Wedding Blog
Kristy Cummings Photography–F.
I got married nearly four months ago, and I admittedly haven’t put up many vendor reviews yet.
That’s because all my wedding and vendor-related energy has been dedicated toward a problem of massive proportions: my wedding photographer.
Here’s a super-condensed version of what has transpired:
In August 2006 we hired Kristy Cummings to shoot our wedding. Leading up to the wedding, I had no problems communicating with her via either email or phone. She also showed up at the wedding, stayed for the allotted time, etc. No problems there. However, immediately after the wedding I had great difficulty contacting her. She’d told us that our photos would be ready ‘two or three weeks’ after the wedding and that deadline came and went–no photos.
When I finally got ahold of her, she cited personal issues and promised that the photos would be in the mail shortly. They weren’t. She continued ignoring our attempts to contact her (even some strongly-worded emails my dad sent, one of which mentioned seeking legal recourse). At the end of July, two months after the wedding, she agreed to meet with my parents and hand over the CD of unedited images, the DVD of finished images, and the slideshow DVD. She stood them up–didn’t appear at the meeting.
A few days later I drove down from my college town and Mom and I went out to her studio in Harrisonville (about 30 miles outside Kansas City). When we showed up then we were able to get the CD of unedited images, and some (about 300) edited ones. Kristy promised that the remaining edited images would be mailed to me in a few days, along with the slideshow DVD. That was the last contact we had with her.
In the middle of August my parents stopped by her studio again, only to see a notice on the door that it was temporarily closed. Since that time, I’ve been contacted by four other brides who had also hired Kirsty. One was having trouble getting ahold of her own wedding photos, three had upcoming weddings and were unable to get ahold of Kristy to go over details.
Of the photos that we received, many are of wonderful quality. However, she didn’t even take (or edit) many photos that we requested–there are only two images of the getaway, none of us with our families, very few of me and Mr. Blueberry, almost none of me alone, just one of Mr. Blueberry alone, etc. We’re missing several key poses. That once-in-a-lifetime event is over, and we’re not at all satisfied with what we have to show for it.
That is my honest review, and I did my best attempt at being even-handed even though it is such a touchy subject for me. I get angry and even start crying sometimes, just thinking about what we have missed out on and will never get back.
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i am so sorry to hear this! that’s beyond unprofessional!
you should definitely treat yourselves to a trash the dress/ day after session and have a ball! … its never to late for that! 
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry to hear about your experience. Is there any action (legal) you can take against her? If you have signed contracts, you should be able to get something done
Oh I’m so sorry! My co-worker went through the same thing with her daughter’s wedding photographer. They seriously had to stalk the photographer’s house and from what the neighbors said, they weren’t the only families to do so. Be careful out there ladies! Research your vendors very very well! And don’t go cheap with this kind of stuff!
That’s horrible 
You should demand a complete refund and don’t be afraid to seek legal help. Treat yourselves to a nice “after” wedding shoot too k?
Did you have wedding insurance? If so, it may cover the cost to reconvene the bridal party and re-stage the missing photos. It kicks in if your wedding photos are lost or damaged - which may apply since your photographer ran off with some of the images she promised you.
I am sorry too. Something tells me that you are not the only bride this happened too. Have you tried calling the Better Business Bureau? They will have logs of all complaints and maybe you can use that as ammunition if you decide to sue.
I am sooo sorry that this happened to you. I would be crying too… and I really hope this will eventually be resolved in a way that will give you a little more satisfaction. That said, as a fellow Bee, I would be more than happy to help you edit some of your unedited photos if that would help any! Image correction is a part of my professional job and I would love to do that for you if you would like.
Soo sorry to hear that has happened to you. I really hope you can get ahold of her and perhaps get some of your money back.
Maybe you can send out an email to your guests to get more photos from them. I know they won’t be as high quality as those from a Pro, but it’s better than nothing.
I’m sorry about that - it really stinks. My future SIL had some issues with her wedding photography, too, but eventually was able to get all of her pictures. I have a lot of faith in my photographer, so I would be severely disappointed if something like this happened.
We’re having MAJOR stress regarding our venue, and I’m almost at the end of my rope. The wedding is stressful enough without throwing vendor issues in the mix. I’m really sorry for what you’ve gone and are going through.
