There are so many details to keep track of when planning a wedding, we can bet that the question of whether or not you’re feeding your vendors isn’t at the top of the list. However, this is an important question to answer before the big day so that you and the vendors present at your reception have a plan for where their next meal will be coming from!
Why Choose a Vendor Meal?
Why would you opt to feed your vendor at your reception? After all, they’re paid to be there, it’s not like they’re a guest! That’s a great question, but an important thing to consider is that several of your vendors will be at your celebration for hours on end without a chance to step away and enjoy dinner. If you’ve contracted your photographer for a full day of shooting, he or she has virtually no downtime to sneak away and grab a bite. It’s important to consider these factors and to be considerate of your vendors who are doing their best to deliver your dream wedding.
Read the Fine Print
Frankly, you should also double-check your contract. Many photographers and videographers have built this into their contracts in order to avoid their rumbling stomachs picking up on your wedding day highlight. If you’ve signed a contract where a meal is required, you’ll need to uphold your end of the deal. However, that doesn’t always mean you have to provide a sirloin steak or rack of lamb!
The Lunch Option
Many hotels and wedding venues offer a vendor meal option, most often a boxed lunch or sandwich that will cost you remarkably less than what you’re feeding your guests. If you’re having a plated meal, we suggest you ask your venue about the vendor meal option or see if you can have something easy brought in for them to snack on behind the scenes. If you’re serving a buffet, we suggest you let your vendors go through. Most venues make a little extra to accommodate everyone, and some guests from your original headcount may not have shown up, anyway!
Don’t Miss a Moment
When faced with the choice of whether or not to feed your vendors, we have one last piece of advice. It is A-OK to elect not to feed vendors because of costs. However, that means your vendors at your reception who are there for long periods (a photographer, a coordinator or even musicians) will at some point have to go in search of food. If this takes them off-site, they could miss a touching moment or in the case of a coordinator, averting a wedding day disaster! For this reason, if you can find the room in your budget, we always recommend you invest in meals to keep your vendors on-site, happy, and ready for the next big moment on your wedding day!