Wedding photos are a big deal - capturing the best moments from your special day. But obviously not such a big deal that one Instagram 'influencer' was willing to pay, instead asking for the entire day's services for free.
However, the influencer in question picked the wrong team when emailing Betrothed and Co.
- Why Instagram influencers are getting paid to jump on hotel beds
- Instagram couple beg for donations to fund world trip, say getting job 'isn't an option'
- Why this Instagram post led to death threats for blogger Scarlett London
The London-based wedding photography and video company posted the biting email exchange on Facebook, where it's racked up over 1000 comments and 3000 shares.
"In case you missed it, this morning Frankie and I got an email from a 'Social Media Influencer'," wrote co-owner Laura Dunning.
"Frankie replied and hilarity ensued."
In the initial email, the PR representative for an anonymous influencer explained that her client was looking for two hour-long videos and more than 1000 photos of her wedding.
Explaining that her client had a "combined audience" of 55,000 followers across Instagram and Facebook, PR agent Melissa said her client would be happy to pay the company with "exposure" on social media.
"In the lead-up to her wedding she would like a documentary style video (an hour long) and photos taken at bridal fittings which can be shared with her followers... On the day of the wedding she would like a video documenting the whole day and a package that includes approximately 1000 photos," Melissa wrote.
Not a small request then.
Melissa also added that her client would be offering a 25 percent discount code on all of Betrothed and Co's services to her followers - so a reduced price for services she didn't pay for.
Dunning and business partner Frankie Lowe were understandably less than impressed with the offer, and replied declining the opportunity.
"We would just like to check if there might have been a typo in your original email, specifically relating to a missing zero on the amount of combined followers your client has," Lowe wrote, pointing out they have friends with more followers than the influencer in question.
"As I'm sure you probably know, 55,000 is not usually the level of following which can command the free transfer of products worth between £3-4k (NZ$5-7k) total."
They also took aversion to the discount code offer offered.
"It's helpful to know in advance that being linked with your client will automatically knock 25 percent off the perceived value of the product we have spent so many years honing," Lowe wrote.
As you could probably imagine, Melissa and her client were unhappy with the reply, calling Dunning and Lowe "abusive" and "unprofessional".
"Frankly my client and I find that kind of unprofessional email appalling and we will no longer be considering you as contenders to shoot what would have been a very lucrative wedding for you," she wrote.
"On top of that we have had other businesses reply to us with additional offers of good service rather than giving us a load of gyp like what you have."
Heart-breaking news for Betrothed and Co, of course.
Melissa then bizarrely brought up that her client's mother has cancer.
"It's really unfair of you to be so mean when you could of [sic] just said no politely," she added.
"Please don't email again as we will have to name and shame you if you continue with this abuse."
But Betrothed and Co ignored that request, sending one final email to point out some errors in Melissa's communication.
"Apologies if our forthright attitude means we've forfeited the opportunity of networking with 'Celebrities who will be on TV later this year'," they wrote.
"We'll just try to rebuild our business as best we can."
They then pointed out that while their email wasn't considered abusive, using racially abusive terms like "gyp" definitely could be, and using the influencer's mother's cancer to "guilt-trip" them was poor form.
Lowe includes a PS in the last email.
"Forgive my nosiness but who IS your client? I am, like, super curious by this stage."
We are all still wondering.
Newshub.
