Couple Pay $4K for Wedding Photos, Then Discover Photographer Lost Files While Sending Them to Editor

A couple says they spent almost $4,000 on wedding photos, only to discover afterward that the photographer lost most of the images when she transferred the files.

According to a report by WCPO 9, Erika and Gary Even say they paid thousands for wedding photography before their big day, only to receive about 30% of the images after the photographer lost the files.

The couple, from Cincinnati, Ohio, say the pictures they did receive were missing many of the moments and portraits they had expected from their wedding day. Among the missing images are family portraits and individual photos of Erika with each of her bridesmaids and groomsmen. The couple says the photos they received contain more pictures of the DJ than of the bride wearing her wedding dress.

“I don’t have a single portrait of me in my dress,” Erika explains. “There are more solo pictures of our DJ.”

The news outlet reports that a photography company, which was not named in the report, spent hours photographing the couple’s August wedding at Pebble Creek Golf Course in Cincinnati. The problem came later, when the couple was expecting to receive their finished photographs.

“We found out she lost the pictures,” Gary tells WCPO 9.

According to the couple, they were told there was a problem while the photos were being transferred to an editor.

“He [the editor] told me he only got 30% of the pictures,” Erika adds.

‘I Didn’t Really Understand Why’

In a video interview with WCPO 9, Erika says she did not fully understand why the photographs had been lost. But she was told the photographer’s attempt to recover the missing files had instead resulted in their deletion, making them impossible to retrieve.

“I didn’t really understand why,” Erika says of the files being lost.

But she adds that “the only thing she [the wedding photographer] said was that she tried to recover them. And then the format that she used to recover ended up deleting.”

The couple says they had paid nearly $4,000 in full before their wedding and that the photography company told them twice that a refund had been issued to their credit card. However, the money had not arrived.

For Erika and Gary, the missing photographs have added to what they described as a devastating experience. They say they had never been married before and had chosen to spend a significant amount on their wedding photography because they wanted to preserve memories of the day.

“We’re older, but we had never been married before,” Erika explains. “We decided we were gonna have this big wedding. We spent quite a bit of money, and you trust someone to take portraits of your day, not thinking they’re just gonna go missing.”

Erika adds: “I don’t want it to happen to someone else.”

WCPO 9 says it reached out to the photography company about the couple’s situation. The owner says the couple’s claims were false but declined to discuss the matter further.

The news outlet advises couples to check how the photographer backs up and protects files, get delivery times and refund terms clearly written into the contract, understand exactly what you’re paying for, and avoid paying everything upfront if possible. Couples should also check recent reviews and the Better Business Bureau (BBB), keep records of all payments and communications, and consider whether their payment method offers dispute protections.

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Image creditsFeature photo licensed via Depositphotos.