Your Complete Guide On How Much to Tip Wedding Vendors

Weddings are sophisticated ventures whether or not you’re reserving the distributors your self or working with a marriage planner. Costly, too. And what if we instructed you that an additional $1,000 is required for ideas.
That’s proper, ideas. It’s sensible to price range just a little one thing additional for the make-up artist that made the bride sparkle and the florist who bought the groom’s mom to smile for the primary time the entire day.
“Tipping is changing into more and more widespread and whereas it might appear uncomfortable for some {couples} and households,” writes wedding ceremony planner Nicole McCann of Exhale Occasions on her weblog, “and the way a lot to offer is a sound query.”
However how a lot and who ought to get a tip? This wedding ceremony tipping information will assist you determine how a lot to price range lengthy earlier than the large day.
Ought to You Even Tip Wedding ceremony Distributors?
Not all wedding ceremony distributors get tipped, however most of them do. A few of the employees, like parking attendants, hair and make-up, reception employees, and the band or DJ rely on ideas. In keeping with wedding ceremony web site The Knot, even conservative tipping can impression your wedding ceremony price range. You also needs to put aside a minimum of $800 for gratuities.
Tipping Wedding ceremony Distributors Suggestions
It’s simpler in the long term to construct gratuities into your wedding ceremony price range planning, so there are not any surprises on the finish. On this information will let you know:
- Who ought to get tipped
- How a lot to tip
- Who’s non-compulsory to tip
- Who you don’t have to fret about tipping in any respect
And simply so that you aren’t awkwardly thrusting cash in somebody’s hand on the unsuitable time, we let when it is best to fork over the cash.
Whenever you or your planner are engaged on contracts, make clear whether or not gratuities or a service price for every wedding ceremony vendor are already constructed into the associated fee. Don’t assume the service cost is an worker tip.
You (or the individuals who hold providing to assist) can write thanks notes for every vendor with the ideas already included earlier than the marriage. Then you definitely simply decide a trusted good friend or relative at hand them out on the finish of the reception.
You don’t should tip the proprietor of a big, established enterprise, however you could be tipping their employees. For small enterprise homeowners, it’s okay to tip, since they could be a one particular person operation.
We’re right here to take the fear about how a lot to tip wedding ceremony distributors away. It doesn’t should be sophisticated.
Tip
Put going to the financial institution and getting money a number of days earlier than the marriage on the to-do checklist. Money ideas may be put in envelopes and pre-labeled with the supposed recipient’s title. Decide a accountable good friend or relative to be in command of handing them out on the finish of every side of the marriage (rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception).
We notice under that a few of tipping your wedding ceremony vendor can occur each earlier than and after the marriage.
How A lot to Tip Wedding ceremony Distributors
Some distributors may be tipped the day of the occasion and a few can obtain their gratuity within the mail or by way of bank card once you settle the invoice.
Florist: $50-$100
Flowers are an integral a part of the marriage and reception. Florists usually information you thru the entire resolution course of. Florists could not anticipate a tip, however it’s common to offer them $50 to $100, relying on how elaborate your flower preparations are. You’ll be able to mail the florist a thanks notice with the verify or money.
You must positively tip the florist supply folks, $10 to $20 every, relying on how sophisticated the arrange is for them. Tip them on the time of the supply.
Stationer: No tip
You wouldn’t have to tip the stationer, however a thanks card or good evaluate on the web site is a pleasant gesture.
Set Up and Supply Workers: $5-$10
Folks delivering and establishing tables, chairs, tents, flowers, truffles, and many others. must be tipped $5 to $10 every, relying on how sophisticated their duties are. The marriage planner or coordinator may be chargeable for giving them their ideas.

