Photography by Natiana Danielle Photography

Deciphering how much to tip your wedding vendors and allotting room in your budget for gratuities can be difficult, but we're here to take the stress out of tippin' your favorite wedding vendors. Although tips are never expected, they are always appreciated. Tipping is a simple way to thank the hardworking and creative professionals who give so much of their time, heart, and energy to bring your wedding vision to life. And tipping doesn't always have to come in a monetary form; there are many ways you can "tip" your vendors to show appreciation. Let's get into The Vow Gold Country's ultimate wedding vendor tipping guide: who to tip, how much, and when.

THE VOW GOLD COUNTRY

The Vow Gold Country Magazine was born of two local wedding industry businesswomen who saw a need for wedding inspiration in our picturesque area. The Vow strives to inspire people to host their special events, large or small, in our beautiful area of the world, the Gold Country in California.

Gold Country stretches from the beautiful granite cliffs of Yosemite to the stunning wine country region of Amador County, the mountain areas of Bear Valley and Sonora Pass, and the foothills and ranches of Jamestown.

The Vow Gold Country features the newest trends in Gold Country weddings and the trusted vendors who provide the highest caliber of work. We hope brides gain the knowledge to create their dream wedding on our pages!

You can grab past issues of The Vow Gold Country here!

A Few Things To Consider…

Tipping and gratuities are solely at your discretion. Here are a few things to consider when tipping your wedding vendors.

1. Make sure to read your wedding vendor contracts carefully

First, you'll need to read through all of your vendor contracts to see if gratuities are included. Gratuities are standard in certain vendor contracts, including (but not limited to) venue, catering, and even transportation contracts. When they're included, you won't need to do any additional tipping.

2. A "service charge" is not necessarily a tip or gratuity

We totally get that these contracts can be confusing. Here's the deal: a "service charge" is a required fee that's added to your catering and/or venue contracts. The tricky part is that service fees don't necessarily go directly to the employees, making it necessary to ask how the fee is being used.

3. Prep your tips in advance - trust us!

Trust us when we say your wedding day will fly by, and it's easy to forget the small details. We recommend going to the bank a few days before your wedding, pulling out cash, and putting each tip into a labeled envelope for each vendor. Then, give this task to the most responsible member of your bridal party, a parent, or even your planner to hand them out over the course of your wedding day (find out more below).

REMEMBER, tipping is not mandatory

While tips are always appreciated by your vendors, if you don't have the funds to spare, you can express your appreciation to your vendors in other ways.

Write your wedding vendors a glowing 5-star review online (we love these, and it helps SO MUCH),
Or give them permission to use some of your stunning photos for their portfolio
Send them a handwritten thank-you note

Now let's dive in…

Which Wedding Vendors Should I Tip?

Technically, any vendor providing a service on the day of can be tipped if you're impressed with their performance.

This includes (but is not limited to):

Photographer / Videographer
Florist
Coordinator / Planner
Hair and makeup stylist
Caterer
DJ / Musicians
Transportation
Photo Booth
Wait staff
Officiant

Don't Forget: to read through your vendor contracts to ensure gratuity is not already included on your invoice!

How Much Should I Tip My Wedding Vendors?

How much is customary to tip wedding vendors? Click here for our free printable Wedding Vendor Tipping Cheat Sheet. You can find other free printables and checklists on The Vow as well!

Photographer & Videographer

While you're not expected to pay your shutterbugs anything beyond their standard fees, your photographer and videographer tips are always appreciated.

How Much & When: Tip between 5% and 15%, usually between $5-$200. You should tip your photographer and videographer at the end of the night.

Coordinator/Planner

Your coordinator/planning pro has likely worked hard to ensure your day runs smoothly. While monetary tips are most common for these vendors, a thoughtful gift is also appreciated.

How Much & When: Tip 10 to 20% of their fee, or up to $1,000, and hand off their envelope at the end of the reception.

Event Florist

While florists don't typically receive tips, you can certainly tip them if you feel they went above and beyond the call of duty.

How Much & When: Tips for your wedding florist could range from $50 to $200, and you can give them in a card after the big day.

Hair & Makeup Artists

Your beauty pros will need to be on-site early in the morning to ensure everyone is picture-perfect before photos begin. We highly recommend giving them some extra love. The total number of people receiving hair and makeup services needs to be factored into your plans for how much to tip.

How Much & When: Tip your hair and makeup artists 15-25% of the total bill, and give them their tips after completing services.

