It is common practice to tip your wedding vendors for their service to help make your dream day come to life. The best way to know who to tip and how to tip wedding vendors is to have a master list of all your vendors and the number of staff members they have. Since you will be busy on your wedding day celebrating it is important to assign the task of tipping wedding vendors to one trusted person; or ask your wedding planner to do it. The best way to make sure all of the tips are ready to go is to prefill envelopes with the cash tips; then mark each one for you so they will be delivered to.
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Brides Often Ask
Do you tip the wedding cake baker?
You definitely can tip your baker for the service of baking the wedding cake of your dreams but you don’t have to. If you are having the cake delivered and set up at a display you should tip the delivery team. If you are going to tip the baker and/or delivery team you should make sure that the tip gets directly to that vendor and not just lumped in with the catering tip since it might be a separate vendor.
Some couples will not tip the baker since many bakers are owners of their own business and traditionally you don’t tip the owner only the employees or their staff.
Are you supposed to tip the florist?
Yes, tipping the florist is a generous idea and a nice way to thank them for their hard work. Tipping the florist is a nice touch since many florists not only arrange all of the flowers but deliver them, set them up, and sometimes have dozens of locations they need to make sure are perfect for your wedding day. A tip between $50-$100 is perfectly acceptable.
Oftentimes a florist will come with a team to help set up and deliver all of the florals so make sure you have an extra $25 or for each additional helper.
Do you tip photo booth at the wedding?
Photo booth and photo booth rentals are becoming a major staple in the wedding vendor world. It is a good idea to tip your photo booth rental company; since many of them don’t just deliver it but also have it staffed for the day to make sure it all works perfectly. If your photo booth is part of your photography package or part of a larger rental contract then you don’t need to tip for this service separately.
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Must-Know Rules You Should Know About Tipping
Tipping seems like it might be a pretty straightforward topic but there are actually lots of questions that surround how to tip wedding vendors, who to tip, and when to tip. To help you navigate this tricky wedding task we have created an outline that breaks down everything you need to know along with some insider information.
Main Tipping Rules
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Checking Contracts
Signing a contract with a vendor is exciting and puts you on your way to your wedding day. But you need to know exactly what you are signing and what to include. Contracts should be straightforward. Sometimes there are clauses, fine print, and exceptions; so you should not only read over the contract before you sign it you should talk it over with the vendor so you are all on the same page. Many contracts will state if a service fee or gratuity is included that is important to know so you don’t overtip. We to not only suggested that you and your partner read the contract but have a third person give it a view as well.
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Hand The Tip To The Individuals
There are so many different things going on at a wedding that sometimes it makes it difficult to hand the tip to each individual. If you have a wedding planner that is a good person to ask to hand out your tips for you; or if you don’t have a wedding planner you can ask a trusted person or member of your bridal party. If you can’t hand the tip yourself you should at least include a thank you note. Make sure each tip is in a marked envelope and it is clear who the tip is going to.
One question that always seems to pop up is should you tip the owner of the company. Traditionally tipping the owner is not seen as customary since they make the largest cut of the invoice; so tipping only the employees or members of the staff is the most important. If you feel the owner exceeded your expectations or went out of their way to make your day extra special then by all means you can feel free to tip.
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Tips Aren’t Required
Tipping is considered a sign of thanks for good service, but tips are never required unless mentioned ahead of time and worked into an invoice. Many wedding professionals are not depending on your tip; so if you don’t want to tip the florist, wedding planner, photographer, or cake baker you don’t have to. If you are getting married at a location where there is valet service or coat check you should either arrange to have the tips taken care of and place a sign; so your guests know not to tip or allow your guests the option of tipping if they feel like it.
Discuss Extra Efforts
Sometimes your wedding dream team works extra hard to make your wedding day come to life; so there are times when you will want to reward extra effort with a cash tip. A great example of extra effort is the makeup and beauty team. If you have a medium to the large bridal party you might want to reward the extra work of these professionals; since it is not easy to work on multiple people. It is never a bad thing to reward extra efforts; so you should plan on having extra cash tips on hand that is not already designated. So if you notice some amazing work you have a tip ready.
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How To Say Thanks
You should absolutely write a thank you note to your vendors. Even if you tip the vendor on your wedding day you can always follow up with a more traditional thank you card. Many vendors rely on positive feedback and reviews; so knowing that they made your day great is always welcome.
If you had a positive experience it is good to post a positive review as many couples down the road will seek out these reviews before booking the vendor. Taking the time to write a review that is specific to the vendor and the type of service you received is preferred; since more generic and simple reviews don’t have the same impact.
