Your wedding will likely be a costly event and it can be easy to forget that tipping your vendors to demonstrate your appreciation is an important step in building goodwill between you and them, and parting on positive terms once the big day is over. Tipping your wedding vendors is an etiquette dilemma that can often be left up to interpretation. Whether it’s your wedding planner, bartender, hair and makeup artist, or the DJ – tipping can vary depending on how much you value their services and how much they contribute to making the day extra special. We will cover what you should tip and how much for each vendor so that no matter what happens at your wedding day there won’t be any awkward moments about who gets a tip and who doesn’t!
When it comes to tipping your wedding vendors, there are a few general things to keep in mind. For photographers, caterers and banquet managers, bartenders, hair and makeup experts, musicians, chauffeurs, valet and restroom attendants – you should generally tip between 15-20% of the bill. If you have a wedding planner, it is customary to tip them anywhere from $100-500 depending on the level of service they provided.
There are a few exceptions to these tipping guidelines, however. If you have an all-inclusive wedding package where gratuity is already included in the price, then there’s no need to tip additional gratuity. If your wedding planner was not willing to negotiate their fee, you can also choose not to tip them. If any of your services were only mediocre, tipping is optional (but still recommended). It’s important that you make sure the person or company has provided an exceptional level of service before giving a gratuity beyond 15-20%.
Anything in this list should be considered when tipping your wedding vendors:
– timeliness
– attentiveness to detail
– helpfulness and suggestions
– going above and beyond their job duties
When considering who to tip, keep in mind that your photographer, caterer and banquet manager, hair and makeup experts, musicians, chauffeurs, valet and restroom attendants, bartenders, and wedding planner (if you use one) are the people that help make your big day go smoothly. Tipping them is a way to express gratitude for their services.
TIP! When tipping your vendors and attendants onsite at an event, it’s best practice to give cash in envelopes. This makes it easy for them to tip out their staff and keeps everything accounted for so that everyone is accounted for by day’s end.
When it comes to tipping your wedding vendors, there are a few general things to keep in mind. In general, you can follow the tipping guidelines of 15-20% of the cost for each service. If your wedding planner really goes above and beyond, you can tip them as much as you want or can afford to, depending on the level of service they provided and how much they contributed to the success of your day. There are a few exceptions to these tipping guidelines but if you’re on a budget and need to monitor your wedding spending, follow these tips and everyone who supported you to make your day extra special will leave your wedding as happy as you and your new spouse!