Vendors requiring to be included in catering head count! Am i unreasonable?

Don't sign their contracts-- if it's spelled out in their contracts that this is what they expect, your options are to not sign the contract and find different vendors, sign the contracts and bite the bullet or say, "I really don't want to feed you what all the other human beings at the gathering will be eating". I just can't imagine how that could possibly come across as not rude, although I sympathize at $150/head!

My contract all only state that I provide them a meal, it does not say it has to be the same. That being said my caterer is awesome and at our final meeting said they would include all the vendor meals free of charge! Seriously in love with them right now !

As to your situation it doesn't sound like there is much of a choice if you have already signed the contract :/

I'd discuss this with the vendors and get clarification. They likely just want to make sure they'll have food available for them. Perhaps they've been in a situation where in the midst of everything going on, the vendor food was forgotten.

It's one thing to ask to be fed, another to DEMAND to be fed what the guests are eating. Even though my vendors are welcomed to the food we're eating (and we're at $195/pp right now), I would be annoyed if they demanded it.

I would clarify with them.

I posted a question about this a while back ago and got chewed out, with many posters asking me if I would work 4-6 hours w/out a meal??!! UM yeahhh ... I don't expect my bosses who hire me to pay for my lunch! Furthermore, I have worked in the entertainment industries and food service, working parties, functions, and banquets and nobody fed me, I was lucky to be offered a half price meal by some of my employers, and if ever it was a rarity. I don't think it is unreasonable of you to feel that way. When I asked the question if this was the norm just about everyone on here said yes it is and it is even written into contracts ... soon after I received my dj's contract and sure enough there was no mention of a requirement for me to pay for his meal. With that said, I suppose it is nice to offer them food. I have recently seen options for getting your vendors sandwiches instead of the full course meal you will be providing your guests. And of course I agree that they need a break. And doesn't anybody prepare for a job anymore? If I don't have time to eat breakfast before work, I'm shit out of luck, nobody is going to feed me. My employer isn't going to feed me, that is all on me. These vendors should eat before they are going to the job they are hired for. Hmph! Sorry, touchy subject, lol. But, no I don't think you are being unreasonable at all!! Again, do we expect our employers to buy us a free lunch because we are working for them? I can't see it. See if your caterer can offer a different, lighter food option for your vendors, less costly, than the food you will be giving your guests.

I am with you, Rhonda. It is not in a single one of my vendors contracts, either. I AM feeding my vendors and included them in the final count...but we are having a buffet style meal, and not this preposterous $150+ per person stuff!! WHAT?! I am in sticker shock for you all! LOL I am curious as to what this includes....lobster, champagne, steaks, caviar, open bar...??? LOL

@Kat my price includes a lot. It's not just food we're paying for, but great service and quality. Actually I think we're getting a deal. We're not in a traditional venue. We're having a tent wedding.

Anyway our price includes: 12-15 app choices, 4 entree options, open bar, dessert spread, coffee bar, china, specialty linens. And we just added a non-alcohol beverage station of sweet tea and cherry limeade! We're doing a full service sit down meal.

My photographer asked to eat at the same time as the guests. I put them at a table so they could see what was happening in case they needed to get a shot. I thought that was reasonable. All my vendors ate the same food. I think it's just as easy to feed them what's already being prepared. I don't think I paid the same amount since most of the vendors didn't need a table setting.

Instead of just being mad about it, why not just ask them why they need that. You might find with the shorter time period that they feel they need more opportunity to provide you with every possible shot.

@Kat good to read that my contracts are not the only one's without a demand to provide them a meal! As for what I am paying, (includes 5 passed apps for cocktail hour, salad, choice of beef, chicken or fish, sides, bread & butter, coffee and tea service with dipped fruits, all (basic) linens, china, glassware, and utensils, and service) $11,000 for 125 ppl. Our caterer offers 1/2 price for the vendors (but again, it is not required in their contracts that we provide them with a meal, and I read those things with a fine tooth comb after hearing on here that it is almost always required). We will be giving them a meal (at 1/2 price thanks to our caterer) because we think it is nice to do, not because we have to. They are already costing us a fortune for their service (djs, photographers, etc... paying enough already!)

