Wedding Etiquette Tip #5 – Tipping Your Wedding Vendors

Tipping your wedding vendors is something brides have a lot of questions about. Which vendors should I tip? How much should I tip them? When do I tip them? Which ones should I not tip, and which ones will expect a tip? These are many of the questions asked concerning this subject. Tipping is mainly voluntary, and should be based on the quality of service given. However in the wedding world, some vendors expect a tip. It is important to know the proper etiquette for tipping your wedding vendors. Follow the basic guideline below to learn what you should or shouldn’t do, concerning wedding gratuities.

Vendor	Gratuity: YES/NO/OPTIONAL	How Much?	Reason
Hairstylist & Makeup Artist	YES	10% – 15%	Exception: If they come to your location they have probably already figured in a traveling & gratuity fee, so tip is not necessary
Ceremony Officiant	NO – But……..		Can make a donation to the church/synagogue and/or send gift certificate to nice restaurant
Ceremony Musicians	OPTIONAL	$5 - $10hr per person	Check to see if their fee is covered in the venue fee, but especially consider tipping if they are traveling to your location. Base it upon their performance
Caterer	NO		Gratuities for waiters/waitresses are already added to your bill
Cake Baker	NO		Unless you want to tip delivery staff for delivering your cake on time,  then it is not neccessary
Reception DJ	YES	$50 - $100	Serves as MC for your wedding, and keeps the party going! They earn it!
Reception Band	OPTIONAL	$20-$25 per band member	Consider the quality of their performance and you be the judge
Bartenders	YES	10% of total liquor bill	Shared between each bartender
Photographer/Videographer	NO		Unless they’ve gone above and beyond and thrown in extras in your package
Florist	NO		Unless you want to tip the delivery worker ($10-$20)
Wedding Planner	OPTIONAL	10% of their bill	If he/she has gone above and beyond, and you are very pleased with their work it’s nice to show your appreciation with a tip
Wedding Transportation	YES	10% – 15% of the limousine bill	First check to make sure the gratuity hasn’t already been added to the bill

Unless there is a “Yes” in the gratuity option column, the rest of the vendors do not expect a tip. As mentioned earlier, tipping is a voluntary service and you should be the personal judge for when and how much in such cases. If the wedding vendor has gone above and beyond your expectations and your chosen package, then consider tipping as a form of gratitude. The best way to handle the gratuities is to individually label them in envelopes and designate someone you trust to hand these out for you at the end of the wedding night. Normally the best man, father of the bride, or wedding planner will gladly take charge of passing out gratuities. Remember also, it is proper etiquette to send ALL of your wedding vendors a “Thank You” card after the wedding is over. Unless you were very dissatisfied with their services, a thank you card is very much appreciated. They are also able to use them to book future clients.