Pulling a Donald?

So, we're 4 weeks out from the wedding and I may have to fire the photographers.

The photos on their website and marketing CD were phenomenal--better than the other vendors I'd interviewed AND in my price range, even with the cost of flying two photographers in from Utah.

Ever since I put down the deposit, I've been asking them two questions: 1) Which 2 of your 6 photographers are shooting my wedding? and 2) Will you send me some samples of their work?

I did finally get a CD of photos from a wedding the company did in Laguna Beach. However, the quality of the work was significantly less impressive. As in I wouldn't have put down a deposit had I seen these photos first. When I asked, they can't tell me WHO took them, but yeah, those are the photogs they're sending July 22. As Spock would say, "That is illogical."

At this point, I'd rather be out a $400 deposit than be disappointed in the quality of the wedding photos. Even though I've left two messages with this outfit, they have yet to call me back to 1) make a stunning 9th inning play to keep my business or 2) give me answers to the two questions I've already asked. At minimum, they need to tell me who they're sending and if they're sending the takers of the lackluster Laguna Beach pictures, then I'm not interested.

We do have a backup: Mike's niece was just hired on at a well-known photography studio in SLC (the one that takes pics of Governors and General Authorities) and she'll be at the wedding. Otherwise, I'd be a wreck.

I do have the "emergency" number for the photographers. I'll give them another day before I start calling that number to ask whether they would consider a client about to pull the plug on a job an "emergency."