Tog Trouble

How did you find him Raef? Was he recommended to you?

Ive got a lot of friends in your area who have been married recently, so I could ask if anyone has used him if that helps?

I hope it all works out OK for you - you never know he may just be very laid back but pull it out the bag on the day. Fingers crossed!

We met him at a wedding fayre and we really hit it off with him. He was good at keeping in touch then and made an appointment really quickly so we were impressed.

Will facebook you his name as he is very local to me and therefore your friends too... If you could ask around for me that would be really good, thanks.

I will be keeping Hitched as a trick up my sleeve to use against him as I'm not afraid to do a N&S if need be.

Not a problem x

It may be worth giving him a call and speaking to him and just make sure that he'll be there on the day - at least it'll put your mind at rest in the run up to your big day? Perhaps he's just not good at the paperwork side of things, am sure as you've paid your final balance he'll be there on the day - if he advertises at wedding fairs then he must be a decent tog, probably just very busy ?

Ali x

Thanks for your reply Ali - always good to get the view of a fellow tog!

He hasn't returned my calls, and only appears to be dealing with OH. This may be because he's started talking about the situation with him but OH was busy yesterday so it was more convenient for me to deal with him but he didn't call me back, even though I left a message.

The bit in bold is the bit that worries me - he looks to be a good tog but if he's bad at the paperwork side of things, where does that leave me with getting the album from him?

Also, he was at the wedding fair to advertise the co he worked for at the time but sold his services to us instead as he said he would be the tog anyway.

I'm 80% sure all will be fine on the day; it's just that the 20% niggle won't stay quiet...

You really need to speak to him and just go over your concerns - best to get it sorted now, and at least if things aren't what they seem you have chance to find another tog. Once he realises just how concerned you are I'm sure he'll reassure you and all will be fine. I'd ring him and leave messages until he gets back to you.

Do you have a contract with him which says how long the album will take? And does he still work on behalf of the main company - if so you could maybe speak to them about your concerns too?

Hope that helps a bit!

Ali x

I think i know the companyh raef, without mentioniong the company name, is his name adrian?

Yeah, that's him

Did you stick with him or go with someone else? Completely forgot you'd booked him too...

No i rebooked after i was having trouble with him a while back. id paid a deposit and had an engagement shhot, bought and paid for some pics off it, took me 6 months to actually get the pics. and when i moved house/changed venue and was trying to call him to give him the new details he would never get back to me.

when i did eventually get my canvas, he blamed it on him having a hard time becuase him and his wife had split up.

really hope he comes up trumps for you tho raef, iv got my fingers crossed. xx

Poo...

Not really what I was wanting to hear but it's what I suspected! He seems to be ok with getting back to OH so will just keep on and on at him after the wedding.

Will also get some back up phone numbers on hand in case. Can't afford to write off what we've paid but it might be something we have to look into.

Thanks tfmc. I have my fingers crossed for you for your special day this weekend. Can't believe it's here already!

I did get the pics eventuaully raef, thats what i was trying to get at. xx

Oh, I know. But 6 months for a canvas isn't exactly acceptable is it?

Anyway, you don't need to be worrying about me - you should be either doing stuff for yourself or relaxing! I'm sure all will be fine, but I'm a natural worrier ?

Will be thinking of you on Sat!

x

RaeF is your photographer a Member of the MPA? If so contact them as he is in breach of their code of conduct and they should be able to liaise for you. Similarly if he is an SWPP member you could try contacting them although they are just a business so anyone can be a member but they may be able to advise you.

There's nothing on his website so would take a guess at no, he's not...

Aah well, if he's there then great. If not then I'll sue the ass off him for emotional stress etc!

Guess whose been on the vodka this evening??

Awww no! I'm a believer that everything will sort itself out in the end! I hope it all gets resolved ?

Ahh shucks sweetie, you don't need this stress right now.

We can always come earlier in the day and I'll take the getting ready photos, as well as the photos I would have taken ceremony and reception-wise, if things go tits up.....fingers crossed they wont though.

I'm sure he'll come up trumps in the end.

Oh, I love you miss! But I'm getting ready at 7 in the morning which would be a stoopidly long day for you. It is lovely for you to offer though - I'm sure it will all be fine. <Crosses fingers>

My back ups in my head are you and my brother in law as you are both spectacular photographers. He's been doing a course since Jan and is always snapping away at family events for his portfolio so I know between the two of you I'll be able to get the whole day covered. I do also have my vog there the whole day too so as a worst, worst case scenario I could use stills from that (for the getting ready shots). I just hope that it doesn't end badly as I'll be gutted and it would be a horrible start to the day.

Can you tell P and I have been talking it through all of today with all our back ups??

Bless you - well it'll be no bother for me at all....Infact I'd bloody love it!

I don't think R would thank you for it though! xx

Rachel, message me his details and I will chase him up for you.

Whatever happens, don't let this worry you. If worst happens, I am free on your date too, although I am sure that this is simply down to poor communication.

Peter

Thank you Peter.

I will keep your kind offer in mind but hopefully I won't need to ask you to step in (in the nicest possible way of course, I am hopeful he's just a poor communicator!).

I was also hopeful you would say you're free though and if he is a no show then you may be getting a frantic phone call from a tearful bride early one Sunday morning!

?

From experience, I would suggest that he is simply a poor communicater and that all will really be fine. You met him at a wedding fayre and those that go to the effort of that really are unlikely to do a no show on the day itself. I totally understand your concerns and it does highlight why we togs should always be very communicative, specifically in the nervous run up to weddings for our clients.

Peter

BTW oohlala... I really like the left image on your signature

Just as a thought Raef, it is possible that although this cheque is showing as cleared, that his specific bank account may not really clear the money in to his account until 5 working days. In this case it is normal to not send out a receipt until it has cleared......this may explain the delay....

Not perfect, although a possible explanation.

Peter

Fankoo Peter, it's me...and my hunky chunk is the one on the right.

BTW Raef, R wouldn't mind at all - I could send him to the pub and he'd be well away!

I wouldn't read too much into it.

This is a stupidly busy time of year for most of us and I have to admit as much I would like to return all calls and emails within 24 hours of receiving them the truth is stuff can be sitting on my desk for weeks if it's not urgent.

By urgent I mean urgent to the bigger picture, not necessarily urgent to the couple. I know it isn't what you all want to hear but the reality is that I'm usually pre-occupied with the wedding I've either just shot or am about to and my energy goes into getting those images turned around quickly for the couple and if the paperwork is a little late, well, it's a little late.

But to set your mind at ease despite this 'relaxed' (I wish!) attitude I usually get peoples images back to them within 3 weeks of the wedding and the album designs done within 2 weeks. But if you pay me a cheque it will often sit there for 3 weeks because in my mind getting the work done takes priority over getting paid for it. Hope that helps.

Thanks Brian,

I do understand that the person my wedding is most important to is me but he banked the cheque the day he received it but won't confirm via letter / email or the like.

And if you look back through the thread, it took him 6 months to get a canvas to thefuturemrsclarke after her engagement shoot...

But, hopefully you are correct and he is just 'relaxed' or 'busy'

Have you or your fiance managed to speak to your tog yet? I don't see that there is an excuse for not sorting paperwork out, it's just a matter of being organised. I think as your tog has had time to pay your cheque in, he surely has time to confirm that he's received the payment in writing. Hope you manage to speak to him in the next few days and get it sorted out. Fantastic that Peter has offered to stand in if needed to - what a star ?

Ali x