Tip:
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Hi! I’m Bonnie with My Own Bridal Show.com, welcome to this week’s video blog!
How much to tip wedding vendors is a question that is often asked. Here are a few guidelines
to help you from start to finish as well as warnings and tipping best practices for weddings.
First of all, I would recommend being prepared well in advance by figuring the tips into
your overall budget. This way there are no surprises in the end. Always remember, if
your wedding is especially large, or your vendors have provided you with services that
are exceptional, it is customary to give tips that are larger than what I’m suggesting
below. Please, please, always go over all of your
contracts very carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you are not sure if the
gratuity is included. It can be called other names, such as “service charges” or “staffing
fees”. Some companies don’t use this vernacular for incognito tipping. Be very clear in your
line of questioning or you may be double tipping! Here are some recommended tips:
Wedding Planner/ Coordinator: 15% of the total not to exceed $200 (Given at the end of the
evening) Photographer or videographer: $50-$100 (Given
at the end of the evening) DJ: $50-200 (Given at the end of the evening)
Florist or Cake : $50-$75 ( Given when flowers or cake is delivered; ask someone else to
give these) Hairstylist or Makeup: 15-20% of the overall
service (immediately after service is provided when paying)
Catering Staff: Event Captain: $100-$200, Servers: $25-50 (Given at the end of the evening,
with the total for all staff given to the event captain and distributed by them). Bartenders
are usually figured in with the servers but can be tricky. I’m doing my next weekly
blog on tipping at the bar as this is a topic that warrants attention on its own.
It is not usually customary to tip the owners of a business if they are directly providing
the service, but a lovely thank you note, or a raving review on line is always appreciated!
I recommend giving the tips in cash at the end of the evening. Have your envelopes made
out for each person you intend to give a tip with an amount you think you will give. Have
several denominations of bills available. This way at the end of the evening if the
service is not quite up to your expectations you can always reduce the amount of gratuity
given or conversely give more for an exceptional job.
Tune in next week for my follow up blog to this when I discuss tipping at the bar.