Beside the reverend, Do you send an invitation to your photographer, DJ, photobooth person?

cmperry17 · January 2015

Besides inviting the Reverend, do you also invite other vendors? Need to know proper etiquette on this

WhatawagSBNy · January 2015

Most people I know only invite religious officient or JP formally and others only if the bartender or musicians or whoever are also friends, formally invited to the wedding, working the reception.

The rest have a contract, but bride or groom consults them and fills out a card for food service. At. that time they agree on whether the meal will be eaten at a vendors table at the same time as guests, in a separate room the venue or restaurant has for its own staff on meal breaks, or by special arrangement. Lots of bartenders and DJs or musicians set up then eat before the arrival of guests, a full meal, and have a scheduled break for dessert and beverage again later on.
So even those vendors not sent invitations get the courtesy of meal choice usually, and consulted about special meal (diabetic, kosher of they apply) or if they have food allergies. Some photographers and DJs ask for a sandwich plate and dessert to be set aside so they can eat when the flow of their job has a lull.

blabla89 · January 2015

Assuming these are just people you hired and don't otherwise know well, you do not need to send an invitation. An invitation implies that you are inviting them to take part in the wedding as a guest, which you aren't. The officiant is an exception, because they're only "working" during the ceremony. If you send an invitation to the officiant, make sure you include their SO on the invitation.

Denise40 · January 2015

I'm glad I read this post. I didn't know I needed to send and invitation to my officiant. He's a judge so do I send it to his office? When I asked my other vendors about their allergies and having a dinner, they were surprised that I asked them. Is that not the norm?

WhatawagSBNy · January 2015

Feeding them something is the norm.

The common courtesy of giving them a choice and considering allergies etc is about as common as courtesy on the highway. You have better manners/ are more considerate than a lot of people.

JennyColada · January 2015

I sent them STDs (for their records) but not invites (well, I sent one to our photog because he was a genuine guest at the reception).

I didn't want to cross wires and have the officiant or coordinator think that them/SOs were invited as a guest to our reception (we are very friendly with them and invited them both to family dinner the night prior).

WhatawagSBNy · January 2015

JennyColada said:
I sent them STDs (for their records) but not invites (well, I sent one to our photog because he was a genuine guest at the reception).

I didn't want to cross wires and have the officiant or coordinator think that them/SOs were invited as a guest to our reception (we are very friendly with them and invited them both to family dinner the night prior).

****
Exactly. As an employee, if they were to get an invitation then social units would be invited together, and they would be seated with guests during meal time and whenever not working, and they would dance when not busy.

huskypuppy14 · January 2015

Denise40 said:

I'm glad I read this post. I didn't know I needed to send and invitation to my officiant. He's a judge so do I send it to his office? When I asked my other vendors about their allergies and having a dinner, they were surprised that I asked them. Is that not the norm?

If your officiant is just a vendor, you don't technically have to invite him/her, but it's a nice gesture. I asked our officiant (JOP) if she would like to come to the reception when we met for the first time, and she said I was very kind to ask, but she does not do receptions. So we didn't send her an invite.

I think it's customary to invite the religious officiant to the reception. A lot of times there is a relationship between the bride or groom and the officiant if it's a church they attend regularly.

Many weddings that i have gone to have the minister/priest/reverend at the reception.

ETA: any vendors staying throughout your reception (photographer, DJ, etc) should be fed a meal that you provide through your caterer.

lyndausvi · January 2015

No. And I didn't send an invite to my officiant either.

Disclaimer: had I had a person of the cloth I would have, but I had a paid officiant that was nothing more than a vendor to me.

Newborndoc2008 · January 2015

Read your contracts. Some may require a copy of the invitation in order to confirm date/time/location. I scanned one and sent it electronically to photographer, videographer, and musicians a couple months ahead of time. Unless they are truly a guest or being given a seat assignment and guest for the reception (we invited the chaplain and his wife to the reception as well), there's no need to send a paper invitation.

manateehugger · January 2015

No. And if they wanted one to confirm time and date, I'd tell them that's what a fucking contact is for. How bizarre. I had hired all my vendors long before I had ordered invitations.

