Do you need to feed your wedding vendors? Important things to keep in mind.

Your wedding breakfast is a big part of your celebrations. Once all the legal paperwork is settled, you can start off married life by sitting down to enjoy a delicious meal with your loved ones. It’s the perfect transition into the party vibe of the evening reception, allowing everyone a pause to reflect on the day so far.

As a result, you’ll have spent time and money carefully choosing the food you’ll serve your guests. Typically, wedding catering can be quite expensive, so couples will want to ensure that there will be plenty of empty plates. But aside from your guests, have you considered feeding your vendors, such as musicians or photographers, who will be with you all day?

This post explores everything you need to know about vendor wedding meal etiquette.

Do you need to feed your vendors?

Firstly, do you need to feed your vendors, or should they bring their own food?

Some couples feel that they don’t need to pay for a meal for their vendors on top of the fee they are already being charged. Instead, they’ll ensure that vendors have adequate break time so they can get food themselves.

However, the most common opinion is that it’s important to recognise that good vendors will do their best to help you have a special day, so it can be nice to take care of them too. Whilst there’s an argument that the vendor is at work and should be sorting their own food, like most other workers would, adding a few extra people to your meal list can help everyone have a more positive experience.

From a practical perspective, some vendors will have it written in their contracts that you’ll need to feed them if they’re there for more than a few hours.

Things to consider

Pricing and numbers
If you’ve decided to go ahead and add your vendors to your meal list, then make sure you let the venue know well ahead of time. It’s best practice to confirm numbers with your vendors on the same date as your other guests, and if you hire them later on, confirm at the point of booking.

If you’re looking to reduce costs, you can speak to your venue and caterer and see if they offer a vendor option. Some companies will only charge half price for non-guest meals, so it’s well worth checking their policy.

Dietary requirements
As well as numbers, don’t forget to ask your vendors if they have any dietary requirements.  This is a key part of ensuring everyone has an enjoyable experience and that food doesn’t go to waste. If you’ve opted out of a vendor meal, and the menu is the same for everyone, you may also want to confirm how many courses they would like – they may not want the full three if they’re working the rest of the day.

Practical arrangements
Once you’ve got your meals booked with your venue/caterer, it’s time to consider logistics. Some people have a vendor table, whereas others create a separate space for vendors to eat away from the main reception.

If the vendor's services are required when your guests are eating, block out time afterwards for them to take a break and enjoy their food before it goes cold. Again, your venue/caterer can help you with this – they may have a preference that makes things easier for everyone.