A Picture Is Worth ... Thousands of Dollars in Legal Fees Print
Thursday, November 03 2011

A New York man is suing his photographer for failure to capture two key parts of his wedding ceremony: the last dance and the bouquet toss.  In addition to seeking a refund of the $4,100 cost of the photography services, the groom is demanding an additional $48,000 to fly key individuals to New York to recreate the events for another photographer.  Several problems, however, have come to light with the case:  The wedding took place in 2003, the happy couple has since divorced and the bride allegedly has moved back to her native Latvia.

Todd J. Remis of Manhattan is suing H & H Photographers for failure to document the last 15 minutes of his wedding reception.  In his lawsuit, Remis also complained that the photographs were "unacceptable as to color, lighting, poses, positioning" and that a video of the wedding (which lasted 6 hours) was only two hours long.

Even though the marriage ended in divorce, Remis claims he still wants the photographs.
"I need to have the wedding recreated exactly as it was so that the remaining 15 percent of the wedding that was not shot can be shot," Remis testified.  "It was unfortunate in its circumstances, but we are very much happy with the wedding event and we would like to have it documented for eternity, for us and our families."

Dan Fried, part-owner of H & H Photographers, called the case "an abuse of the legal system" and said the costs of defending the lawsuit had already matched the amount sought by Remis.
Justice Doris Ling-Cohan of State Supreme Court in Manhattan dismissed most of the grounds for the lawsuit, including "infliction of emotional distress," but has allowed the case to proceed on breach of contract grounds.

"This is a case in which it appears that the 'misty watercolor memories' and the 'scattered pictures of the smiles ... left behind' at the wedding were more important than the real thing," the judge wrote.  "Although the marriage did not last, plaintiff's fury over the quality of the photographs and video continued on."

—Source:  The New York Times