P.S. I second the poster who suggested another shoot. Actually, I would recommend a separate bride-and-groom only shoot to any bride, regardless of if the photos on the day of went badly or not — just because the results usually are fantastic and you get shots that you never would have been able to get on the actual day.
Definitely treat yourself and Mr. Blueberry to this if you can, even if it’s not right away — maybe a one day shoot in a favorite location or something.
i am sooo sorry that you had to deal with such an unprofessional photographer, but i also want to thank you for posting about it. we’re just starting a lot of our photographer search now (on a pretty tight budget), so your story is a great reminder to me to me that i need to be extra vigilant about double-checking references for all my vendors.
That’s really dreadful. I’m sure your friends & family who took photos will be very generous in sharing any photos/videos they took of your day.
Also — Seriously, under the circumstances, there is nothing wrong with you and your DH (and maybe even your immediate families) restaging some photos with another photographer, either outdoors or at a studio. You could have some beautiful portraits done at a studio to help make up for the loss. I know it’s an expense, but think about it; do it soon while your hair is the same and everyone fits in the clothes (preggers happens; kids grow taller).
Wow I can’t believe how many instances I’ve heard of this lately. One of my blog-friends got married recently and her photographer LOST THE PHOTOS. All of them. And they eloped, so there were no guest photos. They don’t have a single image from their wedding day now. And the photographer that we have hired ourselves ended up doing a bridal portrait session with a bride because her original wedding photographer didn’t end up taking a single image of just her by herself in the photo and she was really upset.
I really hope you get this resolved - maybe through legal recourse if necessary. That’s a great offer of Mrs. Plumeria too - you should take her up on it!!
i know exactly how you feel *HUGS* you and i should have a session together hehe
::big hug::
OMG, you’re kidding me! Reading your post totally kicked my butt into gear. I finally made an appointment (and won’t postpone this time) with our photographer to work on our wedding albums…it has only been two years since the wedding!
I sympathize with you. My photographer contacted me about a week after our honeymoon to tell me the memory card which contained our ceremony photos was corrupted; he had none of me getting ready, walking down the aisle or any vows.
I contacted friends and family and have managed to create a pretty good composite that my photographer will add into my album at no charge, and he’s also giving me a 1/3 off what we originally owed him, to make up for his mistake.
I can’t imagine how I’d be feeling if I couldn’t even TALK to him.
I hope you can get this all worked out! Ask your friends/family if they have any cool photos. You’d be surprised what they might have on their cameras!
Thanks everyone! Let’s see if I can address your questions one by one…
EmilyB: I want to do that, but my dad (who paid for her) doesn’t. He doesn’t think Kristy would be able to repay us. Which is probably right, but I think it’s worthwhile just based on principle, you know? So that’s definitely still up in the air!
aoedorothee: I definitely agree with what you said, but here’s the kicker: Kristy *wasn’t* cheap–not by my definition anyway! She wasn’t the most expensive photog I’ve seen, but her rates were far from low. I’ve learned that price does not equal good photos.
a: I’ve been thinking about that a lot! Unfortunately, Jeff and I both cut our hair *right* after the wedding, and while I’m sure any day-after prints we get would look good, I’m not sure I’d be able to kick that sour taste about why we had to take them, y’know?
snmcdowell: Unfortunately, no. But it would’ve been wonderful if we had!
Kelly: Yes, we did. We filed a complaint and the BBB tried to contact her. She wouldn’t respond, and since she’s not a member there was nothing more they could do.
Mrs. Plumeria: what a sweet and generous offer! We really appreciate it Actually, a high school friend of mine is a wedding photographer (the only reason we didn’t hire her for ours was because we wanted her there as a guest!) and has offered to do the same thing. I think we’ll take her up on that since she owes me anyway 
But I really really really appreciate your offer!
sillyinphilly: good! I hope it saves you some misery
I’m so sorry about this - what a total bummer!!
I’m so sorry for you, Mrs. Blueberry! For what it’s worth, I’ve enjoyed the non-pro pictures you’ve shared; your guests took some nice shots. Of course, yes, they aren’t the shots the Blueberries and family wanted, paid for and expected from the pro you trusted to capture your big day.
