Wedding question

[MrBlahh]

My brother is getting married soon and he said that when he was talking to the DJ he said that it makes the photographer and DJ mad when you dont feed them and to count them in as one of the guests. Is this true? I thought this seemed a little odd. I can see maybe the photographer getting something to eat since he/she is with you all day but for what you are paying these guys i would think they can bring their own food.

On another note, are DJs even worth it? It almost seems like you're better off just bringing in an ipod or a laptop and renting some sound equipment.

 

[BarneyFife]

You should probably feed them.

 

[SmoochyTX]

You feed them.

ETA - And most definitely get a DJ. If there's ever a day that things go wrong, you don't want it to be that day. A professional DJ is a good investment. Besides, who's going to sit there and babysit the playlist all day/night? I sure as hell wouldn't want to be that person unless I was getting paid which brings me to....

 

[Uppsala9496]

Feed them.
And yes, a DJ is worth it. They can make or break a wedding.

 

[LouPoir]

Fo sure, feed them -

 

[mugs]

Yeah, you're supposed to feed them. But I think the reception place charged less for them at my wedding.

 

[waggy]

yeap feed them! its the polite thing to do.

 

[akshatp]

Yes you feed them. And YES get a DJ it is worth it.

iPod or laptop??? Not unless the wedding is in your backyard under a tent.

 

[3NF]

How much more is it really going to cost to feed them, on top of what they're already paying If anything, your brother and future wife should elope and spend the money on themselves.

 

[Eos]

What should the photographer do while you're eating? Take photos of you and the guests stuffing crab cakes into your mouth?

Feed them.

Unless you're given explicit permission, don't print images the photographer gives you. They are not yours. They are the copyright of the creator.

And don't try to compare the 5-8 hours the photographer spends at your gig to the cost. They spend MANY more hours meeting with you, preparing equipment, editing images, archiving images, sending images to a lab for printing, meeting with you again to place an album order, etc. A wedding gig is not a 8 hour job. Each one is closer to an average of 35-40 hours. A $5000 photog makes about $140 per hour overall, but gear is not cheap, marketing is not cheap, lab fees (quality printing) are not cheap, etc. A 12 page, 8x10 leather wedding album is over $250 for just the photographer to buy. No images included. Those cool leather wedding boxes are even more expensive. Closer to $350.

Just some things to consider when looking at the cost of wedding professionals.

 

[FilmCamera]

Yes feed me.

I haven't been to a wedding where they haven't fed me. I've even been invited to several of the rehersal dinners. I usually show up at the rehersal to give some instruction and talk with the officiating party about stuff.

But yeah eos is right, tons more work than just the time spent taking photos.

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: eos
What should the photographer do while you're eating? Take photos of you and the guests stuffing crab cakes into your mouth?

Feed them.

Exactly! :thumbsup:

While I don't have a TON of experience shooting weddings, I have dabbled into it a bit and it makes me feel more welcomed and at-ease with the couple. But yes, we aren't going to take pot-shots of people eating unless the photographer has had too much to drink.