A question I get often is how much should we tip our vendors the day of the wedding? Unfortunately there is no black and white answer, but below are some general guidelines to follow when making the decision. Keep in mind that many vendors now have gratuity built into their pricing, you will want to check your contracts for this before tipping caterers, venues, bartenders and DJ's.
Hair and Makeup - 15-20% of their total fee
Caterer - 15% of total if gratuity not included
Wait Staff - check with your caterer first to see if wait staff can accept tips, if they can $20 each is a good rule of thumb
Bartenders - most bartenders are tipped using the venue gratuity or directly from your guests, if tips jars are not set out, consider tipping bartenders 10-15% of total bar tab
Wedding Planner - 10-20% of total fee or a gift similar in price
Officiant - $50-$100 for civil officiants or a donation to their church/organization
Musicians/Bands - $25-$50 per band member
DJ - 10-15% of total if gratuity is not included
Shuttle Drivers - 15-20% of total if not included in price
Florist - tips not expected
Baker - tips not expected
When in doubt I always tell my couples to go with their gut. You are tipping for your vendors going above and beyond what you expected of them. Tips are not required, but always appreciated!
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