Bride demands wedding photography deposit refund over BLM post
Wedding photographer reveals bride canceled her booking and demanded a refund because she supported Black Lives Matter on Instagram – so she donated her deposit to the movement
- Shakira Rochelle, a photographer in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, shared an Instagram post in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement on June 5
- One of her clients for an upcoming wedding texted to cancel her services and demand a refund of the nonrefundable deposit
- The bride said they couldn’t support someone ‘so outspoken on matters that simply to not concern them’
- She said they’d be ’embarrassed’ to have her there and think she isn’t ‘stable enough to complete the job’
- Shakira pointed out that they had a contract and thanked the bride for her donation to Black Lives Matter
By Carly Stern For Dailymail.com
Published: 12:04 EDT, 17 June 2020 | Updated: 03:10 EDT, 18 June 2020
Twitter users are applauding a wedding photographer for her response to a bride who demanded that her nonrefundable deposit be returned — because the photographer shared a Black Lives Matter post.
Shakira Rochelle, a photographer in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, shared an Instagram post in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement on June 5.
A client who had booked Shakira for an upcoming wedding saw the post and soon reached out to cancel her services, demanding that the nonrefundable deposit written into her contract be returned because they’d be ’embarrassed’ to have her work their wedding and believe she is not ‘stable enough to complete the job.’
Rules don’t apply! A bride cancelled on a Cincinnati wedding photographer after her seeing her Black Lives Matter post — and demanded that her nonrefundable deposit be refunded
Response: The wedding photographer reminded her that they had a contract so she would not be returning the deposit — but suggested she’d be donating it to Black Lives Matter
Shortly after Shakira, who is white, shared her Instagram post, she received a text message from the bride.
‘Hi Shakira,’ the bride, who is identified only by the initial A, wrote. ‘I’m sorry to say that we are requesting a refund on the deposit for our wedding.
‘We have done a lot of talking and we cannot bring ourselves to support anyone who is so outspoken on matters that simply to not concern them as well as someone that does not believe that ALL lives matter,’ the bride went on.
‘We would be truly embarrassed to have you at our event and feel that you aren’t stable enough to complete the job we need from you.
‘Please let me know when and how we can expect our refund and we are requesting to be relieved from our contract. Thanks.’
Solidarity: The cancellation came in response to Shakira’s Black Lives Matter post
Be better: The photographer also wished the bride ‘a lifetime of growth’
Shakira texted back: ‘I am sorry to hear that. Unfortunately the contract you signed states that your deposit is non refundable.
‘I will email you a cancellation agreement shortly that will require your signature to forfeit your date.
‘I wish you a life time of growth and I would like to thank you for your donation to Black Lives Matter,’ she concluded.
The bride replied: ‘You will be hearing from our attorney.’
Shakira had shared the text message exchange privately among friends when one asked to share it with a wider audience.
The friend, @PINKdot_COM, posted it on Twitter on Tuesday, where it’s been liked nearly a million times.
Loving it: After Shakira’s friend shared the text exchange on Twitter, it went viral and earned lots of supportive ocmments
There have also been hundreds of responses, with many mocking the bride for thinking she has any legal leg to stand on when she signed a contract.
‘Their attorney: “yeah I tried to tell her it’s in the contract, but I’m just calling you so I can tell her I called you.”‘ one tweeted.
‘Literally what deposit is usually refundable anyways? like “bride” sounding real ignorant the groom might wanna rethink her,’ wrote another.
‘This breed of white women thinks contracts don’t apply to them if they make enough of a fuss,’ a third responded.
Many other commenters were particularly impressed with Shakira’s cool, professional response — while still letting the bride know that her deposit would be donated to Black Lives Matter.
Chill: The photographer also shot down a photoshopped screenshot that said this was just a ‘business tactic’
‘Thank you for donation to black lives matter did it for me Face with tears of joy,’ wrote one.
‘I love that you thanked her for her donation to Black Lives Matter,’ wrote another.
Shakira also took to Facebook herself to respond to a ‘photoshopped screenshot’ she saw circulating, which claimed that she was only sharing this story as ‘a business tactic to make a profit on the BLM movement.’
‘This is the most incredibly absurd thing I have ever heard,’ she said. ‘The original post started out private until a friend asked if she could share it. I never had the intentions or the desire to go viral for this or anything else.’
She added that is already book until winter and is not in need of clients.
‘I have always stood up for human rights and will continue to do so. I have marched with my loved ones as well as alone. My intentions are pure. Please know that what you saw from me was the complete story,’ she said.
