Wedding Tipping Guide

After you say ‘I Do’ and all your guests have gone home, wedding tipping might not be at the forefront of your mind. But whether you or your parents are dipping into savings for your big day, you’ll want to know just how much you should tip your wedding vendors (if at all). This quick and easy wedding tipping guide should help you out!

The bottom line is, while wedding tipping is strictly optional, it’s a nice gesture if a vendor has exceeded your expectations. As an alternative to cash, you can also buy gift certificates for your wedding vendors ahead of time (and perhaps get a discount in bulk) to show your appreciation, or instead give them a gift such as a bottle of wine or homemade treat (though I’m sure at the end of the day they’d rather get something they can spend). If you’re giving cash, here’s a simple guide to who should be tipped and how much:

Definitely tip these wedding vendors:

Caterer/Waitstaff: Typically an 18-20% service charge is already included in your final bill. If not, that is the normal range you can expect to pay of your total bill (not including tax). Just make sure to read the fine print on your contract so you don’t double pay!

Bartenders (if separate from caterer): 15-20% if guests are not tipping

Officiants: $75-$100 “donation” or tip in addition to their fee.

Drivers: 15-20%

Parking attendants: $1-$2 per car (if they are not accepting tips from guests)

Restroom and Coat Check: $0.50-$1.00 per guest (if they are not accepting tips from guests)

Hair/Makeup: If these artists work for a salon, you should definitely tip them as if you were going for a regular salon appt, 15-20%. If they are independent contractors, feel free to tip them per the guidelines below.

While tipping is not necessarily expected for the vendors below, tipping is encouraged if they have gone above and beyond:

Wedding Planner: If your wedding planner has their own business, a tip is not necessarily expected. However, if your wedding planner went above and beyond, a 10-20% tip would be more than generous.

DJ’s: 15-20%

Bands: $15-$20 per member

Photographers and Videographers: 15%

Florists: 15%

Bakers: 15%

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