Tipping Catering Servers

Also tip bartenders, valets if you have them, your venue event coordinator.

Rachel, you sound lovely. I'm sure your vendors are going to go the extra mile for you because you're a delight...

Definitely, check your contract gratuity was included in my price. However, I think a tip is necessary if it isn't already included. I would tip between $20-40 per server. If you vendors go above and beyond, why wouldn't you want to tip them?

Double-check with your caterer that gratuity isn't already built in to your contracted price.

Also, I suggest changing your avatar to something other than the rings. They are associated with spam/trolls so it will help you get more responses to your posts.

People like Rachel are why I started adding the 20% gratuity into my bridal hair/makeup contracts by default.

If you don't want to tip your vendors appropriately, then do your own hair/makeup, serve your own food, take your own pictures, and officiate your own ceremony.

Many vendors set their prices as they are with the assumption that they will receive a gratuity for their services, as is customary, polite, and generally what decent people do.

They won't, Rachel. Which is exactly why your attitude is so troubling. Your servers and other vendors will bust their asses for you all night, assuming you will do as decent people do and tip them appropriately for their hard work. Little do they know, you apparently will not be handing them a cent. Its really quite rude.

Also, if they have added it, it will be listed on your contract. My bridal contract lists each service and its price, the total of all services, and then a line that says "20% gratuity" with that total.

Unless you see a line like that in your itemized bill or something in your contract, then you absolutely should not assume it is there. I'm not sure why this is hard to understand.

Rachel, do you tip when you go out to eat? Im going to assume you are a nice person and do. This is the same thing. It's not just at a wedding that you tip servers, that's a normal thing you do that extends to a wedding.

As far as the DJ, photographer, etc, tips are technically at your digression. Most vendors (if you hired good ones) will bust their asses as PPs have said, so yes, they get a tip and a good online review.

OP, I would check the contract. Mine had the gratuity included.

Rachel, you should still tip, regardless if you're paying them "a ton".

A service fee is not always a gratuity. In fact, it often is not.

OP - our servers were paid around the same ($18/hr). At the suggestion of the venue coordinator, we tipped $50 per server at the end of the night, all in separate envelopes which were given to the coordinator the night before. This is a good way to handle tips rather than a flat 20% which is very expensive and didn't make sense since they were not typical restaurant wages.

"for server serving out food, I don't see how they could do anything much in my eyes that would warrant a tip"

"I am not feeding any vendors as well."

Awful. Way to be selfish and thoughtless towards the people working hard to make the day great for you. So you can't even slide a $20 bill to the servers working your wedding, and you also can't be bothered to feed your DJ and photographer when they are working the whole night.

I'm going to assume you're a troll at this point, but I suggest you look at your contract a bit more closely, because I GUARANTEE your photographer and DJ at a bare minimum have a part about meals - and you can either provide them a meal, or deal with not having a dj/photog for 30-60 minutes while they leave the premises to get something to eat.

Ugh, I can't with this.

Rachel must be trolling. God I hope she is trolling.

A lot of vendors have being fed in their contract. Even if they didn't I would be feeding them

When I worked for a catering company, there was always an 18% service charge (really just gratuity) include that went directly to the servers in cash. Check your contract. I worked for a local business who was really honest about it, but I would double check a large company to make sure the servers are getting more than $5 an hour.

Rachel, I make $6 an hour, $3 less than minimum wage. In other jobs, the additionally pay is built into the cost of the product. If tips were not required, there price of the food would be larger. If you don't like the system, that's one thing. But know that the money you are paying goes directly to the food costs and the company.

Also, as a waitress, I remember everybody. If I was ever screwed over like that, I would hold a grudge forever.

God, I hope Rachel is a troll. Because even if she isn't, she is.

You know what? The easiest way to get me to go over the top, out and back, here and there, bend over backwards fabulous to you, beyond the call of duty, is to treat me the way you'd want to be treated. Be nice to me.

The best way to get any vendor to do exactly the minimum of what they promised to do for you is to be a mingy, cheap, unpleasant person to work with.

If the Laboutin fits, my dear......

@Rachel, you are correct, a tip should never be expected (unless you are in the service industry). And they will go above and beyond shoving a plate of food in front of your guests (and don't think they won't - I want more bread, I need salt, this is too over cooked, this is undercooked, I never bother to tell my host that I am allergic to wheat and need a gluten free meal - the list is endless). And frankly your idea of not feeding your vendors, while not surprising, is rude. You won't go all day without food, but you expect people who are on their feet for 8-10 hours or more to go without. Oh and I would check your contracts carefully, you may lose some of your vendors for up to an hour and a half (that you paid for) while they leave your venue and get something to eat.

I waited tables, bartended, and catered for over 10 years. Everyone is correct in saying check your contract. Mine includes 18% pretax gratuity that I will tip on top to bring it to 20-22% most likely day of provided the service is good.

You should feed your vendors and tip them well (if the service is good) because that is our cultural norm and because it's the non-dick thing to do.

Rachel, I can't even with your attitude. You're probably the person who, when dining out with friends, has a friend 'accidentally' leave her scarf for an excuse to go back and tip the server extra to compensate for your rude, cheap ass.

Who is providing your servers? Is it the caterer or your venue? I would check your contract, because usually its included, and they are tipped through the company they work with. Banquet servers rarely receive cash tips.

I think $20-$40/per server in tips is ridiculous!! They don't do THAT much. And honestly, its on the company they work with to tip them out and not you the customer. Sure, some caterers can be dishonest and not tip out their servers well, but that's not reflected on you, its reflected on them the "boss".

Just check to see if there's a service fee/gratuity fee included in your bill (usually is) and if there is no need to pay extra, if not then leave 15-20% tip on your bill..no need to give cash to the servers.

Edit: You should always pay for a vendor meal for your vendors. Sometimes they even require this. Photographers especially since they work ALL day!! DJ should be fed as well.

vendors you don't need to provide meals for: Officiant that is not a religious officiant (usually you invite religious officiants with their spouse as wedding guests), photo booth attendant that is only working no more than 3 hours. (if you want them for longer you should feed them), makeup/hair stylist that doesn't stay past your ceremony start time. General rule for vendors, if they work 4 hours or more, they need food.

If it is not included in your original contract yes you should tip. My venue includes all gratuity in its pricing.

@Rachel you need to tip. And feed your vendors. Otherwise you are being rude.