A rising group of brides and marriage ceremony photographers from throughout the province say they’ve been taken for tens of 1000’s of {dollars} by a Barrie, Ont. marriage ceremony photographer.
The newlyweds and brides-to-be allege to have fallen sufferer to an obvious rip-off by Jacqueline Poole-Montesano.
“She was nice up till we paid. After that, she form of went radio silent, ghosted us,” mentioned Jade Mark of Toronto.
Bride-to-be, Jade Mark, of Toronto, Ont., plans to be married in October 2024, and alleges the marriage photographer she employed ‘ghosted’ her. ( Ontario Chronicle/Mike Arsalides)
The 27-year-old bride-to-be, scheduled to tie the knot in October, mentioned she booked Poole-Montesano of Pink Champagne Pictures a 12 months upfront and has been left at midnight.
“She was additionally very fast to tell us that if we paid the total quantity upfront that she would give us more money off of our bundle,” Mark added, however mentioned regardless of efforts to schedule an engagement photograph shoot for months, she was ignored.
“My fiancé and I are out $3,600. We have now a month to go earlier than our marriage ceremony. We’re looking for a brand new media crew to attempt to a minimum of get some recollections of our massive day,” she mentioned.
Mark mentioned it turned clear weeks in the past she and her accomplice weren’t the one ones having bother getting a response and motion from Poole-Montesano.
By means of social media, Mark mentioned she and dozens of different brides have comparable experiences with Pink Champagne Pictures, run by the Barrie photographer.
“What she is doing is absolutely unlucky and merciless to individuals,” mentioned Melody O’Donnell from her residence in Hamilton.
Melody O’Donnell, of Hamilton, Ont., claims her marriage ceremony photographer ‘ghosted’ her. ( Ontario Chronicle/Mike Arsalides)
O’Donnell married in Could and mentioned that regardless of a contract with agency deadlines, she was met with only a few solutions when she reached out to Poole-Montesano.
“As soon as I began to query if I’d obtain my pictures on time throughout the three-month deadline, which was outlined in her contract that she wrote, I used to be ghosted,” mentioned O’Donnell.
Bride Chayla Reichel of Barrie mentioned she was not offered along with her complete on-line marriage ceremony album as promised, and whereas ready for the edits to be accomplished, Reichel mentioned the album was abruptly eliminated.
“She has taken our marriage ceremony album offline and is refusing to provide it again to us except we put in writing that she didn’t breach our contract. So, we’re at the moment being blackmailed by her in an effort to obtain our pictures,” mentioned Reichel.
Photographer Andrew Perrins is a part of a gaggle of a couple of dozen distributors who say they’ve but to be paid by Poole-Montesano for his or her providers.
“I am at the moment out about $3,600 myself. And from the quantity of distributors, I suppose that we have amassed and talked to proper now, we’re simply over $30,000,” he mentioned.
The distributors offered a press release to Ontario Chronicle which indicated Poole-Montesano’s admitted private and well being points have hindered the enterprise and communication with those that depend on Pink Champagne Pictures to place meals on the desk for his or her households.
“Over the previous two seasons,” the assertion famous, “issues started to say no. Funds fell behind, and shopper communication turned more and more tough. This 12 months, issues took a devastating flip. Many people are nonetheless ready for cost for providers rendered, and regardless of a number of makes an attempt to resolve these points, we have been left in monetary {and professional} limbo.”
Photographer Jacqueline Poole-Montesano of Barrie, Ont. (Supply: Instagram)
Photographers and newlyweds mentioned they’re in disbelief this might occur. Poole-Montesano has blamed well being points and informed clients she’s struggling to maintain up and meet deadlines.
When contacted by Ontario Chronicle, Poole-Montesano’s authorized consultant, Lawrence Pomfret, mentioned, “As a result of bodily sickness and subsequent psychological sickness, she is unable to offer any substantive remark right now.”
Lots of the brides mentioned they discovered Poole-Montesano via Instagram advertisements for Pink Champagne Pictures, providing engagement and marriage ceremony photograph packages at nice costs. The typical deal was about $4,000.
Mark mentioned she by no means had an engagement photograph shoot, and weeks in the past, she heard from Poole-Montesano, who requested her to attempt to ebook a session via her on-line portal. Mark mentioned this was the primary time she was directed to a reserving portal.
Bride Gisella Sarmiento was married in April. Sarmiento mentioned when she requested Poole-Montesano for her photograph bundle, she acquired solely a fraction of what she paid for, and plenty of had been “unusable,” together with pictures of Sarmiento in her costume, which included a mirrored image of the Barrie photographer sitting on a mattress.
Sarmiento mentioned Poole-Montesano had threatened self-harm on-line and in emails and messages to her and different brides earlier than blocking their telephone calls and locking them out from her social media accounts.
Sarmiento, who mentioned she has struggled with psychological well being for years, described being shocked by the response she acquired from the photographer after she requested for her overdue pictures.
“For any individual to only say this out loud and put blame on so many individuals that we’re affecting her and we are the ones making her undergo this, she’s actually not desirous about her shoppers if she actually desires to inform me that she loves her job, she loves her shoppers. This isn’t proof of that,” mentioned an emotional Sarmiento. “That is the alternative, actually. Once more, that is alleged to be the most effective time of my life, and it has been probably the most nerve-racking time.”
Gisella Sarmiento was married in April 2024, and claims her marriage ceremony album is being withheld by the photographer. ( Ontario Chronicle/Mike Arsalides)
“It actually hurts to see this happening, so yeah, it is a horrible state of affairs,” mentioned Perrins, who’s attempting to find pictures for the brides from different distributors to make issues proper.
“Issues had been taking place inside her life as properly that had been undoubtedly affecting her, however nonetheless, you’ve gotten a enterprise to run and obligations, and you actually do not wish to make the most of anybody in that state of affairs regardless of any issues that you could have,” mentioned Perrins.
These affected mentioned they need Poole-Montesano to do the proper factor and honour their contracts by returning their pictures to them and paying her money owed to these she owes cash to, together with Mark, who final heard from the photographer in late August.
“You’re making a state of affairs on individuals’s happiest day of their life that makes it considerably of a traumatic expertise, and no couple ought to need to undergo this. What you are doing is improper. What you are doing is felony, and your actions will catch as much as you,” mentioned Mark.
