It’s time for Ask Wedding Experience, where we answer (or do our best to answer) your most pressing wedding-related questions, no matter how weird OR common they might be. Today’s question tackles a part of the wedding experience that might not be a favorite of budget-savvy couples. For our blog today, we explore the question, why do you tip wedding vendors? The Wedding Experience team takes its best shot at giving you the answer below.
Why do you tip wedding vendors anyway?
Unlike many of the questions we tackle here, this one is a bit more clear. Like anything that involves tipping someone for a service, wedding vendors want to deliver a good experience for you. So, just like a bartender or waiter, tipping is considered a method for rewarding good service. Now, this makes sense for caterers or reception attendants, but many are confused as to why other vendors, such as florists or bakers are tipped too.
So who do I need to tip then?
First, be sure to check all of your wedding vendor contracts. Many wedding vendors will include a service or gratuity charge in their overall bill for you. Be careful to ask whether a generic service charge includes gratuity though. Some vendors will break these into different expenses so you want to be sure you know.
Generally, caterers, florists, bakers, dress designers, and DJs are expecting to receive gratuity. Of course, like any gratuity, this should be based off the quality of their services at your reception and ceremony. So once you know who should be tipped, you can follow the general customs of 15-20% for adequate to quality service. Obviously, if your vendor goes above and beyond, adding some extra gratuity is a nice move too!
However, there are other potential vendors depending on the size and theme of your wedding. We recommend this comprehensive guide for who to consider for gratuity, and how much to tip a specific vendor. Or, use this cheat sheet from The Knot!
Curious about other wedding customs? Check out some of the other questions we’ve tackled in Ask Wedding Experience in the past!
