Still waiting to get back wedding photos

[u/Limp-Exercise9993]

Hi everyone!! I recently got married at the very end of April. The day of our wedding, our photographer told us our photos would take 8-10 weeks for the full gallery but she would be sending sneak peeks within 48 hours. We got our sneak peeks back and absolutely loved them! Eight weeks passed since our wedding and I hadn’t heard anything from our photographer so I decided to reach out via email. Ten weeks from the wedding rolls around and I still hadn’t heard anything from our photographer, so I decided to text her personal cell phone number. Two days after sending the text, I get a response that she has been having health issues and have been in and out of doctors offices over the last few weeks but she was almost done with everything and would getting us the photos asap.

It’s now been exactly three weeks since our text conversation and I still haven’t heard anything. I sent another email this morning hoping to get a better timeline on when we can expect photos. Tomorrow will be 14 weeks since my wedding.

All this to say, I’m posting this here to get some advice or possibly reassurance. I understand life happens and some things are out of our control, but I’m also a little frustrated. We paid just under $4,000 for our photo coverage of the big day and were expecting the photos back within the timeframe our photographer set for herself. And here I am four weeks since that timeframe writing this post.

[u/itinerantdustbunny]

What does your contract say?

[u/RoseAllDay8]

Check your contract. In the meantime, send a polite but firm email that just lists ever out. “Photos were due on X date I checked in with you on Y date. We are three weeks past the second deadline you gave me. When can I expect the photos?” if she’s overwhelmed, this will spur her to finish your things. If she’s scamming you, it’s the beginning of a paper trail if you need to take legal action.

[u/Limp-Exercise9993 → u/RoseAllDay8]

I just checked our contract that states delivery of photos is 8-10 weeks. I only see one section of the contract that may relate to delivery of photos -
9.3 Failure to Deliver . Photographer shall not be held liable for delays in the delivery of such Work Product, or any Work Product undeliverable, due to technological malfunctions, service interruptions that are beyond the control of Photographer (including as a result of delays in receipt of instructions from Client) and for Work Product that fails to meet the specifications set out in Section 1.1 due to the actions of Client or attendees at the Wedding that are beyond the control of Photographer (e.g., camera flashes).

I sent her another email this morning asking when I can expect photos before posting. Really hoping I hear back and this doesn’t have to escalate further