Brides Say Photographer Collected Over $160K, Didn’t Ship Images

More than 50 brides say they paid 1000’s of {dollars} to an area wedding ceremony photographer who they declare did not ship pictures or stopped speaking with them.

According to a number of studies, dozens of brides in North Carolina say they paid Holly Christina Photography massive sums — usually upfront and in full — for wedding ceremony pictures and videography companies that had been allegedly by no means offered.

“We believe the company has collected at least $160,000 from us collectively,” one bride tells North Carolina television station WRAL News, referring to funds for companies that had not but been delivered.

Brides who spoke with WRAL News fall into two teams: these with upcoming weddings who say the photographer has stopped responding to them, and those that had been married months in the past however say they’re nonetheless ready for his or her pictures. Shannon Rogers says she continues to be ready on pictures from her November wedding ceremony after paying greater than $7,000.

“I just can’t help but worry that I’m never going to get anything,” Rogers says. “At this point, I just want the raw images and raw video so those memories aren’t gone.”

ABC 11 reports that a number of brides say they’ve texted, referred to as, and emailed Holly Christina Photography repeatedly with out receiving a response. Some of those brides are actually warning others and say they need accountability.

‘Black Friday Sale’ Tactics

One girl, whose daughter is scheduled to marry in March, tells WRAL News that a number of affected households shaped a gaggle chat and started noticing related patterns with the photographer. The photographer seems to be utilizing high-pressure, time-limited “sale” presents to push {couples} into paying massive sums upfront, then changing into unresponsive as soon as fee is made. Couples say they had been advised spots had been nearly gone, paid in full, and later struggled to get any communication from her.

“It seems to be a tactic of hers,” the mom explains. “When you’re first approached [by] her, she tells you that she’s having a sale. Our sale was called the Black Friday sale, but they’ve been called other things, and that we’re the last ones to grab this spot if we pay in full.”

The mom says she paid $5,794 to the photographer however hasn’t had a reply since. According to the corporate’s web site, wedding ceremony packages can price as much as $7,599 and should embrace two photographers, a videographer, and entry to greater than 700 professionally edited photographs.

ABC 11 says it reached out to Holly Christina Photography for remark however has not obtained a response. However, some clients say they obtained an e-mail from the photographer final week. In that message, the photographer mentioned current communication delays had been attributable to “a temporary medical situation within the immediate family,” which “unfortunately led to gaps in response time.” The e-mail additionally states that the enterprise just isn’t closing and that current contracts might be honored.

Image credit: Header photograph licensed by way of Depositphotos.