Wedding Photographer Scams: How to Protect Your Big Day — and Your Money

Planning a wedding is never easy. Besides searching out venues and menus, couples must look for photographers to capture it all. Sadly, though, consumers have been increasingly reporting a scam involving phony wedding photographers who disappear without a trace once hired.

According to recent reports via the BBB’s Scam Tracker, some scammers vanish before the wedding, taking deposits or full payment with them. Others show up, take your photos, and then disappear without delivering anything. Either way, couples are left heartbroken and with hard-earned money down the drain.

Here’s how these scams work, the warning signs to watch for, and how to stay ahead of fraudsters.

How Wedding Photographer Scams Happen

The scam often starts with a professional-looking social media post or vendor listing. After discussing the details and securing the date via email or direct message, you're asked to sign a digital contract and pay a deposit, typically through a payment app like Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle.

From there, things can take several turns:

• Last-minute cancellations:  After receiving the final payment just before the wedding, the photographer cancels last minute and keeps all your money.
• No-shows: The photographer never appears on your big day, and you can no longer reach them.
• Post-wedding ghosting: The photographer attends the event, but you never receive your photos. Calls, emails, and messages go unanswered.

Real reports from BBB Scam Tracker reveal losses ranging from $1,700 to over $5,000.

“After receiving my money, she stopped contacting me and all of her contact information went out of service. After digging I found she had done the same if not worse to 30+ other brides, some who never received their wedding photos,” one victim reported.

Related article:

Wedding Scams: How to Spot and Protect Against Scammers Ruining Your Special Day

Check out the most common wedding scams and get practical tips on how to avoid scammers as you plan your big day.

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How to Protect Yourself from Wedding Photographer Scams

✅ Do your homework thoroughly. Research vendors across multiple review sites. Look for consistency in the quality of their work and customer satisfaction.

✅ Get everything in writing. A clear, signed, and dated contract protects both you and the vendor. Make sure you understand cancellation policies and payment schedules.

✅ Use secure payment methods. Whenever possible, pay with a credit card, which offers fraud protection, rather than peer-to-peer apps that offer no buyer recourse.

✅ Meet the photographer in person or via video call. This gives you a chance to verify they are who they say they are — and build trust before sending money.

✅ Use scam detection tools to vet vendors and links.
Before clicking on a photographer’s website, signing a contract, or making a payment, use free scam detection tools like:

• Bitdefender Scamio: Send any suspicious message, contract offer, or vendor communication to Scamio, and it will analyze it instantly for scam signs.
• Bitdefender Link Checker: Quickly check if a photographer’s website or portfolio link is safe to visit before you share personal or payment information.

Don't let scammers walk away with your wedding memories. Stay safe, stay informed — and focus on making your day truly magical.