Wedding Vendor Tips: An Easy Guide of Who To Tip, How Much and When
Figuring out your wedding vendor tips will be one of the last to-do’s on your wedding planning checklist, but a tricky task to figure out nonetheless.
Use this Wedding Vendor Tips guide to determine who you need to tip, how much and when you should give them a tip. Complete with some helpful, expert tips below.
Wedding Vendor Tips
Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist & Other Beauty Technicians
If you ARE NOT paying for your wedding party’s beauty services, I recommend reminding your group to include a fair tip when they are paying. If you ARE paying for their services, you can ask your wedding party to just provide the tip (a suggested amount will be helpful) or choose to pay the tip yourself.
HOW MUCH:
10%-20% of the cost of services
WHEN TO TIP:
After services are complete on the wedding day
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Necessary.
Drivers for any Limos, Shuttles, Buses, Trolleys, etc.
The total tip amount depends on the extent of which they are driving you and/or your guests. It’s my opinion that a driver working several hours and making several trips should be tipped slightly more than the driver just making one trip. Either way, it’s important not to forget to say “thank you” for their professionalism.
HOW MUCH:
$50-$100 per driver
WHEN TO TIP:
Ideally, once they’re done providing the service.
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Necessary, but sometimes included in your total price. Check your contract first. And you can always give a little more, if desired.
Ceremony Participants
This includes altar servers as well as ceremony musicians and should be given before the ceremony begins (they tend to disappear quickly after the ceremony).
You do not need to tip friends or family members who you’ve asked to give a reading or bring up the gifts for communion.
HOW MUCH:
$20-$40 per person
WHEN TO TIP:
At the ceremony rehearsal or before the ceremony begins
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Necessary and often specifically outlined by your church.
Any Servers and Wait Staff
This is very possibly something that is already included in your caterer or venue contract. Look this over carefully PRIOR to the wedding day to avoid double-tipping or forgetting to give them a tip. If it is not clear whether a tip is provided or how many staff members there will be, be sure to ask your contact with that company. Also, keep in mind that a “service charge” is often different than a tip.
HOW MUCH:
$25-$50 per staff member
WHEN TO TIP:
It’s best to give this tip to the Maître D’ or venue coordinator with it clearly labeled for the wait staff (they should be tipped separately) and they can distribute accordingly. It can be done at the end of the night or directly following dinner.
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Necessary, but check your contract first.
Bartenders
You may wish to have a “tip jar” out on the bar where your guests can choose to tip their bartenders. I’m not a huge fan of this, but it’s a personal preference. Just remember if you do not wish to have a tip jar out, that you should then take care of a tip for the bartenders on your guests’ behalf (if it’s not included in your contract)
HOW MUCH:
$50-$100 per bartender
WHEN TO TIP:
At the end of the night and given directly to the bartenders
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Necessary if there’s no tip jar, but check your contract first.
Maître D’ or Venue Coordinator
If your venue or catering company has a “Captain” or banquet manager position, it is customary to tip them based on the total number of guests in attendance. Again, this tip may already be included in your total agreement with the catering company and/or venue. Be sure to check first.
HOW MUCH:
$1-$2 per guest
WHEN TO TIP:
The same time you give them the tip for the rest of their staff
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Necessary, but check your contract first.
Valets, Coat Check and Bathroom Attendants
For these roles, you should tip them based on the number of guests per station to be split amongst them. For example, if there are 100 guests, you can tip your valet parkers $100 and they will split that amongst themselves (not $100 per valet parker).
HOW MUCH:
$.50-$2 per guest, to be split
WHEN TO TIP:
At the end of their service
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Necessary, but check your contract first.
DJ and Emcees
It is not “required” to tip your DJ/Emcee, but if you feel they did a great job, then it’s a great way to say “thank you!” for keeping our guests happy and entertained.
HOW MUCH:
10%-15% of the cost of services
WHEN TO TIP:
At the end of their service
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Optional, but typically done.
Bands, Live Musicians and Entertainers
If you are having musicians, band, or any other type of live entertainment, a tip for each member is customary, especially if you booked them through an agency.
