Vendor Tips & Gratuities Guide

Let’s be honest when it comes to planning a wedding; your vendors need to get paid for their services. But, with that being said, couples often forget to factor in the gratuity for these vendors into their budget. Tips/Gratuities are always up to your discretion however, I have created a guide of recommended/customary tips for your vendors, for you to screenshot and keep so that when it comes time to plan out your tips and gratuities, you will be all ready to go.

Tips/gratuities are an optional thing. You are by no means obligated to tip any of your vendors, unless it’s specified in your contract. So make sure you check your contract first to see if gratuity has already been factored into your total. However, if your vendors have done a great job and you would like to give them a tip as a token of your appreciation, they are always appreciated.

I recommend separating out your tips and gratuities by vendor and placing them in sealed and marked envelopes, that way they don’t get mixed up. If you have a Wedding Planner/Coordinator, you can hand them off to them the morning of your wedding to be handed out to each of the vendors. If you don’t have a Wedding Planner/Coordinator, designate a trusted friend or family member to handle this task for you. You will have enough to think about on the day of your wedding, passing out the tips shouldn’t be one of them.

You may have hired additional vendors that are not listed here such as photobooths, lighting, furniture/décor, cake baker, additional entertainment, etc. Although tips are never expected by these vendors, they are always appreciated so if you would like to tip these vendors as well, feel free to tip whatever you feel comfortable with. This is always up to your discretion.

I hope this guide is helpful to you as you plan for vendor tipping. Keep in mind that these are just suggestions and are meant to help guide you. If you are happy with the service your vendor provided, you are welcome to give them what feels right to you. It is always nice to feel appreciated and know that you make your clients feel happy on their wedding and sometimes just making sure to take the time to give a client review is gratuity enough. Reviews are worth so much to your wedding professionals so don’t forget to leave them a review on The Knot, Wedding Wire, Google or whatever platform they prefer. This helps your vendors grow their businesses and word of mouth is everything in the wedding industry.

Happy Planning,

<3 Naticia