Wedding Tip Calculator
Tipping each of your vendors is often not at the top of your mind when planning your wedding, which makes it easy to lose track of what is expected when it comes to showing everyone who is involved in making your wedding day happen how much you appreciate their hard work. It is not covered in most contracts, making it hard to remember to factor it in when establishing your wedding budget.
Although tipping is not mandatory and it is not expected for all of them, it is MOST DEFINITELY appreciated. Tip your vendors who provide exceptional service, and make sure to give this task to someone you trust to handle the delivery of these tips to each vendor at the right time - whether that is a parent, wedding planner or a member of the wedding party.
A common misconception is that wedding planners, photographers and videographers do not receive a tip…..this is a MYTH. They are the ones who have your best interest in mind and spend 15+ plus hours on their feet making sure that every aspect of your wedding day goes as planned and captured for you to look back on forever. We are biased when it comes to this since we offer wedding planning & coordinating, however, we are not saying this so that you’ll give us more money, but it is always appreciated ;)
* If you can’t afford to dish out a ton of extra money for tips, you can show your vendors all of the love with some non-monetary gestures - such as an email with a review, professional photos to use on their social media or for their portfolio, a handwritten thank you note, or a review on sites like Yelp or WeddingWire that will help them gain more clients!!
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of what to tip for each vendor!!
[ WEDDING PLANNER ]
*OPTIONAL
Wedding planners do not expect a tip, however, it is definitely appreciated. If they go above and beyond for you to make sure your wedding day is perfect - it is always nice to know that their dedication and time spent is acknowledged, whether monetarily or with a nice gift.
Average: 10-20%, up to $500 or nice gift
When: Envelope at the end of the reception, or send a gift or check after your honeymoon
[ HAIR & MAKEUP ARTIST ]
*EXPECTED
Tipping your hair & makeup artists is definitely expected, just like when you go for your regular hair appointments. Consider tipping a little more than the average if a crisis occurs, and they have to redo a bridesmaid’s hair or fix someone’s makeup (accidents can happen during all of the pre-ceremony festivities).
Average: 15-25% of the total
When: At the end of your service
[ OFFICIANT ]
*EXPECTED
If affiliated with a church or synagogue, it is often expected that you make a donation to that institution - tipping the officiant is also appreciated if they are allowed to accept it. If the officiant is non-clergy, just tipping that person is fine.
Average: Donation of $100-$500 - or tip $50 to non-clergy
When: Most of the time the ceremony fees are due before the wedding. If not, choose someone you trust to pass along the envelope at the rehearsal dinner if the officiant attends
[ MUSICIANS ]
*OPTIONAL
If you hire a mini orchestra or any live musicians for your ceremony, you could consider tipping if you think they did their job well and did the songs you chose. Tipping a band or DJ after your reception is optional, but preferred. Of course this depends on the quality of the job and if they were compliant with your playlist.
Average: $25-$35 per person, or $50-$150 for DJs
When: At the end of the ceremony for mini orchestras or live musicians that play solely at the ceremony - at the end of the reception for bands and DJs
[ PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER ]
*OPTIONAL
Although tipping your photographer & videographer is optional, we highly suggest doing so. They are there to capture every moment of your wedding day, spending 15+ hours to make sure to cover every detail. They would definitely love knowing that their hard work is appreciated.
Average: $50-$200 per vendor
When: At the end of the reception
[ CATERER & WAITSTAFF ]
*EXPECTED
Check the contract - a service charge (usually 2%) is almost always build in to the food & beverage fee, HOWEVER, the service fee is NOT A TIP - it only pays for their labor, so definitely prepare for a tip as well.
Average: $10-$20 per person or 15-20%
When: If covered in the contract, the final bill is usually required before the reception. If not, have one of your parents or someone you trust to hand over the envelope at the end of the reception, or consider giving it before as an incentive for great service
[ BARTENDER ]
*OPTIONAL
Sometimes the bartender is included with the waitstaff, but you can choose to tip them separately. Also, before tipping them, make sure they weren’t already accepting tips from the guests.
Average: 15-25% of bill
When: At the end of the reception
[ TRANSPORTATION ]
*EXPECTED
Check the contract - gratuity is usually included, but if not, then you should plan to tip as long as they show up on time and do not get lost. Basically, as long as they get you where you need to be, smoothly and on time.
Average: 15-20% of bill
When: At the end of the night, or after the last ride
[ DELIVERY & SETUP STAFF ]
*OPTIONAL
This is optional, but you can tip to anyone delivering important items to the venue, whether its the cake, flowers, tent, chairs, sound system etc.
Average: $5-$10 per person
When: Provide the envelope to the catering manager the day before the wedding so that the person accepting the deliveries can distribute the tips
[ VALET ATTENDANTS ]
*OPTIONAL
Average: $1-$2 per car
When: At the end of the night