Is it proper etiquette to invite vendors?

I don't think you need to send an invitation to your vendors, since your business contract with them establishes when they should be where. An invite, IMO, is for guests, not people your employing.

As far as food, I think you should feed the vendors that will be there all day (like photographers, video, dj, etc), but that is usually an established "vendor meal", not just your vendors feeling free to browse the apps and buffet at their leisure.

It is custom to provide them with dinner (the ones working through the reception anyway). I've heard through the grapevine that some venues will include it- but not all of them do (understandably so). But yes- how else are they going to be on peak performance? Frankly I want them all lively and with it so I will spring for it if I have to lol

Yeah, any vendors that are staying (photographer, DJ, etc.) should get a meal, but not an invitation. At our wedding, our vendors just ate the same food as everyone else (brunch buffet), at another wedding the vendors got burgers and fries.

Like Amy said, check your contracts -- you probably have to feed some of your vendors. You don't want them passing out from hunger during your wedding, right? Or leaving to go get food? Exactly.

Agree with what the other ladies said. If the officiant is someone you know (like you pastor at the church you attend each week) it is nice to extend an invite to them to attend the reception as well I think. We have planned in meals for our DJ, photographer, videographer, and officiant.

I don't want the person who is supposed to make me look good in the one thing I'll have remaining after the wedding - my photographer / pictures to be working on an empty stomach.

Yes, I'm paying for them to eat. I'm also paying for our band to eat (5). I think it makes the couple look tacky when the "staff" pulls out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Really, you can't pony up a few extra bucks for the people who are working to make your day fabulous for you and your guests?

Agreed with @Paris. We're paying for our photographer, her assistant, and the DJ to have dinner, and they get the same food as everyone else. Generosity is important to us, and we want our vendors to have a good time and stay nourished so they can do their best!

Our photographer flat out told us that we need to have a spot at a table for him to eat dinner.

They are working for you and providing you with a service for hours. Eating for 5 mins isn't that big of a deal? You wouldn't want to work out eating would you?

We fed our photographer and our dj, in our contracts it asked if we would be providing a meal and if you don't then they will have to leave to grab a bite to eat, do you really want your dj to have to leave? Thatswhen something would malfuntion with the equipment lol

As photographers, when we will be shooting for over 5 hours strait, we stipulate in our contracts that food be provided for us. Some nourishment is a necessity for those vendors working throughout the event. Note that some venues offer 'vendors plates' - ranging from boxed snacks to full meals at discounted rates, but usually they are not advertised! Like most vendors, we're appreciative at whatever food is provided to us. We can seldom catch more than a bite or two before taking another photo anyway. No vendor should ever drink alchohol at any time while they are working, so you should never have to include vendors into a headcount for an open bar. Most venues will allow free soft drinks to vendors with an open bar regardless.

Photographer and DJ must be fed! As for the others its kind of a toss up and depends on your specific situation....

I think feeding your vendors is just one of the many ways to ensure quality... they may work for you but if that's how you see them then they're going to give you cookie cutter basic quality. If you treat them well theyre far more likely to invest into your wedding a little more effort.... that and these are people too, dont think that because you pay them you're better then them.

I think its a nice gesture but it depends on your priorities I guess.... But I will say this, I made sure when I went up to New York to help my fiance move back here I made sure the movers had food and gatorade everyday and nothing got broke or "lost" which is unheard of in a military move lol... Treating people with respect is well worth a few extra bucks for an additional plate of food or two...

Our photographer is in the contract to be fed. I think it was "suggested" we feed our DJ, which we will. We are also including our florist, but that's because she is a friend and she's doing our flowers for wholesale cost with no labor charge. Our officiant is a good friend too. But hair/MUA, I don't think you need to include them. Also, I don't think you need to send an invitation either.

It is in our contract with the photographer to feed her and her asistant. They will get the same food as everyone else, as our reception venue did not offer discounted plates for vendors. I asked my DJ and he said no, that he eats before he gets there, then jokes that you don't really want an MC talking with a mouthful of food. My BIL is our videographer (does it for a living), so he is a guest, anyway. No other vendors are being provided meals.

I think it is a must to provide food for your vendors that will be there the whole time! I don't think you need to feed people who are there for set up; florist, hair & makeup, etc but the ones staying the whole night are a definite must!

First of all, this is my own point of view and each vendor sees this topic differently.

As a photographer I usually spend the entire day shooting so by the time I get to the reception I'm starving. I always appreciate it when the couple has made arrangements for me to eat. However, the only time I get to sit down and eat (really quickly) is when it's a served dinner and there is nothing else happening. If you are planning to have your first dances or other events happening while your guests are having dinner I will be there taking pictures of that. If there is a buffet line some of the best interactions from the guests and wedding party is when they are waiting for their table to be called in or after they have eaten their meals and are talking with each other. I always carry protein bars with me when I only have 30 seconds to sneak away and eat it where nobody sees that. I am being paid to document the wedding day and I don't want to miss any shots because I was away eating.

That being said, if it's a wedding where the bride has hired two photographers we do alternate times to eat. However, I don't like to eat where the guests are. Many venues have separate locations for vendors to eat and I prefer to be tucked away from sight.

You don't need to invite your vendors and it's definitely understandable that you don't want them to be eating with your guests. However, some of your vendors will be there more than 6 hours. 10-12 hours is the norm for us. Would you prefer that your vendors take a 1/2 hour lunch in the middle of your reception so you don't have to feed them?

Most venues offer a reduced "vendor meal" and vendors (photographers, coordinators, DJ's, etc.), are happy to accept this. Sometimes the meal is offered outside the reception hall. Sometimes you offer a table in the back.

Check your vendor contracts. Some of them stipulate that they need to be fed. We do. It's written into our contract. No, we're not there to party. And we tend to inhale our food rather quickly to keep things moving. But we do get hungry after 4-5 hours, and we don't have the luxury to take a dinner break in the middle of your reception.

Good luck with your decision.

I will be providing food for my two photobooth people, the photographer, and the DJ. It's part of their contracts. But they won't get an invitation.

The officiant will, because she is FH's cousin.