KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Several Charlotte-area brides said a local wedding photographer isn't holding up her end of the deal.
The brides said Ali Robbins, the owner of Alivia Photography, broke their contracts, didn't give them their photos and ignored them for months.
Some brides even got the police involved.
Samantha Lem hired Robbins as her wedding photographer. Lem told WCNC Charlotte that Robbins didn't follow through.
"We could not get ahold of her," Lem said. "I tried multiple times."
Lem said she hired Robbins to capture the big day. She said there were no problems at the start, but on the day of the wedding, that's when the issues began.
"She showed up to our wedding ... she did show up two hours late," Lem said.
The cake was cut and the send-off was celebrated. The next day, Robbins showed the couple a sneak peek of the beautiful shots. After that, Lem said there was silence.
"Our photo gallery was due Dec. 16, and we never received it from her," Lem said.
For months, Lem texted and emailed Robbins. She said Robbins changed her number multiple times and could not get ahold of her. Finally, Lem's wedding planner got involved and reached Robbins. But Lem still did not receive the full photo package.
At that point, Lem reached out to the police and filed an incident report.
After filing the report, Lem took to social media. She said a lot of other brides experienced the same issues with Robbins.
Harley Davis was one of the other brides who hired Robbins to photograph her wedding in 2017.
"She did finally show up at the venue at 1:30 p.m. when she was supposed to be there at 9 a.m.," Davies said. "She left right at about 4 p.m. She came up and said 'I have to go.' That was two hours early.
According to the contract Davis signed, if Robbins had to leave, a photographer of the same skill would replace her. Davis said no one replaced her and Robins did not issue a refund. Robbins told her she would gift a lifetime free booking for the troubles. Time passed and the two reconnected in a parking lot so Davis could grab the photos.
"She handed me a $50 gift card and said 'Sorry, but I will not be giving you lifetime free sessions because I’ve heard you’ve been telling everyone what happened,'" Davis said. "I don’t like you’ve been spreading that around.”
One bride got the full set while one is still missing her photos.
WCNC Charlotte's Austin Walker reached out to Robbins multiple times on different platforms from Facebook to her website. He called a number registered to Robins. She did not respond.
"We are also supposed to receive the wedding video from her by Feb. 17," Lem said.
Lem said it's a vow she doesn't know how she'll honor.
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.