Bride-to-be fat-shamed by wedding photographer at engagement shoot

Katie Liepold and her fiancé were photoshopped and described as ‘morbidly obese’

A bride-to-be has been left distraught after she and her fiancé were fat-shamed by a wedding photographer.

Katie Liepold and her future husband are due to tie the knot in May this year.

Liepold decided to turn to Facebook to find a wedding photographer, receiving around 20 responses to her inquiry.

Tower Photography, a company based in Medina, Ohio, offered two hours of photography at the wedding reception in addition to an engagement shoot for $600 (£435).

Although Liepold didn’t originally consider taking part in an engagement shoot, she figured she might as well as it was part of the package.

On the day of the shoot, the couple and the photographer, Linda Silvestri, all appeared to be in high spirits.

“We laughed, we talked, we joked, we shared stories,” Liepold told News 5 Cleveland.

Katie Liepold with her fiancé (News 5 Cleveland)

However, when Liepold took a moment to have a look at the photographs, she noticed that some of them were blurry, others taken at odd angles and that one had been visibly photoshopped.

“She actually photoshopped one picture of us skinnier,” Liepold said.

“She probably took like 30 pounds off each of us.”

While Liepold and her fiancé were evidently insulted by Silvestri’s actions, she didn’t stop there.

After expressing their disappointment with the photographs, the couple then came across a post that Silvestri had shared on the Northeast Ohio Wedding Professionals Only Facebook page.

The post began with Silvestri writing: “And people have wondered why I have scaled back my photography business.”

She then continued: “Last week I did an engagement session for a morbidly obese couple.

“First pic she was upset I gave her a chin tuck.

Katie Liepold with her fiancé (News 5 Cleveland)

“She left me a two star review because I wouldn’t refund their $150 [£108] for a two hour session.

“I’d rather have the bad review then deal with her any further.”

The Facebook post has since been deleted.

Silvestri has revealed to News 5 Cleveland that she has apologised to the couple and refunded Liepold, but has kept the $150 (£108) deposit for the two-hour shoot.