Attorney General Jeff Jackson Wins Wedding Photography Case; Judge Grants Default Judgment

(Attorney General Jackson won a preliminary injunction in the case in May)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 12, 2026
Contact: comms@ncdoj.gov
919-538-2809

RALEIGH — A judge has ruled in Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s favor in his case against Holly Christina Photography and its two owners.

“This case was about getting couples back the memories of their wedding day,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “The defendants had every opportunity to turn them over, and they didn’t. I’m grateful that the judge saw that and ruled in our favor. We’ve won our case, and we’ll keep fighting to get these couples their photos.”

In September, Attorney General Jackson filed a motion for default judgment after the defendants failed to fully comply with the court’s order to turn over all undelivered photos and videos within 30 days to the couples who had paid for them. The motion for default judgment asked the court for permanent injunctive relief and to require the defendants to deliver all photos and videos and pay $1.1 million in civil penalties and $600,000 in restitution. On Friday, Judge Craig Croom granted default judgement, ruling in Attorney General Jackson’s favor in the case.

The order for default judgment permanently:

• Orders the defendants to turn over all raw and edited photos and videos that consumers have paid for and to provide Attorney General Jackson’s office with a list of the names and addresses of the consumers they’ve delivered the photos to, along with a description of what was delivered.

• Orders the defendants to pay the nearly $600,000 in restitution and more than $1.1 million in civil penalties.

• Bans the defendants from entering into any contracts for photography or videography services.

• Owning or operating any business that takes advance deposits for photography or videography services.

• Accepting certain jobs with photography and videography companies.

• Transferring any assets derived from consumer payments.

Attorney General Jackson sued the company and its owners, Holly Christina Scott Ayscue and Christopher Owen Ayscue, in February, alleging that the defendants misled couples and their families by failing to provide the photography and videography services they promised. The North Carolina Department of Justice received 228 consumer complaints about the company since January, with losses totaling nearly $600,000.

In May, Attorney General Jackson won a preliminary injunction against the defendants. Judge Bryan Collins Jr. froze the defendants’ assets, ordered them to stop doing business in North Carolina while the case continued, and ordered them to deliver all edited and unedited photos and videos to the couples who had paid for them but not received them within 30 days.

Attorney General Jackson’s motion for default judgment said the defendants did not comply with the preliminary injunction by failing to deliver the photos and videos and failing to give his office a verified list of the names and addresses of consumers to whom they had delivered the photos and videos along with a description of the footage delivered.

A copy of the judgment can be found here.

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