Not to offer the photographers a wedding breakfast?

[realteal]

Just wondering if this is cheeky or not. Maybe this is the done thing and I don’t know about it!

We are hoping to get married next year. There will be one photographer and his assistant. Their photos are great to be fair and we are very happy to have booked them.

We’ve just got the contract through. They have asked us to order two wedding breakfasts that they will eat in a side room.

AIBU to think this is a bit cheeky? We are paying them a four figure sum. Why can’t they bring a flask, a lunch bag and a packet of crisps like everyone else who goes out to work?!

Is this a common request?

They will be in their feet all day and need a proper meal.

This reasoning doesn’t work for me - so are factory workers!

Photographers and the like always get food. It’s hours of work and usually in the caterers contract anyway.

I work at a wedding venue and whilst it is usually more common for the photographer to receive a meal, it certainly isn't always the case.

Largely this is down to the photographer themselves, many word their contract to ask if food will be provided or not, so they know if they need to bring food themselves. It's not an expectation to be fed the same food as your guests. For a lot of couples it also really depends on the type of catering you have. It's easier and cheaper for weddings with buffets or hog roasts to put food aside for the suppliers, but for weddings where it's £80pp or more, its a bit trickier to set aside X amount of three course meals not for their guests.

I have checked the contract I received from the photographer and band I have booked and this is not mentioned on either of them

@realteal

They will be in their feet all day and need a proper meal.

This reasoning doesn’t work for me - so are factory workers!

Every factory I know has its own canteen where workers can order food. Or at the very least vending machines . Many weddings are in the middle of no where and only way to get food is the caterers.

It’s normal. We offered it to everyone- piper, photographer, guy running the pop-up cocktail bar. Only the barman took us up on it but it is usual to offer.

Yeah I think it's normal, getting married this weekend and we have a meal for the photographer albeit it's called a 'contractor meal' so I think it's maybe just two courses instead of the full three course 'wedding breakfast' albeit I imagine it's the same thing out of convenience for the caterers. Our band's contract didn't say anything about an evening meal for them so we haven't ordered them (hmmm and now I'm worrying...last minute wedding nerves) albeit it did say and therefore we have booked them accommodation in a nearby hotel.

I’ve never heard of this, when did it become the norm?
I didn’t do it at either of my weddings in 1983 and 2000, it didn’t enter my mind.
Photographers are self employed, they can provide or buy their own food surely? They’re being paid a fortune in the first place.

Completely normal at weddings, and it makes sense for them to have a break during dinner as no one wants photos of themselves eating

Sorry forgot to add, it’s usually just the main course, not a full on meal.

@NewPapaGuinea

I irrationally find the term “wedding breakfast” annoying 😆

Me too! I honestly thought ages ago that it was the breakfast the next day not the 4pm meal 🤣🤣🤣

I understand the need to provide access to food but not to pay for it, why should you?

Correct me if I'm wrong but, the majority of the posters think that this is normal. I'm guessing during peak wedding season photographers are booked out most weekends, so do photographers eat wedding or bar meals every weekend? Including a buffet at night? Are they all fat?

@ANameChangeAgain

I find this very odd and cheeky. I married 25 years ago, and it certainly wasn't a thing then! I've never expected to be fed by employers when I worked in offices, and I've never fed tradespeople in my home either - apart from the obvious coffee and biscuits. If I was a service provider at something as personal as a wedding then I would be taking a packed lunch.

I got married 19 years ago and our photographer did ceremony, group shots, some couple photos, fake cake cut and then left, so about 5 hours. So no need to feed him. Maybe yours was similar?

These days, normal coverage is from about 2-3 hours before the ceremony for bride/ groom prep, through to just after the first dance, some stay later to get more dancefloor shots. It's a long, physical, usually 12-14 hour day with most of that time spent on their feet carrying heavy equipment.

It's not the same as working in an office, where you are sitting at a desk, have access to a fridge, kitchen and hot drinks and can take a lunch break. It's also not the same as being a tradesman in a house, as again, you can take a lunch break at lunch time.