Wedding ceremony Officiant: $50-$100
Tipping the marriage officiant is determined by whether or not it’s a non secular service or secular. It additionally is determined by if they’re voluntary or employed. In case your ceremony takes place in a church, synagogue, mosque, or different non secular establishment, you make a donation to the establishment.
If there’s already a price for utilizing the non secular establishment, you’ll be able to nonetheless tip the marriage officiant between $50-100. You’ll lean towards the upper quantity should you had premarital counseling or different particular providers.
In the event you employed the marriage officiant, then you’ll be able to tip between 15-20% of the price as much as $75, if they’ve supplied distinctive service.
Wedding ceremony Planner/Coordinator: As much as 15% of the Invoice
There’s a distinction between a marriage coordinator and a marriage planner. Wedding ceremony planners aid you obtain your wedding ceremony imaginative and prescient from the start (and are a giant assist in understanding tipping wedding ceremony distributors). They assist set the marriage price range, negotiate contracts with distributors, and oversee the entire undertaking.
A coordinator is chargeable for the logistics of the rehearsal, ceremony, and reception. You’ll plan your wedding ceremony, and the coordinator would begin working with you a month or so earlier than the date by means of the marriage reception to make sure all the pieces goes easily.
If the marriage has gone amazingly properly, it’s good reward to offer the coordinator 10-15% of the invoice after the marriage or honeymoon.
Ceremony Musicians: As much as 15% of the Invoice
Plan on tipping the ceremony musicians both 10-15% of their price or $10 to $15 per musician on the finish of the ceremony. Have a trusted particular person hand them money envelopes.
Valet/Parking Attendants: $1-$2 Per Automobile
Normally ideas for the parking attendants are coated for company. Estimate a $1 to $2 tip per car at each the marriage and the reception, if they’re in numerous places. If there are totally different employees at every venue, it’s best to offer a money tip to the lead valet to separate up. You must let company know that ideas are taken care of already.
Chauffeur: As much as 20% of the Invoice
Assessment the contracts from transportation corporations to see if gratuities or a service price is already included. If it isn’t included, or if the limo driver was fabulous, 15-20% of the entire invoice is ideal. Bear in mind, they’ve a protracted day too, from the start of the marriage to probably the tip of the reception. Tip them after the ultimate journey.
The identical rule goes when you have employed a celebration bus for everybody. Examine to see if there are service expenses included. If not, tip 15-20%, and naturally, at all times give extra for excellent service.
Venue Coordinator/Catering Supervisor: $100-$200
Typically the venue coordinator or catering supervisor does loads of the issues a marriage planner or coordinator could be doing, for a lot much less cash. Normally they’re tipped, however as at all times, verify your contract to see if a service price is already included. Plan on $100 to $200, on the finish of the reception or mailed later.
Catering Workers: As much as 20% of Invoice
Examine your contract to see what, if any, gratuities are included. If none, then tip 15-20% of the ultimate invoice. If the wait employees did an excellent job, then you’ll be able to throw in one other $5 to $10 even when there’s already a service price.
Bartender: As much as 20% of Invoice
Bartenders may already be coated within the catering contract or by a drink price, so verify earlier than tipping them. You’ll be able to tip 10-20% of the bar invoice for them to separate on the finish of the evening if there isn’t a built-in gratuity. You probably have a money bar, allow them to put a tip jar out, however nonetheless tip.
Wedding ceremony DJ: As much as 15% of Invoice
A marriage DJ is one other small enterprise proprietor that it’s okay to tip. Plan on 10-15% of the invoice, with the upper quantity in the event that they’ve emceed all evening.
Wedding ceremony Musicians: $10 to $15 Per Musician
That is just like the ceremony musicians, both a flat 10-15% of their price or $10 to $15 per musician, on the finish of the reception.

Photographer and Videographer: As much as $100
Wedding ceremony vendor tipping suggests you don’t tip homeowners, simply their staff. In case your photographer has an assistant and so they have given nice service, then tip the assistant $50.
Wedding ceremony photographers get tipped too, $50 to $100 in case you are joyful, Ship the tip when you have got gotten all your photographs.
Wedding ceremony Cake Baker: As much as 15% of Invoice
The marriage cake is without doubt one of the most memorable elements of the reception. Tipping the cake baker isn’t anticipated however it’s fairly widespread. You’ll tip them 10-15% of the ultimate invoice. You’ll be able to ship them a card after the marriage with the tip.
Hair and Make-up: As much as 20% of Invoice
You’ll most likely see each the hair and make-up artist a minimum of twice. As soon as is for the trial run after which once more for the marriage. You tip 15-20% every time: once you go to the hair salon and on the marriage day.
In case your wedding ceremony hairstylist is doing the entire wedding ceremony social gathering, and you’re paying for it, you continue to tip about 20% of the entire invoice.
It’s the identical process with the make-up artist. To your trial run and wedding ceremony you tip 15-20% every time.
What Concerning the Rehearsal Dinner?
Gratuities will seemingly be included within the total invoice, however in fact you’ll be able to at all times throw extra in if expectations are exceeded. Company ought to convey some money for ideas if they’re ordering on the bar.
If the dinner was catered or a reasonably grand affair, you may wish to tip the banquet supervisor for making it go easily, about 15% on the finish of the evening
Different Methods to Thank Folks
Not all wedding ceremony distributors anticipate a tip, however you may nonetheless wish to thank them for making the day so particular. You’ll be able to tip the enterprise homeowners with a thanks card, small reward, or reward basket.
Posting constructive opinions or sharing photographs out of your wedding ceremony for them to make use of for his or her advertising and marketing supplies are different methods. Simply because these wedding ceremony execs personal companies doesn’t imply they don’t love a considerate gesture.
The BaghdadTime contributor JoEllen Schilke writes on life-style and tradition matters. She is the previous proprietor of a espresso store in St.Petersburg, Florida, and has hosted an arts present on WMNF neighborhood radio for practically 30 years.