Should I tip my catering servers in addition to Service Charge?

I would still tip them on top of the service charge.

Following

From what I understood from my caterer the service charge is their wage so you should tip as well/

How my venue worked is the service charge brought their salary up from 2.50 or whatever it is for a normal restaurant to 15-20/hr and that was their standard hourly rate with tip included. I had it broken out though, there was a service charge, a tax and a gratuity charge.

From how it sounds, your venue does something similar where they just pay them hourly and it is at a rate that includes tips.

Our venue has the same thing, and I specifically asked the venue coordinator at our tasting. She said it's not necessary to tip since they are getting tipped, it's just included in your bill upfront. She compared it to going to a restaurant and having a party of 10 and the gratuity is automatically added. Yeah, you can tip more on top of that, but it's not like you're stiffing them by not.

I debated on this for awhile too, but our catering bill is huge and it's a 20% service charge, which is a pretty sizable amount even when divided among 15-20 staff members. I was also told bartenders and the waitress assigned to the bridal party has a higher base salary to start out with. So an extra $20 isn't really going to make that big of an impact. I also asked our wedding planner her opinion and she said it wasn't necessary either. So I'm going to forego it, even though I feel a little weird about it. The venue coordinator isn't included in tip-out though, so I will be getting her something.

TL;DR, I would ask your venue coordinator about the specifics of how tipping works/who gets it, figure out what that amount is and then decide for yourself if you feel comfortable giving with that amount for a tip, or if you need to add more.

In most cases the service charge does go to paying the staff. We have a 21% service charge on ours and it broke down where it went- Kitchen 1.5%, House Administration 5%, Banquet staff 14.5%

I think all vendors should be tipped at the end of the night let your DOC handle this you provide the Thankyou notes and the cash.

How it works at the venue where I work.......normally there will be three weddings every Saturday during our peak season. (This runs from this Saturday until November.....) The added gratuity is added on to the food and beverage at 20% and goes into a pool which will be divided out to each server that worked that day. The kitchen staff also gets a portion of that also. Sometimes at the bar guests will tip (we are not allowed to put out a tip jar) and whatever tips we make on the bar will be split among each person that worked that wedding. Sometimes.....not often......the father of the bride will have an envelope to be split with everyone working that wedding. It is never necessary since the main tip will be in our paychecks. It is very generous when they tip extra, but never expected.

Good luck,

Sandi

This service fee is their wage, not a tip, therefore you should add tips on top of that fee. But it does not have to be a percentage of your bill since you're already paying the 18%. I would give a flat amount per server divided into separate envelopes. $25-$40 per server is a good amount.

Yes I would tip on top of the service charge

You need to find out if the service charge is their salary and what it works out to be, based on the salary of bussers, bartenders and servers and maitre d's.

Then tip 20-50.00 per server.

Talk to your venue/caterer and read the contract. All venues differ, some add the 20% tip into the contract.

When I worked event staff, we received an hourly rate with no tips. The only position that was classified as a tipped one, was the bartender.

The venue had the gratuity included in the contract. Now that I think about it, if anyone did give cash tips at the wedding for the servers, who knows where it went.

I would tip on top of the service charge

It depends on your caterer. Ours specified to us that the service charge is what they make on top of their salary (so their tip).

Our 18% service charge includes "gratuities for the servers" but idk what the hell that means so I'm planning on an extra $50 per server. Frankly, it doesn't matter if I don't need to, I'm doing it because it is not an additional hardship for me, and they will be working hard for my wedding, and I'd like them to know that I appreciate them.

Thank you all for your input! I appreciate it!

Where I work we get the somewhere like $3.50 a hour and our gratuity is in our paycheck. It is always very nice and not expected when the wedding party gives us extra. Very thoughtful.

View Quoted Comment I'm sorry but this unfortunately is not how it works, the venue adds this money to their profit and their excuse for charging the fee is they use it to pay the hourly wage of their employees... I currently work at such an establishment and as servers we are not allowed to notify the guests that that money goes directly to the owner.

The servers never see this money. The establishments excuse for charging this fee is that otherwise they wouldn't be able to make the minimum wage that they pay their servers.... I worked for 8 hours till 2am with no break yesterday as the head table server meaning that I waited on the Bride and Groom and the bridal party following them around the grounds making sure they had a drink in their hands at all times and anything they could possibly need, served them champagne at the toast , salad, dinner, cake, served their guests, packed up their gifts and pictures and decorations to be brought out to their car , packed up extra cake and deserts, and then spent an hour cleaning the establishment all the while making only $70 .. This "service charge" takes money from the hands of both the Bride and Groom as well as all the employees who work so hard to make the wedding perfect..... Being a good server is not an easy job. Please tip your servers.