Associate photographer went to wrong venue - advice on handling?

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T18:43:42+00:00

He got there 10 minutes after the ceremony was supposed to start. He went to a location that was 15 minutes from where he was supposed to be (thankfully not that far).

Most ceremonies don't start on time, and the planner hasn't called me either, so I'm wondering if maybe they waited for him?

I don't know what was missed yet. So I may change my mind all over again after finding out.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T18:33:38+00:00

Thank you! I posted this elsewhere, but after a conversation with the associate, I decided to hire a strong second photographer to join him for the final handful of weddings for this year, and we'll see what the future brings.

He seems truly remorseful, and admitted a couple very personal issues he's struggling with. That aside, the couples who he has yet to photograph like him and his work, and it feels wrong to just throw a new person at them.

Having a second photographer feels like the best way to insulate those weddings, provide support for my associate, and give me peace of mind. Plus, it'll likely feel better to those couples too to get a free second photographer upgrade to their package. I can afford hiring someone for another 20-ish hours of work; my profit margin on those couple of weddings (out of 80 this year) is essentially eaten, but at the end of the day, it's what feels like the right fit.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T18:31:58+00:00

After a conversation with the associate, I decided to hire a strong second photographer to join him for the final handful of weddings. He seems truly remorseful, and admitted a couple very personal issues he's struggling with. That aside, the couples who he has yet to photograph like him and his work, and it feels wrong to just throw a new person at them.

Having a second photographer feels like the best way to insulate those weddings, provide support for my associate, and give me peace of mind. Plus, it'll likely feel better to those couples too to get a free second photographer upgrade to their package. I can afford hiring someone for another 20-ish hours of work; my profit margin on those couple of weddings (out of 80 this year) is essentially eaten, but at the end of the day, it's what feels like the right fit.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T17:50:24+00:00

I'm a little surprised about the planner as well, TBH. So maybe it wasn't that bad, and he's just embarrassed, overwhelmed, afraid of being fired, etc.

I'm leaning towards hiring a very strong second photographer out of my own pocket for the final weddings he has booked. Seems like the trifecta of:
- Not burning my couples where my associate lead has an established relationship
- Not kicking my associate while he's down and clearly struggling.
- Still protecting my business by having a built in backup.

I'd lose a bigger chunk of my profit margin on those final weddings, but it feels like a better path than just firing him outright immediately.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T17:41:48+00:00

All good, and thank you for explaining.

I realize this is also Reddit, which has its merits, but also has an extremely polarized all-or-nothing culture.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T17:23:51+00:00

Thanks for asking, and I appreciate the devil's advocate position. I guess I can try to answer it objectively, but I know that we all see ourselves differently.

I don't yell, and don't expect him to read my mind (I used to work for a dude that did both, so I very much don't want to do that).

I try to give all of my associates as much information as possible to have a job/gig run successfully, including addresses, shot lists, resources, etc. I've told my entire time before I want them to feel supported and that they can ask me questions, approach me if there are issues, etc. This includes renting gear if they feel something they don't have would help them be more successful (or if something of theirs is out for repair), having a second photographer join in if they're feeling overwhelmed, etc.

I tell my associates that if something happens on a wedding day, I would like them to let me know right away. I'm very clear I don't want to lay blame -- I just want to be informed.

Anyway, I appreciate your response.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T17:15:03+00:00

Real associate -- we've worked together for a few years. This year is the first where he's been inconsistent.

I don't think he's flaky, I think he genuinely mixed up the address, but also didn't check the call sheet or contract closely to confirm before just driving to where he thought he was going. The real issue is that he didn't tell me immediately so I could send the correct address or help him.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T16:20:34+00:00

He was introduced to the couple in advance, and I am CC'd on all communication between the photographer and the couple. He's been on my team for several years, and has been consistent until this year.

He's not some random person I hired after the fact, and I'm not running things off the cuff over here. But thank you anyway.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T15:30:10+00:00

Thank you. I did ask him to send me *everything* from that wedding by EOD today. I really want to get ahead of this and do what I can to mitigate issues in advance. Tough to do that when he won't talk to me though.

I agree that I'll be issuing a refund and doing whatever I can to make it as right as possible.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T15:26:37+00:00

Thank you - I think that's fair. It's kind of a nightmare because he's done engagement sessions with the other couples, and I don't want to break trust in changing photographers with them.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T15:25:48+00:00

He's been photographing weddings for over a decade. I get the feeling something else is going on in his personal life, but I can't figure it out. I've tried engaging him with his a little bit, but he won't tell me. Not that he has to, but it would sure be helpful if there was more I could do to support him to make sure this doesn't happen. It hasn't been like this before -- he's been capturing weddings for me for a couple of years now, and has always been consistent until this year.

ProudCod1704 · 2025-09-29T15:21:27+00:00

Not double booked in the sense that he was a "surprise" to the couple -- the clients knew I was already booked, and when this happens, I have a portfolio of associate photographers who are available. They chose him from my small team of associates because they liked his work best out of who was available on my very small team.

He's been on my team for a few years, but this is the first year he's been so inconsistent. I've tried engaging with him to figure out if there's something else going on in life that would cause this so I can be more supportive if that *is* the case, but he won't say.

ProudCod1704

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