WARREN, Ohio — You might remember several months ago, we told you some newlyweds from Northeast Ohio had been living a bit of a nightmare after paying a photographer big money and not getting their pictures.
We are following through after customers tell us more promises were made and never kept.
Back in February, News 5 tracked down the business owner to get answers.
RELATED: They were desperate to get their wedding photos. So we knocked on a door and got answers.
“I’m here on behalf of the clients who say it’s been months and months and they haven’t heard anything from you,” I said in February while standing in the doorway of photographer Lauren Carmichael, who owns Simply Picturesque.
“Can I have your guarantee that you’ll reach out to them today even and let them know when their products will arrive?” we asked Carmichael at the time.
“Absolutely,” she responded.
CLIENTS: TOLD SEVERAL DATES FOR PICTURES
Clients Sam and Luke Deegan from Kent were married in September of 2024 and said Carmichael told them they would have their photos in January. News 5 Investigators then got involved, and the Deegans said Carmichael then told them they’d have their wedding photos by the end of March.
“I was excited. I got my hopes up,” said Luke. “And then…there was always something in the back of my head that thought like, you know, it’s never going to happen.”
The Deegans told us that March came and went with no pictures. Sam said she reached out and asked for just specific photos.
“People in those pictures have since passed away since our wedding,” said Sam. “I just want those memories. I will never get those back.”
MORE COMPLAINTS AGAINST SIMPLY PICTURESQUE
We followed through with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, which has received more complaints about the company, and the BBB still has a D+ rating on Simply Picturesque.
“I’m getting Facebook messages from strangers once every couple of weeks, just like, ‘Hey, I saw your story. Same thing is happening to me,’” said Sam. “I’m just really hoping that some of this puts some fire under [Carmichael].”
Carmichael has never responded to News 5 emails or phone calls, but we tried again with no response. And we knocked again on her door. There were plenty of dogs in the house, but no answer.
We hit the Ring doorbell a couple of times, asking, “Lauren, we have some customers who say they still don’t have their pictures. Can you tell us why?” But no response came through.
CLIENTS GIVING YOU A WARNING
This is all at a time when the Deegans tell us Sam is 20+ weeks pregnant.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Luke. “At this point, we are going to have our baby before we get our pictures back from our wedding.”
What started off as a wedding with all kinds of hope now has the newlyweds just wanting to give you a heads-up.
“At this point it’s just like how can I warn other people to just never use her again,” said Luke.
