Tips on Tipping Your Wedding Vendors

DeJane' Hill
Aug 31, 2021
2 min read

Before you wander off in dumbfounded amazement, let’s consider the art of tipping. Ask yourself this question: Why and when do I choose to leave a tip?

Exceptional Service

The primary reason for giving someone a tip is because they have provided exceptional service to you. They’ve gone above + beyond in helping you plan, put together + pull off your big day.

So, do you have to tip + do you have to tip all of your vendors?

The answer is no, you don’t have to, but similar to how it is customary to leave a tip for a waiter/waitress at a restaurant, it is customary to tip most of your wedding vendors. You can give the vendors that really went above + beyond for you a little something extra.

(Think how you might leave a waiter that gave you mediocre service a 15% tip, but an excellent server that was attentive to all of your needs a 20% or even a 25% tip.)

Tip Amounts

Another conundrum is that there is no industry standard as to what you should give as a tip for each of your vendors. Before you go around handing out your tip envelopes, check to make sure that the tips are not already included in your contract price (Caterers, for example, often include gratuities as a line item of the pricing in your contract).

Some things to consider:

Religious organizations: Make a donation to the religious organization where your ceremony takes place (This is in addition to or in lieu of the fee the officiant, preacher, rabbi, or minister charges to perform the ceremony – if they charge you at all). -- $75 to $100 is a customary donation
Civil employees: Civil employees, such as a judge or a clerk of court, that perform ceremonies are not tipped
Caterers: Caterers often include gratuities as part of their contract, but if not, then expect to tip everyone from the banquet manager to the wait staff – you can tip 15% to 20% of the overall catering cost or flat rate for each person ($100-$200 for the caterer/banquet manager, $50 for each chef, $20-$30 for each member of the wait staff)
Entertainment: Tipping for DJs + bands depends on how you hire them. If you hire independent bands + DJs, then tipping is not necessary. If you hire through an agency, then tip each member of the band or DJ $20-$25 each.
Hair stylist/Makeup artist: Customary tips total 15% to 20% of the cost for each hair stylist + makeup artist. Assistants (like the shampoo person) can receive about $5 each.
Other vendors: Wedding planners/coordinators, photographers, videographers + florists that own their own business do not require tips. Otherwise, a tip for wedding coordinators is $50 to $100 + the rest of the vendors $30 to $50 each.

Again, the #1 rule of tipping is that you do not have to tip, but if you want to tip, these guidelines can help you budget for gratuities.

Hope this helps your during your planning journey! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us booking@posheventsatl.com or schedule a call by clicking HERE.