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Many people who are part of your wedding day should be tipped.

Vendor tipping tips for weddings

Many people who are part of your wedding day should be tipped.

Tipping is one of the details that you need to plan ahead of time. Tipping is part of every celebration and your wedding is no exception. Many people who are part of your wedding day should be tipped. Other people are not usually tipped. You can prepare ahead of time for the tips that will be given out.

Who to Tip
Tipping is a part of life and is particularly important when it comes to weddings. Some of the people who should be tipped include the following:

  • Hair stylist
  • Makeup artist
  • Caterer
  • Cake baker
  • Bartender
  • Waiters/Waitresses
  • DJ
  • Limo Driver
  • Photographer
  • Minister

Envelopes
Utilizing envelopes is a perfect way to prepare ahead of time for tipping. These can be prepared ahead of time so they are ready to be given out on the day of the wedding. To set up tipping envelopes simply write the person’s name on the envelope and include a short thank you note to include inside. The note doesn’t need to be anything fancy or long – simply jot a few words on a small slip of paper to include in the envelope. The tip itself can be made in cash or you may prefer to use a cheque. A check is a good option because there is always the possibility of losing the envelope.

Help with Tips
It is a good idea to get some help from family members to provide payment and tips on the day of the event. This person should be in charge of the envelopes and will be responsible for handing the tip envelope to each of the vendors on the wedding day. (The bride’s dad is a good choice for this job) Give the person in charge the envelopes that are pre-loaded and marked with the appropriate vendor’s name. This makes giving the tips easy and foolproof.

How Much to Tip
Many people wonder how much they should tip their vendors. In general, tips are typically between 10 and 15% of the total bill for that particular item. Wedding tipping can be somewhat confusing. When in doubt, it doesn’t hurt to ask each vendor how they are usually tipped. This may give you a better idea how to handle the tips for your wedding. For example, your caterer may already include a certain percentage into your total bill for tips. This will be specified as part of your contract. Be sure that you determine who, if anyone should receive additional tips over and above those listed in your contract. Anyone who is working independently should be tipped directly. If your bartender is hired outside of the scope of your contract be sure to add a tip for him or her.

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