Tipping Your Wedding Vendors
Tipping your vendors is optional. It’s not required. However, tipping your vendors is a great way to show them how much you appreciate them. The vendors that get tipped the most are Hair, Makeup, Caterer, Waitstaff, Bartenders, Transportation, and Band Members.
The next set of vendors you can tip are, most of the time, business owners. Business owners never expect a tip, but if they go above and beyond for you and your experience was great, tips/thank you cards are very much appreciated! These vendors would include your Wedding Planner/Coordinator, DJ, Photographer, Videographer, Florist, Baker, and any other vendor you had a great experience with.
Usually, the bride is too busy to pass out tips on the wedding day. This is an excellent job for your wedding coordinator. We typically take the tips which are placed in envelopes with the vendor’s name on them, on Friday night at rehearsal. Then on Saturday, we are happy to pass them out for you!
If tipping isn’t in the budget, you can always write them a nice thank you card and give it to them on the wedding day or mail it to them afterward.
To really top it off vendors LOVE REVIEWS!! Sharing your experience with your vendors can really help other brides make their wedding decisions in the future. You can email a review to the vendor or check out TheKnot.com which is a great spot for bridal reviews too!
Photographer & Videographer: $50 – $200 per person
DJ or Band: $40 – $150 or $25 – $50 per musician
Catering Staff: 15%- 20% of the total bill if not alreayd included
Hair and Makeup: 15%-20% of the services cost
Transportation: 15-20% of total bill
Florist: $50 – $150 per person
Wedding Planner or Coordinator: $200 – $500+
Non-Clergy Officiants: $50-$100
Planner, Baker, Stationer, Florist, Photographer, and Videographer: Business owners don’t expect a tip, but if you had a great experience with them or if they went above and beyond for you a thank you card and/or a tip of $100 – $300+ is appropriate!
