‘It was emotional’: Couple says they waited nearly five years for wedding video
An Indian Trail couple got married before the pandemic and paid a videographer thousands to shoot the memories. But more than four and a half years later, they told Action 9 they were still waiting for their video.
Dennis and Madolyn Aderholt tied the knot in 2019. They hired Elegant Imagez to shoot the video of the wedding.
“He was supposed to provide just a finished, full-length, I think what they call a feature film,” Dennis Aderholt said.
They had a contract, but it didn’t say when they’d get the video. Aderholt says the business told him it would take about three months, but that he got the runaround.
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“I was kind of at a loss. I really want to get this,” he said. “This is the only video we have. There was no other, besides photos, no other footage of our wedding or anything.”
He says months turned into years -- 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. He says at one point the company did send raw footage, but nothing close to the feature film they were expecting.
“You want to look back on that day,” Aderholt said. “You want to show your kids and your family.”
“I just knew about you guys and reached out to you. I was hoping that we could get this done and … it did,” he told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke.
Action 9 emailed Elegant Imagez and 12 days later Aderholt emailed it worked.
He says the videographer texted him, asking forgiveness and saying he never intended to hurt them and that he’s not a scammer. Most importantly, Aderholt says the company sent him the finished video.
“Oh, man, I was, it was emotional,” he said.
Elegant Imagez offered the family a free canvas photo and $1,000 back. Aderholt said no to the money. He says he just wanted what he paid for.
The videographer emailed Action 9 saying he was going through a divorce and found himself a single father of a three-year-old. “It’s been a long road and I’m just getting out of the fog now,” he wrote. He said his “[personal] life interfered with his ability to provide them with the service they needed” and that he feels “blessed that the Aderholts have forgiven me.”
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Action 9 often receives complaints like this. Here are a few tips:
- Don’t just rely on reviews. They’re one way to research a videographer, but not the only way. Try references and word of mouth.
- Make sure you put the delivery date in the contract.
- Always ask your guests to shoot video on their phones. It’s not professional quality, but it is a good backup, just in case.
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