A bride has finally been reunited with her wedding photos – SIX YEARS after they were taken by a photographer who vanished following her big day.
Charlotte Oliver, 32, paid £2,500 for an award-winning snapper to take pictures of her tying the knot to husband David in 2011.
But despite coming highly recommended, Royce Yeacoob “vanished off the face of the earth” with the snaps days after they wed.
Now, six years – and two children later – she has finally received her wedding pictures after an emotional Facebook post went viral.
Charlotte said: “Social media was the last resort for us, but we had tried everything.
“This man just vanished off the face of the earth. It was like he’d managed to delete all trace of him.
“All I wanted was the pictures of my wedding day, it’s something special which you can’t recreate.
“I can’t thank people enough for the support they gave us, sharing my post.
“I never dreamed after six years we’d be seeing our pictures, it feels like he finally found his heart.”
Charlotte and David, a bricklayer, saved for years to raise the cash to have their big day photographed.
They picked Royce because he was a prestigious Kodak award winner and forked out £2,500 to hire him for the day, and have their choice of 60 pictures made into a wedding album.
But shortly after tying the knot on August 20, 2011, former soldier Royce disappeared with no word as to their wedding pictures.
They had suspicions he had moved to Germany but were unable to track down any contact details for him.
Instead, the couple were left with poor quality snaps by family and friends – one of which featured Royce taking a treasured snap.
Charlotte, an administrator, said: “His website disappeared, his contact numbers didn’t work and he was no longer at his home address.
“We felt like we had totally been taken for a ride, but it wasn’t like we hadn’t done our homework.
“We researched this guy and he had won awards and came highly recommended.
“I didn’t want to stop at anything to get my pictures back. We had to work hard to earn the money to pay for them and the rings.
“They were the two most important to us because alongside the memories, they’re the two things you have to remember your wedding day by for the rest of your lives.
“Over the years I’ve tried every means I could think of this trace him, to no avail.”
As a last resort, Charlotte posted a picture of Royce with an emotional appeal, which read: “DO YOU KNOW THIS MAN?????
“Royce is a professional photographer who my husband and I hired to take photos of our special day in August 2011.
“Royce was recommended to us by a friend and after seeing his work, we were sold.
“Our wedding day passed without a glitch however after our wedding we understand Royce has since moved to Germany without leaving any forwarding details.
“We’re not well off but both worked extremely hard and saved for a number of years to give us the best day possible.
“After paying £2500 for our album, we have been trying to contact Royce for a number of years to get the photos we have paid for, but without reply, and we have all but given up hope.
“We are absolutely devastated as it was such an amazing day and we are absolutely heartbroken at the thought we will never get our photos which captured the moment.
“Please please please can you share this and help us find Royce so we can have more than just the memories of our special day to share with our children as they get older.
“Thank you.”
Within days, the post attracted hundreds of likes and shares and astonishingly, the photos then landed on the couple’s doorstep in Milton Keynes, Bucks.
Charlotte, who is mum to sons Riley, three, and five-month-old Jack, said: “I was absolutely blown away when they turned up, I didn’t think I would ever see my pictures again.
“I don’t know why he has chosen to return them now, I can only assume he found his conscience or didn’t like his face being shared around the internet.
“Whatever his reasons, I’m just so relieved that we’ve got what we paid for and that we finally have our pictures back.”
Charlotte has since found that she’s not the only victim of Royce Yeacoob and so she hopes by sharing her experience, she can help others get what is rightfully owed to them.
She added: “I’ve had other brides contact me in the same situation and even mothers who have had pictures taken of their children which they have never seen.
“I don’t know if he will have the heart to return theirs too, but as I’ve been lucky enough to get my pictures back, I just want to help in any way I can.
“These pictures have great sentimental value to people, it’s not up to him to hold them hostage as he did with us for such a long period of time.”