When my cousin Brandon hired me as a photographer for his wedding for a pittance, he thought he was getting a bargain. At the end of the night, I gave him and his girlfriend a memory that they will never forget. And he wasn’t the type they wanted to frame.
I never thought that my love for dogs would lead me to the biggest family drama of my life. But here we are.
I’m Alice and I’ve been a professional dog groomer for five years.
For me it’s not just a job. It’s my passion.
A dog hairdresser brushing a dog | Source: Pexels
A dog hairdresser brushing a dog | Source: Pexels
There is something magical about transforming a disheveled and anxious puppy into a confident and beautiful dog. The before and after photos are incredible, and that’s where my fondness for photography began.
Each client receives a complete treatment. When I finish grooming, I take professional quality photos of each dog.
Honestly, over the years I’ve been pretty good at it. The lighting, the angles, the moment… everything is part of my brand.
A camera | Source: Pexels
A camera | Source: Pexels
I publish the polished results on Instagram and I have achieved a good number of followers. Dog owners love that their babies look like models, and I love to make them feel special.
But here is the problem of being decent in photography: people always assume that a camera is equal to “photographer”. My family especially loves to praise my “incredible talent” every time they see my Instagram posts.
“Alice, how talented you are!” my aunt said at family gatherings. “These photos look like magazines!”
I always took it as a compliment. I mean, who doesn’t like to be told that they are good at something? That was until my cousin Brandon contacted me.
A man standing outdoors | Source: Midjourney
A man standing outdoors | Source: Midjourney
Brandon is my aunt Sarah’s son, and we are not very close. See you at Christmas dinner and maybe at a birthday party. Pretty nice conversations, but nothing deep. He has always been one of those who make their way through life with charm and, honestly, I have never paid much attention to him.
That’s why, when Brandon and his fiancée Maya got engaged last spring, I was surprised that they suddenly contacted me.
A phone on a table | Source: Pexels
A phone on a table | Source: Pexels
“Alice! We love your job,” Maya told me on the phone. “You’re very talented with the camera. And listen, right now we don’t have a budget for a professional photographer.”
My stomach dropped a little. I already realized where I wanted to go.
“It would mean a lot to us,” Brandon added. “It’s only for a few hours. And we will pay you. Like 250 dollars.”
$250?, I thought. That’s nothing for a wedding.
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
“Guys, I really appreciate you thinking of me, but I don’t feel comfortable photographing weddings,” I said. “I photograph dogs, not people. They are definitely not unique events in life where there is no turning back.”
But Maya kept insisting. His voice had that tone that makes you want to hang up the phone.
“Come on, Alice. Anyway, you already spend the day taking pictures. It’s not so different. And, honestly, right now we can’t afford anyone else. You would be saving us. The family helps the family, right?”
That night, I sat at the kitchen table with my dad, pecking on leftover Chinese food to go.
A close-up of noodles | Source: Pexels
A close-up of noodles | Source: Pexels
Dad and I have always been very close.
He has been my best friend since mom passed away when I was 22 years old. We talk about everything, and I mean everything.
“Brandon and Maya want me to photograph their wedding,” I told him, explaining the whole conversation.
Dad put down his chopsticks and looked at me thoughtfully. “250 dollars for a whole wedding? That’s very little, honey.”
A man at a table | Source: Midjourney
A man at a table | Source: Midjourney
“I know, right? But they say they don’t have any more money.”
“Well,” Dad said slowly, “they’re family. And if they really have money problems, maybe it’s something you could do as a favor. After all, Brandon is your cousin,” he paused. “But it’s totally up to you, Alice. Don’t let anyone pressure you to do something you don’t feel comfortable with.”
I liked that Dad didn’t pressure me in any way. He simply exposed the facts and left the decision to me.
That night I went to bed feeling torn. One part of me wanted to help the family, but another knew I was getting into trouble.
The window of an apartment at night | Source: Pexels
The window of an apartment at night | Source: Pexels
The next morning, I stared at my phone for ten minutes before finally sending a message to Brandon and Maya.
“Okay, I’ll do it. But I want it to be clear. I’m a dog groomer, not a wedding photographer. I’ll do the best I can, but without guarantees.”
Maya’s response was immediate. “GOD THANK YOU!!! You’re amazing! This is going to be perfect!”
The weeks before the wedding, I tried to get ready. I saw tutorials on YouTube about wedding photography, practiced with different types of lighting and even bought a spare battery for my camera.
Camera accessories in a bag | Source: Pexels
Camera accessories in a bag | Source: Pexels
I wanted to do the right thing, even if the pay was insulting.
But what they didn’t tell me is that they had money. They were just being stingy. I learned it on the wedding day.
The wedding venue was beautiful. Brandon and Maya had rented a beautiful living room with high ceilings and elegant decoration. When I entered that Saturday at 11 in the morning, I couldn’t help but notice the elaborate floral arrangements that were everywhere. Hundreds of white roses and peonies. The ones that cost a lot of money.
Floral arrangements | Source: Pexels
Floral arrangements | Source: Pexels
“Those flowers must have cost a fortune,” I told Maya’s maid of honor as I prepared my team.
“Oh, yes,” he laughed. “Maya spent like three of the big ones only on flowers. And don’t make me talk about the personalized cocktail menu. They hired a special waiter only for signature drinks.”
