Where is everyone sitting their vendors?

I think just seating them at a regular guest table is the way to go. They likely won't be sitting as long as your actual wedding guests, but they do need a place to sit if they want to. Our photographer sat at a table up front with my cousins for about 10-15 minutes while she ate, then resumed picture taking, for example. I feel like this is the norm at most weddings I've attended.

Our venue is a mansion so it has additional rooms where our vendors can escape, take a break, and enjoy their meals in peace. Our caterer also charges extra if vendors are seated with guests ($30 vendor meal vs. $109 guest meal). I've worked in the events industry for a while and personally like having a separate room to take my break.

I sat mine with guests. but that's because it made most sense for me to. i had 260 seats open and my venue was pay by table rather than pay by person so that meant i had open seats available within those 26 tables! and if i didn't seat them in there, i would have had to actually pay for a separate meal for them.

We are doing a mix. Our photographer asked to be seated amongst the guests and within view of our sweetheart table so they could take photos if something happens. He'll also be in view of the bridal party table for speeches and such. We have 4 other vendors (coordinator, assistant, 2 dj's plus any other random venue staff could use it) and I made up a table for them that is amongst our guests, but more in the corner, but I figured it could be their home base to eat and relax when they needed to and keep their stuff.

I personally preferred alternative rooms for dinner when I was a videographer. I always felt I had to be in "service mode" when in front of guests in any capacity, even if I was supposed to be eating, so I wasn't really getting a break like eating dinner should have been. I also always cut my meal short when I was seated among guests, because I worried about the perception that I was sitting around eating instead of working.

If it were any other industry - a restaurant, a store, an office - the employees would go to a separate room to eat. I don't know why people insist on making weddings different.

When a separate space isn't feasible (I absolutely would never say go out of your way to provide a separate space if one isn't readily available/offered by your venue), I don't think it's rude to seat vendors away from guests, whether by the DJ stand or in the back or whatever. Perhaps I am different from other vendors, but when I was working, I was working. I was not a wedding guest. I was dressed in all black, not in guest attire, for a reason. Things wedding guests do would not be acceptable for me to do, such as partaking in the cocktail hour or having wine with dinner, so there was no reason to seat me like a guest. This may be a regional thing, but to me, vendors aren't guests, and so they shouldn't act like it or be treated like it. (That doesn't mean they should be treated like garbage. You can treat vendors with respect and courtesy without treating them like a guest.)

You also could ask your vendors what they prefer. It may be more crucial to the DJ, who might want to be near their equipment, and the photographers can sit with them as their equipment generally goes where they go. Or they all may just say "wherever you put us," in which case, put them wherever is most convenient for you. Maybe your venue has another table option that, when seated away from guests, won't look out of place. At the end of the day, they were paid to be there and perform a service for you. While I preferred separate space, I would never have said anything to a couple about where they seated us, even if asked how I felt after the fact. It is considerate of you to even concern yourself with their comfort on where they are sitting.

My wedding is very small and buffet style and we have extra room in the venue so i am actually giving them an option. i only have 3 vendors and there will be a table set up in a different room so they can put any of there things down and will be able to eat there is they choose as it seats 10 so there should be plenty of room for their equipment (photo and video) and for them to all eat as well if they wish. there will also be a vendor table in the reception area that seats up to 6 so they will have plenty of room to enjoy themselves. they can choose either or both whatever they prefer.