after -- I figure I have all the leverage), I just waited. So here's the uncommon part: They ran into financial straits. At that point, I had only filmed the wedding. Their half payment was certainly sufficient funding for my having been there for that time.

They were back in contact 2 years ago. They were able to pay me enough to make them a trailer. They loved it.

They were in contact a couple months ago. They're about ready to pay the balance for a full edit.

Would I always like working this way? (No.) And most couples, knowing you're sitting on their footage, will be on time with payments. But this story is actually kind of working out. And I have never done an ounce of work more than they've paid for.

At any rate, my contract is very clear that if you don't get musical selections/payments to be by due dates, that their editing may be postponed until all current paying clients' work is completed.

Hi Chris, funny about that, I was all set to come back having turned down 29 weddings for this year alone when I was offered a corporate job just a couple of weeks ago which will take me through to September.
I'm still weighing it up, too many pros and cons so I have to make a decision.....go to Perth in a month and do nothing for several months or do this corp job and come over in September/October but miss the summer season.
Staying an extra 6 months would get me a pair of nice new cameras (RX10s) though but I'll still keep the AC160...brilliant camera!

Cheers Chris hope you get it sorted! Ps, I was in Melbourne myself last year family there! Will have to cone see ya, give ya a hand on a shoot! Haha! Steve

Hey Chris

Money makes the world go around and if you can make a bundle in the UK then go for it. We are heading into Winter in a couple of months and you guys are heading towards Summer so you can get the best of both seasons and have two Summers in 2014!!

Chris

Chris, I would wait. I've had a couple of very slow pays, one took two years and the other about a year. Got paid both times.

You could put it aside and let it go for awhile. This has worked for me very well a few times.

My main thing is to NEVER show impatience to the customer.

You could, as suggested, force your hand through a deadline or other method if you wanted. I will not argue against this approach, it's fine for those who are comfortable operating that way. But it's not for me.

My personal style is to show more concern for the customer than for myself. I just hate being pushy with people. Everyone is going through something or other, and those going through a tough time cannot always open up and tell you what is really happening.

What's more, it is obvious that if they are not showing interest in getting the video there is a problem, the thing is, what is the problem? They did not spend the initial money with the intention of throwing all of it away, right?

I had a customer (bride) that clearly had the money but was incommuncative, and like you, it drove me crazy. Eventually they paid, but I took unorthodox method of finding the grooms place of employment and placing a friendly call. He said his wife had not told him the videos were ready. I was like "No problem, everything is fine, there is no rush, I just wanted to make sure you all knew what was up." He paid me same day. Some times you have to sneak around to both bride and groom, but just stay nice, which for you would not be hard.

Now, for final 1/3 payment I ask for it before I begin editing the wedding. So I don't have the issue much anymore.

I wonder if the "extras" are possibly making them feel overcharged? Who knows. Good luck.

Chris, I think you might be a bit stonkered. I remember talking to another jeweller in the mid-90's who was still holding engagement rings that they had repaired from the mid-60's. Thirty years! And that was the ring, which you would expect as a daily adornment might be a little more upper in the mind than the video of the wedding. I think a bit of patience might get you over the line.

Hey Tim

In 30 years time the bride will be in her very late fiftys with probably 3 more kids and even grandkids ...Hmmm sobering thought that I will be 97 in 30 years time ... Don't snicker ..we all get old and my Dad made it to 99!! Then again I really cannot see me shooting weddings at that age so if she waits 30 years she loses out. DVD disks will also probably be totally obsolete by then too .. "Hey Dad what's that round plastic thing on your shelf ..a drinks coaster ?? ....Really? you used to watch videos on that?? Is that video in 16K or 32K resolution ? Really, 720 x576 no seriously what's 720?? "

Getting back to real life I haven't done her extras yet and have already told her I have her DVD's and if she wants to cancel the extras that's no issues ... since she will not email or phone me ..I don't know what she wants to do. I guess they can sit on the shelf for a while longer!! If they are still there when I eventually retire like Don they can go into the bin!!

