Tipping the photographer?

Celia you can say it isn't a thing all you want, but it is a thing. I do know what the expenses are, I work in the industry.

Thanks for all the input! There wasn't anything listed on our contract for tipping or a suggested tip like there was for our DJ (who we contracted through the same company) so we weren't sure!

We plan on tipping EVERY ONE of our vendors, but not until after the dust settles after the event. The amount of the tip will depend on the level of service effort given, and can't be realistically determined immediately after the event. I plan on sending Thank You cards with the tip check, and also sending a review on Yelp, WW, The Knot (and anywhere else they would like me to)

My DOC gave me a guide for tipping - her guide said everyone gets a tip except, actually, the DOC which I thought was interesting. I tipped her anyway.

Is tipping anyone really "required"? No, but if they did a good job regardless if they own their business or not, why wouldn't you want to?

My DJ works alone - I tipped him. I can tell you that he went above and beyond for our wedding and did things for us that he had not done for other couples. Why? Because we tipped him. Not many other couples had.

Tip everyone. They can refuse it if they want, but I think anyone on their feet for 6+ hours following your ass around and making sure everything is perfect deserves a tip.

Yes, they have fees and the fees they charge should cover the cost of the service. But anyone who is working an event (as opposed to simply cutting your hair or washing your car - all of whom deserve tips as well), has to deal with uncertainty of weather and conditions, changes in plans, guests who arent paying them but are annoying the shit out of them, etc. In my opinion, those are things that definitely warrant a tip, regardless of whether they own the business or not. They are present and working FOR you.

If the service is horrible then don't tip. Otherwise, they deserve it.

We tipped all our vendors. Our photographer owns her business and doesn't employ anyone else. She did however go above and beyond for us.

@Kristin and Greene Bunny: It was our wedding gift. Not rude at all. Get your facts straight ladies before you criticize. We paid for his dinner and his hotel room. Enough is enough. Go live in Europe. Tipping is unheard of.

There are several tipping "guides" I have seen throughout the internet, and in magazines that have the suggestion that if a photographer owns their own studio, then tipping isn't necessary. Do I think this is fair? Absolutely not. Will I follow this suggestion? Absolutely not, but just wanted to mention that I have seen this statement multiple times in my research. Unfortunately some publications are trying to "make it a thing," for some reason.

Heather? It's an ancient thing. You wanna tip? Go right ahead, but don't use that rationale as a reason not to.

Praytell, how do you work in the industry?

My photographer owns her own company too. I will have 2 shooters the entire day. I'm tipping them $200 and giving them a favor. It's handmade soap that my cousin makes. They will enjoy it. They have been awesome. We received 200 pictures from our engagement session in less than 2 weeks. Most of my vendors own their own company and I'm tipping all of them.

The idea behind not tipping owners is that they are the ones that set the price. Yes, of course they have expenses (lots of them!) and don't keep all the money, but if they are not making enough profit they can decide to raise rates. Employees do not have that option. That said, I plan to tip those who go above and beyond whether they are owners or not,

Nancy? This is not Europe. It's a different flow of economy. You don't tip in restaurants because the waitstaff is paid differently.

And let me get this straight....your cousin photo'd your wedding as a GIFT (a much bigger gift than just writing you a check; if he was a pro, that was probably about five times the check he would have written...) and you considered feeding him (which any photographer should get ) and paying for his hotel (which any out of town pro should get) his pay? And no tip?

That, I"m sorry, is repulsive behavior. I'd be mortified to treat any pro and definitely my family that way.

Celia , our photographer is rated 5 starts on here and the knot along with used by many of our friends and family. She owns her own business and her pricing is on the higher ends of things . We own a business so I understand what you mean about being the first to have a loss when something goes wrong .

Yes, it was a gift and we accepted happily. He is a professional photographer. If you two want to turn down a nice gift, be my guest.