Nov 23, 2008 8:20 am US/Eastern
Wedding Memories Returned To NJ Newlyweds
NEWARK (CBS) ―
The nightmare is finally over for thousands of couples fighting to get their wedding memories back from a photography company that went out of business.
A judge has ordered New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs to the start giving the photos and video it seized from the company back to their rightful owners.
"After our wedding, every month [they said] it was done," Julie Priore, of Bloomfield, said. "[They told us] they're just waiting to do this process, or [that] process. They just kept dragging us along."
It took the Division of Consumer Affairs months to collect the wedding memories, packed away in boxes and alphabetically organized.
They even have framed photos of couples whose identities are unknown; newlyweds they're still looking for who don't know their photos are here.
Kristy Eichhorn is one of the brides who have been waiting for her wedding pictures since October of last year.
"I just want my pictures. They're memories that I'll never get back, you know, my family members. I have candids from friends, who were there but it's not the same," Eichhorn said.
Eichhorn said she doesn't even care about the $2,000 deposit she gave Celebration Studios -- the company that went belly up. Her photos, though, were not available, but with a photographer who has been ordered to get them here by next week.
"I am just waiting. I've spoken, e-mailed with my photographer and I know he has my pictures," Eichhorn said.
There were about 4,000 boxes filled with DVDs, prints, negatives and video. They'll be distributed on Nov. 21.
Five years and two children later, Ryan Graves is finally getting to see the pictures of his wedding day.
"It's a nice thing, and it's about time we got [them] back," Graves said.
"All this is the Division's efforts, when we went to Celebration Studios and seized all of the pictures, DVDs, computer hard drives and evidence in this case of people's memories." said David Szuchman, director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.
The attorney representing the owner of Celebration Studios said his client was a good photographer but a bad businessman.
"My client understands why people are angry," Jeffrey Herrmann said. "The problem is that every company that fails financially faces you just don't have enough money to keep the doors open."
Herrmann said even if his client were hit with civil suits he has no money. As for the newlyweds if you believe you are in any of the photos shown in the video attached to this story you should call Consumer Affairs -- because chance are you haven't filed a complaint with the agency.
The Division of Consumer Affairs said it has 1,700 complaints on file and that if you have filed a complaint don't call them. They will contact you through e-mail or a letter.
CBS 2's Christine Sloan and Deborah Garcia contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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