Our officiant and his wife received one only because he is the pastor at H's childhood church. If it had been an officiant we had merely hired, nope.

cmperry17 · January 2015

thank you

cmperry17 · January 2015

we have a reverend

cmperry17 · January 2015

thank you

SP29 · January 2015

If the DJ/Photo/officiant is a hired vendor, then invitation not required.

We invited the officiant to our reception (with his wife) as he is an acquaintance of my grandparents. Usually it is a nice gesture, as if the officiant is linked by religion, is often known through the church or family. But if you hire an officiant off the internet, not required.

Our vendors were offered the same meal as our guests, and we asked them what their meal choice was. All ate the meal at the same time. DJ ate at his table while he played during dinner. Photogs sat at a table with some of our guests and got up between courses to shoot a couple photos.

blabla89 · January 2015

huskypuppy14 said:

Denise40 said:

I'm glad I read this post. I didn't know I needed to send and invitation to my officiant. He's a judge so do I send it to his office? When I asked my other vendors about their allergies and having a dinner, they were surprised that I asked them. Is that not the norm?

If your officiant is just a vendor, you don't technically have to invite him/her, but it's a nice gesture. I asked our officiant (JOP) if she would like to come to the reception when we met for the first time, and she said I was very kind to ask, but she does not do receptions. So we didn't send her an invite.

I think it's customary to invite the religious officiant to the reception. A lot of times there is a relationship between the bride or groom and the officiant if it's a church they attend regularly.

Many weddings that i have gone to have the minister/priest/reverend at the reception.

ETA: any vendors staying throughout your reception (photographer, DJ, etc) should be fed a meal that you provide through your caterer.

This. Sorry if that wasn't clear from my first post - I meant that it's not weird to send an invite to the officiant, but it's definitely not required. I think it just depends on the relationship with the officiant, but if it's strictly a client/vendor relationship then there's no need to invite them.

WhatawagSBNy · January 2015

Judges vary. You can call his office and someone will know if he would even accept if asked. Could have 3 weddings in a.day like some JP. Judges and what they do varies by state. Up here Judges cannot receive pay for doing anything possibly within their duties, like marrying people , and cannot take a booking outside the courthouse except if performing the wedding for relatives. In some states they charge and it is outside income. First time I saw someone count out money to a judge I was shocked.

lovesclimbing · January 2015

You might want to ask the photographer if they want an invitation (or they may ask you). Oftentimes, photographers will use the invitation in some of the more artsy shots of decor or rings.

Like this:

Jen4948 · January 2015

For hired vendors with contracts, no, you don't send them invitations. (Guests should not double as vendors.)

For officiants, it depends. I don't think it's necessary if they are strictly vendors, such as judges when you marry at a courthouse. If they are clergy and you are a member of their congregation, it's a nice gesture, especially if the ceremony is at their house of worship (if so, you also need to invite their SOs) but it isn't strictly required.

photokitty · January 2015

Send your photog an invite so they have it for photos, if you want it in any still - typically with the rings. You won't remember to bring one.

I sent them all invites bc I had a ton of extras, but it's not necessary.

annathy03 · January 2015

Also if you had your invites done by someone it can be nice to send them one for their portfolio.

I had a freelance designer create my invites/rsvp cards/etc and I printed them on smartpress (which btw if you're handy with adobe is way cheaper than even vistaprint). I sent her one after confirming I had extras and asking if she'd like one for her portfolio to show other brides.

WhatawagSBNy · January 2015

Like a tip, it is a show of appreciation many small business people are happy to have.

charcoalandblush · January 2015

We're only sending one to our officiant. He is an old family friend of DFs, and he and his wife would have been invited even if he was not officiating.

Although now I might send one to my photographer too, I'd love some pictures of it and I know I'll forget on my wedding day.

hellosweetie1015 · January 2015

Okay. So the officiant gets an invite.

*files away into drawer labeled "All the Shit I Didn't Know"*

HeatherKat · January 2015

We sent our officiant an STD and will send an invite (but that doesn't really count because FI's uncle is marrying us, and clearly would be invited regardless.) I sent my photographer an STD only because I needed to mail the check for the deposit the same day I was doing my STDs, and it was convenient. The rest of my vendors probably won't get them.

Beside the reverend, Do you send an invitation to your photographer, DJ, photobooth person?

Re: Beside the reverend, Do you send an invitation to your photographer, DJ, photobooth person?

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