23 Oct What to Tip Your Wedding Vendors
When creating your wedding budget, it is important to consider everything, including tips. This is often overlooked initially, so it’s important to consider this during the early planning stages. However, knowing what to tip your wedding vendors, which ones to tip, and how much can be daunting. To help you plan out this necessary and sometimes costly expense, check out this helpful breakdown on how much to tip wedding vendors.
How Much Should I Tip Wedding Vendors?
While tipping isn’t mandatory (unless written into the contract), it is a great way to show your wedding dream team appreciation for a job well done. However, before you do anything, look at your wedding contracts to see if a gratuity charge was already included. Unless you want to reward them with something extra, no additional tipping is required if gratuity is included!
Which Wedding Vendors Should I Tip?
There are a few vendors that you SHOULD tip. Wedding delivery and setup staff expect to get a tip since they do the heavy lifting before and after your wedding. Also, if you went to the salon, you would tip, so hairstylists and makeup artists also fall into this category. Lastly, your officiant should also be on this list; they are marrying you, after all, and play a significant role!
How much and when should I tip?
Delivery and Setup: Depending on the complexity, about $5-$20 per person, and they can be tipped upon delivery.
Hairstylists/Makeup Artists: Stylists should get a 15-20% tip, and you can tip them after your hair and makeup are done.
Officiant: Depending on who you get, they might not be able to accept a cash tip. Instead, if it’s a religious officiant, make a donation to their house of worship, church, or synagogue. A small gift will also act as a token of thanks, especially if you have a government officiant who is legally prohibited from accepting cash. You can give them your token of appreciation at the wedding rehearsal or rehearsal dinner.
Contract Vendor Tips-Check Your Contract First!
When it comes to your transportation, venue staff, catering staff, and bartenders’ gratuity, this may already be included, so you need to check your contract to see if they already added a gratuity charge. If they did, you don’t have to tip (unless they did an exceptional job and want to give them more!). However, if there isn’t a gratuity charge added to the contract, you should tip them.
How much and when should I tip (if not included in the contract)?
Transportation: If there is no added gratuity charge, tip 15-20%. Tips can be given upon pickup or after the last ride of the day.
Venue Attendants: This includes restroom and coat check attendants and parking valets. If no added gratuity is in the contract, they should be tipped $1-$2 per guest. Regarding parking valets, $1-$2 per car is sufficient. Tip your attendants at the beginning of your wedding is recommended.
Bartenders: If a gratuity charge isn’t added to the contract, tip your bartenders 10-20% of the alcohol bill. This can be split amongst the bartenders, and you can tip them at the end of the reception.
Catering Staff: If there is no added gratuity charge, then tip 15-20 % of the beverage and food bill, but if you prefer cash tips, you can tip the catering staff separately.
Head waiter and catering manager: $100-$300
Head chef: $50-$100
Wait and kitchen staff: $20 each
Optional Tips
When it comes to your wedding planner, photographer, floral designer, and others, while not expected, if they went above and beyond for you and gave excellent service, it’s always good to show your appreciation!
How much and when should I tip?
Wedding Planner/Coordinator: You can give them up to $500 cash, or 15-20% of their fee, at the end of the reception.
Photographer/Videographer: $50-$200 each, or a small gift, will suffice. You can give them a tip at the end of the reception.
Floral Designer: $50-$150 cash, 10-15% of the total bill, or a small gift, will suffice. You can tip them either at the end of the reception or upon delivery/setup.
DJ/Musicians: If desired, they can be tipped at the end of their performance. For a DJ, you can tip $50-$150 cash or 10-15% of the total bill. If you had a reception band, tip $25-$50 cash per musician, or ceremony musicians $150$25 per musician or 15% of their fee.
Photo Booth Attendant: Depending on the number of guests or the duration, you can tip $50-$100 at the end of the reception.