ABC11 Troubleshooter Diane Wilson has been hearing from even more brides since our initial reporting earlier this week, which revealed complaints from more than two dozen brides and mothers of brides about Holly Christina Photography. As time passes without hearing from the company, brides say their worries are only growing.
Two brides-to-be, Sklar Rowland and Macy Albright, are both set to tie the knot on September 19th of this year. They recently learned they had both booked Holly Christina Photography for their weddings. Rowland said the realization was alarming.
"It was definitely unsettling. I was like, thank God I found out before because I don't know how she would make it to both."
According to the contracts provided by the brides, the agreements never specifically state that Holly herself would be their photographer. Instead, the contracts list two photographers and one videographer. Both Rowland and Albright say they only became aware of concerns surrounding Holly Christina Photography after our investigation aired earlier this week. In that report, more than two dozen brides and mothers of brides shared frustrations ranging from a lack of communication to missing wedding photos.
Shannon Rogers says she paid close to $7,000 to Holly Christina Photography, and while she did receive sneak peek photos, she says that's all she got. "There's not a single family picture in there. I have nothing with our grandparents, nothing with our parents, nothing," said Rogers. Even mothers of the brides say they're worried. "I've been blocked. I can't even text the number or call the number anymore. And she's not communicating with anybody through email," said Dana Chavis.
She did hear from the Raleigh-based company last week, and she says they did send the promised engagement photographs.
After comparing notes, some brides say they realized they were given nearly identical sales pitches when booking. Rowland said when she originally talked with Holly about hiring Holly Christinas Photography for her wedding, she said Holly said, "she was like, 'Oh, I hav one sales spot.', But she did tell me like, 'They were all filled', but she was like, 'But I will open like one more for you if you want to book.'"
Rowland booked in October of last year, while Albright booked a month later. An email sent by Holly to Albright it states, "We are actually running our annual Fall Wedding Season Sale! We currently have 1 spot left." Rowland questions, "If I got the last sale spot in the Fall, then how was Macy after me able to get a sale spot?" Albright said, "That is such a good point!"
Both brides-to-be say all of their communication was solely with Holly. Albright adds, "When talking to Holly, I was under no impression that there was another wedding. She was like, 'It's your day.'" Albright's wedding is scheduled to take place in Selma, while Rowland's wedding is about two hours away in Oriental. Both ceremonies are planned for the same time of day. Rowland says, "I also thought it was only her because she never mentioned anybody else. She didn't mention any other, like employees or any other people's names."
In addition to Rowland and Albright, another bride-to-be, Victoria Rigsbee, says she recently learned her wedding date of November 7th of this year was also double-booked by Holly Christina Photography. She says, like the others, all of her correspondence was only with Holly.
"I was under the impression that Holly would physically be like there, like the lead shooter, and then there would be a second," Rigsbee said.
Despite repeated requests from ABC11 Troubleshooter to contact Holly Christina Photography, neither Holly nor her husband, Christopher Owen Ayscue, has responded to requests for comment. Ayscue shares an address with the company and is listed as the company's CEO and owner on his Facebook page. In October, Ayscue was arrested and charged with assault on a female and domestic violence.
Following our story earlier this week, a statement was posted to Facebook, which said in part: "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." The statement went on to say, "...all scheduled weddings have continued to be covered."
All of the customers who spoke with Troubleshooter say they have reached out to the company multiple times and have not heard back beyond the statement posted on Facebook. With few answers, many brides say they are now disputing charges with their credit card companies or banks and scrambling to find new photographers ahead of their wedding days.