Your wedding suppliers will absolutely love bringing your dreams to life and creating the perfect day for you! Part of that will involve many of them being up on their feet for hours at a time, making sure everything runs smoothly. And at some point, they’re going to need to refuel. And this is where wedding supplier meals come in!
Not only is it a kind gesture to feed your wedding supplier team, but once they’ve been fed and had a chance to recharge, they will work better!
Want to know who gets these wedding supplier meals, what to serve them, when the food will come out and absolutely everything else…? Keep on reading!
Related: How to Find Your Wedding Supplier Team
Who gets a meal?
If you are hosting a wedding which takes place over a meal time, then all your wedding suppliers will need to be fed. This will be anybody who has been around for most, if not all, of the day and any supplier who is at your reception.
This would be:
✅ Videographers
✅ Wedding planners
✅ Band and DJ
✅ Entertainers (live painters, magicians, photo booth operators etc)
Your venue team and caterers will arrange their own meals, but don’t forget about any waiting staff or bartenders that you have hired in.
You won’t need to worry about suppliers who will leave before the reception begins.
This would be:
❌ Decor team
❌ Florist
❌ Hair and makeup artist
(Unless you have specifically requested any of them to stay for touch ups).
Check your contracts
I recommend offering wedding supplier meals to everybody on the list above! It’s also worth checking your contract, in the instance that a supplier has stipulated they can leave and grab a meal somewhere else. This would mean they’re off-site.
What will the suppliers eat?
It depends on the wedding reception food situation. If you are serving banquet-style, from a food truck, a buffet, or meals that guests will order at their tables, then usually your suppliers will eat whatever the guests are eating.
The general rule is that if your guests are eating a hot meal, your wedding suppliers should too!
When will these meals be served?
This is something you can coordinate with your wedding planner, venue coordinator and caterer. Come to an arrangement that fits the flow of the day and the suppliers you’ll be feeding.
These are your options:
🍲 Feed your suppliers and guests at the same time.
🍲 Have guests eat first and then feed the suppliers. In this instance, there may be a delay between the meal and entertainment if you’re waiting for the band to finish dinner.
🍲 Suppliers eat first and then guests. This works best if suppliers are given a different meal to what the guests will eat.
Where will the suppliers eat?
Your best bet is to put your suppliers in a different room! It’s a great chance to have a break and recharge without having to socialise with people they don’t know. The extroverted suppliers may have a different opinion, so ask! This extra room can also double up as storage space for their supplies and personal items.
