Tipping is always tricky, but nowhere is it more confusing than at weddings.

Tipping is supposed to be a voluntary thing, but some aspects of your wedding still require tipping. Before you tip, find out first if tipping is allowed by your vendors. Some vendors, like caterers, discourage tipping and include the gratuity of their staff in the price.

Here are some general guidelines on tipping.

• All tips should be in cash.
• If you have a wedding planner, she should be responsible for coordinating all the payments and tips to the vendors. If you don’t have a planner, assign the best man or your father as the person in charge of the tips. Make sure they are reliable and won’t run away with the tips.
• You can put each tip in separate envelopes made out to all the different vendors ahead of time. This makes it easier and less confusing on the wedding day.
• Make sure you don’t double tip.
• 10-15% of the bill is usually a good rule of thumb.
• You should give the tips just before the vendor leaves so that you can judge how much to give according to the quality of their service.
• Write a thank you card to your vendors.  They will appreciate it and they can use it as testimonials to show their prospective clients.

How much to tip :

• Altar boys or girls – $5-10 each
• Wedding DJ / Wedding emcees  – $25-$50 each
• Limousine drivers – 10-15% of limousine bill
• Valet parking attendants – $0.50 – $1 per car.  You can arrange this with the venue manager beforehand based on how many cars you think will arrive.  Make sure you have a sign posted saying that the tips have been take care of.
• Bartenders – 10% of total bar bill
• Waiters and waitresses -  The tips are usually already included in the contract.  For exceptional service by a particular waiter, 10-15% of the total catering bill is appropriate.
• Makeup Artist and Hairdresser – 15%

Tipping is optional for :

• Catering manager – $25 – $50
• Photographers and videographers – $10 – $15 of package price
• Officiant – no tips as this would be bad etiquette.  You can contribute a minimum of $75 to the church separately.
• Wedding Planner – $50 or 10% of total bill
• Musicians – $5 per hour per person (including rehearsal time)
• Florist – $5 per delivery location
• Wedding Cake Baker – $10
• Venue Manager – $25

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