Florists, photographers, musicians, emcees, limousine drivers, caterers, and waitstaff are just some of the professionals couples will meet and rely on for their weddings. Each of these vendors will ply their trades in the hopes of contributing to a night couples will remember forever. Vendors charge a certain fee for their services, but couples may wonder if they should offer tips as well. When is it appropriate to tip wedding staff and at what rate?
A tip is never required but is always appreciated. That’s why couples can build tips into their wedding budgets to thank vendors for the various services they provide. Here are some additional guidelines.
• Familiarize yourself with the contract and determine if the agreement already includes a built-in gratuity. A service fee is different from a gratuity.
• Be prepared to offer something to an officiant. Members of the clergy may not be allowed to accept tips, but a donation made to a house of worship often is customary. A civil officiant is prohibited by law from accepting a gratuity in the United States, so keep that in mind if getting hitched at city hall.
• Wedding planners, hairstylists, makeup artists, and catering bartenders and waitstaff can be tipped 15 to 20 percent of the total fee charged, as can a transportation company.
• Consider offering a predetermined gratuity for a photographer, videographer or florist. In the past, these small business owners weren’t customarily tipped, but a cash tip always is appreciated. Fifty to $200 is a standard tip.
• Think about tipping parking attendants anywhere from $1 to $5 the number of cars at the reception.
• Use your discretion when tipping musicians. Generally between $25 and $50 per musician and setup staff is an adequate gratuity.
There are no hard rules regarding wedding vendor gratuities. Couples can bring cash along and enlist a bridal party member or parent to take care of tipping the wedding vendors who helped to make their special day memorable.