To help you get started writing your thank you note to vendors we have a few examples.
Dear Vendor, Thank you for all your hard work to help our dream wedding day come to life. I was so happy with all of your time and dedication along with your attention to detail to make our wedding day special. So many of our guests commented on how wonderful your service was that it made it even better for us knowing our friends and family were taken care of.
With gratitude, You & your partner’s names
Dear Vendor, I can never thank you enough but this is a start. You and your team made my wedding day 100% perfect and for that, I will always be grateful. I can’t wait to share my positive experiences with future brides; so they too can have this great experience.
With gratitude, Your name
Dear Vendor, This thank you card is just a small token of our gratitude for your wonderful service on our wedding day. We knew we were in good hands with you thanks to all of the positive reviews; we heard about you but you went above and beyond to create a one-of-a-kind day.
With gratitude, You & your partner’s name
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How will you entertain your guests in the evening?
Who Should You Tip On Your Wedding Day?
There are a large number of vendors you will need to tip on your wedding day and a few that you don’t necessarily have to. So to help you create a list we outlined each vendor.
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Wedding Planner
Your wedding planner should go above and beyond to make your wedding day a dream day and stress-free. You don’t necessarily need to tip your wedding planner since they often own their business. But you might want to as a special thank you. If your wedding planner has a day of help you should definitely tip them between $50-$100 each.
Hairstylist and Makeup Artist
For all the beauty specialists who help you look your best, you should consider tipping just like you would if you were at the salon. Consider tipping 15%-20% for each of the beauty team members. If you have a super large bridal party and feel comfortable tipping more; you can since getting everyone ready on time is a tall task.
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Photographer & Videographer:
Many photographers and videographers own their own business which means they will keep 100% of the invoice so it is not necessary to tip. But that does not mean you can’t. You can tip your photographer or videographer between $50-$100; but also consider tipping any second shooters who might only be paid for their day of service.
Ceremony Officiant:
You can’t get married without someone officiating the service so this is an essential vendor for the wedding day. You should check with your officiant to see if they can formally accept a tip; since some members of the clergy cannot. If your officiant cannot accept a tip you can make a donation to their house of worship.
If your ceremony officiant can accept a tip you should tip between $50-$100.
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Transportation:
Many couples work with a transportation company to make sure the bride and groom, wedding party and even guests get to the wedding on time and in style. Tipping your transportation is a nice touch and you can factor in 15%-20% of the total invoice for the driver.
Musicians, Bands, DJs:
Good entertainment is hard to find; so when you hire a wedding band, musicians or a DJ you will want to thank them for their service with a nice tip. The entertainment part of your wedding reception works very hard for long hours; so a tip is customary. A tip between $50-$100 is perfect depending on how many entertainers you have.
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Wedding Reception Staff
There are lots of staff members that will help your reception run smoothly from waiters to bartenders; so you will need to allocate a large number of tips for your wedding reception staff. You might not have a good handle on how many servers there will be; so you should talk to your venue or catering manager to know how many people to tip.
A good tip amount for the wedding reception staff is between $20-$50 dollars. Some members such as a bartender should get more; since they often work alone and have a large amount of responsibility; while table servers are not as heavily depended on.
Delivery Staff
It is always nice to tip the delivery staff of your vendors, but there might be more than you think. If you consider the florist, rental company, bakery, and all of the other services that might have a delivery team you might have way more people than tips ready. One good idea is to check with your vendors or have your wedding planner do it a few days before the event to ask; how many delivery people they anticipate having on your wedding day.
The perfect tip amount for delivery staff is between $15-$25 per staff member.
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What If a Service Fee Is Already Included?
Many vendors you work with for your wedding will have a service fee or gratuity already included such as restaurants, hotels, or exclusive hires services. There is no reason if a service fee is already included to tip beyond that. However, if the service goes above and beyond or you feel you want to tip you definitely can. It is always important to look over each invoice and contract to see if a service fee is included or if gratuity has already been factored in. It is always suggested that after reviewing each invoice you double-check with the owner or manager to make sure. If it will be added on the day – you don’t want to tip in cash and also have your credit card on file charged.
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What vendors are you still looking for?
Knowing how to tip wedding vendors has always been a question for engaged couples. But now more than ever with so many different types of wedding vendors part of the day it is crucial to know; who you should tip, how much, and when to tip them. Having the tipping problem solved is just one more way you can relax and enjoy your wedding day.
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