A furious couple has accused their wedding photographer of having to ask guests ‘how to take proper pictures’ and insisted he bungled the pictures from their big day.
Patrick Brown, 46, and Cheryl Carley, 54, are suing New York photographer Michael Ivory for breach of contract.
The couple hired Ivory to photograph their wedding on November 12, 2023, as part of a $3,200 Wedding Package.
However, they were thoroughly disappointed when they received photos that were ‘blurry, poorly composed, and missing key moments,’ according to a copy of the lawsuit viewed by DailyMail.com.
‘Throughout the event, [Ivory] appeared rushed and unfocused, requiring guidance from guests and [the couple] on how to take proper pictures,’ the lawsuit said.
‘[Ivory] failed to capture important aspects of the wedding, despite plaintiffs emphasizing their importance.’
Court documents stated that the Wedding Package included up to nine hours of shooting, unlimited photos, and up to 250 edited photos, noting that they explicitly requested two photographers for the event.
‘On the day of the wedding, [Ivory] arrived alone, significantly impacting the coverage of the event,’ the lawsuit said.
A furious couple has claimed their wedding photographer botched the pictures from their big day
The filing stated that Ivory failed to capture ‘traditional and customary moments of the wedding.’
Those moments included group photos with the bride, candid moments with guests and capturing the ambiance of the venue.
Once they received sample photos they claimed fell ‘far below the professional quality promised and expected,’ the couple also said they had difficulties viewing and selecting images because of ‘prominent watermarks and reduced quality.’
The couple alleged that Ivory failed to offer any resolutions or alternatives. In December 2024, Ivory texted them that he would cease all communication and would process the photos within 10-12 months.
‘[Ivory] misrepresented their ability to provide professional services and quality photos, as evidenced by the poor quality of the sample photos provided and its failure to deliver the promised services,’ stated court filings.
When contacted by the couple’s lawyer, Ivory’s attorney claimed ‘the bride was four hours late.’
‘Mr. Ivory will expeditiously provide the photographs selected by your clients. No refund will be forthcoming. Mr. Ivory will vigorously defend his interests.’
The couple told The Independent they hired Ivory to photograph their big day because he had an impressive portfolio and was affordable.
![The couple claimed the photographer was 'rushed and unfocused' and 'required guidance from guests and [the couple] on how to take proper pictures'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/06/22/04/99605567-14835531-image-a-35_1750564012982.jpg)
The couple claimed the photographer was ‘rushed and unfocused’ and ‘required guidance from guests and [the couple] on how to take proper pictures’
‘When we were seeking different vendors, we came across him and said, “Let’s give this guy a try,”‘ Brown said.
‘He was like, in the middle between the low tier and the high tier [price-wise]. He came across very charming, attentive, he showed initiative and follow-up: “Hey, let’s do this, let’s do that,” all the right things that you want to hear. On-point.’
The couple then said they were forced to turn to their wedding guests to help them compile photos from the wedding.
‘We had to rely on family members and guests to pull in all of their photos,’ Brown said.
‘If we would have known that they would have done a better job than this guy, we would have never hired him. Our guests’ photos came out ten times better than his did. It’s been very, very, very disappointing.’
The outraged groom said he felt he had no choice but the sue and get their money back.
‘When we told him our concerns, he started to become very unresponsive, belligerent, disrespectful,’ Brown said.
‘So then me and my wife were like, “No matter how painful, or what it costs us, we’ve got to take this guy to court.”‘
