Several Nova Scotia brides say they’ve been trying desperately to track down a photographer who has all but disappeared, along with precious memories of their wedding day.
CTV News spoke with 10 recent brides who hired Ariane Anderson to shoot their weddings.
The brides say they’ve tried everything to reach her, but can’t get a hold of their photos. In many cases, there has been little to no communication with Anderson.
Merritt and her husband are about to celebrate their first anniversary. So far, they’ve received only a handful of photos from their wedding.
On her website, Anderson is listed as owner and lead photographer of Ariane Anderson Photography.
Yarrow Merritt says she was a low-maintenance bride. The only thing she really cared about was the wedding photos.
“It was the one area where I said I would invest,” Merritt said.
But according to Merritt, the photography was the only thing that went wrong.
“As soon as we talk about our wedding, it kind of just puts a damper on things -- the whole experience,” Merritt told CTV Atlantic.
Marsha Dickie said in the six months since her wedding, she hasn’t seen a single image. This, despite a contract that stated she’d receive photos within four to six weeks.
“I’ve got nothing,” Dickie said. “I’ve got a debt of $1,720.”
Another bride, Niki Hanlin, said after months of battling she received half her photos, albeit unedited.
Still, she considers herself one of the lucky ones. Her mother put together an album of photos collected from wedding guests.
“I was devastated,” Hanlin said. “It got to the point where I didn’t even want to talk about weddings.”
The brides who spoke with CTV News said they’ve been told Anderson moved to British Columbia following her own divorce. The brides say they’ve tried everything to reach her, but she hasn’t responded.
When Merritt “hadn’t heard a peep” from Anderson she started emailing her. Dickie tried calling her business phone only to find out it was disconnected.
It’s that lack of communication that prompted seven active complaints and earned Anderson an “F” rating from the Better Business Bureau.
“We’ve attempted numerous times in a number of ways to get in touch with her to try and resolve those (cases) and we just haven’t had any response from her to do that,” said Peter Moorhouse, president of Atlantic Canada’s Better Business Bureau.
Following numerous attempts by CTV News to contact Anderson, she responded via email to say her clients will receive raw images first. She said this is a sign of good faith to show that she has not lost them, and that she has communicated this plan to her clients.
Anderson goes on to say that everyone will also receive edited photos when she is able to complete them. She said she has apologized continuously for the delay.
But Merritt said she has only received “automated replies.”
Three brides-to-be also told CTV that they’ve paid Anderson up to $1,300 ahead of their big day.
“It’s supposed to be the happiest day of your relationship really, or the most celebrated and to have that taken away is wrong,” said Merritt.
Meanwhile, the Better Business Bureau says this is not the first time they’ve heard of photography services gone wrong. They recommend couples do their research beforehand.
