Venue gratuity

That’s a new one. Usually all inclusive venues (and catering companies regardless if they are independent or required in house) say “gratuity included” even though they are nearly always optional. In the case of a caterer, it’s similar to a restaurant that charges a mandatory tip if you have 10+ people in the group, while it’s at your discretion if there are less. Outside of that, a tip that is required is not a tip, it’s a required service fee and they need to change the name to be honest with customers. A tip is always optional and should only be given after you see that the vendor went above and beyond. That is why tipping anyone blindly the day of the wedding when you don’t know what is going on behind the scenes is not recommended. And many vendors should not be given any tips because they don’t go above and beyond the call of duty. Considering the number of people who say that they were disappointed by their venues/vendors who didn’t do what was contracted, a tip of any kind in that situation says “thank you for treating us like crap”. That is why obligatory tips need to stop and people need to stop tipping before they see the final product/service in action and are not in a tunnel visioned happy bubble at the time. Even coordinators on social media point this out as a red flag to avoid and say to wait until after the wedding by a week or more before you decide objectively whether a tip was deserved and what to write in your vendor review for Yelp.


You need to clarify with the venue because that wording is deceptive and contradictory. Optional means optional and should not be included in the original quote or the final bill. Have you signed this contract already? If not, speak with a lawyer to get clarification because they can help you figure out what it really means in legal terms. You should not be required or asked to pay this as a tip because it is not one. Unless the service is super stellar, hold off on any an all tip’s until after the honeymoon.

If there's a contract line item that's "optional" I would get clarification from the venue manager or whoever you've been working with.