Wedding-- Photographer and Guest

[metric_photography]

An aquaintenance of mine asked me to shoot her wedding. She will be paying me full rate. A few months later, after agreeing to payment, etc, my boyfriend and I received an invitation to the wedding. So I am working the wedding as well as attending it as a guest. My question to you is what do I do about a gift? I feel that I shouldn't have to give a gift/ money for me, but my boyfriend should (even though he will probably be gear boy for the day). Thoughts?

[Gulf Coast Girl]

Originally Posted by metric_photography

I feel that I shouldn't have to give a gift/ money for me,

Why? Yes she is paying you and you will be working but so what? A wedding gift is given to the couple because they are your friends and you want to give them something of use as they start their life together.

I've always given wedding gifts to friends & family even if there wasn't a wedding to attend (I have a few friends who eloped).

I guess if this isn't really a friend and someone you barely know then your boyfriend should decline the invitation and you should just work the event as if it were any other client that you don't personally know.

[mshockley]

+1 agree with Gulf Coast Girl on this one....

[Mike367]

+2. Your friend's getting married, send her a gift.

[Ranz]

Definitely send a gift, most friends wouldn't expect to pay you your full fee anyway,

[Jim Bryant]

Did you sign a contract? If so, still charge your rate and send her a gift.

[autofocus]

You're not attending this wedding...you are working. You will enjoy NONE of the merriment. You'll be lucky if you'll be able to have a Coke all day as you work your buns off. The only gift I would consider is something tied into your job there...maybe some enlargements in a nice album. Your boy friend is a different matter. If he normally works with you on your jobs as an assistant, than he too will be working, and can be tied into whatever gift you chose to give. If he's going to be mostly partying throughout the day, he should give a separate gift.

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by autofocus

You're not attending this wedding...you are working. You will enjoy NONE of the merriment. You'll be lucky if you'll be able to have a Coke all day as you work your buns off. The only gift I would consider is something tied into your job there...maybe some enlargements in a nice album. Your boy friend is a different matter. If he normally works with you on your jobs as an assistant, than he too will be working, and can be tied into whatever gift you chose to give. If he's going to be mostly partying throughout the day, he should give a separate gift.

Ding ding ding ding! We have a winner!!!!!


(And I don't even shoot weddings, but I was a guest at at one that Vinnie and his wife Cathy shot. Believe me, they barely had time to breathe let alone eat or drink. And that's a two-person team, not just one photographer.)

[autofocus]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

Ding ding ding ding! We have a winner!!!!!


(And I don't even shoot weddings, but I was a guest at at one that Vinnie and his wife Cathy shot. Believe me, they barely had time to breathe let alone eat or drink. And that's a two-person team, not just one photographer.)

And then after all the "fun" you had you get to edit 1200 - 1500 photos

[UlpilotSC]

I actually wrote a little something about wedding invitations once (or "Gift Requests" as they should rightly be called)...

http://theosus1.wordpress.com/2011/0...and…-bi/

It was weird of her to send you this. Of course you're invited to the wedding. You're working there. Did she also send the minister, the caterer and the florist invitations? Here's an idea... As a photographer why not give her something related to what you're already doing... A photo book, some extra prints, etc. Etc. It keeps you from having to shop around, and since you're already working on the pictures, clicking a few extra times on smugmug or zenfolio won't take any time at all....