Dozens of Brides Lose Thousands to Wedding Photographer Scams

More than 50 North Carolina brides say they are out of thousands of dollars by a local photographer, and many are now turning to 5 On Your Side for help. On Monday, 5 On Your Side hosted a Zoom call with about 20 brides who say they paid Holly Christina Photography thousands of dollars -- often upfront and in full -- for services they say were never delivered. Dozens of brides say they never received photos “We believe the company has collected at least $160,000 from us collectively,” one bride told 5 On Your Side, referring to payments for services not yet rendered. The brides who spoke to 5 On Your Side fall into two categories: those with upcoming weddings who say they’ve stopped hearing from the photographer, and those who were married months ago but still haven’t received their photos. “I just can’t help but worry that I’m never going to get anything,” said Shannon Rogers, who says she’s still waiting on photos from her Nov. 1 wedding. She paid more than $7,000. “At this point, I just want the raw images and raw video so those memories aren’t gone.” One mother, who asked 5 On Your Side not to use her name, said her daughter is getting married on Feb. 28 and is "holding out hope that she will receive her bridal pics, and the photographer will come through for her wedding." 'It seems to be a tactic of hers' One woman, who said her daughter is getting married in March, went on to say that several of the victims formed a group chat and began noticing similar patterns among them. "It seems to be a tactic of hers," the mother said. "When you're first apporached [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 mother told 5 on Your Side that they reached out to Holly Christina Photography in December 2024. By November the following the year, htey still had no schedule for bridal portraits. "We chalked it up to probably holidays and that kind of thing," the mother said. "We tried contacting her also in December, before Christmas, [and] nothing. No replies." The mother said she paid $5,794 and some change and as of Monday, still have not heard from the company. In response to 5 On Your Side's report, Holly Christina Photography released the following statement on their Facebook page: Over the past few weeks, our family has been navigating a serious and unexpected medical emergency. Holly has been hospitalized twice, which significantly disrupted communication and our ability to respond as promptly as we always strive to. We sincerely apologize for the silence and any concern this may have caused. We want to share that all scheduled weddings have continued to be covered. While we are behind on edits, we are actively working through the backlog. Holly deeply cares about her clients. Photography has always been more than a job for her, it’s her heart and her purpose, which makes this situation especially difficult for her and our family. We will be reaching out with clear updates and next steps by the end of the week. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult season. 5 On Your Side helps one bride get photos back One soon-to-be bride contacted 5 On Your Side after she says the company failed to deliver her engagement photos, which were included in her package. After 5 On Your Side reached out to Holly Christina Photography, the bride received her photos. However, the company has not responded to additional questions from 5 On Your Side regarding refunds or the status of other clients’ payments. Many brides say they paid upfront after being told they would receive a discount for doing so. Several are now attempting to dispute the charges with their credit card companies, and at least one bride says she plans to file a police report.