This is going to be a fun assignment. 
A little background, I have an ex-associate who owes me a couple of grand, who after making a few payments has forgotten I even exist, nor the phone number to return my calls to. Now I understand what happened to him, but just because one has landed on hard times doesn’t negate the responsibility to at least try to make things correct, but that a different story not related to this.
Anyhow I get a call from his daughter (she found my number) and long story made short her parents cannot afford to hire a photographer for her wedding next spring and she wanted to know if I could cover the wedding and she and her husband would pay for my services, in payments.
I spoke with her soon to be husband and he went into quite a detail about having a job and being able to make payments, on-time (his words), so I agreed.
Well Monday night we sat down and discussed their expectations and my price to meet those expectations and the soon to be groom after hearing the price looked a little pale, as did his soon to be bride.
Looking across the desk I could see they where trying to come up with a polite way of backing out and moving on to plan B when I commented, look at this time in your life, just starting out, you really do not need to be owing that kind of money, I know when I was your age I wouldn’t have wanted to, so here’s the deal, we will call it a wedding present from my wife and I to you.
She looked back at me and asked so how much will we have to pay then, I replied nothing, I will do the work and processing as a gift, is that ok.
After the tears where dried an agreement was signed and having one less burden upon them, we parted company.
This morning I get a call from her mom (she found my number) and her question was, WTF are you up to Wayne, are you so low as to use my daughters wedding to get back at us?
The conversation ended with me commenting, look honey I am giving the kid an opportunity to have the memories she deserves without going into debt, if that doesn’t work for you hire another photographer.
She hung up on me.
Go figure…
Wayne
I can totally understand what your mindstate is...honestly, it's something I would do. You just can't help that the parents are probably feeling terribly guilty and thinking that this is an undeserved blessing. "Honey, people don't really do these things, do they?". People do. If you can afford it, you're doing the right thing.
