Chris’ Tip Jar – A Guide to Tipping Your On-Site Wedding Vendors
Chris again, the people’s champ and your venue coordinator, here to let you know about best practices for tipping your vendors. All too often, couples neglect to take account of gratuities when budgeting for their wedding. In fact, my fiancé and I completely forgot about it until I started writing this blog.
Do I need to tip my wedding vendors?
Yes, you have paid your wedding vendors a tremendous amount already, but it is in good taste to tack on a bit extra for their efforts on the day of your wedding. It is not a trivial expense, but you can factor gratuity into your budget with a bit of direction. Thankfully, our winery is here to help!
Below is a breakdown of tipping etiquette for all the essential Wedding Vendors. We hope that it will be helpful for your budgeting needs!
Photographers:
Visit TLIC Media, one of our preferred partners for wedding photography and videography.
Photographers will get a lot of cardio on wedding day capturing those wonderful candid and family photos that turn into a lifetime of memories. Considering that those memories are priceless, it would be ideal to provide a little extra on top of creating a literal heirloom. 5-10% of their fee is more than enough to show your appreciation. Tipping doesn’t always mean cash. A great bottle of wine from our cellar can work just as well.
Wedding Coordinator:
RCC Weddings and Events is a preferred wedding vendor for event coordination.
The service of being a day-of-coordinator, while immensely fulfilling, is a taxing position. It takes a balance of keeping the night on track without ruining the fun. An accomplishment such as this deserves a fulfilling award. Common practice is to tip $100-$200 for the lead wedding coordinator.
Hair & Makeup:
The I Do Glam Crew is one of our preferred wedding vendors for all of your glam needs.
You would like to look your best on the day of your wedding. If you have a hair and makeup artist at your disposal, they will be essential to making that happen. For your artist, it will be a day of holding extremely hot things , including yourselves of course, for a long period of time. Show some love by tipping them at least 20% for your wedding day glow up!
DJs:
The Bachelor Boys Band is one of our preferred wedding vendors for good vibes all night long.
DJs do a lot more than press play. Like wedding coordinators, they are essential in maintaining the flow of the evening. All of your special moments from grand entrances to toasts, will need someone to announce them. Providing these services and impeccable vibes entitles them to a touch more above their fee. We suggest tipping at least $200 given the work necessary to create a setlist and stick to the cues that the couple sets out for them. In the case of a band, typically allow for $25-$50 for each musician.
Venue Staff:
Your venue staff will have a lot on their plate, including service, bartending, cleaning and more than anything else, ensuring your guests have a fun and safe time. Event staff may be immune to long hours, but a 10-hour day on your feet is a 10-hour day on your feet. We recommend a tip of 20% to be divided amongst the staff unless it’s been covered in your venue fees. Even if the venue contract includes wedding staff gratuity if there are staff members that go above your expectations an additional tip or gift card can show how much they’re appreciated.
Catering:
We recommend Renaissance Chef for tasty menu items and customizations during your wedding reception.
Food is pretty much the most important aspect of your wedding. It is the subject that everyone will be talking about during the event and in the weeks to come. Serving dinner to 120 plus people, as you might imagine, is a logistical nightmare, especially if it is a plated meal. Given all this, you would like to make sure that the catering staff is adequately compensated for their time. Typically, this is included in your food bill, but it never hurts to double check. If not, 18-22% of the food cost should be paid out amongst the Catering Staff.
We hope that this blog helps with your budgeting concerns going forward, remember to take a second look at your Wedding day contracts with your wedding vendors before giving an additional tip. If you ever have a question, we are just a phone call away
About Chris
Chris joined the Linganore Winecellars Private Event Team in 2022. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience from another local winery. Chris is creative, personable, organized and is committed to interpreting the clients’ vision of their event and turning it into reality. Calm and professional under pressure, he is an assertive individual who ensures each client’s event is a success.
Sources:
Cover Photo: WM.Cook Photography (wmcookphoto.com)
https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-vendor-tipping-cheat-sheet
https://www.brides.com/story/complete-list-wedding-vendors-gratuity-tip-how-much