Chris

Hey that's funny Chris, I know we think alike on a lot of things but we are exactly the same age as well!! :-0

Roger

I'm still waiting on a couple who's wedding was last September. They were in contact in January saying they were keen on getting the video and they'd be in touch soon. I think they'll pay the rest and collect the DVDs sometime before 2015! They just seem very disorganised.
I'd wait if I were you.

here's another thought: if the couple waits long enough, more specifically, for their 120 year anniversary, they could demand the video for free, it'll be in public domain. :)

I'll give it to the bride free on her 120th anniversary, if accompanied by her parents!

I'll give it to the bride free on her 120th anniversary, if accompanied by her parents!

C'mon Tim you're being stingy. I'd do it for their 50th!

Sadly one in four (or worse) never even make it to 5 never mind 50! and some don't even make it to the wedding day! I had a groom a few weeks ago who, after booking me and paying me 1/3 deposit in late January that the wedding was not going ahead for "personal reasons" ..I can imagine how much money they must have lost as they had already paid the venue a hefty amount as well as us and the photog

I guess when couples split up after a few years they send our carefully crafted DVD's to the garbage bin?

This bride's DVD set can sit on the shelf for as long as she likes ..I have her money and she has nothing ...!

Chris

I've often wondered how many of the B&Gs I've shot....uh I mean video'd over the last 30 years are still together. I'd be willing to bet less than 50%. I did do the 2nd weddings of one of the first couples I ever shot the wedding for. they got divorced after about 4 or 5 years and a couple of years later I did BOTH of the 2nds. It was actually pretty cool. I've also done the weddings of a few children of some of my first couples so I guess some do stay together.
Heck in my own family my wife and I are going on 45 years married (I really really really don't understand how she put up with me all these years but I'm not stupid. I don't ask!) Yet I have 2 of my 3 children who are either divorced or in the process of. The one I didn't think would last more than a few years has. Hmmm, go figure!
Anyway, NO I'm not going to try to contact any of them to do a survey since I don't really care but I will say I'm not missing doing weddings anymore. AAMOF I'm kind of enjoying the time off!
O|O
\--/

Hey Don

Scary thought !! Considering we rely on marriage to make our income it's a wonder that people even bother?? Dunno about in the USA but here if a woman lives with you for 12 months she has exactly the same rights as if you had married you... so if you fight and go your own ways she can STILL get the house but at least here you only pay Child support no alimony like you guys have... Must be an income killer after you have had 3 ex-wives you are sending money to every month.

Sheesh with all those morbid prospects I'm amazed so many people still have weddings!! Does anyone over on your side of the pond do same sex weddings?? It's not legal here but it just might be a new market for us.

Hmmm maybe we need to look at funerals?? You don't have to get married but you have no choice when you die.

I have 2 kids married, the 3rd is living in sin and the 4th is getting married for the 2nd time next month

Chris

Yeah the odds might not be the best but we humans are an optimistic lot so we keep trying! ;-)

I've done a few same sex weddings over the last few years...frankly it didn't bother me at all. Money is money and I actually had a very good time at the events. They were well planned and went quite well.

For those that might be reading this here's is my disclaimer.....I am not FOR or AGAINST same sex marriage and THIS forum is NOT the place to discuss it. I am merely responding to a general question posed in a response to a post that I made about weddings in general. If you wish to discuss same sex marriage with someone please find someone that is willing to spend time and energy in that discussion and is willing to spend hours or more and thousands of words in defending their position and reasoning whatever side of the fence they are on! Thank you!

Funerals? Nope not for me. Like I said in another thread. I've done 2 military funerals and I will NEVER do another one nor will I do civilian funerals. Just not in me to do them.

Chris, like they say...little kids little problems...big kids, big problems! ;-)

Hey Don

To me a wedding is a wedding and my job is to film it and get paid for doing my job. I have had skinny brides, HUGE brides and brides of all colours and cultures but to me it's purely a wedding and we all know that weddings are a happy occasion (well, mine always seem to be happy) so what better job than to film a happy occasion??

As videographers it's not our place to raise moral issues and I wouldn't never do that ..I look at it simply as more marketing opportunities and new clients once legislation is eventually passed here.

On the other point : We live opposite a Primary School and they are all little kids and I'm more than happy that my kids are now big kids ..don't think I could handle having young kids again .. nowdays is totally different and you can no longer apply a swift wack on the backside any more to restore discipline. I think quite often in this day and age we are getting "little kids also big problems"

There are a few advantages to being the age we are!!

Chris