Like the others have stated, my vendors do state in their contracts that I am required to provide a meal. My venue offers a vendor option at a fraction of the price because obviously they won't be partaking in the open bar or cocktail hour. They are also preparing a different meal for the vendors. I would take it up with your caterer because it seems silly that they don't offer a vendor option. I would have thought it was standard. Just for a point of reference, we are paying $160/head per wedding guest and $30/head for the vendors.

I'm feeding my vendors. The biggest reason is that the venue really is in the middle of nowhere and all of my vendors are coming from out of town to be there. Logistically, it would be difficult for them to come up with their own food options. The only one's I'm feeding are the one's who are staying through the reception (two dj's, video guy, two photogs). Is it ideal at 90/pp? No, but it's only fair.

This has appeared in almost all of my vendor contracts as well (though not being included in the head count). I am actually paying $165 a plate, but this includes alcohol (which the vendors don't drink), service (which they won't need), etc. The catering companies I was looking into (and my planner) has told me this is standard practice and a vendor meal is pretty much the same meal as the guests....just without service and alcohol. My vendor meals are less than half the cost of the pp cost for guests. I have no problem with it myself.

Nevermind, I got confused.

You could try explaining to him that you are already providing a separate meal for your DJ and were planning on providing that same options to ALL vendors..?? Worth a shot. If they refuse, then you cough up the money or find another vendor.

And I thought you were supposed to include the vendors in the caterer's head count anyways

My vendors have this clause, too. The reason they have to do it is b/c many venues/caterers provide cheap nasty sandwiches as their vendor meal. Also, know that it is in your best interest for them to be fed at the same time as guests-- this is the time when they are least likely to be needed or to miss a good photo opportunity.

If you are already spending thousands of dollars on them, why not invest an extra $150? Please don't go to them, tell them you don't want to buy them a meal, and then expect them to do a good job for you-- you will only come off as an ass.

I have the same issue. None of my required to be in the catering head count, but the caterer doesn't allow outside food and they also don't have cheaper meals for vendors, so I'm completely stuck with giving them the same food as my guests. I don't mind the photographers so much because they are on duty for 12 hours, which is a REALLY long time, but I"m annoyed with the videographer, because he even has a break during the ceremony and reception and is hired for around 6 hours (but with a 3 hour break inbetween). He's definitely not getting a tip unless he somehow blows my mind. Sorry. Not sorry.

Rhonda, the OP doesn't have a problem feeding her vendors A meal (which she shouldn't, since it's the right thing to do); she has an issue with the contract specifying that it must be the SAME meal as guests are fed. You are missing the point of her post. It's not a debate about whether vendors should be fed at all.

OP, I have never seen a vendor contract that specifies the type of meal required, just that some form of meal is required. We DID feed our vendors the same meal as guests, but it was a limited version. They received only 2 of the 4 courses (starter and main), they did not get the pasta course or the dessert options / sweet table. They also did not get the open bar, of course or other extras included in the guest price.

As such, the price was not as high as the per person guest cost. Our venue broke out their food plates as single items and believe it was around $75 per vendor. I would talk to your venue / caterer about a reduced cost for vendors. Vendors should not cost the same as guests.

Honestly, it's odd for a catering venue to not offer a vendor meal at a discounted rate. Really odd. Everybody and every venue that we looked at had one.

That said, this is pretty simple. It is ridiculous to pay $175 per head for a vendor (and that's not what they're expecting, btw). You can either negotiate this (I'm guessing that most vendors would be amenable to some work around). But you need to get balanced in your head about whether you're willing to just let the vendor go or not if they won't budge. Honestly, I would not add another $175 per vendor per meal.

It's probably good advice for future brides looking at vendors right now to keep in mind that you should be sure to find one with a vendor meal option!

Ps - I don't think that they mean "included in the catering headcount" to mean included as a full guest. Most caterers who offer a vendor meal include that as a line item in their head count. So it looks like:

salad count

entree count

child's meal count

full bar count

vendor meal count

etc.

@Erin and they are getting paid for that hard work...??? I put in 10 and 11 hour days sometimes 12 for weeks at a time, 5 days a week. My team orders food or we bring our own when we know it's going to be a long day. We're grown.

I think the majority, if not all, have no problem making sure their vendors are fed, I guess it's how they request it, that rubs people the wrong way. Frankly, I'm still baffled at being contracted to, but whatever. They're going to be fed anyway, so it doesn't matter. I believe it's more of a convenience for vendors, rather than a need. It's easier to just be provided a meal, than to prepare their own and bring it.