Several Toronto-area brides are speaking out on social media to warn others about a wedding photographer they say ghosted them before delivering photos and videos of their special day.
Melissa Akeju took to a Toronto Facebook group to share her story. She says nearly six months after her wedding on Aug. 10, 2024, she still has empty frames around her house where her wedding photos should be.
“I don’t have anything,” Akeju told CBC Toronto, getting emotional about the ordeal. “I don’t have none of my memories tangibly in my hands.”
She says she paid photographer Emaul Spencer over $5,000 for a photo and video package. Under the contract, Spencer was to deliver 500 edited images and a short wedding film in the 12 weeks after the reception, Akeju says.
But very early on, she had a bad feeling.
That’s because after the wedding when Akeju thanked Spencer for his services, she heard nothing back. Once the 12-week deadline was up, she started to contact him more regularly but says she never got an update.
“It became like brushing my teeth — 9 a.m., I text. 9 p.m. a text, a call, a voice message was being left,” Akeju said. But there was still no reply, despite reaching out to him multiple times a week from September to present, she says.
Under the Facebook group’s posts, and on Yelp, CBC Toronto counted at least six other people who spoke of negative business experiences with Spencer — including one person who said they’re still awaiting video from a 2018 event.
CBC Toronto made several attempts to reach out to Spencer for comment about those allegations but he has yet to respond.
Nadifa March, who previously spoke out on Instagram, says she received her digital copies of a 2022 photoshoot with Spencer but never got her prints. She says one of the most confusing parts about the situation was that he was professional and responsive on the two previous occasions they worked together.
“I’m more so upset about the principal and the respect,” March told CBC Toronto.
She says she gave Spencer $500 as a wedding package deposit but ended up changing it to an anniversary photoshoot. The two verbally agreed that the money could go toward printing photos, but they were never produced, she says.
“The shoot was great, and then when it came time for the photos … he just disappeared.”
Do plenty of research, experts say
Seeking out and reading reviews is an easy way to check if a photographer is likely to be reliable, says wedding planner Janeille Patrice, the founder of JP & C, a Toronto event planning service.
“I always start by looking at reviews on trusted platforms such as Google, Wedding Wire or the Knot, and I ask for referrals from friends or fellow wedding partners,” Patrice said.
Leaving reviews, whether good or bad, or reporting dishonest businesses to the Better Business Bureau is also a good way to ensure other couples don’t get disappointed, she said.
“[Wedding photography] packages start between $6,000 and can go up to $25,000,” Patrice said. “So if you’re spending thousands of dollars… and they’re not delivering, that’s definitely a red flag, and I think that you should make others aware.”
Finding a trusted photographer is especially crucial because a detailed contract doesn’t mean anything if the parties don’t follow the terms, says Daniel Tsai, a University of Toronto law and business professor.
“You could have the best contract, but if the other party is a scumbag or a cheat, [it] doesn’t matter. That’s not going to help you,” Tsai said.
If there is a contract breach, trying to go through a small claims court is a lengthy and expensive process that usually isn’t worth the trouble, he said.
Tsai recommends having a back-up photographer, like a friend or family member, and contacting the former customers of a photographer to be extra sure that the business is reliable.
“I’d be calling some of the clients of this photographer and saying, ‘Were you happy with it? Did it work out for you? Were there any issues?'” Tsai said.
“Because this is one of those very special occasions. You’re never going to have another chance with that person that you’re getting married to have those memories put into a permanent form.”
Akeju says she’s grateful for the pictures her wedding guests took, but they can’t replace what she’s missing.
“Everybody wants that picture on their wall of their precious memories and I did not have that.”