When you are already spending so much for your wedding, allotting room in your budget for gratuities can be hard to handle. And even though service charges may be spelled out in your contract, tipping (while not mandatory) is always appreciated for a job well done! Tipping wedding vendors is a considerate way to show your appreciation for all of their hard work in making your dream wedding day come true. We recommend you consider the following items when tipping your vendors:

1. Time invested into the planning of your event
2. Quality of service
3. The execution of your event on the day/night of

“Just as you would tip your hairstylist, nail technician, or server, I absolutely believe that you should tip all of your service vendors for your wedding,” shares wedding planner Robyn Swink. “A tip is never required, but always appreciated.”

Here’s a helpful breakdown of what is customary for tipping each vendor.

Catering Staff (Wait-staff & Bartenders)

The wait staff on your wedding day are key components in your special day & work the most labor-intensive job of all the vendors on the night of your wedding. They ensure your guests receive their food in a timely manner and in an efficient way. They clean up after your party and take care of any messes hands-on.

Here Comes The Guide believes the banquet manager & venue manager should receive $1 to $2 per guest or $100 to $300 each. And the catering staff should receive around $50 each.

What is the Service Charge on Lesner Inn’s bill then? I thought that covered the tips for the staff?

A “service charge” is a mandatory fee that gets added to your venue and/or catering contract, but it means different things for different venues. At The Lesner Inn, the service charge covers the hourly wage for the staff, administrative costs & venue maintenance. The Service Charge does not act as the tip for the staff. For more information on service charge, click here!

Wedding Planner & Day-of-Coordinators

Your day of coordinator has been your right-hand pal throughout your entire wedding day. They are responsible for making sure the wedding day (or weekend) is executed perfectly. Their roles include overseeing vendors, managing the timeline & overcoming any last-minute challenges that arise during the festivities. (Read more about the difference of a wedding day-of-coordinator & venue manager by clicking here)

While tipping is not expected or required for Lesner Inn’s day-of-coordinators, it sure is appreciated! According to both The Knot & Here Comes The Guide, a gratuity of 10%-20% of their service fee is traditional if you choose to tip your coordinator (up to $500). Opting to give your coordinator a personal gift is another popular choice instead of a monetary tip.

Officiant

If your officiant is affiliated with a church or synagogue, you’re often expected to make a donation to that institution. And the amount you donate is dependent on whether or not they are charging you to use the space for the Ceremony. As for officiants, a tip of $50-$100 is recommended by The Knot & Here Comes The Guide

Hair and Makeup Professionals

The hair and make-up professionals you have hired ensure you and your crew look f a n t a s t i c. According to The Knot & Here Comes The Guide, these professionals should be tipped 15%-20% of their rate for their service. And the standard time to give them their tip is immediately after their services on the day of your wedding.

Baker and Florist

Your baker and florist do not require tips. However, all tips are extremely appreciated! According to The Knot & Here Comes The Guide, the standard for tipping these vendors are as follows: $5-$20 for the cake/dessert delivery driver (and florist delivery if not the florist him/herself), 15-20% of total bill (or up to $150 cash tip) for the floral designer, and up to $100 cash tip for the baker.

Wedding Reception Music

Whether you have hired a band or DJ, tipping should be based on the quality of your experience and quality of service they delivered. When hiring a band with multiple members, consider the optional tipping standard of $25-$35 per musician. And when hiring a DJ, consider the optional tipping standard of $50-$150 (or 10-15% of their total bill).

Wedding Photographer & Videographers

According to The Knot, “You’re not expected to give your shutterbugs any money beyond their normal fees. But if the wedding photographer or videographer doesn’t own the studio, consider tipping each person (or give a certain amount with a thank-you note to disperse to staff).” The standard is $50-$200 per vendor.

A Thank You to your Wedding Vendors

Ultimately, tipping you wedding vendors will be completely up to you and will depend on your wedding budget and the experience/service your wedding vendors provided you! We recommend including wedding vendor tips in your wedding budget, but if you don’t have it in your budget, consider writing them a Review & a thank you note.

For more Information on Wedding Vendor Tip Etiquette, read this blog on The Knot &/or this blog on Here Comes The Guide.