do you think this is tacky

[darkangel090260]

we are having very small wedding and the one thing i really would like to have is photographer whoever it a littel out of out buget. Our wedding is 95% family do you think it would be tacky to ask in stead of gifts if the could donated to the photographer fund i mean i dont care if it only .25 anything would help. Our family know about our finacal problems and were our money is going to right now and the reason we can save anything.

[AngelinLove]

I think that this might be difficult to pull of without offending anyone...but that also depends on your family. Joel and I really only want money for our wedding, so that we can use it towards our honeymoon, but we registered anyways, because we didn't feel right just asking or requesting money. Anyways good luck!!!

[darkangel090260]

in my family we normaly give money and Ross mom said she was fine with the ideal because we already have the gift she would normaly give us. Ross got it years ago.. i was just wounding what other thought. because the site i found offers packages from 499-1999 and i was thinking eather the 899 or 1199 area because it gives us the time we would like and quite a few prints.
we were going to have Ross father do the photos but he passed away our wedding buget was really cut due to having our daughter and some legal problems that followed

[LaceyinPgh]

Well I don't know about asking your guests to all chip in for the photographer. You really aren't supposed to ask your guests for anything or mention anything about gifts to them. But maybe ask some people close to you like your parents and siblings if they would be all right giving you money for a photographer. That might not get you the primo package but it would still get you some nice shots and time covered.

[brewsells]

I know that most think it is tacky. But I am having a money tree at my reception. I did include this on my invitations. I talked to some family and friends and they did not think it would offend anyone. However, it may be the best idea to spread the word by mouth, that you need money toward the photographer.

[darkangel090260]

ya we were just going to tell our mom 's that what we wonted and let the family grapevine do its work.

[cowboysbride]

I agree about word of mouth, asking straight out would be taboo (JMO)

Also...a good friend of mine had a "money dance" at her reception...anyone that wanted to dance with the bride or the groom following the "first dances" would walk up and give them the money and they would dance until the next person cut in, this went on for about two songs because we were all having such fun...

The bad thing about photographers is they stick it to you for the weddings. Ours is very pricey but she is a family friend and did his sisters wedding so we got a little bit of a break there.

Good luck sweetie!

[CindySue]

Ok....the money tree and the money dance are good ways to raise a little cash at your wedding, but dont most photographers require a hefty deposit before the even get started? Plus a contract? What if you set up for a certain package and the you dont even come close to earning that amount, will the photographer be left out in the cold, or do you have another plan to get him paid? Just wondering.
Good Luck!!!

[darkangel090260]

we were thinking about using some of the saving we have for the kids and then what ever we got from guest replaces it. If we fell short paying there account back we would try and double our deposits untill it all back

[WhiskeyGirl]

we were thinking about using some of the saving we have for the kids and then what ever we got from guest replaces it. If we fell short paying there account back we would try and double our deposits untill it all back

In my honest opinion, I don't think it's right even if you think you are replacing the money to take from your children's account. As far as asking for money, that's a tacky thing to do IMO. However if you decide to go about doing this, word of mouth is the best. Good luck, hope you can come up with some money for photography.

[darkangel090260]

the account was my small trust my mom set up for me however when i had my daughter i changed it to her name

[Kacie_bride]

we were thinking about using some of the saving we have for the kids and then what ever we got from guest replaces it. If we fell short paying there account back we would try and double our deposits untill it all back

I don't think it is right take from the kid's savings account either. I think the best thing you could do is spread word of mouth that you could really use money for the photographer. Money dances and money trees are great, but like someone else said, photographers want deposits. Our deposit was over half of the total package price. Perhaps try to find a photographer who is good, but is an amatuer photographer. That is what mine is and we are have her from 2 hours before the wedding until we leave for the night for $600 plus the price of prints. She is giving us a cd with the pictures with copyrights and we are able to print what we want when we want..

[darkangel090260]

ok i figured out a way with out going in to the kids saving or having to cut buget anymore . I am just going to call my dad and get the visa that i have that part of his account.

[Twigler]

I don't think it is right take from the kid's savings account either. I think the best thing you could do is spread word of mouth that you could really use money for the photographer. Money dances and money trees are great, but like someone else said, photographers want deposits. Our deposit was over half of the total package price. Perhaps try to find a photographer who is good, but is an amatuer photographer. That is what mine is and we are have her from 2 hours before the wedding until we leave for the night for $600 plus the price of prints. She is giving us a cd with the pictures with copyrights and we are able to print what we want when we want..


