Couple wants free wedding in exchange for appearing on Instagram feed

If you work in a creative industry, chances are good that at some point in your career you’ve been asked to work for free.

Of course, whoever is trying to make you do that work won’t admit that you’ll be doing it for nothing. They’ll happily explain that you’ll be getting something much better than money, like “experience,” or “exposure.”

Now, one crafty couple has decided to take this approach and use it get themselves a free wedding.

The Chicago couple in question placed an ad on their city’s Craigslist site requesting, “Wedding Sponsorship” in exchange for “Free Advertisement” on their Instagram account, reports SLR Lounge.

“The soon-to-be-bride and groom will be accepting event service sponsors for their upcoming engagement party (June 2016), wedding/bridal shower (Spring 2017), wedding (Jule 2017) & honeymoon!” the couple joyfully announces.

They go on to explain their sneaky arrangement:

“In exchange for your service, I am offering you free publicity. Though I do not work in a marketing industry, I have a very large social media following count of 17.6K on Instagram. Which by the time the engagement gets here the following count would probably be well in 30K, possibly more.”

The poster goes on to point out that it’s going to be a really big wedding (maybe 400 people!) and that the couple is very young, so, you know, lots of exposure to lots of yet to be wed youths.

The ad then lists all the services they would like to receive for free — oh, rather for “free publicity.”

In exchange for some Instagram posts, they’d like to receive: “Beauty Services, Wedding attire for the Bride, Groom and Wedding Party, Invitations & Stationary, Videography, Photography, Decor, Catering, Favors, Centrepieces, Wedding Cake, Honeymoon Accommodation, and Limousine/Transportation Rental.”

A day after the post appeared, an angry response was posted on Craigslist titled, “Wedding Sponsorship - Solutions for a Cheap Couple.”

“It is highly offensive to think, much less ask, for people to provide you with goods and services for free,” writes the poster. “Do you actually think you are special or any different than any other couple because you have followers on Instagram? Your wedding is NOT a marketing opportunity. Sorry not sorry to burst your ridiculous bubble.”

Thankfully the original post has been deleted, after being flagged by other incensed readers. Looks like instead of “free publicity” this couple is going to have to pay for their wedding just like everyone else — with lots and lots of money.