A dog groomer agreed to shoot a friend’s wedding for just $250, spending ten blistering hours racing after the bride and snapping every moment in a stifling hall with no air conditioning.
By evening, dehydrated and starving with no food, water, or even a chair offered, the exhausted photographer begged for a twenty-minute break, only for the groom to snap that it was shoot or forfeit the pay. The groomer picked neither: every single wedding photo vanished from the card right in front of him before walking out forever.
Dog groomer photographer deleted friend’s wedding photos after being denied food, water, and break
Agreeing to photograph a friend’s wedding for pocket change is already the emotional equivalent of walking into a cactus garden wearing flip-flops. But refusing the photographer food, water, or even a five-minute breather in 110-degree heat? That’s next-level bridezilla/groomzilla behavior.
The core issue here is a classic mix-up of roles: the couple treated a paid worker (even at mates-rates) like a vending machine that runs on vibes and sunshine. The groom’s ultimatum “keep working or forfeit pay” essentially turned a verbal agreement into coerced unpaid labor. Labor experts and etiquette columnists agree that this crosses a serious line.
Financial analyst Matt Schultz has highlighted the risks of mixing money and friendships in business-like arrangements. In a discussion with Consumer Reports, he stated: “It’s not exactly breaking news that friendship and money are a pretty volatile mix, but our survey found that there’s an awful lot of people who are seeing friendships end over money and an awful lot of people who would not even loan their best friend money if they ask.” That volatility detonated the second the groom refused basic human needs.
On the flip side, deleting the entire gallery on the spot was undeniably a scorched-earth move. A cooler head might have walked away and negotiated later, but heat, hunger, and dehydration are a cocktail that turns most of us into temporary drama volcanoes.
Science backs this up: a 2018 study published in PLOS ONE found that acute dehydration combined with low blood sugar significantly impairs self-control and increases impulsive decisions, exactly what happened here.
Wedding industry standards are crystal clear too. The average professional wedding photographer in the U.S. charges $2,500–$4,000 for similar coverage, and every single reputable contract includes a meal break for the photographer (usually a hot meal at the same time as guests).
According to The Knot’s 2024 Real Weddings Study, only 3% of couples skip providing vendor meals. And those who do tend to get roastedily remembered on review sites forever.
Neutral take? The couple massively exploited a friendship and ignored basic decency. The Redditor’s reaction was extreme but completely understandable in the moment. A calmer compromise like leaving with the memory card and sorting payment later might have preserved the relationship. But honestly, some friendships aren’t worth the therapy bill.
Here’s how people reacted to the post:
Some people say OP is completely NTA and the couple deserved exactly what they got for exploiting and mistreating a friend.
Some people say NTA because the groom gave an ultimatum and can’t complain when OP chose the option that was offered.
![[Reddit User] − NTA. Who refuses to allow someone water or food?](https://dailyhighlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/wp-editor-1764843318804-1.webp "Photographer Deletes Entire Wedding Album After Being Left Hungry And Thirsty At Friend’s Reception")
Others say the couple’s behavior was outrageous and no one should work 10+ hours without food, water, or breaks.
Some people judge ESH or “justified AH” because deleting the photos was extreme, even though the couple was far worse.
At the end of the day, one couple is on their honeymoon wondering why zero photos exist, and one dog groomer is back to shooting perfectly behaved poodles who, let’s be honest, tip better in treats. Was deleting the photos a justified power move or a bridge-burning overreaction?
Would you have walked away with the card still intact, or are we all secretly cheering from the sidelines? Drop your verdict below, because this is the kind of tea that keeps the internet warm all winter.