HOW MUCH:
$50-$100 per entertainer
WHEN TO TIP:
At the end of their service
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Optional, but typically done.
Photographers, Videographers, and Planners
It is not “required” to tip these individuals, but it is obviously very appreciated. These pros will often be spending the most time with you throughout the day and it’s important to appreciate their hard work and attention to detail. If they will be having any assistants, you can also extend an optional tip to them.
HOW MUCH:
5%-10% of the cost of services
$50-$100+ per assistant, depending on their level of involvement
WHEN TO TIP:
At the end of their service
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Optional, but typically done.
Officiants
A tip is not common for officiants, but a donation to a church (if applicable) is a nice gesture. It’s also a nice gesture to invite them to stay as a guest for dinner.
HOW MUCH:
$100-$250 donation
WHEN TO TIP:
At the rehearsal or before the ceremony
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Necessary, but mainly when outlined by your church. Optional for celebrants. Not necessary for friend/family members, though a small gift to say “thank you” is very thoughtful.
Floral Designers
If your floral designer is also on-site for your wedding day, as opposed to just a delivery team, a gratuity should also be included for them and their team.
HOW MUCH:
$100-$300+ depending on your total floral budget
$20-$50 for delivery-only persons
WHEN TO TIP:
When they deliver
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Optional, but a kind gesture if that designer has been working with you for several months to create the design for your wedding.
Delivery Persons for Florist, Rentals, Cake, etc.
While it is not “required” to tip these individuals, a small gratuity is always a nice touch and much appreciated.
HOW MUCH:
$20-$50 per person, depending on much heavy-lifting they’re doing
WHEN TO TIP:
At the end of their service
NECESSARY OR OPTIONAL?
Optional
Why Cash Is (Almost Always) King
While a thoughtful gift or gift card can feel more personal, a cash gratuity is almost always the most appreciated and practical way to thank your wedding vendors. Cash gives them the flexibility to use it however they choose—whether that’s covering business expenses, treating themselves to something they’ve been eyeing, or simply padding their savings after a long season. It’s a way of saying, “I see the hard work you put in—and I trust you to know what you need most.”
It’s also worth noting that gift cards can come with hidden strings. For example, a gift card to a luxury spa might seem like a generous treat—but the recipient could still be on the hook for things like gratuity, parking, or even taxes out of pocket. What feels like a splurge can unintentionally become an added expense.
When in doubt, a thoughtful card paired with a cash gratuity is a straightforward and generous gesture that always lands well.
Should you tip if the person is also the owner of the business?
It is not uncommon to read articles that tell you that IF the individual providing the service is also the owner of the company, you do not technically need to tip them.
Here is my take on that:
If you were to go out to eat, you would not tip the owner of the restaurant, right? BUT, if the owner was also the person taking your order, making sure you’re taken care of, bringing your food, and topping off your drinks, then YES, you would absolutely give them a tip, right?
It’s my opinion that it works the same for your wedding pros.
For example, if you are using a DJ who is subcontracted to work for a company, you would tip the DJ, not the owner. But if the owner was also the DJ working with you throughout the process AND they’re playing some killer tunes on your wedding day and keeping all of your guests on the dance floor all night long — then it’s a great idea to pass along a tip to them.
What’s the best way to hand out wedding vendor tips?
It’s most ideal to pass along your wedding vendor tips once the person has completed providing their service. That said, it’s often much easier to distribute any tips towards the beginning of the day — otherwise, it can be forgotten in the excitement of the night.
I recommend using small envelopes with the person’s name and/or role written on it with predetermined cash placed inside. (Cash is always, always, always recommended over check)
Who should distribute wedding vendor tips?
It’s always a nice personal touch for the couple to give the tip directly, however not always realistic.
With the exception of the hair/makeup artists, I recommend giving all tips to your wedding planner/coordinator to distribute. If you do not have a coordinator or if you prefer to handle it more personally, it’s traditional for an honorary attendant (like the Best Man or Maid of Honor) or a parent to pass along the tips. That said, do what works best for you.
