Why Do We Have to Pay and Feed You?

I'm planning a wedding. Well, to be completely honest, Pirate and I are planning our wedding and he's happily and motivatedly involved in most aspects of this shindig, including my dress and hair. Bet you didn't expect that from a dude, huh?

For the most part, planning everything has been pretty easy even though we live approximately 640 miles from the wedding location and Pirate is still deployed to the 'Ghan. The internet has been an FSMsend throughout as we can use vendor websites and wedding review sites to peruse and book just about every detail. I even contacted a wedding planner that has done so little work for us that she hasn't charged me.

Here's the one thing I have to complain about so far. Why do bands expect to be fed? We've booked a swing band and they will play for all of three hours - maximum. In that three hours, I'm sure there will be at least two breaks.

In a normal job where you work 40 hours a week, you aren't entitled to a single 15 minute break if you only work three hours. Yet the band is getting two breaks. Now I understand their break schedule - especially if you're singing or blowing a horn for 45 minutes straight, I certainly agree that you deserve a break.

But why the hell do I have to feed you??? I'm paying you to do your job. For three short hours. Can you not spend three hours of your life without food when you're not booked for a gig?

We're feeding the photographers, but they've booked out their entire day to spend with us - from getting ready in the morning until whenever we say, "okay, that's it, the party is over, no more photos, go home," however many hours later everything is wrapped up. I don't mind feeding them. They are at my beck and call for a minimum of six hours. If they were only staying three hours, I'd bitch about paying for their food too.

Now, I will admit that I like this particular band's food and beverage requirement more than I liked the first band we talked to. This band wants sandwiches, dessert and soft drinks before they start playing. (My practical side tells me to add $7 per band member to their contracted rate and tell them to hit Mickey D's on the way in, but I know that won't fly.) The first band wanted to be able to scrounge the buffet line after the guests were done eating, but with a 16-piece swing band, obviously we'd have to add some servings to ensure there was anything left for them at all. I was okay with that (well, as okay as I could be with feeding them in the first place). My biggest issue with them is that they wanted alcohol privileges as well. They didn't explicitly ask to be included in an open bar if we had one, but the band leader did say that some of his players liked to have a drink or two.

No.

I know that I can be a bit prudish when it comes to the alkeehol. But if I'm paying you to perform a professional service for three hours in the early afternoon, I am completely and totally uncool with you drinking on the job. This isn't a concert where people come to see you, this is a job where you're a hired vendor. The photographers aren't drinking, the hall manager isn't drinking, the chef isn't drinking (I hope), you don't drink either. Luckily, the venue manager was awesome and agreed with my prudishness and told me that if we booked that particular band, she'd tell them that they couldn't drink while they were there to perform.

We didn't end up booking them, so that's not an issue now.

And honestly, feeding the band isn't a huge problem for me. I don't like it and I think it's ridiculous that we are expected to do it, but it's certainly not so important that I'd even consider telling Pirate, "No, I refuse to get a band because they want to be fed." It's just something that I want to bitch about every once in awhile.

So thanks for letting me whine! (And if you'd like to leave a comment agreeing with my annoyance, that's cool too.)