(WXIN/WTTV) — Maddison Meyer and Jacob Gallagher love each other…and Halloween.
“That’s basically our Christmas,” explained Gallagher.
Meyer quickly chimed in, saying, “Our favorite holiday.”
So, when the two scheduled their wedding for the day before Halloween last year, they planned a haunted affair.
The bride wore a black gown. The save-the-date notices pronounced the future union was ‘Until Death Do They Part.’ The topper to the cake was a pair of embracing skeletons.
“If Jacob could have had it his way, I think he would have preferred it if people could dress up,” said Meyer.
“Oh, for sure,” responded Gallagher.
Instead, family and guests wore darker colors to match the theme, except for the wedding photographer, Lena Ervin of Lenaria Photography.
“She showed up wearing a bright, neon pink jumpsuit. She stuck out like a sore thumb through the ceremony, the reception, all of it,” recalled Meyer.
Even before the wedding started, there had been issues with Ervin.
That morning, Ervin texted Meyer to say a second photographer the couple had paid for was exposed to COVID and would not be available. When Meyer asked to be reimbursed for the $350 cost for the additional photographer, Ervin began negotiating other services rather than offering a refund.
At the reception, the couple said instead of working the wedding from different angles and capturing the event, Ervin clung to the bride’s side.
“She kinda talked my ear off the whole day,” said Meyer.
Despite the awkward moments, when the photos arrived the couple was happy with them, but there was still the unresolved issue of the unreimbursed cost for the no-show second photographer and a photo album that cost an additional $200.
All totaled, the couple believed they were due a $550 refund.
After months of attempts to straighten out the issues, Meyer got fed up and posted about her frustrations with Ervin on the Facebook ‘Indy Weddings on a Budget’ page.
It began, “I have put this off for long enough and should have posted this months ago.” The post detailed the issues and frustration with Ervin.
Shortly afterward, the responses about Ervin poured in.
“I had to pester her for several months before I got back a few photos.”
“She has been so awful and unprofessional and has asked me for money many times.”
“She was practically BEGGING me to pay her the day I had asked her for information, prices, etc.”
269 people commented including Madelyn Hardwick, who had booked Ervin for her upcoming wedding.
After seeing the Facebook post, Hardwick messaged Ervin, “I requested a refund. I told her I didn’t want her to be at my wedding anymore. She informed me there is no refund and that I would not be getting my money back.”
Hardwick had paid the full amount for a 10-hour wedding day photo package.
Price tag: $3,000.
“We have not gotten any of our money back,” lamented Hardwick.
Instead, Hardwick did a little venting on TikTok, warning people about Ervin.
The post went viral with over 241,000 views.
In the video Hardwick urged, “Everybody needs to be aware. Don’t book with her and please try to spread the word.”
The word reached Alex Gookins a little too late.
“I was angry, obviously,” admitted Gookins.
She and her fiancée hired Ervin for their Oct. 12 wedding. But thanks to the shared information coming out from other frustrated customers, Gookins found out Ervin had booked two other weddings on the same day.
Afarid she’d end up with no wedding photos, Gookins found a new photographer, dumped Ervin and waved goodbye to her $800 deposit.
Gookins explained, “We are willing to eat the 800 dollars if it means it saves one couple from making the same mistake.”
And Gookins has added her voice to the many online who’ve had dissatisfactory experiences about hiring Lena Ervin.
FOX59/CBS4 sought out Ervin for her side of the story. When emails and phone calls failed, we searched public records and found four possible addresses in Fortville and Anderson. Visits to all four did not result in contacting Ervin.
Additionally, Ervin’s photography website is inactive.
But there is good news for the Halloween wedding couple Maddison Meyer and Jacob Gallagher.
They filed a small claims case in Hancock County and won. A judge last week ordered Ervin to refund the couple $500 and pay court costs of $125.
TIPS ON HIRING A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
To help you with this important decision, FOX59/CBS4 asked area wedding photographers, “What should couples look for? And look out for?”
Most often we heard, “Get references.” Hit up your family and friends for names of photographers that gave them good experiences. If you’ve booked venues for the wedding and/or receptions, ask what photographers they see most often.
If you’re considering a photographer, ask to see a “gallery” or all the shots they took at a wedding they worked. This will give a fuller idea of a photographer’s style; including framing, use of light, and composition in each picture.”
Many of the shots from photographer to photographer are similar, but how they’re shot can differ widely. Make sure you and the photographer share the same vision. Are the photos more candid or posed? Then ask yourself, “Is this what I’m looking for?
Photo security is important in this digital age. Ask the prospective photographer whether their camera has a dual-writing feature (captures images to two storage cards at once) and how soon after the job is done the photos are saved separately to a hard drive.
Also, get ready to spend $1,500 or more for an experienced photographer who will shoot the wedding and reception, plus editing and/or color correction of the pictures. It’s possible to spend less for someone who is starting out or does photography part-time, but remember, this wedding expense produces something you’ll have long after the ceremony is over.
