20% Service/Facility Fee?

It is totally normal. The service fee goes towards paying for the labor and other overhead costs.

ETA: Our SC is 22% at our venue

99% of catering companies in the country do this. It's very standard. It is technically supposed to be for tipping their staff, even though many companies just keep it as part of the total charge.

Yes. Ours is 23%. It is pretty standard.

Got it, okay! maybe I am not seeing it everywhere because I have gotten some quotes where the cost for the servers and labor is being included in the per person number.

Yes it is normal. This is one of the reasons I ended up doing my reception at a restaurant. The restaurant only has a 6% service fee and automatically included 14% gratuity in the bill.

Yes, ours is 22% *screams internally*

Ours was 20% of both catering and the bar.

I've seen quite a few of them as well.

When I saw those I had to write them off my list.

Yep!! My venue charges 23% + 8.25% tax on EVERYTHING!! Make sure you ask them what that fee gets added on to. Some venues don't add it to the price of alcohol and food. Mine added it to everything.

Our fee is 18% if we go buffet, 30% if we have a plated meal. Yep, pretty standard

@fallbride I totally agree - there was one venue that it actually called out specifically that 20% service is not a gratuity so I was thinking I still had to tip on top of that. It's all a little daunting and confusing!

Our place said they automatically add 20% gratuity to the final bill. I assumed that covers tip and then of course there is tax to pay.

Are you saying you tip 20% on top of the 20%? I wasn't translating it that way...

@Anne yes! I saw on one particular venue that it was 20% 'service fee' and it specifically said that the fee was not a gratuity ... so i figured I had to tip another 20% on top of that?

@ Teresa

Since my place said automatic 20% "gratuity" that is all I am intending to pay. My place is a restaurant/bar though so that may be the difference.

Thanks

My service fee is 20% but I asked and they said it includes tip. It stinks that yours says it isn't... But, do the math. If they have good prices on food and drinks the service fee + tip might still be a reasonable price. Just a thought.

Pretty standard, ours is 22%

You do need to tip but definitely not another 20%! I think @celia had advised to ask the banquet manager how many staff members will be working your wedding (bartenders, servers, etc) and tip $20-$50 to each person.

Our is 21% for food and beverage, and for the chairs. It's a bit painful, mostly because I forgot about it until a few months ago and had to find the money.