Three thousand in flowers?, I thought. Personalized cocktails? But couldn’t they afford a real photographer?
Since 11 in the morning, I didn’t stop working. Maya made me photograph down to the smallest detail, such as her hair salon, her makeup session, her jewelry placed on the bed, her shoes and her dress from 15 different angles.
A bride’s dress and shoes | Source: Pexels
A bride’s dress and shoes | Source: Pexels
“Make sure you also photograph the back of the dress,” Maya ordered me from the makeup chair. “And the details of the sleeves!”
“Understood,” I said, trying to maintain professionalism.
But Maya barely recognized my efforts. Instead of thanking, he was barking orders at me all day.
“Don’t shoot from that angle, my arms look fat!”
“Why are you still behind me? Take the photo from the balcony.”
“Made sure you take lots of pictures of ME. We don’t need so many on Brandon’s family side.”
“Ugh, cut my mother if you can. She’s wearing the wrong dress.”
Every order looked like a slap.
A camera on a tripod | Source: Pexels
A camera on a tripod | Source: Pexels
At 4 in the afternoon, I was exhausted.
The room had no air conditioning and, with more than a hundred guests inside, the temperature must have been around 110 degrees. The shirt stuck to my back, my feet were killing me and I hadn’t even taken a sip of water.
They hadn’t offered me a seat, much less refreshments. While the others enjoyed cocktail time, I was crouching behind some bushes taking “indiscreet” photos of the guests mixing.
Aerial shot of drinks | Source: Pexels
Aerial shot of drinks | Source: Pexels
At 5 in the afternoon, when the catering staff began to take out dinner, the smell of barbecue and freshly baked bread made my stomach roar loudly. I approached Brandon in silence.
“Hey, I’m fading a little,” I told him. “I only need twenty minutes to eat and drink something.”
Brandon looked at me with total seriousness. “You’re working, Alice. Photographers don’t eat at weddings. If you want to eat, your day is over.”
A man at his wedding | Source: Midjourney
A man at his wedding | Source: Midjourney
Maya appeared next to him. “If it’s too hard for you, maybe you should dedicate yourself to dog photos.”
I couldn’t believe what I had just heard.
“Are you saying I can’t eat, drink or sit down?” I asked, raising my voice. “And you still expect me to work the rest of the night?”
“You’re getting dramatic, Alice,” Maya rolled her eyes. “$250 is generous for someone who’s not even a real photographer.”
That was all. That was the moment when something broke inside me.
The face of a woman | Source: Midjourney
The face of a woman | Source: Midjourney
I looked around the room and saw a few guests watching our exchange.
An older couple, friends of Brandon’s parents, gave me a pity smile. Another woman whispered to me as she passed by.
“Honey, you don’t deserve this. Go take care of yourself.”
His kindness almost made me cry right there. But instead, I turned to Brandon and Maya and asked them for the last time.
“Are you completely sure you want it to stay like this? No food, no water, no breaks?”
A man looking ahead | Source: Midjourney
A man looking ahead | Source: Midjourney
“Or you can leave if you can’t stand it,” Maya said shrugging her shoulders.
So I took out the camera in front of them and all their guests. Then, I started deleting files.
I deleted each and every one of the photos I had taken that day. All of them. They disappeared.
Maya’s eyes widened. “Alice! What are you doing?”
“Exactly what you told me to do,” I said calmly, without ceasing to erase. “I’m leaving because I can’t stand my own family treating me like trash.”
A woman holding a camera | Source: Pexels
A woman holding a camera | Source: Pexels
“WHAT THE HELL?!” Maya shouted. “YOU RUINED MY WEDDING!”
At that moment, the music stopped and all the people in that room turned to look at us.
“PSYCHOPATH! YOU OWE US A LOT!”, he continued screaming.
Brandon was shocked, unable to speak.
I finished deleting the last photo and took out the memory card. I gave it to Brandon with a smile.
“You offered me $250 to work like a dog without food, water or basic human respect. Well, congratulations! I’m not your photographer anymore.”
A woman walking away | Source: Midjourney
A woman walking away | Source: Midjourney
The silence behind me was deafening, only broken by Maya’s continuous laments about her “ruined” wedding.
My phone started buzzing even before I got to the car. I received many text messages from the wedding guests.
“I’m happy for you. I’ve seen how he treated you. Don’t feel bad for a second.”
“You deserved something much better. No one should be treated like this, whether family or not.”
“We all supported you. Honestly, I wish I could have left too.”
“You had to have guts. Maya looked for it.”
The messages kept coming all night.
A phone on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
A phone on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
Apparently, Maya cried so much that she “spoiled her false eyelashes” and spent the rest of the reception in the bathroom. He called me a “traitor” to anyone who wanted to listen to her and since then she has not spoken to half the family again.
Brandon tried to call me the following week, demanding that I pay a substitute photographer for his “repeat” photos.
“Maybe you should have used the money for the flowers to hire a real photographer,” I told him before hanging up.
And dad? I was very proud of myself.
A man standing in a living room | Source: Midjourney
A man standing in a living room | Source: Midjourney
“Sometimes family is not a matter of blood,” he said. “It’s about respect. And they didn’t show you any.”
He was right. All the reason. I am very happy to have defended myself and not to have allowed them to continue disrespecting me.
