Tips

I tipped the DJ for sure !

View Quoted Comment Ok thank you. I don't feel like we should tip everybody, but I'm not sure.

Standard is you tip everyone unless it’s included already. It can be 5-10 bucks for the person dropping off the cake or several hundred for the photographer who is there all day. Hair dressers usually get 15-20%. While etiquette usually dictates no tipping the business owner (say a photographer who owns their own company vs one who works for a bigger company and only sees part of the money you pay), it is still appropriate when the vendor works extra hard to make your day special or when they go outside their job scope.

View Quoted Comment That helps alot. Thanks so much!

I’m wondering if I tip the coordinator from the venue that I’ll be doing alot of the work
with for the ceremony and reception and if so how much?

If they own their business, you do not have to. If they do not own the business (like a dj for a company, etc.) it is polite but not expected!

We still tipped people who owned their company because our vendors were amazing. You can always send the tip after the wedding.

View Quoted Comment How do you know how much to tip each one? Is it a % of what we pay for the service itself?

We are tipping our DJ, Event coordinator, the staff at our event and our photographer! Everything else the services are paid for in FULL!

In general - yes to paying most vendors. Typically you'll tip your caterers (including servers), depending on how your bar is set up your bartenders, your DJ, your Hair & Make-Up Team.

Photographers & Florists are a little different. You can choose to tip or give a nice gift like bottle of wine. Same goes for Coordinator, if your venue provides one you technically don't need to tip (but can opt for a gift) and if they're independent or a day of Coordinator they also either get a small tip or a nice gift.

WW has a good article about tipping you should check out!

Also remember amount of tip really depends on level of service & overall cost of vendor.

So I don't believe that people get a tip for just showing up to do a job.... I don't get a tip at my job!?! For the most part I think people dealing with food and drink should get some kind of tip, but everyone else it depends on the service. I listened to a podcast about this and it just made sense the way she explained it.

It is not possible to tip every vendor 10%. So dj get 3k and then another 300, coordinator gets 1k and another 100 photographer gets 3k and another 300? And what about assistant and second shooter and dj assistant? So they all get 10% also. I will tip people I feel deserve a tip and I'll tip them what we have/what we feel they deserve. I will for sure write reviews for everyone which I think is more of a tip in some cases.

This is all good advice. Thanks a bunch. I'll look at the WW article about it too and see what they have to say. I guess it's like tipping at a restaurant, you give what you think they deserve.

We tipped our Dj, when we paid for the hall, it included tips for the bartenders. We also tipped our bus driver. We gave each of them $60.

Some of your independent vendors own their business, and some do not. Big difference for tipping. If your haidresser or HMU work for a salon, their portion of your fee is set with the expectation that they will receive 20 percent tips. Their IRS tax scheduled assumes this. So unless they give bad service, they get a major tip. Same for bartenders from an agency, a multi-days photographer or DJ enterprise too. But owners of the businesses often hairdressers, DJ's, barmen, photographers, set their rates to give the pay and profit, without any expectation of a tip. And they are not automatically taxed as though they get tips. So full payment need not include any tip, for good work. . . . If you want to, and can afford it, reward exceptionally good work with a tip. But on a $2,000 photographer's bill, you would not give $400, or 20 percent. It is not part of salary. $20-50 would be great. Usually with a photographer who works for someone else, you get a bill breakdown. $600 for x hours, plus $1400 for images, and print package. Your tip , standard, would be 20 percent of that $600, as basic salary, $120. Withheld only if terms of his work contract not met. And another $20-50 would be only for exceptional service. . . Different rules for business owners, and those who are emailed, you need to figure in advance, as they are a big difference to your budget. A person who looks cheaper by 10 percent, is not, if an employee whomever you must pay 20 percent more than the quoted rate. It can be a shock to hire people, then near the wedding find you need to allow a full 20 percent more for some people . And you find yourself owing $800 in tips, not $80, when you add things up !