'It's a day you can never get back:' Complaints rack up against Wisconsin wedding photographer



APPLETON -- It might be one of the most important times to capture -- your wedding day. One Wisconsin photographer is racking up complaints and lawsuits about his work.

For better or worse, a trio of Wisconsin brides — Stacie Robbins, Sheree Wegenke, and Brandie Schuelke —  all hitched their wagons to wedding photographer Scott Sockett.



"My family keeps complaining they haven't seen my photos and I said, 'Well, that's because I don't like them,'" Robbins said.

"It just sucks, because it's a day you can never get back," Wegenke said.

A photo from Wegenke's wedding shows Sockett snapping a picture of her walking down the aisle in Hartford.

Scott Sockett taking photos at Sheree Wegenke's wedding.



Sockett shared some pictures with Contact 6 and gave FOX6 permission to use them. However, the brides who hired Sockett said they only got a few good pictures. He didn't deliver on contracted promises or show up.

"It's, you know, such a special day, and you want to remember it, and for him to do that to so many people is horrible," Robbins said.

Photos by Scott Sockett



Photos by Scott Sockett



Sockett is being sued in Wisconsin court by several people. The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau is familiar with him as well.

"Right now, we've got about 15 outstanding complaints, spread out over four states, with a total loss of about $25,000," revealed Jim Temmer, president and CEO of the Wisconsin BBB.

Scott Sockett



Contact 6 spoke to Sockett over the phone about his business.

"I started a business on my own, without really a business background. Definitely doing more research and contacting other small business owners about how to run the business itself, definitely would have helped me," Sockett said.

He ran his business under different names, including Say I Do Wedding Services, Magic Focus Photography, and S2 Wedding Solutions. Sockett said he changed names when he added new services and wanted to re-brand.



The BBB calls that a red flag.

"If you're gonna be changing the name of your business multiple times, it means for one reason or another, you don't want to be affiliated with that name," Temmer said.

The brides Contact 6 talked to all paid in full, up front, in exchange for better deals. The payments ranged between $1,300 and $3,100.

"They're trying to pressure you, where they'll say, 'Well, we'll give you a discount if you pay up front with cash.' That, to me, shows a business that's really cash strapped," Temmer explained.

"We never drove into them, 'Hey, you have to pay in full.' We gave them plenty of options," Sockett said. "We did cash, credit, debit."



After reading bad reviews, Schuelke canceled Sockett's services one year before her wedding.

"I was supposed to get 50% back, but we did talk about getting it paid back in full," Schuelke said.

Sockett said he can't provide refunds right now because he's lost too much business.

"All of the cancellations being done at a really close time together makes it really hard to get everybody's refund out," Sockett said.

Sockett said he also regrets hiring unreliable people. He said he's no longer booking weddings, but will fulfill his upcoming contracts.

CLICK HERE for more information on this case from the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau.