Vendor Meals

[flutterby]

My photographers contract mentions a meal at the same time guests are eating, of equivelent food. How does this work at a 5 course meal? He doesnt expect all of it right? Do we buy him just the entree? The Four Seasons also offers a boxed lunch, that my coordinator thinks is great. What did you do.

LizzieC- This is especially for you! What did you do for Steve?

 

[lillei]

Maybe I''ll be alone on this thought, but I feel that is quite a demand for someone you are PAYING to provide you a service. I don''t know how much you are paying your photog, but I think the collective thought is that photogs aren''t anywhere close to cheap, and neither are meals. I do agree that they should be fed something decent and not just table scraps, but geez....if they''re expecting a 5 course sit down meal, then they might as well bring you a gift also! I researched many photographers, and never came across this as a requirement. I guess I would call up the photog, and ask what they''re expecting. I would also try to keep him/her reasonable in the amount of time that they are using eating. After all, when they''re eating, they are surely not working, and that is what they are there for. Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

 

[San Diego Bride]

i''d stick with the vendor meal the hotel provides (?the box lunch at the four seasons). i think the photographer just wants to make sure he doesn''t get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or something, but i seriously doubt that he expects a plated, five course meal. your coordinator and the hotel do this often so i''d go with what they suggest.

 

[LizzieC]

You know what msflutter... somehow I completely missed that part of the contract (bad law student, bad!). Before finalizing the head count with the restaurant, I had wondered about feeding the photog myself and looked on the knot and found out that it''s the norm, so added him to the count. And since his prices seemed to be lower than many of the other photogs we looked at, I think it all evens out. HTH!

 

[FireGoddess]

I can''t believe your photog would demand a meal of EQUIVALENT food. For what they charge, right there, I wouldn''t be giving him the same meal as the guests, because I think he has a lot of gall to say that to you. You are PAYING him to work there, after all, not be a guest. Feeding vendors is normal, but they should hardly be making demands. I''d give him the vendor box lunch.

 

[selflove]

What about having the kitchen make up a plate of everything and give him that, rather than a box lunch? Is your concern that he''s included in the head count or that he''s taking time away from picture-taking while he gets his 5 courses, or both?

Nothing was written into our contract about food but we fed our photographer anyways and we paid the regular meal price for him (and for both DJs).

 

[indecisive]

Eeek I agree! The place we are looking at charges at least $75 per person for food. I can't imagine paying someone to do their job, tiping them, and giving them a $75 meal!

ETA: oops I meant to quote fire goddess

 

[E B]

The photographer requesting an "equivalent" meal in the contract was a bit odd, but to be honest, I'd have no problem feeding him one. After all, he is at work (making once in a lifetime memories) for what, at least 5 hours without food? If you're having a sit down dinner, I could see a problem (a 5 course meal is too long to be sitting and not photographing) but I agree with Selflove...perhaps a plate with several things on it? The boxed lunch would be better than nothing, of course, and budget should be considered....but if your per person plate isn't much, I'd offer them a plate of equivalent.

 

[LizzieC]

FireGoddess- I am sure I would have had the same opinion that you have, if I hadn''t actually worked w/ this same photog. My opinion might change when I see the actual proofs, but from what he did show me (he uses digital, and showed us a few of his shots while taking them) the pics look great, and he was also incredibly friendly, laid back, and fun to be around. Blended right in with our small group and was very unbotrusive. That alone is well worth the cost of a meal.

msflutter- My reception was not a normal wedding reception... it was basically lunch w/ toasts (no cake, no dancing, no B & G circulating around the room saying hi & thanks to everyone), so I don''t know how well it will compare to your situation. I honestly don''t know how many pics he actually took at our reception because there are only so many pics you can take of people eating. I didn''t see him take too many other than the ones during our impromptu toasts. But I''m pretty sure that he''s not going to sit and eat the whole time and not take pics of the important stuff.

But what it basically comes down to, and this goes for all contracts in life, is that anyone can put anything in a contract and it''s up to you to read it before you sign. Of course that doesn''t always, or even usually, happen, but the burden is still on you.

 

[Scintillating]

It is the Norm - it's what wedding photographers expect and what they get. It is what it is. *Shrug*

Scintillating....

 

[LizzieC]

Okay, so I just IMd one of my friends who was sitting right next to him at the reception, and asked her if she knew how many pics he took.. this is her reply:

"i remember him telling us that yours was the most laid back reception he''s worked since he''s used to being up and around the whole time during receptions because there''s so many tables and the dance and all that extra stuff"

 

[LAJennifer]

I have another thread going about the photographer we''ve hired. Its funny, because the photographer we didn''t hire (still very good), had almost the exact same wording you mentioned about the vendor meal (being equivalent to what the guests have, etc). The photographer we did hire never mentioned anything about a vendor meal. However, I will be including him in the headcount for our buffet reception.

 

[FireGoddess]

I still don''t think I''d be shelling out a $75 meal for him and his five courses when he''s supposed to be taking pictures, etc and I''m paying him to be there. Best I would do is make up a plate. We had a buffet at our wedding and I told our photog she was welcome as well but I don''t think she did.

 

[flopkins]

I''d just get a vendor/box meal and call it a day.

 

[monarch64]

We gave our photographer and DJ a boxed lunch from the reception and they were fine with it; we had no problems whatsoever.

 

[LollyBear]

I was only charged something like $13 for each vs the $50 I paid for guests. I think most venues have a special deal for vendors, so make sure you ask.