Wake decide orders wedding ceremony photographer to ship photographs

In looking for wedding photographers, Holly Christina Photography resonated with Caroline Roach.

The online galleries were beautiful, Roach said. The company is family owned and employs family members as photographers and videographers. Its co-owner and namesake, Holly Christina Scott Ayscue, is around Roach’s age.

Yet almost eight months after her wedding on Sept. 27, 2025, Roach said she still hasn’t received photos or videos from Holly Christina Photography.

“My parents are really upset,” Roach said. “I didn’t receive any photos or videos with my parents of speeches or dances. It’s been kind of a dark time, just wondering if I’ll ever be able to relive my wedding day.”

A Wake County judge ruled Tuesday that Holly Christina Photography — accused of defrauding over 200 customers — must deliver all raw and edited photos and videos to customers by June 11.

After numerous complaints, the state sued the owners of Holly Christina Photography, Holly Christina Scott Ayscue and Christopher Owen Ayscue, in February, The News & Observer previously reported.

Attorney General Jeff Jackson said Wednesday the losses detailed in the complaints total around $1 million.

At a news conference Wednesday, Jackson also announced the judge’s preliminary injunction, which freezes the company’s assets and bars it from doing business until the state’s lawsuit against the company is over. The Ayscues agreed to the order and signed it on March 31, court records show.

“As a wedding photography company, you really have to screw up to get sued by your state’s attorney general,” Jackson said. “But here we are.”

The state’s lawsuit followed a January investigation by ABC11, The N&O’s newsgathering partner. Over 50 brides told the station they couldn’t reach the Ayscues for their photos after paying thousands of dollars in deposits. Several customers have also sued Holly Christina Photography.

Jackson said the case against Holly Christina Photography has had a level of energy — measured by the press coverage, Facebook posts and victims’ emotional testimonies — unrivaled by almost any other issue his office faced.

Double and triple booking

The ultimate goal of the lawsuit, Jackson said, is to get full refunds for all victims and shut Holly Christina Photography down permanently. The company is cooperating with the investigation and sending documents detailing its assets.

Customers paid an average of $4,600 to Holly Christina Photography, according to the state’s complaint in February. It accused the company of booking multiple weddings on the same day, deceptive advertisements and suspending operations on Jan. 25 despite failing to send promised photos and knowing the business was not sustainable.

Jackson said the company would use a “hard sell,” telling customers it had few spots left on its calendar to pressure them into signing up for photo and video packages that could cost $5,000 to $7,000.

“Truth was they didn’t have just one more spot,” Jackson said. “They were double and triple booking weddings for the same day. In at least two cases, they quintuple booked weddings on one day.”

Sometimes a “completely different” photographer would show up than the company promised, Jackson said. Sometimes, the company took photos but refused to send them to the couples. Jackson’s office said in a Wednesday press release that in total:

• 113 customers requested refunds for upcoming weddings
• 38 received sneak peeks but not full galleries; 35 others got raw photos and videos without editing
• At least 29 couples had weddings within 90 days when the company shut down

In Roach’s case, she has seen previews but has yet to get the full gallery. Roach said her contract also mentioned she would receive drone footage, but she saw no drone on her wedding day.

With the preliminary injunction in place, Roach is hopeful she will get her photos and videos. But the delay has been so long, so she’s still anxious.

“Though pictures and videos might not seem like the most important issue in the world, it’s special and not something a couple deserves to go through,” she said.

This story was initially revealed May 13, 2026 at 2:21 PM.