Wedding Theft
As a member of the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston I am very up to date on what’s happening in Houston’s photographic industry, and I just received an email sent out to the entire organization from one of it’s members containing a warning that all of my future wedding clients need to read. If you are getting married in the near future, please click the link below to learn about a type of theft that is happening at weddings around Houston.
Aric C. Hoek – The Master of Shadows
Solaris Studios
713-524-3303
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Below is a copy and paste of an email all of the members of the PPGH received today. The name of the facility has been removed.
Begin Letter:
Please pass on this information to the membership.
I photographed a wedding recently (two weeks ago) that included a reception at the XXXXXXXXXXX Hotel.
During the time that the wedding party was being introduced and entering the reception hall, a man dressed in a suit (appearing to be a hotel employee), casually walked into the reception hall to where the gift table was (directly next to the entrance). While the guests were focused on the grand entrance of the wedding party, this unknown person grabbed a box containing the bride and groom’s gift cards (later believed to hold several thousand dollars worth of cards) and walked away with it.
Needless to say, once the couple found out about this (about half way through the reception), they were quite upset and the rest of the evening as ruined.
I spoke with the bride today and she told me that they hired a private investigator, and through his investigation (photos of the suspect captured by guests’ cameras, hotel surveillance cameras, etc) determined that the thief is an alleged member of the “Columbian Cartel,” and that there is a theft ring going on around town where actors commit the same offense. Now I don’t know how he figured out the guy was from the Columbian Cartel, but a thief is a thief, nevertheless.
Everyone may recall a few years ago when several photographers (including myself) had their camera gear stolen after leaving it next to the DJ tables during wedding receptions. When there are opportunities for financial reward, thieves will take them!
I would recommend that all members who photograph weddings immediately inform their current clients of this situation to hopefully avoid the same kind of devastation that my clients went through.
End Letter:
Some things to point out. Don't put your gifts close to the exit. Keep your gifts in your reception hall where you and your friends and family can see them at all times. Now as the writer of the letter said, I am not so sure about it being the Cartel, but the hotel in question was very close to a Houston airport.
You wouldn't think it, but I hear about theft at weddings all the time. Mostly from other photographers saying that their camera gear was stolen during the reception. A good photographer keeps all of their exposed wedding day images on his or her person at all times, that way if their camera bag is stolen the images are still safe. No need to add insult to injury by losing the clients images on top of having your livelyhood stolen.
