Should I Feed my Vendors at my Wedding?
There is a pretty prominent wedding resource out there that a lot of couples turn to when planning their weddings. They do a Q & A feature that I really like the concept of, because I know when I was planning my own wedding I was a little clueless on some things. For me education is key. The more you know, the better your wedding day will flow and the happier you will be.
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A few weeks ago they received a question from a bride asking what the protocol on feeding your photographer was and if you were required to. A question many of you may be wondering...Should I feed my vendors at my wedding? I was floored by their answer. To summarize they told this bride (and millions of their readers) that it is not the couple's responsibility to feed any of their vendors and vendors should specifically put in their contracts a meal is required if they expect one. Huh? I'm going to venture out on a limb here and say I think that was some bad advice. Here is my take on the subject and some alternative food for thought!
You have many different vendors involved during the process of your wedding. I think we can all agree on that point. Some vendors may only be contracted for a short duration to time, such as your makeup artist and hair stylist. Other vendors like your DJ, wedding planner, and photographer are going to be spending a significant amount of time that day. Anywhere from four to eight hours or more. I don't know about you, but I do know about me and I can become a little cranky if I go an entire day without eating. Not to mention my productivity level starts to rapidly decline. I'm guessing your wedding is the last place you want your vendor's productivity to fall?! Sure it would be an easy adjustment for all vendors to start putting in their contracts that they require a meal during your wedding. And maybe they should? But wouldn't it be just as easy for you to offer what you would want someone to offer you in the same situation?
To me this is a no-brainer. I wouldn't dream of not offering a meal to my vendors. I am human and need food to function. So do they. If I had to draw a line I think a good rule of thumb is to plan on including a meal for each vendor that will spend four or more hours at your wedding. If you are feeding your guests, make sure those vendors are taken care of too. They are working hard to provide you with a great service and will appreciate the renewed energy from a meal.
What are your thoughts? Do you have a time frame in mind of when vendors should be included in a meal? Do you think all vendors should state this in their contracts?