Groomzilla Demands Not Only New Wedding Pictures, But Entirely New Wedding
In an extreme case of customer dissatisfaction, the Associated Press reports that a recently divorced man is now demanding that a photography studio pay to recreate his wedding to make up for what he has decided are flawed pictures and videos of what was supposed to be a perfect day. Many in the press dubbed Todd Remis a “groomzilla,” but he spoke out just this week saying that his lawsuit is actually about holding a business to a pledge, not clinging to a ruined marriage. Remis says the suit is because of the company’s “failure to deliver after a promise and a handshake” to retouch the wedding photos.
While suits over wedding photographs are a dime a dozen, Remis’ case contained an unusual spin: a demand that the company reconstitute the ceremony and celebration of a now failed marriage. Remis began divorce proceedings in 2008 and the couple officially split in 2010, with his ex-wife now back home in her native Latvia.
Despite the marriage no longer existing, Remis says that he needs the “wedding recreated exactly as it was so that the remaining 15 percent of the wedding that was not shot can be shot” and the album and video completed “so we have memories of the wedding.” In order to capture this missing footage Remis acknowledges that “we would need to recreate everything.”
Remis began his lawsuit against H&H Photographers in 2009, saying the respected New York City-area studio had done a lousy job of shooting his and Milena Grzibovska’s December 2003 wedding. Remis claimed that the chosen photographer ignored the couple’s request not to shoot in front of a mirror that ended up reflecting photographers’ lights. Moreover, the photographer and videographer left 45 minutes before the end of the reception, missing the last dance and the bouquet toss.
The couple paid a $3,500 advance toward a $4,100 total price for the photos and videos, part of a wedding Remis has said cost a total of $48,000. For their part, H&H co-owner Daniel Fried says he stands by the photographs and videos. “I think the photography is lovely,” Fried said. Back in 2004, Fried offered to adjust the photos and upgrade the wedding album. However, no offer to recreate the wedding was ever forthcoming. “Obviously, I couldn’t turn back the clock,” Fried said.
Fried says Remis never responded to their initial offer until he wrote in 2009 to demand a refund and interest – about $5,750 in all – and the completed photos and video. Judge Doris Ling-Cohan, who invoked lyrics from the Barbara Streisand hit “The Way We Were” in a ruling last year threw out some legal claims but let others go forward. “This is a case in which it appears that the `misty watercolor memories’ and the ‘scattered pictures of the smiles … left behind’ at the wedding were more important than the real thing,” she wrote. H&H co-founder Harold Gillet put it more bluntly in an August 2010 letter to the Court: “The divorce renders the further demands for photos, etc., ridiculous.” Though both sides have suggested they might be open to a settlement, the case continues for now.
If you or someone you know has had a marriage crumble and is seeking to move forward (as Remis clearly ought to be doing), you need the advice of an experienced South Carolina family law attorney to help guide you along the way.
Source: “Divorced NYC Man Suing Over Wedding Pics Speaks,” by Jennifer Peltz, published at AP.org.
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