Tog, Vog & DJ - catering - wwyd?

YIKES! I hadn't even thought about that!! Hope someone in the know can fill us in ?

We're not having a Vog, and the Tog is a friend/guest anyway so it's only the DJ. EEEK though.

I have no idea on the answers to this but would love to know as well as I have been wondering! I was also wondering if you have a toastmaster do you feed them the same meal as everyone else?!

My TOG is a friend so is part of the main wedding breakfast but I think generally most people arrange a meal at the bar or something for them, I think its only fair to feed them something myself. Some will tell you what they would prefer you to do.

My DJ is included in my buffet numbers and I will just tell them to help themselves with everyone else.

We made sure ours were fed (not sure about DJ's as we didn't have one) and the weddings I have done I have always been fed too. One Bride is even including me on the seating plan even though I said I was OK in another room/at the Bar ❤️. Then again I do seem to become Friends with them.

We fed our photographer and videographer....or at least we were meant to but the venue didn't tell the videographer that dinner was on us so the poor guy sorted himself out which I'm so embarrassed about. I think it's normal that provisions are made to fed them even if it's in another room, bar etc.

Our DJ was part of our whole wedding day anyway but otherwise they would have been told to help themselves to the buffet at night.

Just email them because I doubt they would be offended as they will be so used to it.

Thanks everyone, and to those wanting same answer - glad I mentioned it!

DJ - I thought that too, just include him in the buffet and ask him to help himself.

Vog - I have just emailed him now.

Tog - I'll ask my MOH I think because she had him also at her wedding, she recommended him.

I was wondering if to include them in the seating plan - the venue have said they could lay another smaller table separately at the back - the vog also usually is x 2 because his wife is the 2nd camera operator, and the tog also uses his wife who is also a tog to do the more intimate bride getting ready shots etc if the bride feels more comfy that way and they'll both cover so that's a table for 4 somewhere...

I wouldn't dream not to feed them but I just didn't know what's the done thing - separate, part of the seating plan, same menu, etc - some brides I have read about have said, for instance, they left a "tab" at the bar for, say £10 lunch plus drinks and the tog chose what he wanted...

Thanks everyone for the ideas!

Our band had a question on their booking form asking if we were willing to let them have some food from out buffet during the evening do, they said they wouldn't need anything extra being ordered for them, they'd just have a nibble on whatever was left. We're having a bbq though so not like things will just be left on a plate at a buffet, people will be given their bits as they go up, if you get what I mean. We've decided to add all of the band on but it's an extra £50 that I hadn't budgeted for. Also, will have to add on the DJ too for that as couldn't do different with him.

We're presuming we'll have to pay for out tog to have dinner and bbq, but would he be ok having dinner in a different room do you think? We're pushed for room in the seating plan already, not being able to invite everyone we want and really don't want to cut someone else out for the tog. I don't mean that to sound rude or nasty, hope you know what I mean.

I would say he'd be Ok with it, jm2b! Especially if you explain about the restricted space! We don't have that excuse as the place holds up to 120 and we have only 50 for wedding breakfast!

Glad you think that I'm not being unreasonable. Not sure when best to bring up the subject, we've got a year to go though so I'm sure it'll crop up nearer the date! Ours is maximum of 50 for wedding breakfast as that is all the restaurant area holds. I've already had to cut out 7 family members, 4 of the plus ones that I really didn't want to and quite a few friends that I would ideally fancy there. So we're say about 20 short for who I would like there! BUT, h2b felt very strongly about having the venue and it's a small price to pay for him to be happy. :-) as they say, it's all about compromise!

Hi all,

That is a good question.

The article I posted earlier in the week may be of help. A short guide to finding a suitable videographer:

https://www.hitched.co.uk/Chat/forums/t/185451.aspx

Jon at Hitched is looking at it to see if it can be a 'Sticky' so that it can be referred to easier.

well our tog/vog and piper are being given a dinner. The pipers comin in and eating with the rest of the guests as he is a friend of the groom. The other 2 will get a dinner in the restaurant in the hotel. The evening reception will have a buffet for all, so the piper and the guy doing the party will eat then as well. The tog/vog may have gone by then, but if not...they can eat too!

