Tips on Tipping Your Wedding Vendors

Did you know one of the most commonly overlooked expenses is tipping your wedding vendors?

Wedding planning has enough moving parts to monitor without having to do the research on etiquette and proper practices, so we’re here to do it for you. Here’s your vendor-by-vendor guide on who to tip and how much you should tip them. 

Now before getting into the nitty-gritty, we have a few disclaimers, and the first one is that tipping is never mandatory. Tipping is a discretionary add-on if you feel like your vendors should be recognized for the hard work and excellent service they gave you. Our next disclaimer is that a lot of wedding vendors own their own business, and although thoughtful, it’s not customary to tip the proprietor of a business. If this is the case in your situation consider a nice thank you note and a gift as a recognition for their hard work for your event.  And lastly, some vendors include a gratuity into their contract. So make sure you’re combing through contracts to see who you’ve already unknowingly tipped! 

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DJ / Emcee  

Typically DJ’s and Emcee’s should be tipped if their set was up to standard, $50-$150 is a good marker for excellent service. Do keep in mind that some DJ’s own their own companies and if that’s the case, tipping isn’t required. 

Photographer 

Photographers are another vendor that typically owns their own business so tipping is not always necessary. Consider tipping them anywhere from 5-20% based on the service provided and anywhere from $50-$75 for each of your Photographer’s Assistants. 

Caterer/Banquet Manager

Depending on your venue, this title could be something quite different. Caterer, Banquet Manager, and On-Site Coordinator are all typical titles of vendors you will be working with through your caterer or venue. Depending on the cost of your total food and beverage bill anywhere from $200-$300 is an appropriate tip for a job well done. If your vendor has a Head Chef that you worked with closely, consider a $50-$100 tip for them as well. 

Wedding Planner

As another vendor who is commonly the owner of their own business, wedding planners typically receive tips about 50% of the time. If you’re looking to reward their hard work, anywhere from 10-20% up to $500 is a customary tip if you feel they went the extra mile. Please also consider at least tipping their team as well. 

Officiant

When tipping your Officiant, $50-$100 is an appropriate and thoughtful amount. However, something you may need to consider is that your Officiant may not accept tips. Many religious Officiants will not accept a tip for their services and if your officiant is a judge or a government official, they are also not legally able to accept a tip. In this case, a donation to their church, synagogue, or even a favorite cause of $100+ is a kind gesture. 

Florist

Your florist is not typically someone who you would need to tip. If you feel like your florist went out of their way to make your day, then a gesture of anything from $50-$100 (please also consider they will have a team on-site the day of) or even a nice gift basket or thank you note delivered to their shop would be a kind expression of appreciation. 

Hair and Makeup Artist

Just like going and getting your haircut, tipping your Hair and Makeup Artist on your wedding day is usually expected. Depending on the service, and a number of people, anywhere from 15-20% is an appropriate acknowledgment. 

Venue Provided Services (Bartenders, Valet, Waitstaff) Breakdown

Depending on your venue, there are many in-between service providers that you don’t realize are there and make a huge impact on how your event runs. Here are examples of a few and how to tip them each:

Waitstaff - If this is not covered in your venue or catering contract then tipping your waitstaff is an appropriate gesture anywhere from $20-$30 per person is considerate. 

Valet Attendants - If you’re not covering the cost of valeting your guests’ cars then this can be left up to the guests individually. However, if you are looking to tip for valet services anything from $2-$3/car is an appropriate amount to split between the attendants. 

Bartenders - If your bartenders’ tips were excluded from your venue or catering contract or if you’re using an outside vendor then tipping 10-20% of the total beverage cost is a great marker for excellent service.

Chauffeurs and Drivers 

If you provided transportation for your guests or even just yourself and the bridal party, tipping your chauffeurs is a kind expression. For excellent service, anywhere from 15-20% of the cost of transportation is a great starting point. 

Band and/or Musicians

If you opted for live entertainment at your reception then tipping the musicians or performers $25-$50 each is customary. If you decide to tip your entertainers, don’t forget about crew members like Sound Techs who work behind the scenes but put in just as much work into making your day great. 

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When it comes to tipping, a good rule of thumb to consider is that some sort of gesture is always well received. Whether a tip of money, a thank you note, permission to use photographs for their website, a nice bottle of wine, or even a thoughtful gift basket your vendors will always appreciate an acknowledgment of their work.

Prior to your big day, when planning and budgeting make sure to sit down and outline what you would like to contribute to your vendors so that there are no last-minute surprises.