Inspiring Quotation of the Week on Forgiveness and Screwing Up

Recently, I wrote an article about forgiving my wedding photographers who ran away with my money and pictures in 2005.  My story ended happily and the photographer and I were able to make a peaceful resolution.

There was one reader and fellow blogger, Maegan from Living the Imperfect Life, who summed up the way I feel about forgiving people who have wronged you but are trying to make amends. 

Maegan said, “Sometimes people screw up and they need a break.”

Thank you Maegan for your inspiring words. 

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

How Facebook Helped Me Find The Wedding Photographers Who Ran Away With Our Photographs and Money & How We Came to a Peaceful Resolution

“To forgive is the highest most beautiful form of love. In return you will receive untold peace and happiness.” (Robert Muller)

Before reading this post I would like to say that it ends happily…..

A few days ago I blogged about our wedding photographers who ran away with our photographs and $1200.  I was very grateful that a few friends saved the day by giving us some pictures of our big day since the professional photographs were missing in action.

After my wedding in 2005 I tried to reach the photographers by phone, email and mail. I could not reach them at all.  It was as if they disappeared into thin air.

In 2005, when we had our wedding photographer fiasco Facebook was just launched.  When our photographers became unreachable there was nothing we could do except file a complaint against the Better Business Bureau and file a court case in small claims.

Since I was a newlywed I did not want to start my marriage off with a court case so we decided to just make a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  I was hoping that the photographers would get a conscience and give us our pictures or our money back.

For many years I would do Google searches to track the photographers down.  The phone number I had was disconnected so I would send the occasional email that was never answered.  Life went on, I had kids, and for many years I did not think of the crooked photographers or my missing pictures until I wrote the blog post about thanking my friends for saving my wedding day memories.

On a whim I decided to do a Google search again and I found the photographers had come back and renamed their business.  They had a very professional sight and a Facebook page.

As we all know Facebook has made the world a little smaller.  Facebook helped me solve the case of the missing wedding photographers.

I found their photography page and the personal page of the main photographer who I made the contractual deal with all those years ago.  In the public Facebook pictures there were smiling faces of the photography team who took my $1200 all those years ago.

Facebook gave me the ability to reach out and have the closure I wanted.  I sent an email saying who I was and I wanted to resolve things peacefully.

The main photographer and I are now communicating.  They want to pay the full $1200 back in 6 installments of $200.  I was really happy that they are going to do the right thing and fulfill their contractual agreement.

Since the photographer is recovering from an illness, while starting her business again and taking care of her children, I told her that she could just give me $400 and some other items we agreed upon. 

I want my pictures back because they are priceless.

My wedding was the last big event that I had with my father before he died of cancer. 

There were pictures that the professional photographers took that were only privy to a few people, like arrangements before the actual wedding and reception (when the bride is dressing up and the groom bonds with his party).  Those are just some of the pictures I have missed since we have none of those on file.

This holiday season should be an exciting one because we will be opening a time capsule when we get our wedding pictures, albums, dvds, etc.

I am happy that the photographer and I are communicating.  Thank you Facebook for being a catalyst for a peaceful resolution.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Our Wedding Photographers Ran Away With Our Photographs and Our Money, but Thank You to Our Friends Who Saved the Day

They say a picture paints a thousand words.  When a couple gets married they spend thousands of dollars on expert photography because they want to immortalize the moments.

Like all couples who have a wedding, we hired a photography team who we thought were honest and would do a good job.  The team interviewed well, and I guess Michael and I were a little naïve and we did not ask for references.

The photographers showed up for the pre-wedding pictures and stayed on till the end of the festivities.  They seemed to be taking plenty of pictures, but we were a little put off that the team got a bit wasted during the reception.  Since this was our special day we did not want to concentrate on the lack of professionalism and we did not make a big deal about it.

I was so excited to receive the prints, a disk of all the pictures, a wedding album and a slide show movie.  I wanted to have these as keepsakes so that when Michael and I were older we could take a walk down memory lane and relive our special day.

Unfortunately we were swindled by our photographers.  After the wedding they ran of with our money and we never got the pictures they promised.

Yes, we were a little mad at the time, but 4 friends saved the day by  taking professional wedding photographs of our big day.

They created beautiful albums with matching disks of all the pictures.  What was amazing about receiving these gifts was that these 4 friends did not know about our shady photographers.  We did not want to ruin anyone’s day and pass on the bad story so we kept it to ourselves.

Our four friends already gave us a wedding gift so we were not expecting the photographs.  The pictures  were a wonderful surprise and random act of kindness on their part.

Receiving our wedding pictures from another source was the greatest gift and a small miracle.

It’s been years since Michael and I have thanked them, but thank you Marissa, Tony, Frank and Ellen.  Whenever we look at our wedding pictures we think of you and the meaning of true friendship.

Happy Thanksgiving in advance.  If we really look at our life there is a lot to be thankful for.  I hope you have a wonderful day!