Wedding Photographer Upsets Brides

On that wedding 'to do' list is getting the right photographer. The one who can give you that memory you can look at over and over again. But, the Fox 5 I-Team learned of a photographer who's given brides a few memories they'd like to forget.

Joshua Rauh, who got married December 2014, said, "We liked his pictures on the website. We liked his use of color."

Mr. Rauh and his then-fiancee' picked Graceology Photography run by Chris and Heather Yellina to photograph their wedding.

"He told us that actually he had just had surgery, so he hadn't been able to work for a little while. So, he offered us to pay half his normal fee," he recalled.

$1,600. Done. They asked him to also do bridal portraits.

"He gave her pretty much the same deal, 'Just pay half and that'll be it'."

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$250. Another thing checked off the wedding 'to do' list. But the hard part was yet to come - trying to get a Graceology photographer to show up.

A few weeks before the first photo session, the couple says they got an email from Chris Yellina, that he'd had "some surgery complications," but nothing about canceling their shoot.

"My wife reached out to him about a week or so before the scheduled bridal session."

Then came another email. This time he'd been involved in "2 car crashes."

"He said, 'I've been in the hospital. I'm going to have my associate Victor do the bridal session', which was fine with us," Joshua said.

But, he says no one reached out. And no one at Graceology Photography was answering his calls, so he tried calling from a different phone.

"He picked up."

Joshua Rauh taped the conversation.

Photographer: Hello, it's Chris.

Groom: This is Joshua Rauh, Molly Shepherd's fiancé.

Photographer: Yes, how are you?

Groom: Just wondering if we are still on tomorrow?

Chris Yellina said, yes, his back-up would be there in his place because, well, he was sick again. Here's more of that taped conversation.

Photographer: I've actually been in the hospital all week with some heart symptoms.

The bridal party photos are stunning. No thanks to Graceology Photography. The fill-in failed to show. Fortunately, a sympathetic relative stepped in and took these shots.

That was it. The wedding was two weeks out. The couple decided to cancel their contract and asked for their money back. They hired new photographers Lamar Gee Photography and Kevin Voth, whom they were very happy with.

"He did eventually send an email out to my wife saying he would reach out to her to discuss everything that had happened. He never did," he said frustrated.

The couple sued. Chris and Heather's defense in court?

"Oh, he didn't show up in court," said Joshua.

The newly married couple got a default judgment last May for $2,376.50. They're still waiting for the money.

The Fox 5 I-Team went to the Yellina house and asked for Heather Yellina.

"She's not here. I'm the housekeeper," said the woman who answered the door.

Chris Yellina called us right after this. He admitted that was not a housekeeper but his wife.

He told me, this has been "the worst year of my life."

The wedding photographer claimed car accidents, a sick child, a knee replacement. Things, he says, that couldn't be helped.

Clients told the I-Team they are forgiving of personal problems but not of ignoring their calls, their texts and their emails; of sending strangers to shoot their wedding last minute; and of refusing to show up in court to explain what happened.

Chris Yellina of Graceology Photography said he has worked hard this year to pay back clients. He said he only owes Joshua Rauh and his wife money now.

"No that is not true. He still owes me money," said summer bride Nicole Nguyen.

Her complaint that Graceology owes her money added to the BBB's "F" rating. She hired Graceology to photograph her wedding, but another photographer showed up. She said the fill-in photographer, Evan Porter Martin, did a fine job, but he couldn't give her the photos. Graceology still owed him money.

"He said that Chris did not pay him the full amount of money."

She felt trapped. Pay an extra $500 to get her pictures or risk never seeing them again. She paid by taking that money from what was to be honeymoon spending cash.

Shaking her head Nicole said, "I don't think I will get my money back from Chris at all."

In a text Chris Yellina told the Fox 5 I-Team that he plans to pay her back. He told me - again - it's been a terrible personal year. He said he had to borrow money from family to pay people back. And, he has one more big, life hurdle to jump then he will return money to Nicole Nguyen and Joshua Rauh.

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