Vendor meals

I would include a meal for those who will be at the reception. Maybe don't include as large of a tip if you decide to provide a meal too.

As a vendor - I can tell you it is always appreciated if we do get a meal. However I would only consider it absolute necessity for those vendors working longer than 5 hours if it isn't specified.

Hope this helps!

I couldn't imagine not feeding them. They're there during dinner. I don't want my photographer walking around taking pics of people eating, i want her to eat. I don't want my dj entertaining while we're eating, just put a few quiet dinner songs on back to back and eat.

It's always appreciated when I'm asked. It's nice when working 5 or more hours.

We fed all of our vendors, whether they specified it in the contract or not. I think they appreciated it and seemed to enjoy the chance to mingle a little bit with the guests.

There are also different options for vendor meals. You don't have to feed everyone filet or whatever your guests are having. They recommend feeding vendors who work all day... and of course Dj. I am not feeding my photo booth attendants. It is 3 hours of work and 3 ppl

Thank you everyone! This was very helpful!

I would ask. It didn't say anything in my contract for the dj or videographer. I just came out and said obviously I haven't done this before and what are they normally used to.

As a vendor I tell all my brides that I never eat on the job. 4 hours isnt that long, I honestly never understood why vendors feel like they HAVE to eat (other than the photographer who is there literally all day) feels like a way to get free food. Anyway, maybe ask do you guys eat while you work?

I actually asked my caterer if I needed to include the vendors in my count, she said no, there will be more than enough food for them (we aren't having plated meals).

I would absolutely ask.

My friend is a Wedding Photographer and he always tells horror stories of couples who dont even ask him if he needs to eat & he's shooting with them for sometimes 12 hours! He always carries snack bars but says that his favorite couples are the ones that recognize that he's a person too!

My venue offers 2 options for vendor meals: 1/2 price meal option and also a free pasta bar & pass Hors d'oeuvres.

We asked all of our vendors if they are okay with the free option while on our 1st visits and while most (DJ & MC especially) said food wasn't necessary they also appreciated that we asked and thought of them.

It is not just the 4 hours that the photobooth will be in operation. Add on the time for set-up and take-down and you're probably talking 5-6 hours and then travel time, too.

Some venues provide vendor meals at a discounted price -- because they would not be drinking alcohol.

I'd ask. For people like me (and MUA, hair, etc) who leave after an hour or so, it's not necessary. But for people who are there all day, it's a necessity and a nicety.

Some of my vendors don't require meals but my venue says I must feed all vendors. It's in my venues contract. The good thing is it's half off so i'll be paying $50 each instead of $100 each

Think about it, were always saying that if we have weddings during a dinner time we need to feed our guests. I know that these are vendors and not guests, but they are there at the "meal time" and can't leave to get meals. Also, saying "well they can eat before they get here" is rude since likely by the time the reception is over and they pack up an leave, if you count time to pack up and travel time it will have been hours since they last ate. They are humans, feed them. That being said, I've never seen photobooth attendant be served meals.

Kimberly nailed it.

I'm providing meals for my photographer, his assistant, and my ceremony/drinks reception musicians (string trio). The musicians are driving 2.5 hours from their home base, so it'll be a long day for them. My coordinator is actually the GM of the venue, so I'm sure he'll have a meal at some point during the day. I did buy him a thank-you gift. I wanted to get him something uniquely Canadian, as a token of my gratitude for all the work he's done for me (and for putting up with my millions of questions over the last year+) I got him a scarf from The Hudson Bay Company. I hope it's appropriate.

Celia has it right. As an MC/DJ I don't expect a meal. Our videography, there for hours and hours does.

ONE CAVEAT:

it does NOT have to be the same meal provided to your guests, especially if its expensive. A decent lunchbox meal (drink, sandwich, etc.) will do me fine.

Mostly, just ask them, though.

We fed our vendors. We felt that it was the right thing to do.

I'm planning to feed all of my vendors, who are actually only two (photographer and her assistant) but I am also confused about how to feed my caterers! I know the answer is just to talk to them about it, but I'd love to hear how other people handled it. I think there will be four people there with the caterers. Feeding the photographers is a no brainer--we'll be interacting with them all day and we've already establish a friendly rapport with them. Is it rude to give the photographers a seat at a table and give the caterers just a vendor meal? The photographers won't be working during dinner, but the caterers will. I'm confused, but I want to do the polite thing, if I can find out what that is.