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we are saving a place for our photog but the only time she should be sitting is when she is scarfing down food
Since the room we rented only holds 40 guests and we are at 43, I am seating the photographer and her assistant in the main dining area. I will have their table spruced up with rose petals, so it feels a little more special. I figure she will probably have seen enough of me that day anyway!
Our photographer was our only "real" vendor, everyone else was friendors.....I seated her at a table with other guests, it seemed to work out fine, she wasn't there for long :)
I am a banquet Captain for a large resort I do around 3 wedding a week. We have all the vendors eat together in the area that the cocktail hour was held. We have them eat while the guest are eating (nothing happens during this time they are not going to miss anyting) They never seem to mind why put them at a table with people they don't know. After all they are working and it gives them a break.
Such a good question! I was just wondering this the other day! I feel so bad just telling my vendors to sit in a different area from everyone else or something like that...maybe I'll ask my photog what they usually do, haha.
our pianist played two sets and sat at the bar in between, so no issue there (she didn't eat because she was working only 2 hours), our photog sat with our guests at an empty seat.
Note: We foolishly sat our photog at a table that was partially obscured. The problem was that he couldn't see if we were doing something that could've made for fab pictures. Thankfully my fab MOH was really sharp and alerted him for instance when, I played a surprise piece on the grand piano for my husband.
So yeah, great that you're giving some thought to the seating!
*Interesting side note: When my husband and I shot his cousin's wedding, the waitstaff refused to serve us food. "You are not considered guests, right?" even as we sat with the rest of his immediate family at the table.
OUCH!
I'm having certain vendors tell me (ie: DJ says he doesn't like to eat while working). I'm going to go the route of asking vendors what they prefer.
I don't think there is any rule that says you have to sit them with your guests. Actually, I think that's gracious but probably not standard. I'll likely have my photog seated with my guests during dinner.
I left it up to the vendors. I had a few tables where I could fit them in but in the end the photog and videographers ate in the bar area and the DJ ate at his station. They appreciated having a choice and also having a short break away from everything.
I'm not seating vendors with guests...if I do, I have to feed them guest meals, which are $125 per head. That's too much! I'm already paying a lot for their services; they aren't my guests! I'm sure your venue has staff space where they are welcome to eat vendor meals. ;)
My package includes $45 vendor meals. I wouldn't mind if they sat with with guests. They are doing everything they can to make my day easy and fun and so far i love all of them. =)
I didnt mind if my photographers ate at the guest table but they had a separate room to eat in with the DJ and photobooth people. Maybe your venue has a smaller room of employee break room they can eat in if you dont want them eating with your guests.
I think it really depends on the size and formality of your wedding. Our wedding will be a small barn wedding with dining at picnic tables...everyone, all vendors included, will be getting up close and personal! But if you're doing a more formal and/or larger wedding, you'll have many more options than me!
This is a really good question! I think I'm just going to seat them with guests. The only vendors I have so far that will need to be fed are the photogs. They actually have it in the contract that they must be fed an actual guest dinner and have their own namecards assigning them a seat.
Usually photographers are the main vendor to worry about. Think about it, by the time you eat (usually about 4-6 hrs after they've started), they've already been running around - sprinting church stairs - kneeling, squatting, and climbing tree's/fences... all for your pictures ;-0 They're usually famished by meal time! AND, after that there's about another 3-4 hrs of navigating the dance floor!
The biggest thing is going to be dependent on the venue and if the meal is a buffet or plated. If it's a buffet anything goes ;-) If it's plated it depends. For the girl where it's $125/head I would order a vendor meal, but perhaps a "nicer" vendor meal. Something that's not filet mignon but not a sandwich either. But, if it's under $50 or so, I would feed them the reg. meal.
Things to be aware of:
- Vendor meals usually suck! I can't tell you how many in-edible and frozen sandwiches I've been given! If you can avoid giving them, please do! Your vendors will love you eternally for it!
- Try and make sure your photographer is one of the FIRST guests to eat or be fed, regardless of what they are eating. There was a wedding I did once that almost ran out of food and I was seated at the LAST table to be fed. That's fine.. but I sat down doing nothing (no one wants pictures of themselves eating) and by the time my plate came, over HALF the guests were dancing. So... I didn't get to eat.... at all. Not good ;-) During the meal is the ONLY downtime where your photographer should be "relaxed." The earlier they get their food the more time they have to eat it before the chaos starts again.
- If it's a buffet don't stress! We can just jump in line behind the family and other important guests, run our plate outside to the hall (or a table), sit and enjoy quietness ;-)
- If your vendor is working 6+ hrs it's a good idea to feed them. You wouldn't be happy sitting at your 9-5 (or better yet, running around for that entire time) and be told you can't take a lunch or eat one ;-)
- Check your contract - Most photographers I know require to be fed. Now, being fed the actual guest dinner at the table with a name card is extreme...
-I've only seen a DJ eat TWICE in my career... so check their contract. Many WILL however drink so if you have an issue with that address it before.
- If you want to seat them at a table by all means give them a place card and seat them. I admit, I get all warm and fuzzy inside when I see my name on the card table.
- Usually, if there's no place better to sit and it's a buffet - I'll sit at that mostly empty table with the one couple and eat in awkward silence or in friendly conversation ;-)
Hope that helps!
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What does wedding etiquette say about this? Do you squeeze them into a table with other guests? Do they get their own table? Do you put them in a seperate area? HELP!