I agree with the "Amatuer" thing. Look in your local phone book for the names of people who are photographers, but just do the picture thing on the side. I have heard of a photographer who charged as low as 300, and he did really good with his pictures. Ask around and try to see if anyone has a friend or knows of a good photographer. Just because they are taking pictures on the side doesn't mean that they are bad. Just be careful and look at some of their portfolio examples.

And about the deposit thing, our photographer is only charging 25%...which isn't horrible. Good luck!

[hummingbird521]

I do not think that a money tree or even asking for money is tacky. Do you and your fiance attend church and have a pastor? if so pass it on to the pastor or church members that you quite honestly have everything you need but would appreciate most of all help with paying the photographer. When we married a few weeks ago we went through the same delima. We were both married before and had more than enough. when asked what we needed (and lots will ask you this) just be honest about it. our vacum cleaner had torn up about 2 weeks or more previous to marriage. So when asked what we needed we responded by telling them about the vacum and how if we had the money towards the purchase of a new one it would be most appreciated. everyone understood this and all were happy about our being honest. they all said they had rather give something that was needed versus something that would be returned. we received more than enough and when i wrote the thank you cards i told each and every one of them "thank you for the wonderful gift, it went towards the purchase of a new vacum as well as going out to eat chinese food". i then explained to them that our first date was out for chinese and we went back there to eat. i had several people come up to me and tell us that they had received the card and were quite pleased to know that their gift actually meant something to us. we also had told the pastor and members of the church at the wedding rehearsal to please pass this information on for us. at which time the pastor told us she would be happy to do so, that many people had came to her asking for ideas.

we are also from the south and a lot of weddings down here have a money tree at them. or at the showers as well. no offense is taken by this. i personally had rather give a gift of money and let the persons receiving it spend as they wish too.

[usahgrad]

My photographer had a way where we could register there (like registering with your travel agent) and then people pay directly to the photographer instead of handing you money. If you could set that up via word of mouth (definitely can't ask for it straight out), I think that might be something to look into. We were really tight budgeted too and I actually cut some other things back in my budget so that we could get the photographer I wanted...maybe that's a possibility? I figured what's the point in spending all that money on the dress and decorations and so on and so forth if you're not going to have good pictures to enjoy it in after the fact. Good luck with your decision!

[darkangel090260]

i cant really cut back on much less i have cut everything in 1/4 sinces our daughter was born i mean i am trying to cut coast even more then what we plained but the only thing that will will not be doing our selfs is the photos and heck i just cant see cutting much ells out.

[CindySue]

We also had to cut down on a lot too. We were able to expand our budget when we started the wedding fund. We each took so much $ out of our check each week strictly for the wedding. I know that sounds like a lot, but we really didnt even miss it. We treated it just like a bill, money that had to be taken out. If you were to do something similar, maybe you could use your fund for your photographer.
I know you have a child and things are tight money-wise when you have kids. We have my 4 living with us, his 1 living in Virginia, and we bought a house in November. Money was REAL tight for us too. Somehow we made it work!
Good Luck!

[StaceyMc]

Call a local art or technical school that offers photography and ask one of the administrators if they can reccomend a recent graduate. My sister did that and they did a super job for a super price.

Another suggestion I've heard of is calling your local newspaper and talk to one of the photographers and see if anyone does weddings on the side.

[Kacie_bride]

That is a good idea, Stacey. It does not even have to be a technical or art school. Many universities, such as the one I attend, have a photography department. You know you could even ask for upper level students. The photography department in our school is in the same building as the speech communication department. I am a speech communication minor so I go into that building often. Their work is often displayed on the walls and they can do some amazing shots.

[brewsells]

That is what I am doing for a photographer. My MOH's husband just graduated and he does some awesome shots. Not too bad for free! I bet you could get students for a great rate. Just like you can for cosmotology students.

[Kacie_bride]

Yes I have even heard of people getting collegiate symphony students to do their ceremony music. A friend of my mom told her that they had a quartet of strings come and do ceremony music at a wedding and they didn't charge anything. They had to do a certain number of performances for credit. They just gave them a nice tip.

[darkangel090260]

ya we are trying to put money back but right now we have lawer fees eating us alive. We have a small legal problem that we are trying to handle right now and i will look in to the see what is offerd up in the area were we are having the wedding