Former Westmont resident Steve Wiemeler still shudders when he talks about the months “of exhaustion, worry and heartache” trying to track down the memories of his 2006 wedding to his wife, Retna.
Wiemeler said his first wedding priority was venue, and photography ranked second.
So when Steve and Retna found Orlando Copeland’s wedding photography Web site, they were willing to fork over $6,200 for a wedding package including videos, a 50-page custom designed wedding book, 600 photos in an iPod proof album, several high quality prints and six DVDs.
“He was the guy that’s going to make the day last a lifetime,” Wiemeler said.
Copeland gave the Wiemelers plenty of wedding memories, but they were not in the form of photographs.
After more than a year of unreturned calls and e-mails, several flights from Florida to Chicago, paid background checks, setting up an Internet support group and conversations with police, the Better Business Bureau and the attorney general’s office, the Wiemelers are getting the first glimpse of closure in an ordeal that has plagued their first year of marriage with frustration and exhaustion.
“Every time we read more about it, it’s like opening up the wound and pouring salt in it,” Wiemeler said.
He was one of the first Copeland clients in the Chicago area to file a complaint with the Consumer Fraud Bureau, alleging Copeland came to their wedding and shot pictures, but never delivered the final product. The Illinois attorney general’s office announced it is filing a lawsuit against Copeland last week.
“We never thought there was anything to worry about,” Wiemeler said. “We set up an appointment for engagement photographs and they turned out great.”
After about three months of waiting for the albums and plenty of unreturned messages, Wiemeler said he got an e-mail from Copeland stating he had medical problems and would get the photos to them when he was ready. They never heard back.
Though the couple moved to Fort Myers, Fla., right before the wedding, Wiemeler said Retna flew back to Chicago three times to try to get the photos. They also started posting on Internet wedding Web sites. They soon realized they were not alone.
“Apparently a lot of people had gotten the story that he was sick and in and out of the hospital, before he even shot our wedding,” he said.
As a last ditch effort, six months after the wedding, the Wiemelers got in contact with Darien police, who paid a visit to the Copelands’ house last May. After that meeting, Wiemeler said, he received a single DVD in the mail from Copeland with some photos, but not nearly what was promised in the contract.
The lawsuit against Copeland seeks “restitution for consumers”; however, the attorney general’s office did not specify whether restitution would include punitive damages.
As far as the Wiemelers are concerned, they just want the photos and an end to the nightmare.
“It was a horrible thing,” Wiemeler said. “You put so much confidence into one person to capture this moment in your life, and he just runs away with it.”
Darien photographer sued by state
The Illinois attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit Feb. 13 against Orlando Copeland of Copeland Photography, Inc. who allegedly failed to fulfill at least 10 contracts.
Copeland, who ran his business out of his home in Darien, did not return calls.
Consumers from Cook, DuPage and Lake counties, as well as Indiana, filed 10 complaints with the Consumer Fraud Bureau and at least 15 with the Better Business Bureau alleging Copeland failed to deliver photo albums, pictures and DVDs.
The complaints also allege he refused to refund the payments made by those who canceled their contracts with him.
Copeland’s BBB file states further “the company owners gave the consumers the runaround on multiple occasions, eventually ceasing contact and not responding to consumers’ e-mails, voice mails and other correspondence.”
Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s lawsuit, filed in Cook County Chancery Court, would require Copeland to pay restitution to consumers, $50,000 for each violation of the Consumer Fraud Act and all investigative and court fees. It also asks the court to prohibit Copeland from selling photographic services in the state of Illinois.
