Should you feed your wedding vendors?
I always feel honored to be a part of a wedding with all its joy and excitement. Keeping up my energy and excitement for a full day is fun but I am totally worn out by the end. When I get home, I look forward to viewing some back of camera sneak peeks of the night. I enjoy sharing my favorites images with my wife. But if I didn’t eat in that 8-14 hour period, I can feel completely drained – even a bit cranky. So, should you feed your wedding vendors?
Lets look at both sides here so you can make your own decision.
Don’t Feed Your Wedding Vendors
Most people are not this way but some feel that you should not feed any of your wedding vendors. Why? Because it is another thing to have to pay for. Feeding your vendors may add to your budget and shoot those vendors are already paid to be there! Some people feel like this is double paying for a service and the vendor should pack their own meal or forgo eating during their hired time. But I say-
Feed Your Wedding Vendors
As a photographer, I am all for feeding your vendors. Why? Fed vendors have the energy to provide the service you hired them for. And with energy they can do their job optimally.
Keep in mind that weddings are a special event. Some of the vendors will be with you for most of the day. We all come away with memories of your special day – whether good or not as good as they could be. Your photographer and wedding planner will be with you the most, so I hope we are more than just random hired people to you, but people who truly add value to your lives. Treating your vendors with the same thoughtfulness of a guest goes a long way. For one: better performance. After 8 hours with no food, it can be difficult to keep running around taking pictures or making sure guests are happy. Some vendors will even feel sick without some food and water. The gesture of offering food will make your vendors think more highly of you.
Do You Need to Feed Every Wedding Vendor?
I don’t think you need to feed every wedding vendor but those who are there for more than 4 or 5 hours will really appreciate it. The florist and baker will be in and out but your planner, photographer, DJ or videographer could be there for a sizable part of your day.
Meet in the middle?
I have not had this happen yet but one thing I’ve heard of couples doing is having some kind of sack lunch prepared for the vendors. This is a much cheaper way of feeding your hired professionals than paying for the meal everyone else is getting. On the downside, some vendors might feel like you are being cheap or not caring about them.
What do you think?
There is no perfect answer but I would say if your vendor is there for more than 4-5 hours, make sure they get some food and water. I like to think we have built up a good relationship and may even be friends. That extra price to cover vendors meals is a generous gesture of kindness that wont be forgotten.
Nate Robinson Photography
Hello to you! I am a wedding and portrait photographer mostly serving the eastern Washington and northern Idaho region. But I am happy to travel to your wedding! Weddings are such fun events and one of my favorite parts about being a photographer. Let me tell you, there are some amazing caterers in our area. If you think your caterer will be the best – maybe you should bring me along to be your photographer 😉
