Show Some Love: A Wedding Vendor Tipping Guide to Spread Joy on Your Big Day!

Hey there, lovebirds! Planning your dream wedding is an exciting adventure, filled with joy, laughter, and a touch of magic. As you gear up for the big day, don't forget about the incredible team of vendors working behind the scenes to make your wedding dreams come true. Now, we know you're wrapped up in the whirlwind of wedding planning, but it's time to talk about spreading a little extra love – through tipping! In this guide, we'll break down the who, when, and how much, ensuring your wedding vendors feel appreciated and valued. 
(Be sure to always check your contracts to see if gratuity is already included in the total cost.)

A few things to consider:
Forget the old rule about not tipping owners of a business. If you're happy with the service provided to you, you should tip regardless of whether they own their business or not. It’s not always about the money—it’s the praise and recognition that comes with even a modest tip. But the old practice of NOT tipping a business owner is outdated. Business owners often wear many hats and do a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure they deliver a quality product to make your day perfect so they definitely deserve the extra thank you. 
Can you give a gift or gift card instead of cash? Sure, tips in all forms are appreciated however vendors tend to prefer cash. They've likely been gifted a "Best Wedding Photographer Ever" water bottle already but that extra cash can help feed their families. 
Saying "thank you" without spending more money? Wedding reviews are GOLD. Since these real-life recommendations can make or break the success of a company, a positive review will be appreciated more than you know. 
You do NOT need to give 20% across the board.
You do NOT need to tip every wedding vendor.

Who distributes the tips?
Delegate this task to a trusted and reliable person. It can be a family member or a member of your wedding party or your Day of Coordinator (at Keep It Sweet Studios, we make sure all tips are distributed appropriately and collect signatures to confirm they received it). Make sure to clearly label your envelopes and seal them so no cash "goes missing" or falls out.

When should tips be distributed?
There's no one way to distribute tips. Some couples choose to distribute at the beginning of the night, split the tips between the beginning and the end, some wait until a week or two after their event and send tips separately. Most commonly, tips are given towards the end of the evening. You can distribute them any way you choose. 

The VIPs - Who to Tip:

• Catering and Bar Staff: These folks are keeping your guests' taste buds delighted and glasses full. It's typically customary to tip either 15% to 20% of your food and drink bill, or $5 to $10 per person (so if you have 200 guests, you’d tip $1,000 to $2,000). Ideally, you should discuss gratuity with your venue directly as each venue is structured a little differently. You don't want to over or under pay. 
• On-site Coordinator: You can tip your venue’s onsite coordinator between $100 and $200, along with $25 to $50 for any assistants who may have worked on your wedding.
• Bartenders (if not included in your catering): These services are typically included in your venue’s bill, but if you’ve hired bartenders separately, a few dollars per guest is standard. So for a party of 150, $300 to $450 is customary. Check your contracts, some will put out a tip jar but if you'd prefer to not have your guests tip, you can usually request to just tip them directly. 
• Photographers and Videographers: Capturing every candid moment deserves a nod. From climbing trees to laying in puddles, your photographer is with you all day long. Lead photographers are often tipped around $200 and up while second shooters are and assistants get between $50-150 each. If an engagement session is included in your wedding package, consider tipping about $100 on that day. 
• Florists and Decorators: Florists don't necessarily need to be tipped, $20 per delivery person is a nice gesture. If your set up is extensive or your florists remain on site to move flowers or do multiple setups, $50-$100 per person would be appropriate.  
• Hair and Makeup Artists: Transforming you into a vision of perfection deserves recognition. A tip of 20% of their service cost is customary. Make sure to let your wedding party (and anyone else getting services) to account for tipping so they can ensure they bring the right amount. 
• Musicians and DJs: Keeping the dance floor alive? A tip of $50-$100 per band member is standard. For a DJ, $200 and up for the main DJ & $50 per assistant is music to their ears. If they play a little longer than you expected or did a particularly good job, consider adding a little extra. 
• Wedding Planner: For a full-service event planner who organizes every detail, oversees contracts and does all the worrying so you don’t have to, a 10% to 20% tip is fairly standard. Alternatively, you can give between $300 and $1,000 depending on the range of services they’ve provided (Day of  Coordination, Partial Planning etc,). Assistants receive $50 to $100.
• Officiant: If allowed, $100 is a good amount (not all clergy members can accept a tip). If not, a donation to your house of worship can be made instead. Gift cards to a local restaurant or a bottle of wine or liquor are also appreciated. If your officiant is being paid for their services, $100 is appropriate. If the officiant is a friend or family member doing it for free, you can still give a gift as thanks. Civil officiants at city hall are not allowed to receive gratuities by law.
• ​Transportation: Gratuities are typically included in your contract. If not, you can tip your drivers at the end of the night, typically 15% to 20% of the pre-tax bill.
• Cake:  You can tip the cake delivery person $20 the day of your wedding; it’s not expected to tip on top of the cost of the cake itself.
• Rentals:  $20 per delivery person is standard.
• Cigar Roller, Event Painter, Photoboot & other Entertainers: If they did a great job, you can tip them $50-$100 each
• Wedding Dress & Alterations: It’s not necessary to tip the stylist at your wedding salon or the seamstress who alters your gown. But if someone has done an outstanding job and you want to recognize their hard work, a tip would always be appreciated.
• Stationary or Calligrapher: A gratuity is not expected, but if they went above and beyond, you can tip them as well

Your wedding day is a celebration of love, and tipping your vendors is a wonderful way to share that love with the incredible people making your dreams a reality. So, let's spread the joy, shower your vendors with appreciation, and make your wedding day an unforgettable experience for everyone involved! Cheers to love, laughter, and a happily ever after! 🎉💖