Wedding Vendor Tipping Guidelines

There are many people to be tipped at your wedding. Remember one general rule: those who has their own business don't have to be tipped. They've already told you the amount they would like to receive. And if you hire vendors via agency, then these people need tipping.

The officiant. There's no need to tip priests, rabbis, ministers or other religious officiants. But if you want to express your gratitude for their work, then you can donate the church or house of worship with $75 to $100. In case your wedding is performed by a civil employee, no donations, tips or gratuity is permitted.

Hair stylist and makeup artist. These people make you look beautiful at your wedding day and you have to thank them somehow. They expect your tip that is about 15-20 percent of the total bill. If there are assistants who help with secondary tasks, then prepare $3 to $5 dollars each.

The catering staff. Usually gratuity is already included into the contract, but you don't have to be afraid to ask it. If no, then plan tipping all staff members, not only waiters. First of all calculate how much you want to tip, and then divide the sum between the staff. Chefs and bakers get the most. The tip can be put into separate envelops and then handed to the director of the catering company at the end of the evening.

Musicians and DJ. The amount you give to the musicians depends only on the quality of their performance. By the way, tipping them isn't mandatory at all, because it's already included into the contract itself. However, if you want to tip the musicians, then you need to give $20 to $25 a piece. The DJ gets at least $25.

Wedding photographer or videographer, coordinators and florists. Wedding coordinators should be tipped at least $50. The florists, photographers and videographers get about $30 to 50$. The sum can be bigger, if they provided you with an extraordinary service.

Delivery people and drivers. These people are never present at your wedding, but they do very important things. The people delivering cake and flowers usually receive $5 each. The driver gets 15-20 percent of the cost of the contract.

Site attendants. You usually never see these people, but they make sure that all guests feel comfortable and happy at your wedding. These include parking valets, coat checkers, bathroom attendants etc. The gratuity is usually included into the contract, but if it isn't, then you have to know how many people you need to tip. The amount you need to pay is usually 50 cents $1 per guest for bathroom attendants, $1 per car for parking valets and $1 to $2 per guest for coat checkers. Give the tip to the manager and they will divide it between the attendants.