Wedding vendor warning: one bride still waiting on $6,000 refund
By Serra Sowers
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NORTH CAROLINA (WXII) — It’s a bride’s worst nightmare — getting left at the altar — by her photographers. When one North Carolina bridal photography company announced the business’ abrupt closure, more than 100 couples were left scrambling for the photos they had taken but never received. In some cases, couples were having weddings throughout 2026, and are now left trying to hire anyone else to capture their big day.
Holly Christina Photography announced on their social media and website that they would be closing, but many bridal parties still had unfinished business. One of those brides, Meeghan Worden, has been planning her picture-perfect wedding down to every detail since 2024, when she first entered a contract with the husband-wife photographers.
Other than a mass email to all of the impacted brides, Worden’s mother, Christine Hicks, said they haven’t heard back from the photographers. They first found out about the closure through Facebook.
“She’s part of a Facebook group of other brides, and that’s actually kind of how she found out,” Hicks said. “She tried to email and just make sure everything was okay and got no responses, made phone calls, no responses.”
Hicks lives in Stokes County and her daughter’s wedding date is set for September in Wilmington. She said she feels awful for her daughter and doesn’t know when they may get their money back.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen in that regard with the contract,” she said.
They went through the process of filing a credit card review on the nearly $6,000 Worden paid in-full for her engagement photos and future wedding. She’s also sent in a complaint to the state.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is also involved in this situation, after the Department of Justice received 166 complaints from couples impacted by the business’ sudden closure. He is suing the owners of the business, Holly Christina Scott Ayscue, Christopher Owen Ayscue and their business, Holly Christina Photography, alleging about $750,000 in total financial losses.
Holly Christina Photography is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, Hicks found out after the closure announcement. She said that is something she regrets not checking before booking.
“I think that’s definitely something you want to look into,” she said. “And looking online, anywhere, for any kind of complaints or whatever. Really taking that into consideration.”
12 Investigates has reached out to Holly Christina Photography twice since the AG announced he was suing the owners. We have yet to hear back.
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