A videographer has hit back after several couples were let down on their wedding day just hours before they headed down the aisle. Sarah Stanton, the woman behind Wallflower Weddings based in Tonbridge , claims she was pushed to the point of suicide over the "witch hunt" she alleges she’s been subjected to as a result of the cancellations. KentOnline has spoken to dozens of brides who have had issues with the service she provided.
Some received emails on the morning of their big day to say she was unable to make it while others are still waiting for wedding footage more than a year later. The reasons given were often family or pet emergency. One of those brides was Shania Stanton (no relation to Sarah) who spent nearly £600 for Wallflower Weddings to attend her bridal prep from midday up until the couple’s first dance.
The 25-year-old married Jake Stanton, 33, at the Guildhall Museum in Rochester last month. “She was meant to bring sparklers along and speak to individual guests and well-wishers, but she didn’t show up,” she explained. “She had told me the day before she would arrive at 1pm instead of 12pm and I gave it until 1.
30pm on the day and tried to message and call her. “I checked my emails to find she had emailed at 5am saying she could no longer make it due to a family emergency and she would try to find a replacement by 11am. I didn’t hear back after that.
“I was so shocked. What bride checks emails while they’re getting ready for their wedding? No-one.” Shania said she was left feeling “devastated, disappointed, and hurt”, adding: “I had given Sarah the benefit of the doubt despite seeing how many other couples she had let down previously.
I wish I had gone with my gut and booked someone else.” Shania says she’s still “upset and angry” she didn’t get the footage she wanted, but praised her photographer MST Photography who used a second camera to get some video and made a highlights package. When the accusations were put to Sarah Stanton, she did not explain why she left it to the day of the weddings to cancel but said she had refunded everyone she cancelled on.
She said she started her business in 2021 after 16 years of doing videography as a hobby with a goal of “doing what you love and never having to work a day in your life” and to be an “affordable” option for couples. Sarah said: ”I wanted to provide beautiful, high-quality wedding videos that fit within any budget, ensuring every couple can relive their special day without the financial strain. “In doing this, I didn’t even cover costs.
I shot myself in the foot and three years later it led to the contemplation of suicide and unhappy couples due to the wait. “I accepted accountability for this.” She went on to accuse the couples of “heinous abuse and slander” both on and offline which affected her mental health.
“This decline led to anxiety in not wanting to leave the house, depression to the point of not caring about any part of myself which then spiralled into me unfortunately canceling on a handful of clients,” she added. “These clients were fully refunded despite what’s being said online. I do not and will not refund clients who cancel my services, as the contract states the date retainer is non-refundable in all instances.
“Clients seem to like the contract when they want it to work in their favour but refuse to acknowledge it when it goes against something they want. “This entire ‘witch hunt’, bullying and harassment snowballed from initially starting cheaply. "I gave clients the option of waiting for their film from myself or getting the raw to outsource to an editor.
The price of this combined with my price was still nowhere near the average £1,500 price of a videographer. Alternatively, I offered a full refund along with the deletion of the pertaining footage if they wished to cancel our agreement altogether. “Everyone that is contractually obligated to receive a refund has had one.
“Those who are contractually not required to have a refund, as they have chosen to cancel my services have not been refunded. “Clients may think I am a scammer, but at least I’m not a bully that brought someone to the edge.” She also explained her 2024 packages are now more expensive so she can outsource the editing and says the posts online have “led to something not far off bankruptcy.
” But countless other couples have experienced similar issues with the service, including Jess and Conor Michael. The 30-year-olds got married at the end of May at Marleybrook House in Canterbury and were let down at 2.30am on their wedding day with a “very flakey email”.
The bride said:“I woke up at 3am a bit nervous and checked my phone to see the time and found the message. I was then up all night so only got four hours sleep the night before my wedding. “Sarah told me she was hoping to make it in time for my ceremony but would let me know.
After multiple messages from myself and the bridal party on the morning without a reply I ended up finding an amazing last minute replacement. “I still didn’t know if Sarah would be turning up so there was a chance I would be paying for two people, but I really wanted someone there to film on my big day.” Jess, from Bromley, didn’t hear from Wallflower Weddings until a few days later and claims all she received was a contract to sign for a refund.
She added: “While I did receive my refund I never received an apology. She has been on social media saying everyone is damaging her mental health. However, I don't think she has had any consideration for the mental health of any of the couples she let down.
“The start to my wedding day was awful, and I didn’t start to relax and enjoy it until the replacement videographer arrived. Other couples were not given the chance to find a replacement, she just didn’t show up. I felt so sick and tired because I hadn’t slept.
My anxiety was so high all morning.” Alice Simpson received a message at 6am on the morning of her wedding from Ms Stanton saying she likely wouldn’t be able to attend. The council worker was married in April but had to rely on her photographer to save the day and find another videographer to fill in – which cost an additional £500.
“She let us know she wasn’t coming at a time when she should have already been on the way to me,” the 32-year-old explained. Alice ended up speaking to another bride and realised the message Wallflower Weddings originally sent, and reason not for coming, was almost identical to one another bride had received. She added: “We got a refund and we do feel we had a lucky escape after seeing the waiting list she had.
“At first I thought the cost was effective and I was happy to wait the year for it to be cheaper, but I was appalled to see how many have been waiting so much longer – we had no idea. “I’m still annoyed months later for the stress, upset, and additional cost we incurred. Honestly, it was devastating and totally ruined the atmosphere all morning.
” Gemma Jeffery, 39, from Maidstone , was another bride who faced an on-the-day cancellation in March when she was married at the Weald of Kent in Headcorn. She said: “She cancelled on my wedding day, sending me a Facebook message at 3am offering to find a replacement but I had no further contact. “She sent a refund that day, but the contact from her before the big day was minimal.
She confirmed she would be with us at 11.30am.” Ms Jeffery claimed the owner threatened legal action against her husband for leaving a “negative, but honest and polite review” on Google.
One bride who didn’t want to be named through fear of waiting even longer for the £500+ package she paid for said: “Sarah turned up on the day but didn't mention there was a waiting list and reiterated we would get our video in line with the contract. We were not informed before the wedding that she had an extensive waiting list. “The day after our wedding we were informed that we would get a sneak peak two to three weeks after – which wasn’t received – and our video in around 10 months.
“Over a year later we have recieved nothing. Every time we have spoken to her she has had multiple excuses – her mental health, working a second job, editing raw footage before ours and computer problems. “We requested a sneak peak but she said this wasn't possible.
It was so heartbreaking.”.
