Why The Heck Should I Feed My Wedding Photographer?

I keep bumping into an article written by a Sandy Malone, she is a destination wedding planner. Sandy talks about which vendors couples should consider feeding at the wedding.

Here is the link to the article by Bride’s Magazine: http://bit.ly/1Wi3jO9

To feed or not to feed, that is the question…or Not! Ok, it may not be the age-old question, but it is an important one. With all the wedding expenses adding up, do you think it’s important to feed your vendors? Let’s find out.

Photographers & Videographers: The typical wedding day for many photographers and videographers ranges from 10-12 hours (not including traveling!). The artists begin filming at the dressing location early in the morning and continue until the wedding concludes. By the time dinner is served, the photographers and videographers have been filming for almost 9-10 hours. They are hungry, so it’s a good idea to feed them before the guests eat, so they can be ready to film the speeches during the formal dinner. Feed the photographer and videographer??? I think so.

Wedding Planning Team: The wedding planner and his/her team work the longest and have the most stressful task on the wedding day or wedding weekend. The planners have to make sure every aspect of the wedding day is perfect. They create timelines for each vendor, make certain all the vendors arrive on time and ensure the day runs like clockwork and nobody is late. Lastly, they have to deal with every type of personality imaginable from vendors to guests and everyone in between. Honestly, I don’t know how they do it!! Do you feed the planner? Let me think about it…Yes!

Bands/DJ’s: The wedding bands and DJ’s work hard to ensure your party flows and is unforgettable. I’ve seen bands and DJ’s play for extended sets that require a tremendous amount of energy and are extremely intense. The music has to deal with the bright stage lighting and often times will play at the after party which may add an extra 1-2 hours. Music makes the party, so you definitely want to feed the performers.

Final Thoughts: I’m sure most couples want to feed their vendors, but don’t give it much thought. Some brides and grooms prefer that the vendors eat during the cocktail hour and not the formal dinner. It’s a personal choice and one each couple has to think about before the wedding. The question you have to ask yourself is this. If I were working for 10-12 hours without a meal would my productivity increase or decrease? Would I want a meal? In my case, I always bring snacks with me just in case I’m not fed, so I’m covered either way.