Caterer

Your caterer is one of the wedding vendors who may have included gratuity in their contract; make sure you check. Of course, if your caterer or one of the servers at your wedding and went above and beyond, a tip is always welcome.

How Much & When: Tip 15–20% of food and drink fees should be split among the waitstaff and bartenders, and $200–$300 for the maître d' is the recommendation for how much to tip caterers. Have a parent or bridesmaid hand the tip to the maître d' after the reception.

Bartenders

The rules of tipping for your bartenders are dictated by the contract you've signed. A service charge (typically 2%) is usually built into the food and drink fees, so check your contract and clarify who is receiving that gratuity. If there is no service charge included in the contract…

How Much & When: Our suggestion for tipping wedding bartenders is 15–20% of the drink fee, to be split among the bartenders. Have a parent or bridesmaid hand the tip to the maître d' after the reception.

DJ/Musicians

You Wedding DJ plays an essential role on your wedding day; they provide music and emcee your event. Some DJs work solo, while others bring sound technicians who should also be included when it comes to tipping.

How Much & When: A good rule of thumb is that $50 to $150 is a good range for tipping your wedding DJ. We recommend that an attendant or your wedding planner tip your DJ at the end of the reception.

Wedding Officiant

Depending on your officiant, tipping is typically expected. If your officiant is affiliated with a church or synagogue, you're usually expected to make a donation to that institution. Tipping your wedding officiant, both denominational and non-denominational, is appreciated.

How Much & When: Donate between $100 and $500 to the synagogue or church, and for the officiant, we recommend a tip of $50–$100. The officiant is required to collect most ceremony fees prior to the wedding, but you can also have an attendant give your officiant an envelope.

Wedding Photo Booth Attendant

If you're including a photo booth as part of your wedding reception entertainment, we recommend tipping your photo booth attendant. Particularly if the service was stellar.

How Much & When: Tip between $50 and $100, and have a wedding party member or your wedding planner give the photo booth attendant their tip at the end of the reception.

Wedding Transportation Company

Tipping your shuttle or limo driver is expected, but be sure to check if it's included in your contract. We recommend tipping your transportation provider, provided they show up on time, provide a smooth ride, and don't get lost.

How Much & When: Tip 15–20% of the total bill, or $50 per driver, You should tip your transportation pros at the end of the night or after the last ride.

Wedding Cake Baker

Tipping your cake baker is optional but always appreciated, particularly if they were present, on-site, at your wedding. The delivery staff who works for the baker should be tipped.

How Much & When: Tip $50 to $200. If you decide to tip your baker, we recommend sending a thank-you note after the wedding with the tip enclosed.

Wedding Delivery & Setup Staff

Tipping wedding delivery and setup staff is absolutely expected. Be sure to consider those who are doing the heavy lifting during the setup and breakdown process. It's also a good idea to give a gratuity to anyone delivering important items to the site, such as flowers, wedding cake, or sound system. If a lot of gear needs to be brought in and set up (think chairs, tables, tents, or even portable toilets), these workers should get a tip, too.

How Much & When: Tip these workers between $10–$50 per person (use your discretion), these tips should be given as a drop off in cash envelopes the day before the wedding.

Other Ways To Support Your Favorite Vendors

Leave A Stellar Review

Writing a public review for each of your vendors is an extra special way to thank them for their hard work on your wedding day. A review truly makes a world of difference to each and every vendor you work with on your big day. This is a meaningful way to express gratitude for all the effort that went into creating your wedding, and your review could also be an important tool for future brides planning a wedding!

Pro Tip: Be as detailed as possible about what services they provided and the role they played in your wedding.

Share Photos With Them For Their Portfolio

Sharing professional photos from your big day is a fantastic way to thank your wedding vendors for their services. Wedding pros, particularly planners, florists, cake bakers, and stationers, love to receive new photos of their work for marketing materials. Make sure to speak to your photographer and get permission first. Trust us, your vendors will really appreciate it. Tagging your favorite vendors as you share photos on social media is another great way to give them a shout-out.

Do I Need To Tip My Vendors?

While tips are generally not required, they are often expected and appreciated. Some vendor contracts will outline gratuity expectations and even include them (one more time - read those contracts carefully). However, if a gratuity for wedding vendors isn't outlined in your contract, defer to your best judgment (and The Vow's wedding tipping etiquette guide) when deciding if you want to tip your wedding vendors.

The Ultimate Wedding Vendor Tipping Guide for California Couples: Who to Tip, How Much & When