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Hello the future Mrs. Loftin,
Though tipping is not required it is always appreciated as in any other service industry. It is not something photographers get all the time so it would be a surprise to them and something special. Wow is usually my response and you shouldn't have. It is certainly not expected but always appreciated to hear thank you. Everyone loves when they hear someone say good job. If your photographer astounds you and makes you amazingly happy and it is something you would enjoy, it is ok to do so.

But even better and more special to them would be a small personal token of your appreciation and a very nice hand written card or a gift certificate to somewhere you and your hubby love. (Think personal)

The letters and cards we have recieved and small gifts from our brides and couples over the years are amoung our most treasured keep sakes and memories. A few nice words of appreciation means so much.
Best wishes and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

We were going to go with a certain photographer until in his contract he included his own tip! At 1st I didn't think too much of it until some people pointed out on here that it is way tacky of him and unprofessional to do that so we decided not to book him and went with someone else. The more I thought about it, I agreed with the others that it was tacky, I have NO problem at all tipping ANYONE but I want it to be up to me and not be expected. Good Luck!

If the photographer you are hiring is the owner of the business, then I would say, no tipping. The money they are charging you is all going to them (and even if they pay an assistant, the photog should have accounted for that in their price).

Now, if you are hiring a LARGE photographic company that hires photographers to shoot (Bella Photos comes to mind) the photog is not getting all of the money, as they are an employee, so in that case I think tipping is OK. Not required, but OK if you think they were really good.

Now with all of that said, we had a bride and groom hire us and they were paying for the entire wedding. The father of the bride tipped us at the end of the night, as he thought we went above and beyond.

Just my 2 cents!
Lois

Tipping in all honesty has nothing to do with the "type" of vendor, it has more to do with the quality of service you received from that vendors. If you had a vendor who went above and beyond for you, then yes, you should offer a tip, if they provided you the services you contracted for, showed up on time and was pleasant to work with, then they did what was expected of them and what you paid them for and no tip required. For any vendor to add a tip into their contract is just plan tacky and I for one would have dropped them as a vendors.

It is amazing how everyone who does just about anything expects a tip these days. In this situation, if he owns the business, then no. I agree with Serendipity Group and Lyons Photo - if you believe they went above and beyond, do it. But I don't think tips should be expected in any case... except for waitstaff where it is standard. ; )

I've never expected tips as a photographer though every now and then I get them as a pleasant surprise. We appreciate it, but definitely you don't have to. What would help a lot of vendors (not just photographers!) is a review if they ask for one =)

As someone who is currently planning a wedding and someone who used to work for a small photography studio specializing in weddings I can say from experience that a little consideration the day of the event goes a long way.
Remember, you've had a long day, the photographer's has been even longer. You've had your wedding party and family caring for you, getting you food and water. They probably haven't eaten all day. I'd say a designated place to sit at the reception (where they can see the festivities - you don't want them banished to a back room where they will miss that un-planned photo moment) good food, and 15 minutes with no planned photos to allow them to eat would be appreciated as much or more than a tip.

When a client offers us a tip, we respectfully decline it. If they insist, we credit them the amount to go towards their album. For a photographer who loves what they do, the best way to thank them is to love their work and share it with others.

You definitely don't have to, and I'd even go so far as to say it's not the norm to tip the photographer, but as many people have said, we always appreciate it, and I think if you felt they went above and beyond, it's definitely a nice gesture. But I think for me, it's less about the actual money and more about feeling acknowledged and appreciated, and there are lots of ways to show that, many of which have been suggested here. :)

I love getting a tip! After a long day of shooting portraits last week my client took me to starbucks and paid me an extra $20. I felt appreciated. At the same time I never expect a tip.

Tips are definitely not necessary, expected, or even anticipated for me. Of course I appreciate tips when they come--they make me feel like I was worth my rate and then some :)

However, I'd say if you're on any sort of budget, leave your photog-and any other vendors you hired- a great review, or write them a quick thank you email. When I get emails from my clients about how much they loved the photos, it always makes me smile!

Tips are not expected as a wedding photographer. They are always a nice gesture, but a good recommendation and a review that helps to generate more business are worth a great deal more! Good luck with the rest of your planning!

If the photographer is self-employed/owns their own business, they are not usually tipped (just like you don't usually tip the owner of a salon). If the photographer is an employee of a studio, a tip is a nice gesture (but still not expected).

Tipping the photographer isn't something that's required, but is always a nice thank you if you feel they did an exceptional job.