When it comes to your big day tipping your vendors and
reception attendants is probably the last thing on your mind. It is, however, a service industry standard
practice. Luckily there is a simple way
to know how much to tip each person. Before
we get to the nitty-gritty of dollar and cents for tipping those who have
helped in your special day, there are a few details to take care of.
First, please understand that a tip is never an obligation,
unless it clearly states in your contract that a service charge is
necessary. Even though not all contracts
will say that a service charge is expected, most vendors will expect a gratuity
from you. It is up to you as to whether
or not you would like to tip them.
Remember that you are not tipping the owners of these businesses, just
their employees who are actually doing the service such as delivering décor or
a cake. You can, however, tip the
business owner if their service goes above and beyond your expectations. If you do not want to offer a monetary thank
you, simple thank you notes go a very long way as well.
Secondly, make sure that you have assigned someone to take
care of handing out all of the tips for you.
This can be a maid of honor, best man, a close family member or friend
who is not in the wedding party, or your wedding planner if you have one. Although it may seem impossible to think of
relinquishing control over such amounts of money and entrusting them to someone
else, it is not a detail a bride or groom should be worrying about on their big
day. The wedding day should be as stress
free as possible and you should be doing no running around to find the
appropriate people you need to tip.
Below you can find a brief breakdown of specific people to
tip, how much to tip them, and when the person in charge should hand out the
tips.
Wedding Planner
This is one of those case-by-case scenarios. If your wedding planner was exceptional, then
you will likely want to tip them. Be
aware that they do not expect anything from you in the form of a gratuity, but
even a simple thank you note with professional pictures are always
appreciated If you do want to provide
some form of gratuity, then it can be a nice gift or 15% of the fee they
charged. This tip can be done at the end
of the reception by the bride and groom themselves or can be mailed after the
honeymoon.
The Beauty Team
(Hair and Make-up Artist)
When you are getting your hair and make-up done for any
event or even just on a day-to-day basis, a tip is always expected. Your wedding is no different. In fact, giving a tip to them on your wedding
day is even more important than any other time.
You should be tipping them 15-20% and if they have to take care of
extras such a fixing someone’s hair or touching up the make-up, then be sure to
throw in a little extra. These tips
should be taken care of at the end of your services.
Delivery and
Set-Up Staff
These tips go to anyone who is delivering anything for your
wedding or to your suite for the big day.
They should only be about $5-$10 per person depending on how much they
are delivering and how far they have to go to deliver. You can give these tips to the catering
manager or to your wedding planner before the event, so they can hand them out
as the deliveries are made.
Those who
pronounce you man and wife (The Wedding Officiant)
The wedding officiant is never expected to be tipped. If he or she belongs to a church, synagogue,
or temple, then it is customary to make a donation to that place of worship. If you are a member, this may impact the amount
you decide to donate. If you are also
paying to use their venue for the reception, feel free to tip a smaller amount
since they are charging you to rent out the space. If you are having a nondenominational
officiant at a non-religious venue, then they will charge you for their
services, so no tip is expected. As a general guideline, expect to make a
donation of approximately $500 to the temple, church, or synagogue and you can
give an optional tip of $50-$100 to a nondenominational officiant if you are
exceptionally pleased with their services.
These tips and donations can be done before the wedding, or if the
officiant is at your rehearsal dinner, then the person in charge of tips can
pass it to them.
Wedding
Shutterbugs and Movie Makers (Photographer/Videographer)
You are never expected to tip the photographer or
videographer if they are the owner of the studio, but if they are not, then
consider giving each person a tip of $50-$200 per vendor at the end of the
reception.
Wedding Reception
Staff
The wedding reception staff will include your on-site
coordinator, banquet manager, and head waiter.
These people usually have an approximate 2% service fee built in to the
contract, but if they do not, then a tip is necessary. The tip for each should be 15-20 % of the
cost of labor for the food and beverage.
These tips are taken care of before the wedding if they are included in
the contract; otherwise you need to wait until the end of the reception, so you
have the final bill to figure out percentages.
Wedding Reception
Attendants
This includes your bartenders, waiters, parking, bathroom,
and coat-room attendants if you have them.
Deciding how much to tip them can usually be found in your
contract. You can always tip extra if
you feel as though the service was exceptional.
If these costs are not included in your contract, be sure to call ahead
and ask how many of each will be at the wedding, so you can figure out the tips
beforehand. Each bartender and waiter
should get $20-$25. Each bathroom, coatroom,
and parking attendant should get between $1-$2 per guest or per car. It is a good idea to pass out these tips
before the actual wedding, so it will hopefully encourage them to provide you
with outstanding service.
Reception Band or
DJ
This is another situation where it is a case-by-case
basis. It all depends on the quality of
the service they do and how closely they followed your suggested playlist. It should be about $20-$25 per musician or
$50-$150 for the DJ. These tips should
be given out by the person in charge or your tips at the end of the reception.
Transportation
This is another situation where gratuity is often stipulated
in the contract. If it is not, then a
tip is expected assuming they show up on time and do not get lost on their way. The tip should be 15-20% percent of the total
bill. These tips can be given at the end
of the night or after your last ride in them.
If you provided guest busses using a different company, make sure to put
someone in charge of providing them with a tip or have the best man do it.
Never feel obligated to give a tip if the service was not
what you expected. The most important
thing to remember about some of these optional tips is that sometimes a
thank-you note or a personal gift mean a lot more than cash.
BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olivia
