When do you tip your photographer?

I cannot imagine NOT tipping the photographer. I'm tipping our servers/caterer, my hair and makeup artist, and giving a gift card to the officiant. I'm definitely tipping the photographer at the end of our wedding. I'm already paying $600, what's another $50 to me? And that tip may encourage her to put some extra effort into editing the photos. If they're AMAZING, I'll order our album through our photographer as an extra thanks. Not tipping someone because they own the business is an outdated practice in my mind. I'm not tipping to help them make a livable wage, I'm tipping as a way to thank for their service.

I budgeted tips into our overall budget and overall the tips are less than $200. That's practically nothing in the greater scheme of our wedding; and if $200 buys me a little good will and maybe even some extra effort from my vendors then I'm happy.

Worried- I didn't tip my photographer! I tipped my musicians and the caterer etc. Was I wrong to not tip her?

@simpleseamstress you are not wrong if she owned her business. My sister is a professional photographer and she never expects a tip. She like most photographers builds in all of her time, travel, editing and equipment into the cost that you are billed.

We didn't tip ours, and I assure you, they were super helpful and didn't miss a shot...because they were professionals and don't base their entire work ethic on a potential tip

I'm wondering the same thing. My photographers are a married couple and they are basically making $433 an hour. Should I really tip them?

The "owning their own biz' thing is a fallacy. Any business owner will tell you that when the rubber hits the road, dollar wise, they are the first people to take a pay cut.

Personally? I'd wait until you see your photos, write a lovely and detailed review and include a check or a gift to them if you're so inclined. Any pro is going to tell you that a thoughtful review is the best 'tip" of all.

I would wait until you get your photos. Tips are for services well performed, it seems empty if you haven't actually seen the product. You wouldn't tip your waiter at the beginning of the meal.

As a vendor who owns his own business, I don't expect a tip. But when I do receive a tip, it is always greatly appreciated. If you do plan to tip and you're figuring out the "hourly rate", keep in mind that there are typically 20-60 hours of work involved with your photos after your 10-hour day. The best tip of all is a well-written and thoughtful review.

Kress is right. With any pro, photographer, officiant, video person, what happen on the day is the tip of the iceberg. Even though I create 20 minute ceremonies, I am on site for at least an hour and a half, and there are probably 10-12 hours before and afterwards.

If you love someone's work and they went over the top for you, tip them. But that shouldn't be determined by whether they own the biz or not.

We didn't tip our photog. We paid her enough money for the pics!

How much do you tip per vendor? I'm at a loss - luckily the tip for servers is included in the catering fee so I don't have to think about that.

I tipped my photographer and his assistant, as well as my day of coordinator and my limo driver.

I own my own photography business on the side of my full time job and I can tell you I don't expect tips but they are always a nice surprise and much appreciated, and shows how much someone values you, and the work that you do. For the people giving small gifts, that will mean a lot knowing it came from a couple they got to know and care for. I am still close with 90% of my customers because I care about them more than just a "pocketbook". I would like to mention also, many vendors, especially photographers take days editing photos. So while you think you are paying for a 12 hour day, you are paying for closer to a 36 hour day.

We plan to tip all of our major vendors. I used to lead zipline tours. Many times, people would say "We paid $80 to take that tour, the guides don't need a tip!" but we didn't see nearly that amount of money. I tip EVERYONE that could possible deserve a tip, and I tip generously.

This is my current plan:

We are tipping my MUA in cash when she finishes my hair and makeup.

We are tipping the wait staff in cash at the end of the reception.

We are tipping the DJ in cash a the end of the reception (he owns his own business).

We will send our photographer a gift and a hand-written thank you after we get our photos (she owns her own business).

We will tip our second shooter in cash at the end of the wedding.

We will give our officiant a gift and a hand-written thank you after the wedding.

We will send our venue coordinator a gift and a hand-written thank you after the wedding (she owns the business).

We are having two photographers. Is it weird if we tip the second shooter day of, but don't tip the main photographer until we get the photos back?

Following

All these people saying they don't tip is surprising to me. As others have said, think about the time taken to edit your photos and everything. Also think about how long of a day it is on your wedding day. When the female photographer showed up that day, she did so much! She helped me finish getting into my dress (my mother was having a hot flash and couldn't do it)

Then she helped my two of my maids that we're having trouble. She didn't have to do any of they extra stuff, she was there to take pictures. They stayed at the reception till the very end as well. That's a long day that they could have been spending with their own children.

@love bubbles, I didn't say my photographer was a "big" company. He's not. He and his wife own the company, and he has two others working for him.

I'm sure my photographers didn't base their work on the fact that I tipped them before hand, and had I not I'm sure they would have been just as attentive. And many of you have seen my

BAM, as well as the pics I posted of my album. My pictures are beautiful.

You don't have to tip your photographer, although it is very much appreciated and helps to validate the hard work we put in to capture your wedding day. My recommendation is to personally hand your wedding photography and videographers an envelope with a gratuity. It's sad, but on several occasions, and I am not saying any or all, but I have had wedding planners and family keep an envelope and tell the couple they gave out the gratuities. It's also more personal when the bride and groom come to you as your packing and say, "thank you" and hand you an envelope. I will say though, better than any tip is getting a thank you card with one of the images i captured during their wedding. That is personally the best thank you, and I keep each and everyone and display them in my gallery, all 319 over the last 8 years. Yes, I don't shoot a lot of weddings, I am a Firefighter/Paramedic and Wedding photography is my passion, not my livelihood, at least for the next 2 years when I retire after 20 years.

Good luck and have blast at your wedding...