Tips for vendors

Yes, it is completely appropriate to tip vendors on top of their fees. Vendors people typically tip: photographer, videographer, bartenders, weight staff, hair and make up artists.

The Knot provides a good guide:


https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-vendor-tipping-cheat-sheet

If you loved the work by your vendors, you can absolutely give a tip! People you should typically tip (unless they really didn't earn it) are: hair/makeup artists, delivery drivers (cake delivery, rental delivery, etc), wait staff/bartenders, and any vendors performing a service (photographer, videographer, DJ, coordinator, etc). Hair/makeup artists are typically tipped 20% of their total fee, and the others you can tip whatever you feel is best (people commonly give anywhere from $20-$200 per vendor). If you had bad service or were unhappy with the vendor's work, a tip is not required. Also check out the link Erin shared!

Unpopular opinion but we feel that vendors should be tipped only when they have gone above and beyond the call of duty and never on the wedding day itself or before the product/service has been provided. Contrary to what the wedding industry pushes, there is no reason at all to tip vendors for just showing up, as couples are pressured to do. The acronym of Tips when the practice started was to ensure top tier service only. Now everyone expects a tip with nothing to show for why they earned it. That is why it’s strongly recommended to instead wait until at a least a week after the wedding when you are able to objectively assess who was stellar and who was a bomb or didn’t show, and don’t give tips to the no shows or mediocre/bad quality service. By doing so when you do give a bad vendor a tip, you are thanking them for treating you badly.



Read contracts with a fine tooth comb to make sure you are not double tipping. “Gratuity” is a word used in the catering/restaurant field that is an automatic tip added to the bill when you reach a certain minimum price point or guest count. A tip in addition is never required. Since you are charged this, do not tip extra. If you love the service, give them a glowing review on Google and Yelp.
There is no set percentage. Decide what the stellar vendors are worth and give that amount that you can comfortably afford.

View Quoted Comment Thank you I feel we are already going above and beyond by including all vendors in our seated dinner and some of them are being provided lodging so was feeling overwhelmed by possible having to tip.

View Quoted Comment The vendors need to provide top tier service above and beyond for a tip. It’s unusual to provide lodging for vendors. Are they friends or professionals?

View Quoted Comment Professional but it’s a destination wedding so negotiation in their fee