I wanted to post this much, much earlier this morning but I have had a hard time determining how I was going to announce the winner of the contest today. You see, I woke up this morning to an email from the company who does handles the voting for the contest. Their email was to inform me that not one, but TWO of my contestants have had friends and family members who were cheating for them to win the prize. I was immediately saddened because the point of the contest was all in good fun and it was so nice to see family members and friends of the contestants reposting the link and encouraging others to read their story. The point was not for people to hack the voting system and falsely inflate the votes so that the honest entries had no chance to win.
In good faith I cannot announce a winner for the contest because I do not believe in cheating. However, I know the contestants were all looking forward to trying to win a free engagement session with me, and I did promise a prize for everyone who entered. I do not believe that the newly engaged couples were the ones specifically responsible for the hacking of the votes, and I hate for them to be punished because of the actions of those who they may not have known were cheating.
I have struggled with this all day…. back and forth on what is a fair decision for all involved. I thought about doing a random drawing, about canceling the contest completely, about offering everyone a credit towards a session, so on and so on. This is what I came up with….
There will not be one specific winner. Everyone who entered the contest is going to win an engagement session with Sweet Serendipity Photography. I am really looking forward to working with everyone. When I do the session for the couple I will include their story with their sneak peek, and of course a pro photo of that gorgeous ring!
A few conditions….
– the session must take place before August 31, 2012.
– it is better to book your session early because weekend availability is extremely limited as we enter wedding season. Weekday evenings are always a fantastic option for a session!
– if you were thinking of using Sweet Serendipity for your wedding you will receive a credit for your engagement session if one is included in the package you choose. This credit will expire after 8/31/12.
– the session must take place in Alachua County. I am more than willing to travel to alternative locations however the winner will be responsible for a small travel fee.
Brides and grooms- send me a message at info@blog.sweetserendipityphotography.com for info on how to claim your prize! You can also use the contact form on this page. I look forward to hearing from you!!!
