Skell Of The Week: Wedding Photographer Has Allegedly Scammed Over 30 Brides Out Of More Than $100,000

kkshepel. Getty Images.

SI Live - It was the night before her wedding.

Sara Venezzio and her maid of honor had just finished dinner. Settled back in their hotel room, the nervous bride scrolled through Facebook, trying to relax before her big day.

Then she saw a post that shocked her.

Venezzio’s wedding photographer said she was about to close her business.

“I immediately began to panic, especially because I had already heard stories of her not showing up to brides’ weddings,” she said. “I reached out to her, freaking out, and she assured me she would be at my wedding.”

But she was a no-show.

An hour before the wedding, the photographer said she wasn’t coming, Venezzio said. Her car had been stolen the week before, and then, she couldn’t get an Uber, Venezzio said she was told.

Venezzio is among dozens of brides who allege the person they hired to chronicle their weddings — Christina Garcia, the owner of Wandering Stardust Collective, who also does business as Christina Hernandez and Christina Hernandez Artistry — took their money but didn’t keep her promises.

But according to a group of brides, there are many more dissatisfied customers across New Jersey. The brides provided the names of 30 people who collectively paid Garcia more than $100,000 for photography they said they didn’t receive. They shared similar stories about the reasons Garcia provided for her actions, including a litany of health problems for her and her husband — a possible brain tumor, sepsis, pneumonia, a concussion and a tooth abscess, among others — as well as a car accident, a stolen car and a cyberattack on her devices.

What a disaster. Listen weddings are a once in a lifetime experience (for most). It's the day you profess your love for the rest of your life in front of the people who shaped your life to that point. They are fun, they are emotional, and they are very meaningful. They should also be treated as sacred. Certain things you don't fuck with. Weddings are one of them. It's why I'm so hell bent of keeping your jacket on the best you can. It's a formal event and getting down to a tank top, when the bride spent thousands on her dress and hair etc seems a little like wearing a bathing suit to church, borderline disrespectful, but that might just be me. 

Wedding photos are also sacred. It's the day of your life when you look your best and one of the handful of times you have a pro photographer take pictures of you, unless of course you are working the mop at a basketball game. 

When someone fucks with wedding photos they are the scum of the scum. I can't fucking imagine not having wedding photos and this lady did it to 30 people and put her head on the pillow without a care in the world. What a fucking crook, just the absolute scum of the scum. Absolutely despicable fucking behavior. I actually wish this dirtbag would have scammed 1 person for 100k, because then only 2 people's day is ruined, but to read 30 couples had their day ruined is so horrible because I bet they wonder what they could have done differently or maybe they were considering 2 companies and went with this dirtbag because they were cheaper. Which listen if you are paying for your own wedding sometimes you have to make that decision. I just feel awful for these people. Absolute fucking dirtbag. I know it's February 25th but this person is the leader in the clubhouse for skell of the year no doubt about it.