where do your vendors sit?

[ficklefaye]

at our venue, vendors like photographers and videographers set up in a separate room from the reception, that is also where they eat

i want our vendors to have their own seats at the reception so they won''t miss any photo or video opportunities and can eat without feeling rushed to get back to the reception, but where should i seat them? next to auntie and uncle so and so or should i have a separate vendor table even tho it''s really just a handful of them?

any help is appreciated

 

[DMBFiredancer]

I was wondering the same thing....do I need a placecard for them?

 

[Rachie]

I have eight vendors staying for dinner so I am seating them all together. I am using a seating chart so I''m unsure about giving them place cards. I am not going to put them on the seating chart though.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I had a vendor table...they had place cards, and the same meal options as our guests.

 

[newsboysgrl777]

I, too, sat all my vendors together at their own table and they were given the same options as my guests. Additionally, they did each have a place card. I''ve read so many blogs and articles from vendors how they felt eating crap while they''ve worked all day long, when it would''ve been just as easy to feed them what you''re feeding your guests. Now, I totally understand if it''s an EXTREMELY high per plate cost, but mine was doable and I thought it would be nice to give them all the same as my guests....and since the food was so amazing EVERYONE (including the vendors) came up to me to tell me how good the food was!

 

[ficklefaye]

i only have five vendors who are staying for the reception, which is why i thought it strange to have a table just for them, FI and i are thinking of just seating them with some of our single friends or friends who pretty much know each other well, it''s a buffet so it''s the same food for everyone

 

[wannaBMrsH]

We are only having two vendors (our photographers who are traveling with us) and we''ve tried to really include them in the festivities because they are pretty much doing our wedding for free. We are only paying for the trip.

We sent them an official STD, Information Packet, and formal invitation.

We are seating them with our brothers and their dates and we are also giving them an OOT bag and travel mug!

But, I think it might be more difficult if you have a large number of vendors and the cost of the meals is very expensive. I''ve always read that a full meal is very appreciated by everyone.

 

[havernell]

I would ask your vendors where *they* would prefer to sit. We asked our photographer, and she actually said she's rather eat apart from the guests in a seperate room. She said it gave her some real down time/break which she wouldn't have gotten if she had to make small talk with uncle eddie at a guest table. Other vendors may feel differnently and prefer to sit with other guests or to have a vendor table in the reception. So, I would ask your vendors what they want.

As for wanting your vendor to eat in the same room as the guests so the don't "miss" any wedding moments- really don't worry about that. I PROMISE you there will be no picture worthy moments in the half hour everyone is eating their meal (and photos of people chewing aren't flattering either). Plus, this is supposed to be the vendors *break* time- please don't make them feel like they shouldn have to jump up during their meal to shoot something. A professoinal vendor will make sure he/she is back in the room in time to capture the important post-dinner moments. Remember, they've done tons of weddings so they have the timing down pretty well.

Good luck with it!

 

[Lauren8211]

I had not even considered this yet! Thanks for starting the thread!

 

[bee*]

I only had three vendors at the reception. The photographer and his wife sat in with us and they sat with some of my parent''s friends and I gave them placecards. The videographer said that he''d rather sit in the bar if it was ok with us. We were fine with that so he could choose from our menu there and we didn''t have to give him a placecard.

 

[ficklefaye]

my vendors actually mentioned how they disliked sitting in a separate room from the reception, so i kept that in mind, it''s just a matter of where to sit them

 

[Rock_of_Love]

Date: 7/22/2009 3:40:57 PM
Author: elledizzy5
I had not even considered this yet! Thanks for starting the thread!

No doubt!! This was not even on my radar AT ALL!! Hmmm....

 

[havernell]

Date: 7/22/2009 7:04:56 PM
Author: ficklefaye
my vendors actually mentioned how they disliked sitting in a separate room from the reception, so i kept that in mind, it''s just a matter of where to sit them

Okay, that''s a start! You could still ask them if they''d prefer to sit with guests or if they''d prefer to have a "vendor only" table. If they say they don''t care, I''d just wait until you put together your final guest seating chart and see where it naturally makes the most sense to place them (i.e. if you have one guest table with only 4 people, put the vendors at that table). Good luck with it!

 

[ficklefaye]

thanks, havernell! i''ll check with the vendors when i see them again, i''m still waiting for more rsvps before i work on the actual seating chart, it''s coming along tho

 

[honey22]

This sounds like the way to go.

We are having a tiny wedding (less than 20 all up) so we all fit on one large table, so the photog will sit there with us. He is going to be served the same food as everyone else, and when the time is up, he is welcome to have a few drinkies too. He would have spent all day with us by then, I am sure we will be old friends by this stage

 

[ficklefaye]

i always wished for a small wedding, but both our families are large and we wanted them to be there with us, maybe i''ll save the small gathering for a vow renewal