Do you have to feed your wedding vendors? Meals and seating

Which wedding vendors need a meal, how to count them for the caterer, what to serve, when they should eat, and where to seat them during dinner.

The short answer

Yes, in practice. Any vendor working through the dinner hour on a long shift, usually the photographer, videographer, DJ or band, and planner or coordinator, should get a meal. Many of their contracts require one, so check yours first. Feed them at the same time as your guests, not after, and seat them somewhere close to the room so they don't miss the toasts.

Who to feed

Count everyone who will be working on site during dinner for several hours. Leave out anyone who delivers and leaves.

Check the contracts first

Before deciding anything, read the contract of each vendor who stays past setup. Photographers, videographers, bands and planners often include a meal clause, and some say what kind of meal and how long the break must be. The contract settles it, and a vendor who is hungry at 9pm is not doing their best work.

Counting them for the caterer

Give your caterer a separate vendor count when you give the final guest numbers, and ask whether they offer a vendor meal. Many caterers offer a simpler, lower-priced vendor plate. A vendor meal doesn't have to match the guest menu, but it should be a real hot meal, not a sandwich.

When they should eat

Serve vendors at the same time as your guests, not after everyone else. That sounds backwards, but it works in your favour: the photographer and videographer can eat while guests are eating, which is the one time nothing happens worth filming, and then be ready for toasts and the first dance. A vendor fed last is still eating when the speeches start.

Where to seat them

A vendor table in or just outside the reception room is the usual choice. Close enough to hear the toasts starting, and they can leave quietly without walking through the room. Not at a guest table. Guests don't expect it, and vendors have to be free to get up the moment something happens. Near their equipment. The DJ's table beside the DJ booth, or a small table near the entrance where the photographer can see the room.

Is it rude not to feed wedding vendors?

For vendors who work through dinner on a long shift, yes, and it is often a contract requirement. Vendors who deliver and leave don't need a meal.

Do vendors count toward the wedding guest count?

Give your caterer a separate vendor count. Vendor meals are often priced differently from guest meals, and vendors don't need guest seats.

Do you tip vendors in addition to feeding them?

A meal is not a tip. Whether and how much to tip depends on the vendor and whether gratuity is already in the contract, so check each contract.