Ooof. Rock and a hard place. While I certainly empathize with OP, they should have kept reaching out to the couple when they knew they couldn’t make it. It really sucks the husband couldn’t be bothered to check his messages when it was about something as important as the wedding, but……OP did sign a contract. I would have texted and called several times a day until I reached them. But the couple sound pretty unreasonable too. ESH, but I’d rather take OP out for a coffee than the wedding couple.

Yes, he should never have accepted the job. That's on him. BUT...they BOTH agreed to a new location. He has the text messages to prove that. Then they changed it again at the last minute. That's on the couple. Also, as others pointed out, if the wanted to lowball a photographer for $80, they likely cant afford a lawyer. But....everyone is ignoring the fact that the couple is now harassing him publicly on social media and trying to ruin his life. If they do try to sue him, he has proof of the constant harassment. This would backfire on them.

OP shot themselves in the foot, and the bride and groom are bride-and-groom-zillas. Sure, they didn't have a professional photographer there (you could argue that would still be the case [in spirit] if OP had been there), but almost every single person at that wedding would have had a phone. With smartphone cameras as they are, they could have got some great photos. Nothing was "ruined", because it was a fixable problem.

We’re suing people for $80 now? Everyone in this scenario sounds terrible.

As an avid People's Court fan, disagree. The minute the couple changed the location, they breached the contract. OP agreed to the new location. Changing it back, to me, is another breach. OP agreed to the new location and his ride left him without transportation. OP and his ride relyed on the couple to both their detriment.

By the time this would get to a court there's a very good chance that those two bleeps will no longer be married.

I used to write online articles for money and my worst gigs were with people that couldn't afford or didn't want to pay an honest price. I'd never do it again.

The only saving grace is the canceled change to a different location, but there's better be record of it. If the location had never changed the poster would definitely be an a*****e, and the loser in a court case. The change and then only 3 days notice that he'll need to change plans (again) may save his a*s at trial.

If the location is in the contract, then it cannot be changed at will -- both parties need to agree to the change. Otherwise, what's the point of putting the location in the contract? So when the couple changed it the first time and the photographer agreed, they had effectively signed a new contract using the new location. But when the couple changed it the second time, the photographer didn't agree to it, and it is the couple who needed to confirm that the photographer agree to it, the photographer did not have an obligation to chase down the couple to tell them he didn't agree. Therefore, the 2nd contract still stand and the couple breached the contract. In addition, the photographer can sue the couple for smearing him, and for using his photo without consent. The OP should win this case.

Neither side seems smart

Whilst from a legal defence of potential claim point of view, the wording of the contract and payment terms are key here (if they just used something which said that they agreed to pay $80 on receipt of digital copies, it would be different to if they'd covered last minute/unforeseen venue changes, and failure to provide the contracted service), it was s****y of OP to send one text to say he couldn't provide the service and not ensure they'd seen it. If he really thought he'd not heard from them because they'd found another photographer in the 3 days before the wedding, he was lying to himself.

Once they changed the location, they essentially broke the contract, and once a contract is broken. You agreed to the first modification (near your home). When they changed their mind, they broke that modification, and you did not accept their next offer (old location)

This idiot should never have taken the job in the first place. He lacks equipment, qualification, experience, travel... virtually everything about this says "no", just just saw it as a way to make a few quid and it backfired.

So they can afford an attorney willing to file a frivolous lawsuit but not afford a professional photographer for their wedding? I doubt anything would come of their threats but if so OP can cite the first change of venue as violating/ voiding the contract and that should settle that.

Bride-and-groomzilla were gonna sue him anyway. There's no way this guy knows what he's doing. The photos were going to suck and he'd have been sued for that if he'd showed up.

OP deserves everything coming his way. He signed a contract, he agreed to the terms... yes they low balled on cost and failed to do a proper check on him. But he knew he was borrowing a camera, had only done part time work in photography in the past (sounds like he wasn't a clear as he should have been there), and he had no reliable transportation. Canceling via txt message last minute is not good enough. I hope the couple take him to small claims, because although I don't think they'll get what they want at least it'll teach the OP a lesson about signing contracts and what not to do. He's an idiot

Nobody is pointing out the racism…