Hi! Our caterer does 'staff meals', so we can feed our tog and vog (and creche workers!) during the day much more cheaply than if we counted them in our numbers. Not exactly sure what food they will get, but they will have something! We just asked them when we met with them, along the lines "we assume you will want us to arrange something for you to eat" so they didn't feel cheeky by having to ask. For the evening, including DJ people, we will just say to help themselves to the buffet but not count them in numbers, as we're sure there will be plenty of food! Hope you sort it all out ok. S

Hello

We would never expect to be fed at a wedding, if the bride & groom offer us a meal then we would accept, but the majority of times we will take sandwiches or grab a bar meal. We use the time during the wedding breakfast to check through our work so far, and to have a quick "time out" as well.

The best thing to do if you're not sure if to ask your suppliers - also worth checking any supplier contracts you have see whether they specify their requirements.

Hope that helps ?

Ali x

Heres an idea for hitched....have a vendor help forum where posts like Bobs can be kept. Naturally any post would have to be rated by members of the forum or else it would be deleted (To stop the spammers)

Must admit....I never mention food and leave it to the bride and groom to offer. I do a lot of all day weddings where I'm providing the music all day from ceremony till 1 in the morning...about 12 hours. There have been several occasions where nothing was provided. In those instances I'd try and sort myself out, but recently I was at a venue in the middle of nowhere and it was a Monday evening so the public restaurant was closed. A culmination of heavy lifting and standing on my feet for several hours etc.....resulted in me passing out towards the end of the night. I was rescued by the function manager who raided the fridge for me. Now....I carry a few sandwiches so in worst case scenario....at least i have something.

If your supplier is only present in the evening I don't feel its necessary to provide anything extra for them, although inviting them to partake in the buffet is appreciated. If you have a supplier with you all day....its a different story as they may, like me, had to leave home quite early in the morning etc.

We never ask (or assume!) we're getting fed....I always take sandwiches just in case! x

Thanks to all professional suppliers who responded as well as the fellow brides 2 be! Now I am more confident about it, I'll ask the venue what are their usual arrangements (because we are getting married at a Stately Home which is usually open to the public and has a restaurant in season but in December it will be closed to the public so I might have to add the suppliers to the normal head count anyway, which I don't mind, I just need to know!).

Thanks again everyone, this has been most helpful!

Our vog and tog and string trio all asked for a light snack to be provided. DJ did not ask. however we arranged for everyone to be fed, and our venue has a meeting room in the back which they use for this purpose. during the night we made sure to ask them that they had been taken care of - would feel awful if we were all stuffing our faces while the vog, tog, DJ were left just working away with no respite. HTH x

We often get offered food and drink at wedding receptions, but would never rely on it - nor does catering form any part of our terms and conditions. Several clients have told me that other Videographers they have contacted include listed requirements or charges for meals, and that such things have contributed towards putting them off that company.

We are entirely self-sufficient on the day, and it is surely common sense before heading out on any all day job to prepare food and other sustanance to look after yourself. A cool bag is ideal for keeping sandwiches fresh and water cold in a hot car.

Check with your suppliers. We actually prefer to do our own thing because generally if a meal is provided it doesn't get served to the suppliers until the wedding guests have all been served their main (and quite rightly so). By the time we get to eat, the deserts are often being cleared and speeches are about to begin. It is easiest for us to pop and get something as soon as the guests are seated so we can eat, have a short break and be back in plenty of time for speeches etc. It is nice to sit with the guests occasionally if we know some people there from previous weddings but we would never expect it and if we don't know anyone it is good to just take some time out and rest for a while as we will have been on our feet working for several hours by then.