Tipping bartender at Hosted/open Bar

For our wedding we are putting out a tip jar also I have herd that your suppose to tip $2-4 dollars per guest. I don't know the etiquette on it but that's what we are gonna follow. I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with the bartender!!

Putting a tip jar out is bad taste IMO. If your guests want to tip they will, basically having a tip jar out says it's their responsibility, not yours, to tip your vendors, which is just wrong. You wouldn't expect guests to tip the waitstaff...

I'm sure our guests tipped our bartenders some but it was not a necessity as we also gave them a flat $150 each at the end of the night. No need to do a percentage.

We're doing a similar mobile bar service. Our contract states we have two options when it comes to tipping. If we don't allow a tip jar to be placed out then an additional 18% is added to our bill. If we do allow a tip jar then an additional 10% is added. I understand that even with a tip jar we still have some percentage added because it's not a guarantee anyone will tip. Hopefully this gives you some insight!

How much are you paying him for his services? I would say maybe 10% of that. I would normally go higher, but you aren't happy with his services, so I think 10% is fine. You could even go lower if things get worse.

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Hi Tinybee! Agreeing with Deirdre here, depending how much you are paying for the bartending services will help you decide how much to tip, while also taking to account how satisfied you were with the service provided.

That's really unfortunate that this bartender is the only one allowed at you venue as part of their "inclusive" package. Have you tried talking the venue about him? As I am hopeful they might acknowledge that he isn't cooperating, might have a solution, advice, or way to connect with him personally perhaps?

I actually asked our mobile bartenders if they include a service fee and if that service fee is considered the tip and, if it's not, will they be adding the tip automatically. They basically told me that there is no additional service fee and give me the option to either have them put out a tip jar OR to add on 18% gratuity. I guess some people think a tip jar is tacky (I totally don't LOL) so if it's a chance for them to make more than they would with the 18% I would've been paying, then by all means go for it!

*sidenote* Because I'm not sure how well my family will tip (cause our culture is known to tip horribly), I told them to let me know if they don't make the minimum 18% in tips and I'll make up for the difference with them later. I trust them like that

When I bartend weddings I usually make about 40-60/hour when working from tips.