Do i feed my photographer??

No you don't have to add them to one of the tables. IF you did want to feed them, they would probably prefer to be in the bar area or somewhere similar.

No you dont and unless they demand it in a contract they should be quite happy eating their own sandwiches that they brought with them.

No they should never be sitting with your guests and if you asked your photographer he/she would probably say the same, personally I always take my own food and drink.

We're feeding ours, but I guess he will sit somewhere else to eat! He did my friends wedding and she did the same and I think she said he ate out in the bar/lounge area whilst we were all eating.

It was just something that sprung to mind today. But I think ill show him the menu and see if he wants to eat from it or bring his own. Suppose he will be taking pictures here n there as well.

Thanks x

We were planning on asking ours to order herself a bar meal on our tab. As it happened, we had a very last minute drop out so there was a 3 course meal going spare. We asked if she wanted to join us, she was more than happy to and she got on great with the people on the table!

Our venue does 'vendor meals' - free for our photographers and VOG. They will eat in a separate area.

Hi Katie,

It’s very nice of you to think of feeding your photographer and even adding him/her in as one of guests on the tables. But you are definitely do not have to do it. Most of photographers have their own packed lunch with them. Even when I am offered to eat out in the bar/lounge area I usually politely refuse as I prefer to be all the time on the move as I start to feel that I am missing something really important in the storytelling of a wedding day ?.

Our tog is a friend and travelling up from the South. We've told her that she is more than welcome to party the night away with us, and I will offer her a place on one of the tables & a full three-course meal, as well as an evening meal with the rest of the guests. However, at my first wedding the tog was just a supplier and had his own meal away from the rest of us.

Some photographers write it into their contract and some just want to know if they need to feed themselves.

99% of the time I've been fed. So there's a trend to feeding them.

You should never sit them with your guests and you should never pay full rate for food as if they were guests.

Most venues offer a discount for suppliers to account for contractual obligations but also some prefer to bring their own food anyway because in some instances the food given consists of a tablespoon of mashed potato and half a chicken breast.

(Which is fine for everyone else who's been fed canapes and a starter but not as the only source of sustenance for someone running around like a loon for 10 hours).

We are feeding ours out of common courtesy, you don't have to unless its in their contract. Our videographers have it in their contract we MUST feed them - I wouldn't mind but there will be two of them.

But Tog and Vogs will sit somewhere separate, in fact theres a lovely little side room with a small table they can munch at

I was planning on feeding mine with a proper meal and sitting them at the table with guests as there will be three of them (photographers/videographers) is this not the done thing? I was going to get them favours etc also? I appreciate I'm paying them but they're still a part of my wedding and I wouldn't feel comfortable sectioning them off in their own room with their own sandwiches. Plus they might even get snap happy during dinner - who doesn't love a photo of themselves with a big forkful of food lol! In all seriousness though I thought this was the done thing, should I perhaps give them the option and ask what they would prefer?

Also, sorry to hijack this thread but do I need to provide them with drinks i.e glass of wine with dinner? Or perhaps I should just make soft drinks available for them?

We gave our TOG, Videographer and band a large round of sandwiches and fries which they were pleased with.

Our tog said he didn't want to sit with our guests.

X

Hi Hun, no it's not the norm at all. Togs and Vogs are suppliers not guests undertaking a role in making your wedding day memorable in the same way your florist, venue dresser, seamstress etc will have done. It's just they are there and visible for the actual event.

as has been shown, some require food to be provided, personally, I don't like that. My Dad was a wedding photographer and never had any food provided. It's something else that's crept in over recent years. Others are pleased if some food, sandwich and a cup of tea etc is provided and I think that's reasonable, and others prefer to take their own food. You certainly don't provide wine or favours and you wouldn't seat them in your guests area unless they were friends etc. most will be doing some shots but will appreciate the break too. It's a much longer task they do know than in my dad's day bless, so needing time to have some refreshments is very reasonable

The best thing to do is ask your photographer. You can see from the responses here that each photographer has their own preferences!

I find a good way around this is to not book a meal for the photographer but to allocate them a guest meal if a guest does not attend, eg due to illness. That saves you paying. Most of my clients book me a meal but I am happy for them to take a chance on a guest not showing up too. You can always order an extra or a bar meal for them if all the guests show up.

It can be tricky trying to get our food from the hotel bar sometimes as the waiting time can be excessive. Remember, you need your photographer to have finished eating when you do so they can capture some candids or be ready for the speeches!

Normally this gets discussed as one of the many practical considerations in the run up to the wedding with the B&G.

I will never eat with other invited guests at a table. Not because I am being rude but generally because I might need to get up, mooch about, sort things out etc. Also as the top table gets served first if you have the same meal the B&G are finished well ahead of you. So, to stop constantly getting up and appearing disrespectful, I usually eat in a room close enough to the wedding breakfast so I can keep abreast of what's going on but not so close as to intrude.

As has been said, it's often nice to have a meal provided but I can equally bring my own food. The most important thing for me is to get some liquid on board (non-alcoholic!) as often I am so busy up to this point it's often difficult to find time to grab a drink!

Generally I don't shoot while guests are eating as someone with a fork full of food half way to their mouth doesn't always make the most flattering of images

My photographer explicitly said that he did not want for us to spend money on a meal for him. I imagine many wouldn't expect it.

Ours too. I wonder if it's the same one! ?

We haven't booked meals for TOG or VOGs though. We have our pre-wedding shoot with our TOG tomorrow and will be having the meeting afterwards where we go through timings of the day, specific shots we want, etc. I plan to ask him then if he wants feeding. Our wedding breakfast is a hog roast so the TOG and VOGs can just help themselves once the guests have been up. I'll have a buffet breakfast out at home for getting ready so they can nosh then too if they wish.

We're feeding our photographer and our band. Our caterer is sorting out vendor meals for them. It's not in her contract, but we wanted to feed her anyway.

x

We are providing a meal for our photographer, however its not included within the guest numbers. Our venue provides a meal for £10.

Don't worry... Actually I don't undestand why some TOGs demand a meal in their contracts... You can always have a sandwich or pack your own lunch. We are not pop stars, are we? ? If you want to feed your photographer that's really kind of you, but asking a meal as mandatory...

As you can see it depends on the TOG.

From experience, it's a complete bonus being fed....then we have extra energy to take more beautiful photos. Well I do anyway, that and a redbull and I'm raring to go for round 2!!