For me the wedding goes online and I don't make any effort to restrict who can or can't buy the images. In this case I could offer to password protect the gallery at the request of the bride or groom and then it would be up to them to release or not release the password to family & friends.

Thanks David. I also post my weddings on line but I always password protect them and givve the password to the newlyweds. I then encourage them to pass it on to all their friends & family.

"Thanks David. I also post my weddings on line but I always password protect them and give the password to the newlyweds. I then encourage them to pass it on to all their friends & family."


I think that becomes your perfect "out" in this case, if you're contacted by mom, just let her know that she just needs to get the password from the B/G (or someone else in the family), and you don't need to try to control the reprint orders any further from that point.....:cool:

Oooh...good call David!

Interesting! Isn't it funny how things work! First off you have a bride with lots of single friends, did a lot of research before carefully selecting her photographer, who would not hesitate to recommend providing she was happy with the end result. Unbeatable recommendation, especially with the fact that moms don't really go on message boards and talk to prospective brides. On the other-hand you have mom who knows Mary Jane, who's daughter or son is getting married and have not yet found a photographer. Good recommendation. Who suffers?... The photographer. I agree with the rest of the gang! I would wanna please the person who hired me in the first place, not to mention the fact that the pics are hers. Maybe you could sell mom images from the wedding of just her or her without the bride and anyone else she might have fallen out with. I hope it worked out best for everyone.

David:
For me the wedding goes online and I don't make any effort to restrict who can or can't buy the images. In this case I could offer to password protect the gallery at the request of the bride or groom and then it would be up to them to release or not release the password to family & friends.

I completely agree with David on this.

I think it seems, though, that there is one point that's being overlooked here. Not to sound too much like a jerk, but the bride doesn't own the photographs that were taken at the wedding. If she did then everyone would be making their purchases through her and not through you.
You own the copyright to the images and, really, can do a whole lot of things with them without the B/G's specific consent, usually as long as it's not endorsing a particular product or service (other than your own since you were the photographer who took the image in the first place).

I think it's fine to be sensitive to the wishes of your customers [for sure!]. However, let's not forget on the business/legal side of the fence that the pictures are yours to do [almost] whatever you like with them.

Take care,
-Mark