A question we are always asked by our couples is, “Do I need to tip my wedding vendors?”. Let’s start off this blog to say: tips are never expected, but greatly appreciated! Tipping your wedding vendors is a really great way to show them that you see them, appreciate them, or feel like they went the extra mile for you. Every wedding vendor isn’t tipped the same way or same amount though! Here is your guide wedding vendor tipping etiquette.

We always suggest our couples check the contract first for all their vendors. You want to ensure that your tip wasn’t already included in the bill. Also, we highly encourage all of our couples to tip ahead of time. This way you aren’t stressed about tipping on your wedding day, or even after a few drinks. You don’t need anymore stress the day of! Not able to tip beforehand and worried about keeping all the tips straight? Here’s a little tip. Put your tips in a sealed envelope with the vendor’s name on the front. Then your planner can distribute them throughout the day without anyone stressing. You don’t need that stress in your life on your wedding day, so let your wedding planner take on that stress for you!

In what ways can I tip my vendors?

Now that we’ve chatted about how, we know what you’re wondering next. “In what ways can I tip my wedding vendors?” Here’s a list of ways you can tip your wedding vendors, even if it’s not monetary!

• A monetary gift
• Give them a review
• Write them a thank you letter
• Give them a personalized or special gift
• Send them a gift card, or even an e-gift card!

Wedding Vendor Tipping Etiquette: How much should I tip my vendors?

The last, but certainly not the least part of this guide leads us to this question. “How much should I tip my vendors?” This is a great question! It doesn’t have just one answer, though. Depending on the vendor, wedding vendor tipping etiquette is going to be different. To make it easier for you, we made a list of best practices when tipping each vendor monetarily!

• Hair & Makeup : 15-20%
• Officiant: $50-$100 tip, $100-$500 donation, or a gift
• Delivery & Setup: $10-$20/person
• Bartender: 10-20% of the alcohol bill
• Catering: 15-20% of the food & beverage bill
• Transportation: 15-20%
• Venue Attendants: A few dollars per guest
• Planner/Designer/Coordinator: 15-20% of their fee
• DJ/Musicians: 10-15% of the total bill
• Photo Booth Attendant: $50-$100
• Photographer/Videographer: $50-$200 each

To make it easier for you, we put together a quick cheat sheet! Download here and save it for later.

We hope you found this guide helpful! If you have any other wedding vendor tipping etiquette questions leave them in the comments below. If you are planning your destination elopement, let’s chat! We would love to hear your love story and how we can help you make the elopement of your dreams come true.