NRI Bride Refuses Food For Wedding Photographers, Latter's Company Vows To Protect Employees

Indian weddings are multi-day, elaborate celebrations that honour the coming together of not just two individuals, but their entire families. Rooted in centuries-old customs, they feature a dazzling array of ceremonies, music, food and colourful attire. To preserve those moments for life, wedding photographers are hired. They often come as a team of 3-4 or even more, and remain on their toes during the marriage festivities, in order to not miss capturing any important moment.

However, it is worth noting that capturing a 'big fat Indian wedding' comes with a significant price tag. Besides that, basic human needs of the photographers, like food and water, are expected to be covered as additional expenses. But, recently, an NRI bride refused food to her wedding photographers and also rated them 1 star on Google. Hitting back, the company took a stand for its employees and gave the hiring party a firm response.

The bride was unwilling to bear Rs. 1.5 lakh food expense of her wedding photographers

A dispute between an NRI bride and a Delhi-based photography company, We Don't Say Cheese (WDSC), over food for the crew has gone viral on social media. The bride refused to provide meals for the photography team at her 5-star wedding venue, citing the high cost of over Rs. 6000 per plate. She claimed it was unreasonable for vendors to expect to be treated like guests and added that accommodating the team of 7-8 people would add Rs. 1.5 lakh to her food and beverage bill.

The wedding photographers asked for 1-hour meal breaks

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The team of 7-8 photographers demanded a 1-hour break for each of them, as per the bride's review on WDSC's page. Since they were not allowed to have on-site food, they wanted to have their meal outside, which would take up the requested time. However, the hiring party was displeased with the suggestion, as they were sceptical that the photographers would miss important moments of the celebrations by being away for such long periods.

The company demanded full advance payment for the photography gig

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The WDSC photographers' charge for the wedding gig was as much as Rs. 4 lakh. They wanted the full and final payment to be made before covering the event. According to them, the industry operates in this manner, and they have always required advance payments. But the bride was displeased about it and tried negotiating. However, the company was against it and cancelled the gig six months before the marriage.

The bride left a harsh review on WDSC's page

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The NRI bride left a one-star review for WDSC on their page, writing a long paragraph to explain her grievances. They included the company's request for individual one-hour meal breaks and a full advance payment. As per her, the photography team's demands were unreasonable and gave off the impression that they wanted to be treated like the wedding guests. Responding to the on-site food demand, she cited her work experience, noting that her company never provided her with "fine dining." Mentioning the issue, she wrote:

"I've been working for over 10 years, and at no point have I expected my workplace to provide me with fine-dining experiences along with my salary. On a heavy Saaya day in New Delhi, it's simply not possible to account for 7-8 extra guests at all wedding functions, especially in a 5-star hotel where the per-person cost is Rs 6,000+. That adds up to nearly 1.5 lakh just for F&B-completely outside reason."

The photography company stood firmly by their employees

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Richa Oberoi, the business head of the photography service at WDSC, took a screenshot of the bride's review and posted it on her Instagram account. Richa called the bride out and termed the incident inhumane. The post explained the entire issue and provided explanations for all the points the bride raised, including on-site food and pre-event payment. Refuting the bride's claims that the photographers wanted to be treated like guests, Richa wrote:

"This is about basic dignity. At no point did we ask to be treated like family or to be considered "guests." We simply asked not to be treated as invisible labor."

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Richa told Hindustan Times that the photographers were even ready to share plates of food among themselves to keep the cost down. They also provided an alternative option for obtaining their own food, which the hiring party could reimburse later. However, none of the options sounded pleasing to the bride, and the company ultimately had to cancel the gig. That was followed by the one-star review from the bride. Richa, a representative from the company's side, could not be a quiet viewer of the incident. Taking to social media, she presented WDSC's side of the story and wrote:

"We stand for our people and always will."

The issue led to a social media debate

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Many users sided with the photographers, emphasising that vendors are humans who deserve fair treatment and respect for their long working hours. Some past clients expressed support for WDSC, while others called out the bride's behaviour as disrespectful. Some commenters argued that vendors are hired to do a job, not to be guests at the event. They pointed out the high costs of weddings and suggested vendors should arrange their own meals or have meal requirements specified clearly in the contract.

Do you think the bride was justified in her behaviour towards the wedding photography team?

Also Read: Makeup Artist Slammed For Pointing Out Bride's 'Cut Marks' And Calling Them 'Kaand' On Wedding Day

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