A St. Clair Shores bride-to-be reported that a wedding photographer she hired and paid a deposit to has become unreachable, with social media pages disappearing. Dominique Spica, who is planning her wedding for next summer, sent a $1,000 deposit to "With, Love Hannah Photography" for engagement and wedding photos. After repeated attempts to contact the business, Spica found its online presence gone and later learned other brides in Michigan and beyond were facing similar challenges.
Spica and her fiancé, Paul, became engaged in May. By summer, Spica was engaged in wedding planning, including the search for a photographer. She stated she conducted research and discovered "With, Love Hannah Photography" on a "Michigan Bridal" page. Spica reviewed over 200 messages, some of which stated, "Hannah did absolutely amazing capturing our wedding." The photography business reportedly appears to be based out of state, but brides in multiple states, including Michigan, had booked its services.
After hiring the photographer for both engagement photos and her upcoming wedding, Spica provided a $1,000 deposit. She indicated that a contract was in place and that early interactions seemed normal. Her engagement pictures were scheduled for "this month," with communication appearing routine for several months. However, when Spica texted the photographer to confirm, she received a reply asking, "Who is this?" This response raised immediate concerns for Spica, given their previous ongoing text message exchanges.
Prompted by the unusual reply, Spica attempted to access the photographer's social media pages. She found that both the Instagram and Facebook pages were "completely gone." Further attempts to reach the photographer by phone resulted in a "disconnected" message or an unanswered call. Spica reviewed her text message history, noting specific dates in August and October where communication ceased.
Upon typing "With Love, Hannah" into Facebook, Spica discovered a broader pattern of complaints. She saw posts from "at least 30 brides," not only from Michigan but also from Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, all reporting that they could not reach the photographer. Spica began connecting with these other affected individuals. Through these conversations, she learned that one bride in Wisconsin had signed a contract for services on the very same date as Spica's Michigan wedding.
Now, Spica is working to dispute the charge with her bank, hoping to recover her deposit. Her primary goal is to prevent similar situations from affecting other brides.