Here's the deal. My fiance (boyfriend of 5 years) and I are unsure as to whether or not we want a traditional Catholic wedding. We were kind of thinking about taking a cruise, and whoever wants to come can come, and we'll just have a huge reception when we get home.

The thing is, photography is a huge deal for me. It is pretty much the most important thing aside from having my fiance there, hahaha.

Now, here's what I'm thinking:

If any of you would like to take a free cruise, I'll take care of the cost of the plane and the cruise for you if you would photograph my beachside wedding. This would mean that rather than buy a wedding photography package from you, I'd be buying your cruise trip, and you would just have to photograph the ceremony and reception which would only last a few hours.

Any takers?

QUICK EDIT: We have not chosen a date, but we're thinking Fall 2008.

Shoot and burn? 1 person, or with an assistant?

When is it Jenny? I might be interested if you want.

I'll do it, girl!!

Sounds fun! When will it be?

That sounds fantastic! I would like to be considered also.

Let's make it an OSP cruise. You'll have the best photography EVUH!

Now that's an idea!

Count me in, I would love to be your photographer

Visit My Website

That sounds awesome! We'd love to be considered

ooooh that sounds amazing!

www.melissamcclure.com

What a great idea! I'll bet you could get a whole herd of photographers... I'd love to be there for you!

Well you know us - we'd be interested.

http://www.pictureinfinity.com

Email me if you are interested, 2009 is a little far out to commit but we can talk about details

Pick me! Pick me!!!!!

Uh-oh, "2009" was definitely a typo, haha. It's supposed to say 2008! I should probably fix that.

Um - I'd love to!
Check my site link below, as well as my blog link.

Of course, this sounds like a great "Mosaic Group" sample wedding!

That's a fabulous idea!
I'm not paying for everybody's plane/cruise tickets, though, hahaha.

No, but if you guys did in on the January 2008 cruise, then there would already be a whole bunch of us OSPers on board.

I've already paid for my cruise tickets for the OSP cruise on Jan. 21/2008. hehe.

count us in. We could bring the dog! haha...jk

Great idea!

I'll have to consider that. The thing is, I wanted to take a Fall cruise so we could come right back and have a fun Fall-themed reception.

Hmm...



Awww, haha, that would be adorable. How about a dog park wedding? Haha.

Do it in January and have a spring themed reception a couple of months later. lol.

Possibly

Huy

I would do it in a heart beat! HEre are some slideshow:

Joe and Jessica

Jeremy and Brita
Hawaii Beachside wedding

I would want to bring my husband though!

Email me if you have any questions!! PLEASE!!! Melissa

This is the true test of a photographer. Would other photographers pick you? Sounds like fun. I am big on wedding books though, so I will add a 50 page Graphi Studio book to sweeten the deal. I think my wedding books set me apart from the crowd. Go to my site and click "your event" then Shannon & Brian or Melissa & Adam. They are both weddings photographed by me. Once at their pages you can look at their wedding books or engagement photos and check out a slideshow or two.

Carl Stevens
www.artists-eyes.com

Am I the only person who thinks its kind of disrespectful for a professional photographer to make this kind of offer to other professionals? I mean first of all, Fall of any year is usually a pretty busy booking time. So the photgrapher who takes the job would be giving up a weekend to shoot ... well for free, basically. Not just the day of the wedding ... but for the length of the cruise. Then, on top of that, yeah, paying for the cruise is a nice bonus, but a cruise doesn't pay the mortgage or the insurance or the bills.

I dunno. If I were to get married again and ask a fellow pro to shoot it would be during the off season, and with the clear understanding that I would pay them *something* for their time and talent, as well as for their travel, even if they offered me a professional courtesy discount.

That's just me.

Karen

(that may mean Karen's a no go)

As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't pay the mortgage but it pays for a vacation. My clients who pay me $3600 occasionally pay for my trips to Vegas or Hawaii too - I want a vacation. I'm certain whoever Jennifer goes with will make a little longer of a trip out of it than one day - thus giving themselves a working wedding, a planned vacation and a few days off. At least I would.

I guess it may also depend on how big your heart is and whether or not every thing you do in life has to be centered around money.

I agree that does sound fun. Consider us too!

www.ashleybrockinton.com

yeah, what matt and bruce said. it isn't all about the money, and the cool experiences (along with a quick getaway) are always good "compensation" as well...

so consider us! we'd love the opportunity, and consider it a cool experience and chance to work for another professional photog.

wow...

this would be great. I was just thinking about vacation. Hmm...

Have you narrowed it down? Depending on the date, I may be interested. Seriously...

oh man, i just had to click the un-ignore button to see what was so funny

Married again?!?!

LOL. My husband feels the same way I do.

But it's good to see that the usual crowd of "nice" people are out and about.

Karen

Sounds like fun! I love shooting beach weddings. No pesky church people to tell you that you can't take beautiful pictures at "x" time! I'd love to be considered.
Ellen

Jennifer, the OSP Cruise option might be really awesome!! You could have the ceremony in San Diego, or Cabo!!

Or on the ship itself, which could be really beautiful and different. Maybe a moonlight ceremony on the deck while out at sea? Lots of possibilities!!

And think of all the photographers available to you, and the great fun it would be.

yea...osp cruise is totally your best bet!! no other way would u get so much talent in one spot !

I would be humbly honored to shoot your wedding!

depending on the date-i'd love to shoot it...vacation is nice...never been on a cruise

www.sofianegron.com
www.sofianegron.blogspot.com

So fun! Add me to the list, too.

