Does Wedding Photographer Get A Meal?

Ok I did a wedding and when the bride visited me to pick up the thank you cards she presented an invoice for the meal I had. It was for $136.56 and she wanted a cheque from me, I was absolutely shocked at this. The bride also said she was going to get a cheque from the DJ as well. Rather than say no and have her go to the BBB or bad mouth me I gave her the cheque. She said "as an employee I don't ask my employer to buy my food why would you be any different"?

I was shocked and have now included this in the contract from now on, my mistake clearly but shocked after a 10 hour wedding session.

I would like folks to comment on this bride and what she did? A poll is also below. Thanks

Haven't shot a wedding for a million years, but was always fed at the reception

Your bride is nuts. I am always fed at the reception.

I only shoot for friends and family so am fed, but I would be surprised that that the expectation is to be fed especially at the inflated prices of wedding meals.

Very unusual. If younwere to be charged for the meal it should be discussed before the event so you could declline the option, and bring a peanut butter sandwich in a nrown paper bag.

I've only shot a few weddings for friends. Usually got seated at the back & was served last just as the wedding party finished & the best man got up to do his bit, followed by every one else who had something to say, so the food was cold & wasted anyway. After the first time that happened, I asked to be served when the wedding party was, but that never happened.

PhotosGuy wrote in post #17587451
I've only shot a few weddings for friends. Usually got seated at the back & was served last just as the wedding party finished & the best man got up to do his bit, followed by every one else who had something to say, so the food was cold & wasted anyway. After the first time that happened, I asked to be served when the wedding party was, but that never happened.

I've been burned like this before so now I don't ask the bride, I tell the bride that my second photographer and I will eat when they eat so that we can get back to work. I also tell the wedding planner (if there is one) and anyone else that needs to know.

I have to say its the first time Ive heard of a bride doing this. Perhaps the euphoria of the wedding has died and she's try to recover expenses.

The amount seems excessive to me btw. Was she happy with the photos. Im not asking what you charge, but is the amount in proportion to what you charged her?

I tend not to eat at weddings due to food allergies, unless its a family or someone well know to me I generally decline or just eat the veg option.

It might be a cultural thing but 98% of the weddings I shoot are indian and they will never let the photographer, dj or band leave without eating something. With us the meal is a means of sharing the blessings with the bride and groom.

picworx wrote in post #17587399
...when the bride visited me to pick up the thank you cards she presented an invoice for the meal I had...

That sounds crazy, partly because I've never attended/photographed a wedding where 100% of the RSVP'd guests showed up. If the the B&G paid for 160 meals and only 155 people attended their wedding, it seems reasonable to let the photographer and DJ have some food.

My employer for an office job buys us food all the time when we're working in crunch conditions and they would rather we stay in the office and keep working instead of wandering out to go find food ourselves.

I really hope that bride has a long and happy marriage, and never pulls that stunt again.

Badly worded poll.

I've always been provided a meal at 120+ weddings. My contact now says "please let us know if you're not able to supply a meal at the wedding". Verbally we say we appreciate a meal but it's not required, and we only need something to keep us going - a main not a three course meal. We also say we're happy to either bring our own food or go offsite for an hour to get a meal.

I honestly don't care if I get fed or not, but I do need to know in advance. I'm there to do a job.

Wow, so did you get paid for shooting the wedding?

I cannot believe you have been treated like that!

While we don't insist on a meal, we do have it in a contract that we will eat when they are eating, even if that means bringing our only food.

Hope you get more considerate clients in the future.

I'd have been livid if my wedding photographer sat down for the meal, I'm paying him to be there to take photo's of my guests eating their meal, he's not there to join in and enjoy himself, he can eat when there's no more photo's to be taken, and that ain't during the main meal! Harsh maybe, but that's one of the main events, he should be working during that period!

picworx wrote in post #17587399
Ok I did a wedding and when the bride visited me to pick up the thank you cards she presented an invoice for the meal I had. It was for $136.56 and she wanted a cheque from me, I was absolutely shocked at this. The bride also said she was going to get a cheque from the DJ as well. Rather than say no and have her go to the BBB or bad mouth me I gave her the cheque. She said "as an employee I don't ask my employer to buy my food why would you be any different"?

...did you think the meal fairy just produced a meal out of thin air?

As a contractor you should never assume anything should be provided outside of the scope of your contract, and that includes meals. It not only puts your client in an awkward and embarrassing situation but it also puts the venue in an awkward situation as well. Brides and grooms typically only get married once, so they have no idea what your expectations are. If you don't tell them you expect a meal, how do you expect them to know? All those times that you did happen to get fed was probably the result of either the venue being nice or the bride and groom having to pay an extra bill.

As a former venue manager, running around sorting out meals for contractors who hadn't organized them was a painful and annoying part of my job. Sometimes the kitchen literally had no meals left and would have to put something together from scratch. I once gave up my meal for a photographer (and I had been working all day without a break) and he ended up giving me grief because he had to eat it out the back. At the end of the day someone has to pay for the extra meals and on this rare occasion that someone was you. If it took a bride sending you an invoice for you to finally get your contract sorted then I can't see this as a bad thing.

welshwizard1971 wrote in post #17587717
I'd have been livid if my wedding photographer sat down for the meal, I'm paying him to be there to take photo's of my guests eating their meal, he's not there to join in and enjoy himself, he can eat when there's no more photo's to be taken, and that ain't during the main meal! Harsh maybe, but that's one of the main events, he should be working during that period!

Taking photos of people eating is generally not recommended. The photos are bad, people don't like it, and it's about the only time of the day a wedding photographer gets to actually sit down. I'm not kidding about that last bit, I generally sit down for 10 minutes per wedding, during the meal, while I eat. Personally I prefer to be away from the guests, so I can stop thinking for 10 minutes and maybe do some planning.

At my wedding last year I offered our photographer and his second a seat at a table and a full meal. They asked for just a main, but they did sit with the guest. Of course I did know them a little, being a colleague, but I'd have done the same for any photographer.