5 Tips to Ensure You Don’t Get Scammed by Your Photographer.

In this post we learn about Lindsey Nichole who cheated her wedding clients out of thousands of dollars, and we get 5 Tips to Ensure You Don’t Get Scammed by Your Photographer.

Every year or two I put out a public service announcement to grooms and brides to beware of who you hire for your weddings. All too often, I get notifications of photographers ghosting their clients who have paid in full and have no wedding photos to show for it. The latest story is of a photographer in Bethany Oklahoma, who did just that.

On the surface, everything looks pretty legitimate. She has a couple of thousand followers on Instagram. Her style of photography is consistent as you scroll through her feed. She has (ahem… HAD) great reviews on The Knot and Wedding Wire. Then, she ghosted her clients who gave her thousands of dollars, leaving them picture-less from their big day.

How does this still happen? Here are 5 tips to ensure you don’t get scammed by your wedding photographer.

5 Tips to Ensure You Don’t Get Scammed by Your Photographer

5. Check how long they have been in business. You can check public records, but also just scroll their social media to the bottom. I wouldn’t trust my big day to a photographer — no matter how talented — unless they’ve been a legitimate business for more than 5 years.

4. Ask the RIGHT QUESTIONS. I read those “questions for your photographer” pages in planning guides that ask all the wrong questions. Instead, grooms and brides should ask things like: “What is your procedure for backing up photos?” and “Describe your editing process + timeline for me.” Asking these questions ensures you’ll land on a photographer who has a great system in place for securing your wedding photos.

3. Get everything in writing. Even if you have a phone conversation. After a phone conversation, you can easily recap what is said and send it to the photographer. Then, ask at the end of the email: “Is everything here correct?” It’s as simple as that.

2. Invest in your wedding images. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. You want to ensure you have the best quality images by the most reputable brands in the wedding photography world. I hate to say “you get what you pay for” but it is so very true. Not only are you paying for the photographer’s time and talent, but you are also paying for their expert workflow, great communication skills, and, above all, peace of mind. Hiring a luxury wedding photographer ensures you will have peace of mind knowing your wedding images will be beautiful and that your photographer won’t scam you.

And finally… 1. Hire Benfield Photography. 😊 I’ve been shooting weddings for over a decade, have an iron-clad photo backup routine, and have never lost wedding images. I’m also famous for quick turnarounds and speedy client communication. Seriously… you can ask ANY one of my 500+ brides and grooms!

Now, let’s get out of that funky mood by looking at a beautiful wedding image, shall we?