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Gabriela
Beginner February 2021

What should we tip for limited service vendors?

Gabriela, on December 14, 2020 at 7:18 PM Posted in Etiquette and Advice 0 13
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Tipping is a sensitive topic in our household. As a former hospitality employee and former delivery driver, I've had a pretty rediculous habit of over-tipping that I've since curbed to about 20-25% for dinner dates and such but with large events I'm still not entirely sure how this should work. There are certain vendors that are delivery only (in which case my tip would more likely be based on mileage rather than cost of food) and others that are DIY rental situations. I'm not against tipping well for good service but I just want to be sure I'm being reasonable. After all, we're not talking about a $50 dinner for two, these tips are all going to be at least 3 digits so we need to responsibly budget for them if we are going to do it right. What would you suggest for the following?

A caterer that is only delivering, not setting up, not serving and not cleaning up. Do I tip the drivers or the chef... Or both?
A rehearsal dinner venue that allows us to use a portion of their space and tables but provides no set up, cleanup or service.I'm also curious to know if there are any other miscellaneous vendors or situations that you suggest we tip for, if so how much?

13 Comments

Latest activity by Gabriela, on December 20, 2020 at 6:37 PM
  • Mrs. Spring
    Master April 2021
    Mrs. Spring ·
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    If unhappy with seevices then don't tip. If happy then tip 15 to 20%.
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  • Gabriela
    Beginner February 2021
    Gabriela ·
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    Even though they're not providing full service?
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  • Michelle
    Rockstar December 2022
    Michelle ·
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    Tip what you feel they deserve (15% is typical) only if they go above and beyond the call of duty, not for simply doing their job or bad service.


    As far as catering, send it to the company to be dispersed evenly between chef and drivers after the event, when you come back from your honeymoon and you have an unbiased view of how the day went. That is how you determine how all vendors are tipped.
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  • Mrs. Spring
    Master April 2021
    Mrs. Spring ·
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    Yes ma'am, but it's ultimately up to you.
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  • Gabriela
    Beginner February 2021
    Gabriela ·
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    Hmm, interesting, I like this idea of tipping after the fact. I was under the impression everything should be put in envelopes before hand but I suppose for certain vendors it makes sense that it's better to send it in after with better clarity of judgement. Thanks for that advice!
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  • Michelle
    Rockstar December 2022
    Michelle ·
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    All the articles you read say to tip vendors before the final service is even completed. That is because they are written from the angle of supporting the Wedding Industry Complex which seeks out any and every last penny you don't have to keep up with the Joneses.


    You should not tip any vendor the day of because you are on that flustered cloud 9 where you approve anything without thinking. There is no way to predict what their service will be if you tip them beforehand. They could be awesome during the planning and not give a crap on the day of (couples say it is common, as evidenced by countless vendor reviews online) but they get a tip anyway the day of for stellar service with nothing to show for deserving it. Because that is what couples are told is the only way to do things.
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  • A
    Expert September 2022
    Allie ·
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    I’m not super knowledgeable, but for a rehearsal dinner venue that doesn’t provide any services? To me, I don’t think I would even consider tipping on the venue fee, but I *would* tip the venue staff members (for example, the people staffing the venue and flipping the space from cocktail hour to dinner or something like that). Just wanted to clarify!
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  • Gabriela
    Beginner February 2021
    Gabriela ·
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    Michelle, Thank you so much for clarifying that! It's really helpful to know that this is the suggestions, not the rule. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense to just mail in or deliver the gratuities after the fact.

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  • Gabriela
    Beginner February 2021
    Gabriela ·
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    To clarify, we're renting out a portion of a local brewery at a flat fee for the rehearsal dinner, so we are bringing our own caterer (also delivery-only, then self-serve) and guests are in charge of purchasing their own beverages from the bar if they choose to indulge. So in theory, the staff would be getting tipped the same way they would on any other occasion. I agree I wouldn't leave them without ANY tip but since our guests will be acting as regular customers, I wasn't sure if an additional gratuity was necessary since it was made pretty clear that we wouldn't have any sort of designated bartenders or servers dedicated to our party, which was perfect for us because we wanted a very open and laid back environment.

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  • Katie
    Dedicated October 2021
    Katie ·
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    To be honest, it sounds like there isn’t any service to tip on beyond delivery and you’re left to do all the services yourself.
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  • Denise
    Devoted May 2019
    Denise ·
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    I wouldn’t tip a percentage of the bill for delivery only. I’d tip a flat fee, probably $50 to $100. (I’m a 25 year veteran of the hospitality industry and also tend to over tip.)
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  • Gabriela
    Beginner February 2021
    Gabriela ·
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    Those were my sentiments too. Not that I don't think they might still deserve a tip but it's just that I wasn't sure how to determine that tip without any service to help me determine the amount.
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  • Gabriela
    Beginner February 2021
    Gabriela ·
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    That sounds fair. It's nice to know that you feel that way even though you come from a background similar to mine.
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