‘I’m done begging,’ judge orders local photography company to pay bride

WISCONSIN — A local photography business is collecting payments from brides and failing to honor signed contracts.

It’s a story TMJ4’s Jenna Rae began investigating in early 2024, when wives Andrea Brusky and Courtney Remus shared their troubles with SB Photography.

Since this story, we’ve heard from dozens of other SB Photography clients, including Mariah Jeske-Brill. She said the company owes her almost $2,000.

A year and a half before her fall 2024 wedding, Jeske-Brill booked SB Photography to capture her big day. However, earlier this year, she said she started seeing bad reviews about the company, with people saying they weren’t getting their photos.

So she contacted SB.

“I wanted to change our contract because I wanted to put a date in there that you’re going to receive your photos within that time frame,” Jeske-Brill explained.

The company amended its contract and outlined specific deadlines, but then changed course after seeing the TMJ4 story.

“Around May, I saw the story and thought I can’t. I don’t want to continue with this anymore. We still had enough time to cancel and get all our money back, plus the deposit,” says Jeske-Brill.

SB owes Jeske-Brill $1,875.

SB’s contract states that they “must be notified of the cancellation at least 120 days before the originally scheduled wedding day.”

Judge orders local photography company to pay after failing to honor contract

For Jeske-Brill’s wedding on September 14, that date was May 17.

Documents show SB signed the annulment on May 7 and Jeske-Brill signed it on May 13.

“I signed it, I never heard back. Literally since May, I’ve never heard from them,” she said.

“And you didn’t get your money back,” Rae asked.

“I didn’t get my money back,” Jeske-Brill responded. “I look at my credit card account every day to see if any money has come in and there’s nothing.”

On September 4, Jeske-Brill sent an email to one of SB’s owners, Adam Aten, informing him that she had not received her refund and was in the process of filing a complaint for small claims against the company.

In less than 20 minutes, Aten responded saying that SB refunds were processed within 120 days and that if Jeske-Brill couldn’t wait, she could dispute the charges with her credit card provider.

“I didn’t want to dispute this with my credit card company. I wanted to express my opinion and concerns and make sure no one else books with them,” Jeske-Brill added.

It has now been 144 days and Jeske-Brill has still not received his refund.

She’s not the only one either.

“I contacted you because I saw that you had already written a story against SB Photography. Honestly, I felt like I was the only one this was happening to,” said former client Jennifer Santiago.

Jenna Rae

Santiago booked SB Photography for his wedding a year and a half ago. She ended up suing the company and winning.

However, the path has not been easy for Santiago.

“It’s something that should never happen to a bride. I mean, it’s the day you’ve dreamed of since you were little,” Santiago said.

It’s a dream now tainted after Santiago said she hired SB Photography for her summer 2023 wedding, and they didn’t deliver everything that was promised.

“They still owed me the two canvas prints, the wedding photo book and the burned USB drive with all the edited photos,” Santiago added. “Right around the corner from our first anniversary, so I figured it was time. I’m sorry, that’s the end of it. I’m done begging them for something I paid them for.”

Santiago showed TMJ4 a year’s worth of emails to SB Photography.

On June 27, more than a year after her marriage, she sued the company in small claims court.

“Something has to happen to these people, like they have to be held responsible,” Santiago added.

Just before the hike began, Santiago said she collected all of her items except the USB drive.

“The court will release appeal 24SC836 Jennifer Santiago v. Adam Aten and Sheryl Kelley,” Walworth County Judge Peter Navis said.

Through an open records request, TMJ4 obtained the audio recording of the August hearing.

“I am seeking half of the cost of the wedding photo package, $1,687.50, plus all associated court costs,” Santiago told the judge.

Navis has heard arguments from both sides.

“SB Photography breached their contract. They didn’t fulfill their contract and now we are one year, two months and 14 days after my wedding,” Santiago explained.

“Due to many COVID-related circumstances that have impacted our business and industry, we have been delayed on schedule,” explained Adam Aten, co-owner of SB.

“We were dealing with a broken business, and by the end of this year, you know, we will be bankrupt. We stopped booking new weddings and new couples just because of the impact of COVID and the reviews bombarded by our couples,” continued Aton.

During this legal proceeding, it was the first time we heard of Aten. We tried calling him last spring for our first story and never heard back.

Aten co-owner Sheryl Kelley also testified.

“We had an impeccable record for a decade, better than anyone, and we gave up more than anyone on the planet, and then when people decided they were going to tank us, the second we were slightly behind, they were able to “I won’t show one bit of kindness when we’ve given up our entire lives,” Kelley said.

“I heard what I needed to hear from you, okay,” Judge Navis interrupted.

“Contract law is hard law. Contract law doesn’t care about people’s feelings, doesn’t care about circumstances, what matters is whether there was an agreement, that agreement has- has it been respected, and if the agreement has not been respected, what is the remedy,” Navis explained.

Navis granted Santiago the amount she requested.

“The judge had ordered that they (SB Photography) reimburse you $2,027. Do you think you will ever see that money,” Rae asked Santiago.

“Unfortunately I don’t to be honest with you,” Santiago replied.

In court, SB Photography said it would fulfill orders and give “everything to our couples.”

Court documents show the owners were ordered to pay Santiago by September 24. Santiago said that didn’t happen.

Rae contacted SB Photography to see if they would do an interview.

Aten, one of the co-owners, called Rae back and told her that Rae had ruined their life and business and hung up.

Over the past year, TMJ4 has spoken to four different brides who were clients of SB Photography. Courtney Remus is still missing photo assets. Andrea Brusky was never reimbursed. Mariah Jeske-Brill also needs to get a refund and didn’t get it. Finally, Jennifer Santiago is owed a partial refund and court costs, and she hasn’t received them either.

If there’s something you’d like Jenna Rae to investigate, email her at [email protected].

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