Kris Noorman
A Picture's Worth
http://www.apwphotography.com
http://kristajean.typepad.com/a_pictures_worth/

I don't care about the cruise. Just want to shoot Jenny's wedding

Hey, I'm not forcing anybody to do it, and I thought it was a fun idea. Personally, I wouldn't be offended by another photographer proposing this idea. I would want to be the one that they pick!

It's not like I'm not expecting anybody to take pictures the whole week long - only for a matter of a few hours on the wedding day. What's wrong with that? They're getting a week-long vacation paid for by me for shooting my wedding for a day. I didn't think that seemed offensive in the slightest bit. Cruises are so much fun, and we'd all have a blast, I'm sure!

Plus, the more I've thought about it, we're definitely looking at January 2009 over Fall 2008 because my best friends that are in college would more likely be able to go, since they would be home for Christmas Break.

Karen, why do you feel the need to make an issue where there is none? Do you go to parties uninvited and fart on the dance floor?

I'd be happy to do it... not fart on the dance floor, but take pictures at your wedding.

http://www.shanesnider.com

So am I to understand that the only opinions that are welcome on OSP are ones that toe the party line? Anyone who expresses a contrary opinon about anything is ... how did you so charmingly put it? Farting on the dance floor?

Have you noticedthat any time I express an opinion on this board I am *personally* attacked? Not that my opinions are called into question or that people disagree with what I write ... but me personally ... vicious and hateful attacks. From so-called Christians, at that.

Believe me, I'm not the only one who notices it.

Karen

I'm a little worried about posting this here but I think I will anyway.

I'm thinking that Karen has a good point. I've been busy and away from the forum for a while, however, I'm surprised lately at the amount of threads I've been on where people are attacked for having a differing point of view. Rather than having a good and decent conversation about different points of view so many are jumping on the band wagon of attacking someone for their opinion. It makes me a little sad.

I just wonder how many photographers here would be posting if a client came to them and said, "Hey, I'll pay for your trip to ___________ if you'll shoot my wedding. I'm not planning to pay you anything just for your trip." Would we all be so ready to jump at the chance or would we be posting about how crazy this person is for thinking that's all they have to do to get a good photographer? I know I've turned down clients who have offered similar things to me. Most photographers charge for their service as well as travel and lodging. We complain about people not being willing to pay for what we're worth and then we ask each other to do it for free.

No matter how you look at, you are really doing this wedding for free. If you want to do it for free that's your perogative but let's not jump down the throat of someone who wouldn't.

Let's be kind around here...please. I'm sad at the things that are happening here lately after having been gone for a while. I hope my name won't be looked down on for posting this post.

Thanks for reading.

Congratulations Jenny! Your wedding sounds like it's going to be a huge amount of fun! I'm sure you'll have a great time and it'll be a perfect day...and you're going to have some awesome photographers there!

Well said Davina.

I agree with Davina and also with some of what Karen said. I would be interested in doing this if it was at a time of the year that I didn't have anything big scheduled (yea like that is going to happen lately) that is why I asked when it was. There is no way I would do it in the fall. Not only would I be doing it for free, but it would actually cost me between 4-6k or what ever I am charging at that time to do it. It could possibly even be twice that amount if it ran into two weekends. Also like Davina said, travel is always included anyway.

Then say there are thirty photographers that end up being interested. Does it get to the point where, well so and so will do it for this, or they are including an album. Plus what about the post production, and all of the people that get their feelings hurt because they weren't good enough.

I have to say that after thinking about it, Karen is making a lot of sense here, and Davina's statements back up her thinking.

I'm sorry Jenny, but I am no longer interested, and respectfully pull my hat out of this.

Good luck to you, and to whom ever you decide is better than everyone else to shoot
this for you.

Geez. What started out as a fun, celebratory post has degraded into another unfortunate controversy.

Davina, you made some valid points. And Karen brought up some legitimate concerns, too. But was it really necessary? Jennifer simply put out the offer for what, in a sense, would be a barter. Nothing wrong with that. She can do that. And the responses were positive and enjoyable.

Then came the negative energy. Karen can express whatever is on her mind too. But again, was it really necessary? Why rain on Jennifer's "parade"?

I think it comes down to the issue of context, respectfulness and sensitivity. Jennifer's post has been interuppted by the insensitive scribblings of a poisoned pen.

Again .. is this a place where people are free to discuss things and express their opinons, or is it a place where you have to be a "yes-man" to participate. Why is someone expressing a different point of view accused of "negative energy"?

Would any of you who jumped at this opportunity do the same if it was some random client who emailed you and said "I'll pay for your cruise if you'll shoot my wedding"? Or would this thread have been about how stupid and selfish and dumb some clients are ... with the associated advice to "run away" and "drop them like a hot rock" because they don't value your time or your skill - like other posts I've seen here on similar subjects?

karen

Karen,

You basically came on and slammed someone for making an offer to other photographers. But now you're the victim??? Yes, you have the right to have an opinion, but I reserve the right to accuse you of farting on the dance floor, as I so viciously stated.

Jennifer clearly stated the terms of the deal and it really does seem pretty harmless. So, what are you trying to accomplish? Are we allowed to ask for anything on here without a lecture from some bored curmudgeon? Do you want to put an end to offering services in trade?

Nah, I think you knew you would get a response and I foolishly took the bait. Welcome to the ignore list.

I'm open to any offers if you're open to my counter-offer

I am seldom offended.

Davina, you're wise beyond your years...