Tipping Tips: A Savvy Guide to Saying Thanks
The last thing you might want to do at your wedding is to shell out more money for things that you have already paid for. But the truth is, there are a lot of people who over the past several months, have realized how important this day is to you and have done everything they could to ensure that it would be perfect. Always tip, especially when they have the found the service to be exceptional. It’s a nice gesture and your vendors are sure to appreciate it. Here’s a simple guide to doing it right.
The first people that you probably imagine when thinking about tipping are the wait staff and the caterers. We tip these people all the time in our daily lives. The people that fall into this category are: catering managers, hotel banquet managers, wait staff, bartenders, and hostesses. Usually, any tip that is associated with food and drink has already been included in your final bill. Make sure to read over your contracts and see if you have already paid for a tip. Even if you have though, on the day, if someone provides outstanding service, there is no rule that says you can’t tip them again.
Coatroom attendants usually get fifty cents per head. It may be a good idea to speak to your venue beforehand and decide on a set fee for the tip. It can be prepaid giving you one less thing to worry about on your wedding day.
Drivers should generally receive a fifteen percent tip. These people are accustomed to receiving tips in everyday work, so check your contract to see if you’ve already paid it as part of the bill.
Your ceremony officiant is definitely entitled to a tip. For a civil ceremony, the tip is anywhere between fifty and seventy-five dollars. Often there isn’t a set fee, instead a donation is asked for and meant as a tip. Religious officiants generally attract a higher tip, which can be in the range of two to three hundred dollars for these individuals. The tip should always be increased if they had to travel to perform your ceremony. To make sure that they get their tip in a subtle manner, simply give the best man an envelope with the tip inside before the ceremony and he can hand it over once you have walked down the aisle with your new spouse.
Ceremony musicians should also be tipped. If you are using an organist or a musician that has been provided by the church, this tip is usually also included in the final church bill. If not, thirty to fifty dollars is considered appropriate.
Your venue manager should usually receive fifteen to twenty percent, as a gratuity, while your reception musicians, should be given at least twenty dollars each. Anybody who delivered goods such as the cake or flowers should be given ten dollars and the photographer should be given twenty to twenty-five dollars. You also want to make sure that you tip your hairdresser and makeup artist very well, giving them approximately fifteen percent.
There are also those individuals that don’t need a tip. This includes the cake baker, the dressmaker, the jeweler, the stationer, and your travel agent. Mind you this doesn’t mean that you can’t tip. If they have provided service that you think is absolutely outstanding, feel free to tip them. If you don’t want to hand out extra money, make sure to send a thank you note. When tipping on the day, place the cash in individual envelopes and designate someone, usually the best man, to hand them out.