As you’ve already gone the BBB route, have you contacted your local police department? This is a cause of fraud. I’m not an attorney and I don’t even play one of TV - I just know, like you, that I couldn’t take this sitting down.
Good luck, please keep us posted.
Ahh!!! Nightmare! It’s nuts because I’m a law student and all I could think about was what was wrong… you’ve got yourself a case missy! I am so sorry it was so bad.
To add to what christigpa said, have you considered going to the local media? I think small news stations eat up this kind of story and love the chance to track these sorts of people down and shame them. It might not get you results, but I bet it would guarantee that she doesn’t work again in your town for a long while.
I just went to her website and it looks like she’s still doing business or maybe hasn’t changed/taken-down her site, or are letting brides now her “personal situation” after they request info. about wedding photography.
It would be interesting to see if someone contacted her about her wedding services (not mentioning this incident) and see if she responds. I hate to be tricksy, but I think she kind of deserves it.
And no, her prices don’t look cheap to me. I’ve seen some WAY more expensive, but I’ve seen cheaper, too. She surely wasn’t cheap, especially for the work you received.
Did she ever even post your pictures online, as she says she will do on her website?
WOW, sorry for the triple post, but I was a curious little Bee (i.e. snoop) and did a Google search on her. On the first page of searches, this came-up:
http://www.forabetterwedding.com/vendors/Kristy-Cummings-Photography-review-15886/
It seems like there is one bride from 2006 that had an issue with never getting her albums/photos, too. Seems like this lady has been scamming for a while.
She did log into her MySpace on the 6th of this month, so maybe you can contact her there when/if she logs-in again:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=6068581
That is awful, but just be glad that you have SOME pictures, even if they aren’t all the ones you wanted. One of my bridesmaids got married in May, and has not been able to get in contact with the photographer AT ALL and has no pictures from him. In fact, the only pictures she has PERIOD of her wedding are the ones I took with my digital camera from many rows back in the church, and a few from the reception. Can you imagine only getting 10-15 pictures total from your wedding, and not even great ones at that?
I would call a local TV station, like AMK said. They LOVE this sort of thing and would track her down.
Have you gone on the knot (I know…shudder!)and asked other girls if they are using her? Maybe they can get in touch with her? Or at least warn them!
i looked at her website, there is a comments page…i suggest we all rally and sent messages to this women until she gets it together! then call the local association of bridal consultants and alert them to this problematic company. so sorry this happened to you! so not fair!
OMG! That is awful! I would be in tears and have my FI (atty) on her arse!!! There is no replacement for day of pictures. Thanks for the notice. Remember there is no better publicity than word-of-mouth, and hers is definitely negative.
Just wanted to follow up as I checked out her myspace on the link Beth put up and read some of her blogs. It seems like she is going/went through a divorce around June/July which involved the splitting of a joint family (w/previous kids) again. NOT AN EXCUSE for unprofessional work (if she couldn’t handle it, she should have told you in advance and refer or find a replacement), but probably the reason she can’t get it together. Still… very unprofessional.
Sorry to hear about your bad experiences with a photographer.
Calling the news could help but not as solid as the advice I can give you.
Some things I’d do in your shoes are:
1. Look over your contract. See what terms you two have settled on and if she doesn’t deliver what you two have agreed on then you can bring her to small claims court. If you don’t have a contract then you might want to go over what you two verbally agreed on and if you can keep track of all the dates of meetings and phone calls with this photographer. Which leads me to the next point.
2. Make note of every written communication because that can be used in a court of law: emails, napkins written on, etc. Just make sure you have a proper documentation and legal advice as well.
3. Seek help from a lawyer. Since I’m in no shape a lawyer. Just a business-man.
Good luck.
Aww thats terrible! I’m afraid that i don’t have any legal advice to give you, but my heart goes out to you. I love taking pictures, and always have my digital camera by my side.
You must be very disappointed and frustrated, but for what it counts, remember that the best memories of your big day will always be perfectly perserved in your mind. Pictures can’t capture what the entire experience was like for you, and you don’t need any kind of picture to remind you of the rush of emotions you felt that day or of how happy you were marrying the man of your dreams!
