Meals for vendors?

Read your contracts...they probably have it in there. Also, if your vendor will be working for you throughout the dinner/meal hour, you need to feed them. This would include your photographer, videographer, and DJ at a minimum.

Vendor tables - I asked my venue and my vendors what they would prefer. My vendors all preferred to either eat at their station (DJ) or go to a separate area my venue provided for them to eat (photographers). If I had needed to I would've provided seating among my guests. You just need to ask to know for sure.

We're feeding everyone except for our DJ, who has it in his contract that he is NOT to be fed. He says that he is being paid to give us the day of our lives and he's not there to eat. It was weird for me, but I can't force him to eat lol.

It's definitely not in my photog or DJ contracts...Ours will be station-style. I definitely want to feed them, do I make a vendors' table if I only have 3 vendors?

Most vendors have it in their contract that you must provide a meal. I don't have it in my contract as I have allergies, but most couples still offer me a meal.

Thank you everyone...very helpful.

We will be feeding the DJ and his wife (they're a team) and the bartender since he is a volunteer that is only working off tips. The photographer I am unsure of. I have a special package booked with her to only to do pre-ceremony, ceremony and a few post shots, she will not be photographing the reception. The meal is stipulated in her contract, but I think she just gave me the general contract she gives to everyone, not changing it to factor that she won't be working the reception. I'm going to ask her when we meet again, but I'm hoping she says she says no. We also aren't feeding the officiant, I think it would be weird if he stayed since we don't know him.

Yes our photographers made sure to tell us..they are husband and wife and the wife is a vegetarian so we had to make sure we had something for her. It was no big deal b/c we had pasta anyways. I don't think our videographer ever said he needed a meal but we of course gave him one.

I would probably offer food even if it wasn't in the contract. I put myself in their shoes and wouldn't want to be stuck there hungry.

The contract at my venue says that to feed the vendors I have to pay $25.00 per vendor. I never thought about it, but I guess it makes sense to actually feed them too, but its it fair that I pay them for their work and pay for their meal that will cost me $25 per? I don't mean to sound cheap, but at least 3 vendors, it's $75.00 out of my pocket, plus taxes and gratuity. That's not cheap from my pocket....

I don't require it in my contract, but certainly appreciate it if it's offered for my assistant and I! Usually the only vendors that are fed are the photographer and videographer, and DJ. Usually the officiant leaves before then, I would ask ahead of time if they will stay for dinner. It's best to ask ahead of time to get a head count. Thanks for being thoughtful

Yes, Marina. It's fair and it's human......Your photographer and DJ are probably looking at a 8 or more hour day, one they can't leave to go eat.

My XH was a wedding musician and he would occasionally come home after an eight hour shift, starving...because he was fed a cardboard box lunch and the food was so bad, he barely ate. I insisted on budgeting in the food for my vendors. I paid the same amount as I would have per guest, minus the open bar charge. They were all really grateful.

Definitely feed them. Usually venues only charge half price. I just had to ask them what they wanted to eat.

It's on the wedding contract. I don't know if with every vendor is like ours, but we didn't pay full price for them. We asked the photographer/videographer and DJ how many ppl they were bringing for help. On our last meeting with the venue we told them how many vendors were staying and they had a table for them. We even asked them if they would like to have steak, fish or chicken. If you don't wanna ask, the caterer will probably give them steak (that's what we were told).

Only one of my contracts says they should be fed, then he told me he didn't care if we did. If any of my vendors want to eat I want them to feel free to do so.

Only one of my contracts says they should be fed, then he told me he didn't care if we did. If any of my vendors want to eat I want them to feel free to do so.

I actually just looked at my photography contract just now (since she will be there all day long) and it says nothing about this. I do 100% plan to feed her a meal as well as our officiant, etc if they want to eat. It's buffet style so not a big deal.

Marina, I guess that means you are having plated dinners and not buffet style? More often than not my weddings, they tell us to eat (we don't always have time but 6 hour or longer, we usually do) or else it will go to waste. Last one we did of the season it was a delightful plated dinner, we don't see those as often. We love either

Oh, and if you have gummy bears, you'll be loved forever.