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I Agreed to Take Pictures of My Cousin’s Wedding for Free, but He Mocked My Job – Karma Didn’t Let It Slide

When Tessa’s cousin, Ted, asks her to be his wedding photographer, she jumps at the opportunity, eagerly wanting to do the job for free. But when the bride, Lindsey, makes fun of Tessa’s work, Tessa gets her revenge by exposing the couple on social media.

When my cousin Ted asked me to photograph his wedding, I was thrilled. I had three sisters, and Ted was the only boy around us growing up, making us love him like a brother.

A smiling man and woman | Source: Midjourney

“It would be an honor to capture your special day!” I said when he came over to my studio apartment to ask me about being the photographer.

“Lindsey and I would just love it!” he exclaimed as he helped himself to some coffee.

“I’ll do it for free, Ted,” I said. “This will be my wedding present to you both.”

A smiling man holding a cup | Source: Midjourney

I watched as his eyes lit up and he sighed in relief.

“That’s not why I asked you, Tessa,” he said. “But that does mean the world to me. We are over the wedding budget and I really didn’t want to cut the donut wall or dessert station because Lindsey is really looking forward to that.”

“Of course,” I said, smiling at him. “And desserts are the best part of the wedding!”

A smiling woman holding a camera | Source: Midjourney

Now, I wasn’t exactly a wedding photographer in the professional sense. But I was studying photography and I did have many exhibits under my belt. But they were for campaigns and still shots.

Ted and Lindsey’s wedding was going to be my first big event.

“Do you think I can do it?” I asked my boyfriend, Ryan, one evening as we sat down for dinner.

A couple having dinner together | Source: Midjourney

“I think you’re perfect for the job, Tess,” he said. “Look, other than you being great at photography, you’re still learning, and this will be great in your portfolio.”

I nodded, agreeing.

“And Ted did say that I can use whatever images I wanted, just after they post them on socials, of course,” I said, taking a sip of my drink.

A close-up of a smiling man | Source: Midjourney

“You also have an intimate connection with the couple, love,” Ryan said. “So that will make this entire thing more special, rather than just an odd job you’ve decided to do.”

Ryan’s pep talk gave me everything I needed to get excited about the wedding. And more than that, it made me feel better that I would be gifting it to Ted and Lindsey.

A woman holding a camera | Source: Midjourney

“I’ll come with and help you carry your equipment,” Ryan promised me.

The day of the wedding was perfect. The weather seemed to listen to Lindsey’s pleas, and the day was as clear as anything, making the lighting pop.

An outdoor wedding setting | Source: Midjourney

The sun cast a warm glow over the ceremony, and everything seemed straight out of a romantic comedy. I walked around, Ryan at my side with my camera bag and carrying the tripod around.

I took hundreds of photographs, trying to capture everything from the décor to the priceless moments captured on people’s faces.

A woman holding a camera | Source: Midjourney

But during the formal photoshoot straight after the ceremony, everything turned sour.

At first, everyone was fine. The bridal parties were all smiles and were cooperative with the instructions I gave them. But that was until Ted’s new wife asked to see a few photographs.

“Come on, Tessa,” she insisted, pouting. “I just want to see how I look from the back.”

A bride posing with her bridesmaids | Source: Midjourney

“But I want everything to be a surprise,” I said. “And I’ll get all the photographs edited and back to you by the time you get home from the honeymoon.”

It made sense to me. I didn’t want to let Lindsey dissect the photographs before I had a chance to go through them and remove all the unflattering images.

A woman using a laptop | Source: Midjourney

“No, I want to see them now,” Lindsey said, batting her eyes at Ted, who nodded to me.

“Oh my God, look at my arm! Do you even know what you’re doing?” Lindsey asked, her voice cutting through the air, sharp and mocking.

Ted, who I thought would defend me, joined in her laughter and disgust as he looked at the camera in his bride’s hands.

An unhappy bride | Source: Midjourney

“Yeah, maybe you should stick to taking selfies, Tess,” he said.

I forced a smile.

