Brides Urged Not to Ask for Refunds From Maui Wedding Photographers
A wedding photographer has urged brides not to ask for refunds from wedding photographers on the island of Maui after it was hit with devastating wildfires.
Reyna Edmonds has a sister who is a wedding photographer on Maui and has been receiving “tone-deaf” messages from brides who are more concerned about their weddings than the catastrophic fires on the island.
“First off, I just want to say that my heart goes out to the people of Maui, I don’t think that anybody on the mainland has any idea of how horrific things actually are or were over there,” she says on TikTok.
“My sister’s told me that her and a bunch of other vendors on the island are getting messages from their brides on the mainland requesting their deposits back,” she continues.
“Emails asking silly, frivolous questions like ‘Do you think my wedding’s going to be okay five months from now?’ Or brides asking their opinion if their wedding should go ahead. While I realize to brides it is the most important day of their life, it is extremely tone-deaf for what is going on on the island of Maui.”
@reynarobyn If you would like to donate, need help with your wedding or are a vendor who wants to help please DM me or see my website www.reynarobynphotography.com #maui #mauifires #mauifire2023 #helpmaui #mauidonations @Maui Wedding Films ♬ original sound – Reyna Edmonds
“Unless you are sending your vendors words of positivity, love, and encouragement and asking how you can help them and donate, please do not reach out and email them,” she says.
“They are trying to find out how to keep themselves together, many of them have lost their homes, they’ve lost friends, they’ve lost family. Some of them have lost their gear, people have lost their lives, so please be patient, please give them the time that they need to figure out what is going on and only reach out if you’re actually willing to help.”
Edmonds is offering her own services in lieu of the affected photographers on the island of Maui while also encouraging other wedding photographers who would be willing to give their services for free to contact her.
“I know people having to cancel and reschedule their weddings is nothing compared to what the people on the island of Maui are going through right now, what they have seen and what they have endured, but I am hoping that by offering my services and by getting a group of vendors together who can offer their services will alleviate the pressure of the vendors there and allow them to at least keep some of the money that is their income so they can continue to feed their families, keep their homes, and do anything they need to do to keep their business afloat.”
The death toll in Maui has reached 114 victims and the local mayor says that 850 people are still missing. President Biden is traveling to Hawaii today to survey the damage.
Edmonds can be contacted via her website.
Image credits: Photo of Maui courtesy of Adam Gray.
