Wedding Planning Survival Guide: Who to Tip at your New England Wedding?
Tipping at your wedding is frequently confusing and Ryan Richardson Photography has compiled some of the best guidelines from around the web - Photo Courtesy.
When planning your Boston wedding budget, tips often go unaccounted for until the very last minute (and then it becomes time for a full-blown panic). So what do couples need to know about tipping their vendors on their wedding day?
There are three basic categories for tips in the wedding industry: contractual, customary, and courtesy.
Contractual tips will generally be outlined in your agreements with a vendor - typically you’ll see this with catering and bartending packages (if there isn’t a line-item for tips or gratuities in your agreement, ask about it, note that a “service charge” is usually an administrative fee and not a gratuity). Customary tips are occasions where tips are expected as part of the transaction (hair and makeup, for example). Courtesy tips are purely optional - if someone went way above and beyond or you’re just feeling very generous (I am never going to tell you to not give your favorite Boston wedding photographer extra money).
Amounts are approximate based on an average wedding cost of around $50,000 for Boston area weddings.
Reception Staff: Bartenders, servers, parking attendants, valets, and coat check attendants are generally covered under a venue or catering contract. If the contract does not include a mandatory gratuity it’s best to ask how many people will be working the event and then tip per person.
Type: Contractual
Amount: Catering staff and bartenders will generally be tipped 10-20% of the food and beverage costs.
Delivery Staff: Especially for outdoor or backyard weddings there are a lot of things that need to get dropped off or set up carefully and with care.
Type: Customary
Amount: $10-$20 per person
Drivers/Transportation: A gratuity is often specified in the contract, but if it’s not a tip can often ensure a smooth ride and helpful service.
Type: Customary
Amount: 15-20% of bill
Florist, Baker, Designer: This is a catch-all category of those vendors that won’t be on hand for the wedding - so if you are tipping them it’s okay to do it with a thank you card and the tip enclosed after the wedding (or after their service is completed).
Type: Courtesy
Amount: $50-$100
Musicians: Whether they’re in a band or just playing for the ceremony, why not show your players some extra love if they’ve done a great job setting the mood for your big day? Consider this category for other artists and performers you might incite to entertain and delight your guests as well.
Type: Courtesy
Amount: $25-$50 per performer
Style Team: Your glam squad should always be tipped just like you stopped off at the salon. At this point it’s just baked into the business model of the industry and while they might set their own rates, they’re often set with the expectation that you’re going to put something extra on top.
Type: Customary.
Amount: 15-25%
Tailoring/Alterations: If you’re getting something custom fitted and they’ve done a great job making you feel comfortable and haven’t stabbed you with too many pins, give your tailor a tip at your final fitting.
Type: Courtesy
Amount: $25-$50
Wedding Planner/Coordinator: This is probably one of the wedding professionals you’ve worked with the most in the lead up to your celebration, so even if it’s not expected you might feel the need to be a bit more generous.
Type: Courtesy
Amount: $100-$500
Photographer/DJ: Obviously I am incredibly biased because I am a Boston wedding photographer and I love the fact that I can use money to exchange for goods and services, but you don’t have to tip your photographer, or DJ, or their staff.
Type: Courtesy
Amount: $50-$200
Wedding Officiant: This is one category where there’s a lot more variability because officiants come in so many different flavors. It could just be a secular person like a justice of the peace or judge. Your officiant could be a friend or family member (in which case a gift might be more appropriate). Or they could be a member of the clergy, in which case expectations can vary by denomination.
Type: Courtesy
Amount: $50-$100
When a vendor has really gone above and beyond for your wedding, cash isn’t the only way to show your gratitude for their contribution. You can send a hand-written thank you note with a small gift if cash doesn’t quite feel right. When you’re working with the owner of the business, the very best thing you can do is leave them a radiant review or recommendation on websites like The Knot, Google, or social media. It’s also really helpful if you connect your other vendors with your photographer to see if they can share images of their work.
Are you lost in the land of tipping? What are your plans to pay out on your wedding day? Are you looking for a photographer to rave about - and who has explicitly just told you that you don’t have to give him extra money? Then contact me today.
Ryan Richardson is a wedding and engagement photographer serving Boston and beyond; including Cape Cod Weddings, New England Weddings, Massachusetts Weddings and Rhode Island Weddings.