Take her to court. Plain and simple. Do it.
Before anyone goes on the photog’s MySpace account and leaves messages, Mrs. Blueberry should give the go-ahead. She and her family are involved in something very personal - God forbid well-meaning Bee’s messages could be construed as harrassment through a defense atty’s eyes.
That said, Mrs. B, I’m more than willing e-help in any way I can!
I agree that you should sue. Get the legal system involved. I’m sure there are many things in your contract that she did not do.
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I don’t have anything new to add, but just wanted to say that I too am so so sorry you had to go through this, Mrs. Blueberry!!! I really hope you come up with some way to resolve this so it seems a bit more “fair” even though I know there is no way she can truly make up for it!! Hugs!!
I thought your friend did your photography? The one who did your engagement photos?
As a professional photography I want to issue my deep regrets that you have had to go thru this with your photographer.
Over the past 5 years there have been so many new people with cameras starting out and wanting to be photographers. Many of them are having problems with any business related issues, they may know how to take a snap shot however that is where it ends.
I sincerely hope that the tragic situation you are going thru will enforce all the other brides getting married to be very careful with any vendor especially photographers, who have not been in business for several years. I am sorry to say but your situation is repeated more than you would ever care to know.
I wish you two the best and with luck, and possible the assistance of the court, you will be able to get all your images.
God bless the two of you…….
Hi…i am in the same boat with Kristy….if you wouldn’t mind contacting me, I would love to discuss. Thanks!
Kristy FINALLY emailed me back after five months of unreturned emails and voice mails. Her email contained the usual: apologies and very personal stories as excuses. But then she promised I would have the pictures within a few days. It’s been over two weeks, and we’re back to dead silence. Maybe if the three of us could talk, we could find a way to help each other out. I told Kristy I plan to call a lawyer on January 2 if I don’t have the pictures by then, but it will be tough following the legal route because I live in NY. I would love to communicate with both of you. Maybe we can come up with a solution. Merry Christmas!
I would love to talk too…..I live somewhat near her….can you see my email to email me contact info? I noticed on her vm that she took her greeting off that refered to her business. I love how she can check her myspace page, but not get back with her brides.
So fun you live in NY- that is where I went on my Bach. party….so fun!
Hi, bride in the same boat. Thanks for the comment. I can’t see your email address, unfortunately, but if you want to exchange them, we can talk. It would be great if we could help each other. I actually hired a lawyer and he sent her a threatening letter, but no response yet. I might have to take another step.
This is awful! I am a photgrapher based in Australia. This is my first time on weddingbee.com and I was just having a look around when I came across your story. I am so sorry this happened to you! I am a portrait photographer who mostly shoots children, but I do pride myself on my editing and ensuring client satisfaction. It seems as though this was a while ago now and you might have a solution - but if not.. feel free to contact me. I would be happy to look at your images and edit 25 - 50 of them for you.. so that you can create a professional looking album. I can’t offer to do them all unfortunately but I would be happy to offer you my time to edit a selection as my gift to you both. … shoot me an email!
@Another bride in the same boat: @Another bride in the same boat:
Hello! My name is Jessica and I am in the same boat, unfortunately that all of you are. I would love for you to contact me so that we can share stories and in some way hopefully piece our stories together and try to find her! Please contact me ASAP email address: jessica@kcfaa.org or contact me at 816.582.8961 This is very important, my husband and I are in the process of taking her to small claims court. I got married in June 2007. She did my sisters wedding in May 2005 and she received all of her pictures, but still needs her CD. If we could get in touch with one another we can hopefully find her and take care of this once and for all! Please HELP!
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Mrs. Blueberry, Kansas City
Age and Occupation in 06: 21, Full-time Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Full-time Student
Engagement Date: September 10, 2005
Wedding Date: May 25, 2007
Venue: Wynbrick Center - a historic mansion in my hometown.
About Me: We're having an intimate, 125-ish person wedding with a full-blown dessert reception. When I'm not obsessing over wedding stuff or studying for my BA in English, I'm usually playing with our two kitty cats, blogging, doing crafty things, or hanging out with Mr. Blueberry!
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