Feeding Vendors at Wedding

Not only do guests get hungry at weddings, so do vendors. It is very hard for them to focus on serving you, if their stomach is growling. Feed them. The question arises whom should you feed. The division is lies along professional vendors and workers who are staff.


Profession vendors always include the DJ, the band, the photographer, and the videotographer. These vendors should be a meal provided by the caterer or the reception hall. The meal may be the same dish served to your guests, or a special meal can be prepared that is less formal and at a lesser cost.


Complimentary drinks should be served to all professional vendors. These drinks though should be non-alcoholic. At no time should a vender be drinking alcohol while working. If any vendor contract requests the alcoholic beverages to be served, then the vendor is not a professional and should not be hired.


Staff provided by the reception hall and by the caterer shall be provided a meal at your expense. Meals are only reserved for Vendors that are independent contractors, not workers who are provided either by the hall, caterer, or agency. Instead of meal, these workers are compensated by a gratuity that a DJ or photographer would not receive.


Sometimes there are gray areas. If the Bartender is hired independently and is not provided by the caterer or the hall, you should provide him or her with a vendor meal. Vendors who might only work the cocktail hour, i.e. a pianist, shall only be served non-alcoholic drinks and no meal is required.


Not only will vendors be provided a meal, they need to know where they can eat the meal. It depends on the number and the relationship you have with your vendors. At my own wedding, the photographer was a co-worker of my mother-in-law. I felt uncomfortable putting him out back in the kitchen, since he was a personal friend of the bridal party. The problem was I only had one other vendor, who was the DJ. I sat them both together at a table of guests. This should be considered an exception though.


In most cases the relationship between the vendor and the wedding is strictly professional. There is no obligation to sit vendors with the rest of the guests. The best option is to discuss where to seat them with the reception hall coordinator. If a reception is outside, provide a table off to the side for your vendors and notify them where their proper places are.