A North Carolina judge has granted a default judgment against Holly Christina Photography, a wedding photography business, ordering it to pay nearly $600,000 in restitution plus more than $1.1 million in civil penalties. Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office announced the ruling on October 12, 2026. A default judgment means the defendants did not fully answer or comply, so the court ruled without a contested trial.
The case grew from 228 consumer complaints the state’s Department of Justice received since January, with losses totaling nearly $600,000. For couples and the parents or grandparents who help pay for a wedding, the question is whether the money comes back, and the announcement does not say that it has.
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How the case moved from complaints to judgment
According to the Attorney General’s announcement, the office sued the company and its two owners, Holly Christina Scott Ayscue and Christopher Owen Ayscue, in February. In May, Judge Bryan Collins Jr. issued a preliminary injunction that froze the defendants’ assets, barred them from doing business in North Carolina while the case continued, and ordered delivery of paid-for but undelivered photos and videos within 30 days.
In September, the office asked for a default judgment, saying the defendants had not fully complied with that order. Judge Craig Croom granted it in October.
Put together, the 228 complaints and the nearly $600,000 in losses work out to an average of a little over $2,600 per complaint. The announcement does not break the losses down by couple, and it does not say how many of the complainants have since received their photos.
What the judgment orders
The judgment requires the defendants to deliver all raw and edited photos and videos that consumers paid for, and to provide a list of consumers’ names and addresses along with a description of what was delivered. It also orders the restitution of nearly $600,000 and civil penalties of more than $1.1 million.
Beyond money, the ruling bans the defendants from contracts for photography or videography services and from owning or operating a business that takes advance deposits for such services. It also bars certain jobs with photography and videography companies and any transfer of assets derived from consumer payments.
What the state says couples were left without
The state’s account is that the business took payments from couples and their families for photography and videography services and did not provide what it promised. It also says the defendants did not deliver all the paid-for photos and videos within the 30-day window, and did not give the office a verified list of consumers who received footage.
“This case was about getting couples back the memories of their wedding day,” Jackson said. He said the defendants “had every opportunity to turn them over, and they didn’t.” The announcement reports no response from the company or its owners.
Will the couples be paid back?
The announcement gives the amounts ordered but not a payment date, and it does not say how many couples are covered beyond the 228 who complained. The release does not say whether the defendants have any money to pay a judgment, and the asset freeze from May is the only step it describes toward that end.
Jackson said his office will keep working to get couples their photos. People in North Carolina with a complaint about a vendor can call (877) 5-NO-SCAM, call (919) 716-6000 from outside the state, or file a complaint online.
Paid a wedding vendor a deposit and heard nothing back?
The timeline in this case shows how long a deposit can sit unanswered: complaints since January, a lawsuit in February, an injunction in May and a judgment in October. The detail that decides a later complaint is often small, such as the date of the last message or the card used for the payment.
The Senior Fraud Defense & First-Hour Recovery Kit includes a fraud evidence and report log for recording exactly that, plus the first-hour recovery plan and the free credit-freeze steps for anyone who shared account details with a vendor that stopped responding.
More Financial Reading
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
- 15 Places to Find Your Share of the $4.25 Billion States Give Back
- 15 Steps to Stop the Scams That Took $7.7 Billion From Seniors
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
