Further to my previous blog on how to deal with wedding guests over-indulging at the free bar I never thought that newlyweds would need to be warned about checking how much their photographer is knocking back!

That is exactly the fate that newlyweds Linus and Tammy Choo suffered after their wedding in Singapore. Their perfect day ended with their photographer getting so drunk at the post-wedding party that he lost his camera kit including the two memory cards containing the couple’s precious wedding photos.

I know that it is unfair to judge a photographer on what he gets up to once his stint at your wedding has finished but anyone carrying such valuable cargo as your irreplaceable wedding photos should really have known better. This is barely acceptable behavior from a friend you might have asked to take your wedding photos, let alone a paid professional!

It's all well and good to think that if something goes wrong with your wedding photos "The photographer will refund the money," but that doesn't always happen. The Choo’s, who had purchased a full wedding photography package worth over $10,000, were offered a $1,188 refund by the photography company according to The Electric New Paper. This would not even cover them for getting everyone together later to retake all of the wedding pictures.

To avoid a similar situation I recommend that you take out wedding insurance which can cover the cost of getting another photographer for a second shoot if you want one. Whilst this might seem like small compensation to you when you have lost all the photos of your special day, which can never really be recaptured in the same way, it at least goes some way to reimburse costs you might incur in retaking the photos.

Without a doubt it is ridiculous for you to be expected to check at the end of your wedding day whether your photographer has placed the all-important camera films or memory cards somewhere safe. However there are some precautionary measures which you can take to help you avoid the same misfortune as the Choo’s. Here are some tips to give you peace of mind on your wedding day:

♥ During your initial meetings with the photographer ask if the person you are meeting with is the same person who will be there on your wedding day. If not, then ask to meet the actual photographer and also take a look at some examples of their work. If this is resisted then you should definitely be concerned.

♥ Of course it is unacceptable to ask the photographer whether they intend on drinking alcohol once their work at your wedding is complete but it is totally within your rights to ask them where their camera and equipment will be stowed for the night. If you are unhappy with the arrangements which they have made you could make your own suggestions, after all you are paying for the photos. Perhaps the films or memory cards could be place in the wedding venue’s safe for the night or a trusted photographer’s assistant, family member or sober friend could look after them.

♥ If you are really concerned then try to ascertain whether the photographer usually drinks at the end of a job (or even during!). The best way to do that is to seek opinions from other couples who have used this photographer personally about his work and performance, either from people you know or from other couples via wedding websites on the internet (you could search the photographer’s name in Google and look for reviews). Find out what training and experience your photographer has.

♥ Most importantly you should ask the photographer if they offer any compensation themselves for loss of photographs. Do they have professional indemnity insurance to cover the cost of retaking your photographs if something does go wrong.

I hope that the Choo's story serves as a cautionary tale for those of you choosing your wedding photographers. Whilst we all want our photographers to feel comfortable amongst our family and friends on our wedding day we also want to make sure that our wedding photos see the light of day!

Good luck with your planning.

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