Food for vendors?

Mom told me to count on feeding all the vendors so that’s what I’m doing lol.

Yes, you're supposed to offer (and pay for) meals for your vendors. Most vendors require it in their contracts, and it would be rude to expect them to be there for 6-8 hours without providing a meal. All vendors that work the entire wedding need to be offered a meal. So that includes your photographer, DJ, photobooth attendant, and if you hired an outside DOC, they get a meal too.

Just because your photobooth isn't open until after dinner, doesn't mean the attendant isn't arriving a couple hours early to set up. I'm in a wedding band and we always arrive a couple hours before the guests to set up, because it's unprofessional to have guests see us doing all that. We also require meals in our contract, as did all the vendors for our own wedding. I'm reasonably certain your photobooth works the same way. It's a huge distraction to have a vendor loading in and setting up equipment while you're trying to go through your formalities or while people are eating dinner. So again, because these vendors are there for a full work day, they need to be fed.

ETA but speak to your venue or caterer about vendor meals, they're usually much cheaper than the cost of a guest's plate, because they don't partake in the cocktail hour food or the bar, they're only getting the entree. For example, my vendors were $55 a plate, my guests were $150 a plate.

It's expected that you feed vendors who will be there during dinner. For example, our photographers and DJ worked during the event, so we provided them with a meal. They took their dinner break while our guests were eating dinner (who wants pictures of people chewing, anyway?), but the florists came by hours before the wedding even started to decorate the ceremony area and drop off centerpieces, bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres. They obviously were done with the job well before dinner rolled, as they were gone hours before the ceremony even started.

Talk to your caterer about the options for vendor meals. They are usually a significantly lower price than guest meals.

I'm guessing that if your photo booth is starting immediately following dinner, the photo booth guy needs to arrive before your reception begins so he's not doing setup while guests are in the reception area.

View Quoted Comment

Thanks for the tip about vendor meals! My price includes alcohol and obviously they aren't indulging in that part...well they better not be!

View Quoted Comment Right. Our venue actually had a couple options for vendor meals. There was a basic option, which I believe was a sandwich plate, or we could opt to provide vendors with the same entreés our guests were having at a significant duscount from the pp for guests, mainly because they wouldn't be drinking all night at the bar. Since we had three entreés to choose from, I just emailed the vendors to ask if they would prefer the beef, fish, or vegetarian entreé. Vendor meal choices needed to be noted separately from our guest entreé count so the venue charged us appropriately and so the venue served those meals to the right spot (vendors were eating in the room next to the main reception area).

You absolutely need to feed your vendors. How would you feel if you worked a full day without a break to eat something?

View Quoted Comment No need to be rude. I was wondering why there was an option to say no. And i was mostly asking about the photo booth person who is only going to be there for a couple of hours after dinner was over.

View Quoted Comment

But it's not only a couple hours, like I said in my previous comment, they are most likely getting there well before your guests arrive, so they can set up then and not have to interfere with your wedding.

View Quoted Comment

I apologize if my comment came off as rude. However, it doesn't really appear that there is an option for a no there. Just because your photobooth person is going to be there a few hours after dinner does not mean that they should not get a meal. As others have stated, they will most likely be there a few hours before the reception actually starts for set up. So they will be working a full day so therefore they should be fed. A lot of vendors have it in their contract that either you provide the food for them or they have the right to leave to get something to eat. You should consult your contracts with them as well as speak with your caterer to find out about vendor meals.

Feed them and feed them the same thing you are feeding your guests, not the sandwich plate.

I already talked to my venue. They don't offer anything different anyway but said they will waive the liquor part of it.

View Quoted Comment

Sorry, it was just that everyone seemed to think I should have known the answer to this...but obviously if I was asking I didn't. Both contracts had a place to choose yes or no so I assumed I was supposed to, and was planning on it for the DJ (My aunt is my photographer so obviously she gets a plate), but I was beginning to research photo booths and the one had the same question on their contract but said it only took 10 to 15 minutes for set up.

We are feeding all vendors including servers. I'm actually having to insist my DOC eats as she says she usually doesn't.

A number of venues will give you a discount on vendor meals. If you have a package that includes alcohol, they can add on the vendor meals without the booz and usually at a reduced rate for their service. At my venue it is only $15 for vendor meals vs. $75 for traditional head count.
Absolutely ask the venue that you are using.

If it isn’t in their contact then treat it like a normal employee- if they’re there over 5 hours then they get a 30 minute meal break. And in this case you need to provide the meal. Your caterer will usually either cut the price or vendor meals or just waive them through after your guests have eaten. Make sure your photographer, videographer & possibly dj eat when the first guests do so they’ll be finished by the time you’re ready to move on to other activities.