North Carolina's attorney general is suing a Raleigh-based photography company that's made headlines in recent months for defrauding newlywed and engaged couples out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
An investigation led by Attorney General Jeff Jackson's office found that Holly Christina Photography failed to provide clients with previously agreed-upon services, sometimes not fulfilling any work at all.
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Christina's business drew backlash in January when a WRAL 5 On Your Side report found more than 150 brides said they were scammed out of an estimated $540,000 after the business never provided any services or never released the photos that were already taken.
After that report, Jackson's office encouraged brides who had bad experiences to file complaints.
Jackson is suing Holly Christina Scott Ayscue, Christopher Owen Ayscue and their wedding photography company, Holly Christina Photography. The complaint's allegations state that the defendants misled and defrauded brides, engaged couples and their families.
Since January, the Department of Justice has received 166 complaints from customers alleging about $750,000 in total financial loss.
Additionally, the investigation found that at least 24 couples had weddings scheduled less than 90 days after the company shut down on Jan. 25 "due to unforeseen circumstances." No assistance in finding a new photographer or consideration for refunds was provided, according to the state.
“This photographer left engaged couples and newlyweds stranded without a wedding photographer, without refunds and without memories from one of the most important days of their lives,” Jackson said in a release. “Even before they shut down, they were deceiving customers to maximize their own profit. We’re taking them to court to get justice for these brides and grooms.”
A report from the office said, "The company either failed to provide all the services they promised, or they failed to do any work at all for their clients."
The company continued to solicit and take deposits from customers until early January, according to the attorney general's office.
Notably, court records show the company’s co-owner, and Holly Christina’s husband, Christopher Ayscue, was arrested on an assault charge involving his wife earlier this year.
Of the complaints filed with the Department of Justice:
• At least 92 clients requested refunds on their down payments on future wedding bookings but haven’t received them.
• At least 38 clients received only a sneak peek of their photos but are still waiting on the full gallery they paid for, as well as the videos.
• At least 35 clients received only the raw photographs and videos from their wedding, without any editing they paid for.
• The report also said the company double-booked or triple-booked weddings on at least 60 dates in different parts of the state or elsewhere in the country. Two separate dates had five weddings scheduled.
"It's unbelievable. Unbelievable."
Kelly Riddle's daughter, Claudia, is getting married next month. But shortly after she got engaged, they made a $5,700 down payment to Holly Christina Photography to secure they had a professional to capture her big day.
"Fast forward, you know, to about probably four, five months ago, we began reaching out to have bridal portraits done. No response, no response. And then everything snowballed," Riddle told WRAL.
Having just learned about it, Riddle has not yet joined the attorney general's lawsuit, but she plans to file immediately. Luckily, her daughter was able to find another photographer for her wedding in Greensboro, North Carolina, but had to plan her wedding differently with more than $5,000 less in her budget.
"There are bad people out there, but this pattern that they've shown and repeated and repeated, it's a crime. I mean, it is. It's unbelievable...unbelievable. The money that people have given this couple and ... how they've scammed them out of just everything," Riddle said.
The complaint includes Jackson seeking a preliminary injunction, a permanent injunction, restitution for the victims, and civil penalties.
In January, 5 On Your Side's Keely Arthur contacted several brides who made arrangements with the company around the time of their closure. Most brides said they hadn’t heard anything, despite the business saying it would reach out.