For a wedding photographer, the flow of the day (prep straight into ceremony straight into group shots, candid shots, couple photos, reception room details and set up, couple being called in to meal, sometimes speeches before meal) means they literally can not take a break from bridal prep until the meal (which is usually around 4-6pm), by which point they have worked a full day, skipped lunch and not eaten since they left their house that morning, and have hours left to go.

Wedding venues can be in rural or out of town locations, so it's not always possible to go out and get food, and as others have said, the schedule can often run over or change last minute on the day so it's risky to go offsite. They can't keep food cold in a hot car from 8am until 6pm or lug a cool bag around with all the photography gear, and to be honest, they need one proper hot meal to power them through such a long day.

So, it's not cheeky to ask to be fed one meal, it's just practical. (Doesn't have to be the full wedding breakfast, a bar meal is fine). It's standard practice in the industry for hotels and venues to provide a supplier meal option for photographers, videographers etc.

Hope that helps to explain it.

Correct me if I'm wrong but, the majority of the posters think that this is normal. I'm guessing during peak wedding season photographers are booked out most weekends, so do photographers eat wedding or bar meals every weekend? Including a buffet at night? Are they all fat?

That is the most bonkers question ever. They are having a meal like you are supposed to eat. Even if they have some of the buffet why would they necessarily be fat?

@ohthestruggles

Correct me if I'm wrong but, the majority of the posters think that this is normal. I'm guessing during peak wedding season photographers are booked out most weekends, so do photographers eat wedding or bar meals every weekend? Including a buffet at night? Are they all fat?

It would depend on the package you chose. Basic ones I imagine the photographer would want to be in and out as quickly as possible. But bigger packages involve pre-wedding and post-wedding photos as well as bridal photoshoots and so food is expected.

In Ireland it's normal to feed them (unless they're doing a half day and leaving before the meal). It's a very long physical day, and there don't tend to be many shops/cafes close by. Even if there were, is it really appropriate to send them out somewhere like that with their gear, or have them leave it in a car unattended?

However it's cheeky of your photographer to ask specifically for the wedding meal. Usually the venue would do something up in a separate room or in the bar. Gives the photographer a bit of a break, and time for them to review their work and plan for the rest of the night. Then the meal is just added to your tab.

YABU. It’s quite standard - I offered one to mine, which he was grateful for. Our photographer didn’t cost loads, but I think it’s the done thing regardless of what you’re paying them.

Our photographers have said they'll bring their own food, but our band want feeding. They have specifically asked the hotel to provide "crew meals" which will be cheaper than a wedding breakfast (and fresher too as they won't be there while we're having our main meal.

I don't have any complaints either way though. It's not like they can pop down to Tesco to get a sandwich while they're working is it??

I always expect to be fed at a wedding. Doesn't have to be the wedding breakfast, as I actually prefer a sandwich and some chips when I'm working. It's a long day, often involving a 2-3 hour drive to a venue with at least 6 hours on my feet before getting a break, and through through summer it's in the hot sun. Usually not anywhere near somewhere I could get hold of a hot, sustaining meal.

If a couple opts to not feed me that's fine, but I will be off site for 90 mins while I find the nearest pub to eat at.

I’m like you OP and wouldn’t have considered it. Thinking they would bring their own food as standard.

However having read replies here it makes sense what people are saying. Locations don’t often have an easy accessible place to eat and you don’t want them losing time by going off to find a place. Though they could bring their own but that would just mean a sandwich rather than something more substantial. Plus the hours worked are usually really long such as 12+ Hours.

I’m just having a small wedding so I just have the photographer booked for 2 hours and I hope they don’t expect lunch 😂

As someone who's never been married before, I would have no idea if this is normal or not.

I guess my initial assumption would be that they'd bring their own food.

But then I also don't think a photographer needs to be there all day from getting ready in the morning to the evening disco. I'd get someone for photos at the church / registry office only. After that everyone has phones and we can take our own!

@ohthestruggles

Correct me if I'm wrong but, the majority of the posters think that this is normal. I'm guessing during peak wedding season photographers are booked out most weekends, so do photographers eat wedding or bar meals every weekend? Including a buffet at night? Are they all fat?

No we are not all fat. Because we might start at 9am and not eat anything except a cereal bar and a banana until about 6pm. And then we're back on our feet for another few hours.