Tipping Your Vendors

It is amazing how stressful it can be when trying to determine what the Tipping Etiquette is for the Vendors who participate in your Wedding Day.

We have all been in those situations where we are not sure whether or not to tip someone.

"I was recently at an upper end restaurant and the Maitred that greeted and seated us was very well spoken, dressed immaculately, and was very attentive. The entire time we were being escorted to out table I kept asking myself am I supposed to TIP this guy? You always see people in movies slipping the maitred a little cash before they are seated. What do I do? Well, just to cover my bases I handed the guy $5.00 and thanked him. He paused as I handed him the money and looked hesitant but he then graciously accepted the cash and walked away. I couldn't get out of my head that I just handed a guy $5.00 to walk us to a table. Was that worth $5.00? Was I supposed to TIP they guy? Was it a fair TIP? My gosh, going out to dinner should not be so stressful. To be honest, I'm still not sure as I write this article if I did the right thing."

For the Bride and Groom they are often faced with the same situations when it comes to their Wedding Vendors. Hopefully the following article will help you in advance with these concerns and give you one less thing to stress about.
First let us take a look at the Vendors that you should consider TIPPING.

Make-Up / Hair Stylist
Bartender
Servers
Disc Jockey / Band
Limo Driver
Wedding Planner
Cake Vendor
Photographer
Florist
Officiant
Videographer
Wedding Coordinator
Banquet Manager
Ceremony Musician(s)

We have always felt that you should tip any service on your day as long as they provided what was expected and were easy to work with. The only exception is when it comes to the Officiant (priest, minister, rabbi, pastor etc). It simply is considered bad etiquette to TIP your officiant. Instead, you should make a contribution to their church. Everyone else is someone you should consider Tipping.

Some things to Consider:

Most people in the Wedding Business are people who have given up their weekends to provide services for your day. Yes, this is the choice they have made but never the less it is a fact worth taking note of. While most of the general public wonder how they are going to spend their weekends, Wedding Vendors know that this is when their work begins. The fact is that most wedding vendors work at least six days a week and some work seven.
No matter who the Vendor, We are confident that most would tell you that their jobs are often very stressful but that the smile on a Brides face makes it all worth it. They realize that this is one of the most important days of your life and most vendors will step up their game.

So when it comes to tipping you should ask yourself these questions:

1. Did my vendor treat everyone (friends, family, other vendors) with kindness and respect.
2. Was my vendor helpful and genuinely interested in me and my individual wedding day or were they just going through the motions
3. Did they provide everything they said they would
4. If there were problems were they handled professionally, quickly, and fairly
5. Was service provided in a timely fashion
6. Overall attentiveness to my needs
7. Was my vendor easy to get in contact with and prompt returning calls

If you answered yes to the majority of these questions than you should consider tipping. Nothing makes a Vendor feel appreciated more than a smile and a thank you but a deserved gratuity often is the clincher in the ultimate feeling of appreciation and worth.

Tipping Guidelines

Before throwing around TIPS it is imperative that you make sure Gratuities have not already been charged in the Vendors Price. Catering, wait staff, and bar tabs have often already added gratuities that are figured into your final bill. To find out if this is the case just look at your contract and it should have this stipulated. In this case a tip us unnecessary. If you are unsure just ask your vendor.

So the next question is: how much do I tip??

Well, ultimately this is entirely up to you. Any gratuity is better than no gratuity. The following are some basic guidelines to consider:

Limo Drivers: 10 to 15 % given once service is rendered
DJ's: $25.00 to $75.00
Wait staff : 15%
Bartenders: 10% of bar bill
Hair stylist: 15%
Wedding Coordinator: $50.00
Ceremony Musicians: $5.00 - $10.00 per musician
Banquet or catering: $50.00 - $100.00
Photographer: (if owner tipping is optional) employee: $50.00
Videographer: (if owner tipping is optional) employee: $50.00
Flowers: $10.00 - $20.00 per person delivery etc

The bottom line is that tipping us ultimately up to you. But keep in mind that when it comes down to it most of your wedding vendors are providing a service. A gratuity no matter how big or small is always a great way to show your appreciation.