Tipping Bartender w/ a Tip Jar

For comparison, we chose not to have tip jars and the very experienced coordinator at daughter's venue suggested $100 per bartender w/o them. I'm guessing some guests still tipped them, but without tip jars.

Tip your bartenders at the end of the night at least $100 each and have a tip jar. I used to be a bartender and its brutal. They deserve it

You are not tipping them at the end of the night based off the drinks they pour. You are tipping them for the service provided, which is bar tending. That is a complete job and not solely pouring drinks. If your guests tip, that is for them to decide and should not be included in what you give.

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Yea, honestly I am thinking $75 each

so that is $300+150 = $450 plus at least $200 in tips easily.

We are talking over $50 an hour. I would understand more if they had to help prep, but they even asked us to cut the limes and lemons.

And it's not like I'm not going to tip them I just think $100 or more is too much if we are having tip jars out.

As a guest at a non-cash bar, I would hate having a tip jar out and the implied obligation to tip. I won’t have cash on me when I go get my drinks. If you’re hosting the bar, you should pay all the tip and they should not put out a tip jar

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I've never been to a wedding that didn't have a tip jar. Maybe its a regional thing or my acquaintances are more tacky lol Even if there wasn't a tip jar I would still tip because that person is working for me in the moment and because when you tip them you always get better service.

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I agree with Pamela. From the other responses, I thought that maybe I was the weird one. I would find it off-putting and slightly tacky to come across a tip jar at a private event like a wedding. I likely wouldn't be carrying cash, and would find it strange that the hosts are providing drinks, but want the guests to tip for them. Now, if it's a cash bar, that's a different story. Presumably the guests would have been informed at some point that they need to bring cash for that purpose, and since they'd be paying, they'd be tipping.

Admittedly, I haven't been to a wedding in a while, so maybe this is the new norm.

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Do we think a $75 tip is acceptable per bartender in place of tip jar if they have requested to do none of the prep work?

I know they will receive additional tips to this $150. If they would go above and beyond I would do more but they've made it clear they are doing the minimum.

I do think people should think about tipping their bartenders at weddings because you will get much better service then.

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How long are they going to be bartending? I think the amount depends on that. I think $75 is fine for 2-3 hours, especially since they've made it clear that they will be doing the absolute minimum. Don't want to have good attitudes and not go above and beyond? Expect a minimum tip.

And I agree, I'm sure at least some guests will leave a tip. But private events are different than regular bars. I wouldn't count on them receiving a certain amount from guests for the evening.

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I didn't mention it initially, but I agree that we chose NOT to allow tip jars for the bartenders or the valets, because we didn't want the guests to have any indication that a tip was expected/necessary. They were daughter & SIL's guests, and we wanted them treated that way. That's why we asked the event coordinator what would be reasonable tips w/o jars. I'm sure there were guests who tipped for those services, but we did all we could to indicate it was not expected.

We opted not to put out a tip jar because we didn’t want our guests to feel like they had to tip and most people weren’t carrying cash around since we had it at the hotel where people were staying. At the end of the night we tipped our bartender $300 because he was working hard and did an awesome job!

The articles I googled said a certain percent of the bill is appropriate. Our bartender let us decide if we wanted a jar out. We said no. Our bartender was not making or mixing drinks, just serving beer and wine.

A tip jar? At a wedding?! I have never seen that before. I also would not allow it at my wedding. Maybe that is a regional thing, but I would not allow it and just tip them at the end of the night. $100 per bar tending is likely sufficient for a tip.

Ditto.

You are HOSTING the event. As a host you pay for food, alcohol, and gratuity (tipping).

I thought most people knew you can always tip, jar or not, people appreciate it.

OP, if you want to do $75 and they aren't setting up, that's fine. But just to be sure, are you saying you are opening all the bottles of alcohol and wine, uncorking all the wine, placing the alcohol how the bartender wants, setting out glasses etc? If not, you might bump that up to $100 each.

And you should have about one bar tender per 50-75 people, if it's less than that, you might consider bumping it more!

This is an interesting post, I didn't even think about that. Every wedding I have been to here in Texas has tip jars out for the bartender, and I always tip when getting drinks at the open bar, and definitely feel a little obligated to since it's sitting right there.

I think it's okay to have both. I wouldn't expect guests to tip, but if they want to they have the option. I've been to plenty of weddings with open bars and I usually tip as a guest since they're making multiple drinks for me over the course of a few hours. It's never mandatory, but a nice gesture to let them know I appreciate it

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I feel like its implied that you need money for the bar, regardless of whether its open or cash (as a guest). We always have cash on us for weddings. If its a cash bar, we pay for our drinks and tip. If its open bar, we just tip them.

I’ve been to several weddings with open bar/tip jar and never thought of it as odd. I’m grateful for the free drinks and happy to throw a couple dollars at the bar tender. Usually I don’t tip per pour, and just throw a 5 in at some point. We plan to have a tip jar as our Bar tender said
Most weddings he does just pay him $150+ tip jar. We were told at one venue that 2 bartenders are $300 with tip jar. $500 without. I’m not
Sure what protocol is here. We are also purchasing all alcohol and having a tip jar. Didn’t think about having to tip extra on side....

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I agree with putting a few dollars for the night...not per pour.
Other events (not a wedding) I've been to had tip jars and it was an open bar.
Either way, it wouldn't hurt give them a little $$ extra for their service.

I will also not be having a tip jar out. It’s tacky. Guests can tip the bartender if they want without a jar that makes tips feel more forced.
Besides, these are our guests, we’re paying for their whole night, including their tip. Also I would look into this $300 you’re talking about to hire them. Did you go through a company? Do you know that all that money is going to them? $75 is not a lot to make in one night of serving or bar tending. There’s other factors too, how long will they be there? How many people? And I’m sure they will have some set up and break down. Full open bar or just beer and alcohol? All these factor into your tip. As a past server/bartender I don’t see how you can decide beforehand what you’re going to tip. Maybe you have a minimum tip but exceptional service deserves an exceptional tip.