“Let’s move on to the family group photos,” I said through gritted teeth.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

As everyone gathered around, chaos erupted. The guests were chattering away, looking everywhere but at the camera.

“Come on, guys,” I said, trying to get them to stand still for a moment.

But nobody seemed to pay attention to me. I looked at Ryan, who rolled his eyes in return.

A close-up of a frowning man | Source: Midjourney

“Hey!” I shouted. “We’re losing light here! Let’s go! Look at me and smile! And remember, the big black thing on the tripod is a camera, and it takes still images, not video.”

I paused, waiting for them to stop talking immediately.

“No one wants to hear your snide comments, Tessa,” Ted snapped, his voice dripping with disdain.

A groom in a church | Source: Midjourney

“We don’t need a wannabe photographer telling us how to pose on our big day,” Lindsey chimed in, her tone equally harsh.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as I tried to understand why I was being attacked. But I kept my composure. Half the guests were family members, and the other half were people who were trying to understand Ted and his family.

A close-up of an embarrassed woman | Source: Midjourney

As the wedding progressed, Ted and Lindsey’s remarks became sharper.

“You’re not as good as your social media makes it seem,” Lindsey said. “But we all know that filters make a big difference.”

“You do know that I’m doing this for free, right?” I asked Ted. “Cut the attitude.”

A close-up of a woman | Source: Midjourney

Of course, it only got worse.

“It’s not like anyone should pay for that. I mean, it’s not a real job, right. Anyone could do that. You don’t have to study for years, just like myself, to press a button.”

His words stung, but I remained calm. I was good at what I did. I knew that.

“Please record them,” I told Ryan. “Use your phone.”

A person holding a phone | Source: Midjourney

After the wedding, a storm hit social media. Ted and Lindsey complained on their social media about the photos, highlighting the disorganized shots and blaming me.

But my response? It was a bombshell moment that no one saw coming.

I took to my social media and posted the video clips of their behavior.

A woman holding a phone | Source: Midjourney

The footage showed them mocking and disrespecting me as I tried to do my job, their true colors laid bare for all to see.

The caption was: This is what it was like behind the scenes.

“Did I do the wrong thing?” I asked Ryan as we sat down with ice cream.

A bowl of ice cream | Source: Midjourney

“No,” he said. “They deserve this. I was there. I witnessed it firsthand.”

The reaction from friends and family was swift and overwhelming. Support flooded in for me, and Ted and Lindsey’s behavior was exposed.

Comments came in too:

You did an amazing job despite their treatment.

I’m so sorry that they were so ungrateful.

I can’t believe that this is the Ted we grew up with!

A person using social media | Source: Midjourney

Ted and Lindsey began to feel the heat, with family members going to their posts and commenting on them too. They had no choice but to backtrack and delete their posts and accusations, but the damage was done.

Their disrespect was now public, and the tide had turned against them.

A few months later, Ryan and I were watching a movie when my phone buzzed.

A couple sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

“Tessa,” Ted said. “I’m so sorry about what happened. Lindsey and I were just really stressed. And we didn’t mean anything that we said.”

I took a deep breath.

“Ted, you didn’t just hurt my feelings, you disrespected me and my work. It’s going to take time to heal from that.”

Silence took over.

A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

“I understand,” he said. “I hope we can move past this someday. But I just wanted to let you know that Lindsey and I cannot post a single wedding photo without anybody commenting on how we behaved toward you.”

We ended the call on a somber note. The fallout from the wedding had shifted dynamics within the family, but I felt a sense of peace. I was still hurt by Ted, but at least I stood up for myself.

A man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

Months passed, the memory of that day lingered whenever I glanced at my portfolio. I had added a few wedding photographs to my portfolio to show the extension of my range.

“You’re not going to give up photography, babe,” Ryan said.

In the end, I continued to pursue my passion for photography with renewed vigor. The experience had taught me resilience and the importance of standing up for myself.

Karma spoke to Ted and Lindsey louder than any photograph.

A woman with a camera | Source: Midjourney

What would you have done?