What to Tip your Vendors

Following. We have an all-inclusive venue that charged us a 20% service charge, too. I was also wondering what we’re supposed to tip the maitre’d, waiters, and bartender on top of that!

I have this as well. 20% service charge and 5% sales tax as well. Maybe ask the venue coordinator what is normal?

My venue is very unusual for Long Island that it does not charge a service charge. My wedding is next weekend and my salesperson recommended the following:
Maitre D: $3-5 per person
Bridal attendant: $150-250
Chef: $150-250

I asked about servers, she said most people do not tip them. Same with bartenders, guests usually give them something even though no tip jar. I personally tip my server when at a wedding if the service was really good. If we decided to tip servers it would be about $20 each

View Quoted Comment Yes, I was going to ask but she offered information with final bill.

View Quoted Comment Some venues/caterers specifically say the service charge is not gratuity. Basically they are using it to pay staff, which I think is a bit sneaky. Just add it into the price, then add gratuity or let the person decide on gratuity.

View Quoted Comment Thank you! Our contract didn’t specify whether the service charge was gratuity or not. After reading your other post, I think we’ll also ask our venue for their recommendations on server/bartender tips. I always tip the bartenders at weddings, too, so I’m curious to hear what they say we should do!

Yes, you should still tip the serving staff. As the venue has explained, your service charge is not a gratuity. It goes toward staff salaries. They should still be tipped on top of that. However, since you are already paying the 20% service charge, you don't have to tip another 20% or anything like that. You can give each staff member a flat amount, such as $25-$50 each. This is a good way to handle tips when you're already paying a service charge.

Here is what we gave for tips at the venue: Servers - $50 each; Bartenders - $100 each; Venue Coordinator - $150; Service Captain (or Maitre D) - $150.

They were each given cash in separate envelopes.

I think it's really not cool to use the service charge to pay staff. Especially since a lot of the time, it's more than what they're actually being paid If they put in a service charge, I expect that to cover the service. They should tip staff out of that.

I think the tipping thing has gone a bit crazy, though. I won't be tipping my wedding vendors. They charge enough.

We're also getting married at an all-inclusive and I hadn't thought of tipping on top of what we're paying. Our contract says all gratuities and fees are included, though, so...

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I kind of agree -- if I'm buying an $800 cake from you, which has at least a probably well over a 100% markup, what do you need a tip for?

Furthermore, many of these wedding-related businesses, your services are being provided by the owner. It's not typical to tip the OWNER of a business....

However, the minimum wage cater waiters... they probably do deserve a few extra bucks!

We're getting married at an all-inclusive as well and from my knowledge when speaking to the DOC our venue is providing us, the service charge is essentially the tip. I'm going to ask again tomorrow during the tasting just to be sure because I hate to be "that" person but I also do agree with the amount of up-charge that comes with the mention of the word "wedding" for any vendor, that gratuity should be included most of the time.

View Quoted Comment As someone who works in the banquet serving industry, I can assure you, most of the time, we're not even making minimum wage through a service fee. There are days where the events need to be set up, plus the literal five minutes we have to eat dinner from last night's meal, then when the shift is over and done, sometimes 10hours later, we will have had no breaks, and most often, made less than $10 an hour (it's usually a shift pay), and then guests who believe the bride and groom are taking care of them leave without giving their server anything. I think if anything, the servers deserve a tip more than the maitre'd. The maitre'd is tipped, always. The servers are often left with nothing, and trust me, 90%of them don't deserve that.

"Service charges" and "fees" usually aren't tips, they usually make up the normal wages of the staff required for the event. Unless you see "gratuity" on the bill, a tip probably isn't included, so I would tip each server.

Some vendors (like DJ, photographer, coordinator, etc.) it's okay to tip a set amount ($15, $20, $50, $100, etc.) rather than a percentage, because the cost of service is such a large amount to begin with.

Tips obviously aren't required, but they're always appreciated, so if you feel a vendor goes above and beyond to make your day special, tip them

View Quoted Comment Thank you for including what you gave tips! This gives me a good idea of what to do

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I would not want to be one of your vendors.

I tip based on service/product received regardless of who is providing it. These people put so much extra into your day because it is such an important day, there is so much done behind the scenes that we don't see, not just with the "minimum wage cater waiters".

Hi Jennifer - who are you referencing in your comment? I never said I wasn't going to tip my vendors. I'm asking for advice on how much to tip them.

The title is 'What to Tip your Vendors.' Not, 'Should I or Should I not Tip my Vendors.'

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Then their employer should be paying them. Using a percentage based service charge to pay their actual fees isn't cool. Put the labour costs into the actual quote then.

I agree that the servers and other minimum wage staff should be getting more. But don't charge me a $2000 service charge and then expect tips on top of it. The company is responsible for the wages. A tip is an optional gratuity. If you make it required, well then that's the tip.

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Do you tip your waiter when you go to a restaurant? They get what the restaurant gives them, just like a banquet hall does. If you want servers at your wedding reception, you pay the service fee, if you'd like them to know they did a good job, you tip them. There are venues that have the service fee as gratuity, but you need to confirm that with them first.

I 100% agree that employers should be paying their workers a good wage, it absolutely should be written in and enough that they can live on and not just 'get by' but that is the world we live in.

And no one expects a tip, it's just common courtesy.

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When I go to a restaurant, if there is a service charge, that's the tip.

If the caterer didn't have a service charge, I would tip the staff. But they can't have both a service charge and a tip. That's not okay. As I said, they should build their labour cost into their actual quote and not make it a percentage charge on top. Doing that means it's the tip.

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That's the problem, service charge in catering is not the same as a restaurant, maybe it should be, but caterers just don't work that way - let me be clear, I don't agree with that, it just is. You need to ask your individual venue if the service charge is considered a gratuity for the servers. Make your decision then whether you want to tip them or not, but as someone who works in the industry, I will be tipping.