Feed Your Vendors? Feed Your Vendors!

Fed vendors = happy vendors =
do better work.

So here’s the skinny on lessons learned from being a wedding coordinator, when it comes to feeding your wedding day vendors.

What: For buffet or plated meal receptions, most hotels or caterers provide vendor meals at a discounted price. While it is not necessary to provide your vendors the same food you are providing your guests, oftentimes it is just easier and something your vendors would appreciate. At times, that might not be an option, particularly if you are doing a banquet-style reception. In that case, your options are probably to include your vendor in your headcount (if you plan to seat them), or to order individually boxed meals that your caterer can prepare separately.

When: Most often, the best time to give your vendors a break is during the dinner hour. At that moment, all your guests are eating and conversing, and there isn’t any major action going on. If you are planning to use that time to greet your guests and take table pictures, you can consider having a friend help take some quick images, giving your photographer and videographer a break. As coordinators, we typically plan to serve the photographer, dj and videographer right after the bridal party and immediate families have been served. This allows those busy vendors adequate time to eat and get back into place to continue with their work for the night, without missing any important elements of the evening. Coordination vendors always eat after everyone else has been served. In terms of how much time to allow, most vendors do not take a long break-just enough time to catch their breath and grab some sustenance in order to continue working effectively...for you!

Where: Establish beforehand what your vendor’s expectations are! Oftentimes, vendors have a wide range of expectations when it comes to being fed. Some vendors expect to be seated in a separate room, since it would give them a real break (as opposed to a sense of being “on call”). On the other hand, some vendors feel it is necessary to be seated in the main dining room. Some vendors prefer this option so that they can see what is going on and be ready to service you should any circumstance arise.

Many vendor contracts stipulate their meal requirement. At the very least, ask the extra people if they would like to be fed, so that you can add them to your total. Please recognize as a bride or groom, that just because a vendor does not have it written in their contract to be fed, that they should not be bed! Please feed them! Always do the proper, gracious thing, keeping you honored and respected in the eyes of ALL the people attending your wedding and reception...and that includes the vendors who will make you and your reception look fantastic, with wonderful memories for years and years to come.

Liane McCombs Wedding & Event Planning
775 . 786 . 1730