Food/drinks for vendors?

Kimmah

Are we supposed to feed, allow a drink, provide seating for the band and photographer?

MattsPenguin

Definitely your photographer (check the contract for all of them).  My venue offers a less expensive option for the vendors.

Morfudd

Didn't we just do this? Like, 16, 17 posts down, for those whose boards are sorted by most recent response?

nda_roxybabe

Allow a drink? Hahaha
No drink for you!

ootmother2

yes, it's good manners as well as good sense.  People work better when they are not starved.

It also may be  in your contracts.

quotequeen

If by "allow a drink" you mean alcohol, no, your vendors should not be drinking at your wedding.  But you are supposed to feed them.

noodle_oo

Most vendors who are working for like 5 continuous hours will require a meal and usually state it in their contract.  However, you do not have to serve them the same meal as your guests or inlcude them in your guest count.  Talk to the venue, they usually provide hot vendor meals at a reduced cost.  They will usually serve the vendors after the guests are served, and they usually give htem a seat in another room.  In terms of drinks, yes you definitely have to provide them with non-alcoholic drinks.

For us, this applies to: photographer, videographer, DJs (so your band), and DOCs. 

prideeinpynk

I've got an additional question - what's the process if your meal is buffet? None of my vendors have it in their contracts that they require meals, but I will assume the photographer and DJ will want to eat at some point.

Kristin789

Sure, and that's almost always included in the contracts with these vendors. 

Your venue will offer what's called "vendor meals" - it's a prepared salad on one small plate, a single dinner-sized-plate of food with the main course and sides, and a small dessert (unless you are substituting wedding cake FOR the dessert), with coffee or tea - no alcohol.  The vendor meal is half the per-plate cost of your regular dinners which obviously include service for multiple courses coming out to the guests, wedding cake, and the bar service.

>>I've got an additional question - what's the process if your meal is buffet?

The venue will fix a plate for each vendor - see above, and the venue will set up separate seating in the back or in a separate room for them.

quotequeen

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_fooddrinks-vendors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:49a6525a-9150-4bb8-a168-9010f37a9c16Post:e12db59f-d307-41bd-a16f-4ef1905196c5">Re: Food/drinks for vendors?</a>:
[QUOTE]Sure, and that's almost always included in the contracts with these vendors.  Your venue will offer what's called "vendor meals" - it's a prepared salad on one small plate, a single dinner-sized-plate of food with the main course and sides, and a small dessert (unless you are substituting wedding cake FOR the dessert), with coffee or tea - no alcohol.  The vendor meal is half the per-plate cost of your regular dinners which obviously include service for multiple courses coming out to the guests, wedding cake, and the bar service. />>I've got an additional question - what's the process if your meal is buffet? The venue will fix a plate for each vendor - see above, and the venue will set up separate seating in the back or in a separate room for them.
Posted by Kristin789[/QUOTE]

Kristin has apparently never heard of the fact that not all venues are the same...

shoegal715

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_fooddrinks-vendors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:49a6525a-9150-4bb8-a168-9010f37a9c16Post:8d650e50-fb1b-4234-ac3f-a0e773896873">Re: Food/drinks for vendors?</a>:
[QUOTE]Most vendors who are working for like 5 continuous hours will require a meal and usually state it in their contract.  However, you do not have to serve them the same meal as your guests or inlcude them in your guest count.  Talk to the venue, they usually provide hot vendor meals at a reduced cost.  They will usually serve the vendors after the guests are served, a<strong>nd they usually give htem a seat in another room. </strong> In terms of drinks, yes you definitely have to provide them with non-alcoholic drinks. For us, this applies to: photographer, videographer, DJs (so your band), and DOCs. 
Posted by noodle_oo[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>I think this is a bad idea. Why would you want your videographer or photographer in a separate room? They could miss those great candid shots, miss speeches, and miss anything else important that goes on.</div><div>
</div><div>Just seat them at a regular table - either with guests, or at a table of 5 or 6 (videographer + assistant, photographer + assistant and DJ)

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