How Much Should I Tip a Wedding Vendor?
Most couples that are getting married might think about tipping a wedding vendor such as Carole or myself.
I’ve seen this question from time to time on various website forums and social media posts and today we want to help address the question about if you should tip or not.
The Answer, It Depends
There is no right or wrong when it comes to tipping a wedding vendor, however, I will tell you that it is appreciated in the line of work that we all do.
With that being said, let’s explore why you would want to tip a vendor and I’ll give you ranges later in the blog of what most other couples do tend to pay.
Why Tip a Wedding Vendor?
There are many reasons why you would want to tip a wedding vendor, it could be that you are just doing it to do it or it could be that you’re truly showing your appreciation for them and what they do.
Here are a few reasons why couples would give a tip to a vendor:
They [vendor] went over and beyond the call of duty with their services
If the vendor was extremely helpful before and during the wedding
If the couple is simply giving everyone a tip across the board
Tipping is Not Required in the Wedding Industry
Well, the truth of it is that only about 3 in every 10 couples will tip you for your services, and it's not always cash and while the thought is nice, we don't expect a tip for what we do.
Wedding Tips
Wedding vendors are working hard to make your BIG day come off with as few issues as possible.
Mistakes Happen Sometimes, But Still, Tip Them
Let me be real for a moment, in my 22 years of covering weddings, every single one has something go wrong, even if it’s extremely small in nature.
Every one.
There has never been a wedding that has been 100% completely perfect, something always goes wrong no matter what the budget is or how much you plan.
Wedding Mistakes
Sometimes it’s something so small that only a couple of people notice, for example, the shoes you bought for the wedding suddenly broke and your wearing flip-flops.
For the normal wedding guest, that could be by design or just part of the day, nothing to be alarmed about.
Other times mishaps are more noticeable and cute such as the ring bear or flower girl coming down the aisle and they dump all the flowers in one spot or the ring bearer is crying all the way down the aisle.
Even if something goes wrong, you should consider tipping select vendors as long as the fault wasn’t their own.
If you Don't Tip a Wedding Vendor
Listen, don't sweat it if you don't tip us, it's truly a nice gesture if we do get a small tip but because we are the hired help for the day, we're here to make your wedding day the best it can be.
If we go home at the end of the night without a tip, vendors are not mad and honestly, we're just happy to be a part of the wedding.
When I get tipped, for example, it will usually be a nice hand-written note with cash or I’ll be gifted with something fun and cool for my office about once or twice a year.
If you Do Tip a Wedding Vendor
Hey, that's great.
It shows that you truly appreciate the value of what we do as professionals.
Tips don't always come in the form of cash, they can be a fun-related gift like I mentioned above.
A few years ago I received a very sign for my office from Dr. Seuss, both I and the wedding photographer got them and they were pretty cool.
Another couple gave me a very cool picture with Dr. Seuss and a quote that he had.
In either case, it was very thoughtful and it does make our day a bit easier too.
How Much Should I Tip a Wedding Vendor?
Being a wedding vendor myself, I would highly consider tipping those that don’t make a large amount of money before you consider photographers and videographers like Carole and me.
That can include the wedding officiant, hair and makeup artist, and servers from the catering company.
But, that’s me and because I see how much they work for so little compared to other vendors, I’d show my appreciation to them with a small gesture.
Here is a list of vendors that we found on various websites and their recommendations:
| Hairstylist | Makeup | Officiant | Planner | DJ | |
| The Knot | 15-25% | 15-25% | $50-100 | 10-20% | $50-150 |
| Here comes the Guide | 15-20% | 15-20% | $50-100 | 15-20% | 10-15% |
| Wedding Wire | 15-20% | 15-20% | $50-100 | 10-20% | 10-15% |
| Zola | 15-25% | 15-25% | $50-100 | 10-20% | $50-150 |
| Bridal Guide | 15% | 15-20% | $100 | 10-20% | 10-15% |
| Photo | Video | Catering | Transportation | Bartender | Florist | |
| The Knot | $50-200 | $50-200 | 15-20% | 15-20% | 15-20% | N/A |
| Here comes the Guide | $50-200 | $50-200 | $5-20 person | 15-20% | 10-20% | $5-20PP |
| Wedding Wire | $100-200 | $100-200 | 15-20% | 10-20% | 10-15% | $5-20PP |
| Zola | $50-100 | $50-100 | $250-500 | 15-20% | 10% | 5-10% |
| Bridal Guide | $50-200 | $50-200 | 15-20% | 15% | N/A | 10-15% |
Values will depend from region to region and how much you value the vendor too, as these are general guidelines, just know, tipping isn’t required.
Other vendors could also get tips, but we’d ask that you think about the vendors that have small margins first like the ones mentioned above.
Most times these are the ones that do a lot of fast, hard work and they are overlooked more items than the DJ, the photographer, videographer, and wedding planner.
Wedding Tipping Guidelines
While there are no official wedding tipping guidelines, providing the vendor a small gift or perhaps some cash simply shows a kind gesture that you truly appreciate them being at your wedding day.
Trust me in saying that as a vendor it makes me feel extremely grateful that the couple would ‘thank us’ for being apart of their special and memorable day.
It’s about showing your appreciation for those that work hard and go the extra mile within the wedding business.
Showing your gratitude to those that most times never get it truly makes them feel wonderful in what they do!
