I am a member of a few bridal groups on Facebook and this question seems to come up a lot. “Who do I tip? How much do I tip? When do I tip?” Though we are a DJ company, we’ve worked with many vendors and this article is based on two things: 1 – What we see & 2 – What we’ve heard from other vendors. We’ve also included our personal opinions on each category as well. Keep in mind, these numbers are averages and will fluctuate to be higher or lower sometimes. Obviously, how much you tip truly depends on your budget and the service you receive from each vendor! We truly believe that ALL tipping is completely optional and nothing should be expected from anyone. We hope this article helps you out!

Caterers

Some contracts may already have gratuity included in the total amount. In that case, tipping is not necessary as it’s already being accounted for. If not, the average tip per chef is around $75 and the average tip per server is typically about $35. Of course, this may depend on how many guests the servers are waiting on. Usually, these people are tipped after the dinner.

Photographer/Videographer

This one is a tough one! Only because you don’t actually know what the pictures/video will look like until you get the final edits. Some questions to ask here: Did they show you some of the shots/footage throughout the night? Did you know for sure if they took some of the shots you wanted? The angles you wanted? Did they discuss different poses with you prior to the big day? Typically, photographers & videographers are tipped 10%-15% of their booking fee for a job well done. When to tip is another tough question. If you’re confident they’ve done everything well, feel free to tip them before they leave the event. If you’re not sure, tip them once you get the photos/video back. Most likely, you have a balance with them to be paid upon receipt of the pictures/video anyway, so this might be a good option if you don’t know the type of work they’ve done.

Band/DJ

Did they show up and show out? Did they keep the crowd entertained? Were they organized? Did they go above and beyond? Was the lighting awesome? Did they play the songs you wanted them to play? Typically, bands are tipped at about $20-$50 per band member. DJ’s are usually tipped 10%-20% of their original booking fee. These people are usually tipped at the end of the night.

Officiant

If your officiant is religious or based out of a church, it is customary to make a donation to the church. Many officiants that are based out of churches won’t even accept a cash tip and will suggest the donation instead anyway.  Did they do everything they said they would do during your meetings leading up to the wedding? Whether it’s going to the church or in the officiant’s pocket, it’s typical to give a $50-$100 donation/tip. Officiants are usually tipped after the ceremony, before they leave the wedding.

Planner

Were they easy to work with? Did they ensure a smooth flow of the day? Did they go above and beyond to make sure that you weren’t stressing on the big day or the days leading up to it? It’s a well-known fact that event planners have a stressful job. After all, they’re doing the worrying and running around on the day of for you so that you can relax and enjoy your big day. Many people will either tip their wedding planners 10%-20% of the total fee or buy them a gift/gift card. Planners are usually tipped at the end of the night before they leave.

Cake Person

The person who is coming to set up your cake. Did they deliver to you? Does the display look sloppy? Are they providing the linens for the cake table? Does it look majestic and like it belongs in a cake magazine? All of these things need to be considered for tipping the cake person. Typically, it’s not expected to tip the cake person. BUT, if they traveled a bit and made the cake look heavenly, feel free to tip them $20. Usually tipped after they set up the cake.

Linen People

The people who are responsible for making your chairs & tables look great. Again, we have to ask do the chairs and tables look gorgeous or did they tie the sashes sloppily and didn’t care enough to make sure the table clothes were laid out evenly? It is not expected, but if they good job, $10 bucks per person could go a long way. Usually tipped after they’ve completed the set up.

Hair & Makeup Artist

This one is pretty simple! When you normally go to the salon or barber, do you tip? In most cases, people do for a job well done. This scenario is no different. If they did a good job, people usually tip 15%-20% of the total fee. This is usually tipped right after they’ve completed their work.

Ceremony Venue Staff

Most people do not tip the ceremony venue. If you choose to tip the ceremony venue, feel free to offer each of the staff members $20-$25.

Reception Venue

This is usually covered in your venue rental contract. Gratuity for bartenders, coat check attendants, and other staff employed by the venue is most likely covered. If it isn’t, you could either A, tip them at the end of the night if their service was exceptional or B, allow your guests to tip as they see fit. (OK this with your venue first.) If gratuity is not included in the venue rental fee, it’s probably a good idea to get a head count for the staff ahead of time so you know a ballpark figure to set aside for tipping. Most people will tip each staff member between $10-$20 (if the service fee is not included in the venue rental fee) at the end of the night.

Florist

This one is fairly easy to decide. Did they give you good flowers? Did they deliver to you or did you pick up? Did they give you directions on how to care for the flowers in the days leading up to the big day? Most people don’t tip the florist, but if they’ve gone out of their way to provide exceptional service and perfect flowers, feel free to tip 10% of the total fee.

We can’t stress enough that these are averages.

The basic principle here is this: If you received outstanding service and the vendor went above and beyond to make sure everything was great – TIP THEM. Tips don’t always come in a monetary form either. Some vendors would appreciate a 5 star review as much as they would a cash tip!