This is the moment where you are probably thinking to yourself, OMG do I really have to tip wedding vendors after spending all this money on ONE day? The truth is, the wedding industry is a service industry, and just like when you are being served a 3-course meal there is a team of individuals behind that waiter/waitress making your incredible meal possible.

The cost of your meal (invoice) covers the bills for running the business, rent, wages, supplies, transportation, website fees, and overall administrative management required to deliver a quality product or service to you. The tip is that little extra boost to the individuals on the ground bringing your vision to life. Tips are 100% kept by the employees/contractors carrying out the work whereas the cost of the meal goes straight to the business itself and then filtered down.

Each of these vendors offers a personalized service or product for your special day. Tipping wedding vendors is not an obligation, but it is greatly appreciated when great service is received. When considering the amount to tip, consider the number of hours they will be working on your wedding day (simple cake drop off vs. being onsite for 12 hours), how many staff they provide, and the complexities of your day (parking, multiple locations, large bridal party, etc…).

Gratuities will be handed out on the day of the wedding in a sealed envelope or sent via Venmo by the end of the vendor’s shift. If you prefer Venmo, your wedding planner can get the vendor’s handles in advance, just let them know! Be sure to plan to give the envelopes to your wedding planner for easy (and documented) distribution on the morning of your wedding.

Across the board for all vendors, Cash or Venmo is preferred. If a check is written, the business will need to report it as sales income and pay the appropriate tax for it which defeats the purpose of showing appreciation to the direct individuals onsite.

Hair and Makeup Artist (half day): Gratuity is expected here; a service standard 15-20%.

Transportation (half day): Gratuity is usually included in the contract. If not, a standard 15-20% is enough.

Wedding Planner (all day): This is similar to any of the service-based vendors. If they did a great job in the pre-planning and on the wedding day a monetary or non-monetary gift is a great way to show your appreciation. Depending on your package size, a gratuity of 10-20% is appropriate.

Photographer and Video (contract dependent): Gratuity is recommended as they provide you the service of capturing every minute of your day and spending the weeks after staring at a screen editing each of your special moments. $100- $200 per company will suffice.

Catering and Reception Staff (8+ hours): Reception staff will often have a small gratuity built into their contract. If not, use the standard 10-20% of the food and drink bill.

Bar (8+ hours): The same can go for the bar as with catering, they may have gratuity already built into their contract. If not, you want to do the same and add a standard 10-20% of the total drink bill. You could also consider providing a tip jar for the bartenders to display on the bar so that guests can be the ones to tip them as they get drinks throughout the night. Some may provide their own jar, if you DON’T want a tip jar out, be sure to tell your planner.

Entertainment, Emcee, and DJ (8+ hours): Tipping your entertainment, emcee or DJ is recommended. Base your tip on the quality of the job they did during the wedding. The standard is between $100-$150 for DJ/emcees and $20-$50 for musicians.

Florist (contract dependent): The florist is a vendor that doesn’t require a tip and won’t expect it. However, like any other vendor, if you feel like their designer spent time customizing your vision and your labor instillation requires them to go above and beyond then gratuity is a great way to show them appreciation. A $50 to $100 tip is a thoughtful way to say thank you for all of their hard work regardless of your floral budget.

Officiant (1-hr): If your officiant is affiliated with a church or synagogue donate to that institution or send a written thank-you. Non-denominational officiants or judges do not require a tip. If you are happy with your officiant, a $50 tip is appreciated.

Wedding Delivery, Set-up, Bellhop, Valet and Reception Attendants: Just as you would in moving or vacation, slip the workers a few dollars during the setup/breakdown. If your wedding planner will be utilizing a bellhop or valet service to transport set-up items, be sure to give them enough for both delivery and drop-off at the end of the night. A general gratuity envelope of 1’s, 5’s and 10’s is best.

For all other vendors and just in general use your discretion based on the service you received. If you found they exceeded your expectations, show them! Let us know if this blog was helpful, we always love to hear from you.

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