Wedding Etiquette Forum

Inviting vendors?

Someone said something to me about sending vendors invitations. We are feeding our vendors vendor meals. My question is, would the invitation imply that they will get the full three-course meal we're serving the other guests?

Also, has anyone served their vendors the full meal? I'm assuming they won't have time to eat three courses, which is why vendor meals exist. Am I wrong?

Re: Inviting vendors?

  • I wouldn't send vendors invitations. They are employees, not guests.
    What did you think would happen if you walked up to a group of internet strangers and told them to get shoehorned by their lady doc?~StageManager14
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  • That's what I thought too. I was just caught off-guard by one of my friends who got married last summer telling me to send them invitations. Thanks for the response!
  • We sent an invitation to our officiant, but not the vendors working the reception. 
  • We did serve our vendors the full 3 course meal but we didn't send them invitations. Our venue didn't offer vendor meals just the full meal. I reached out to each of them a week or so before our final numbers were due to get their meal choices. No one wants to be photographed/on video while eating and our DJ just played some music which he said he could control with his apple watch during dinner so they all ate at the same time as us at a vendor table. I think they ate a bit quicker than our guests but still got to have a nice 30 minute break.
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  • Someone said something to me about sending vendors invitations. We are feeding our vendors vendor meals. My question is, would the invitation imply that they will get the full three-course meal we're serving the other guests?

    Also, has anyone served their vendors the full meal? I'm assuming they won't have time to eat three courses, which is why vendor meals exist. Am I wrong?
    Our vendors had the same meals as we did and just took time between courses to get some photos or check on the music. I think they appreciated the nice meal.
  • I wouldn't send an invitation, I am only sending one to our officiant and his wife. I believe my vendors are getting the full meal but we don't have to pay for alcohol for them (since they are there working). 
  • We also didn't send invitations to vendors and served the same meal. We did tell our venue which were vendor meals because they charge less since they don't partake in open bar. We had escort cards and a table where they all sat together. 
  • The only vendor I would send an invitation to is my officiant (together with his or her SO), and they would get the same meals as everyone else there.

    I don't know if I would serve my vendors the same meals as everyone else - it depends on the terms of their contracts and what the venue offers as "vendor meals."
  • I sent an invitation to our pastor and his wife. He was officiating the wedding but would have been invited regardless.

    We didn't send invitations to any other vendors.

    We did serve them all the same meal we had, but we had BBQ, so it's not like it was $30 a head.

  • We gave our vendors the full meal. Our photographer + assistant sat at regular guest tables for dinner - so I think it would have been kinda mean and a bit like like "look at all this fancy food THAT'S NOT FOR YOU!"

    I, too, didn't send out invites to the vendors, but I asked them which items they preferred to eat.
  • As for vendor meals--we offered our vendors the full meal, but they actually opted for the vendor meal (a burger) since it was faster to eat.  Our reception was at a great restaurant though, so I'm sure the burger was good too.  I wouldn't have served my vendors some crappy meal.

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  • monkeysip said:
    As for vendor meals--we offered our vendors the full meal, but they actually opted for the vendor meal (a burger) since it was faster to eat.  Our reception was at a great restaurant though, so I'm sure the burger was good too.  I wouldn't have served my vendors some crappy meal.
    Gawd, I love burgers!  Aaaaand, now I want a burger.  Thanks.
  • adk19 said:
    monkeysip said:
    As for vendor meals--we offered our vendors the full meal, but they actually opted for the vendor meal (a burger) since it was faster to eat.  Our reception was at a great restaurant though, so I'm sure the burger was good too.  I wouldn't have served my vendors some crappy meal.
    Gawd, I love burgers!  Aaaaand, now I want a burger.  Thanks.
    Right?  Now I'm wishing we'd all had burgers at the reception.  Except I KNOW I would've gotten ketchup and mustard on my dress.

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  • We fed our vendors the same meal as our guests. The dj required this in his contract. Check your contracts to be sure you can serve then vendor meals.

    Some vendor meals are atrocious...cold cuts, bag of chips and a cookie. Take in to account how long your vendors with be with you and that they can't leave to get a decent meal.
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • SP29SP29 member
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    We served full meals to our vendors.

    The number of courses really shouldn't matter. Our DJ ate at his table. The 2 photogs sat at one of our guest tables and snapped some pics between courses. No one wants a photo of someone mid bite of food, so the photos that got taken at this time were our rings, bouquet, pic of the cupcake tier, some of the decor, and a picture of each meal course.

    We did not send invitations. The vendors should already know the date and time anyway from your contract. We asked them via e-mail what they would like as their meal choice.

    We invited our officiant and his wife, but they declined. Besides that we had the DJ and 2 photographers. No other vendors were present at the wedding.
  • No invitations to our vendors - they're hired by me to work, they're not a guest.  They did, of course, get a meal if they were there for a few hours (ie the DJ and photographer)
  • monkeysip said:
    adk19 said:
    monkeysip said:
    As for vendor meals--we offered our vendors the full meal, but they actually opted for the vendor meal (a burger) since it was faster to eat.  Our reception was at a great restaurant though, so I'm sure the burger was good too.  I wouldn't have served my vendors some crappy meal.
    Gawd, I love burgers!  Aaaaand, now I want a burger.  Thanks.
    Right?  Now I'm wishing we'd all had burgers at the reception.  Except I KNOW I would've gotten ketchup and mustard on my dress.
    I'm now curious to go to your reception venue to have one of their burgers (I've been to monkey's venue).
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