How To Tip Wedding Vendors: Your Tipping Cheat Sheet

Your wedding planner may not expect a tip, particularly if they own their own company, but if you feel that your wedding planner went above and beyond, tip them 10 to 20 percent. If they had assistants on hand at your event, we do recommend tipping each of them $50 to $100.

For hair and makeup services that cost less than $100, a $20 tip is appropriate. If it’s more, a 15-20% tip is standard. Again, if the artists own their own business, then a tip isn’t always necessary.

If you’re getting married with a large wedding party, the gratuity may already be included in your contract, so be sure to check before tipping on the day of.

A standard tip for delivery and setup staff is 15-20% of the rental bill. If you had an exceptionally difficult setup or teardown, you might want to consider increasing this percentage.

If you had a religious officiant, it is customary to donate to the church or synagogue in place of a fee.

The amount varies based on how involved the officiant was in your ceremony planning process. If they met with you several times and took an active role in crafting your ceremony, a larger donation is appropriate.

For a Justice of the Peace or secular officiant, a good rule of thumb for how much to tip is $50-$100.

It's customary to give your photographer and videographer a tip on the wedding day, even if they own their own business. Your photographer will likely be with you for most of the day, so it's important they know they’re appreciated.

A tip of 15 to 20 percent of the total bill is usually appropriate. It's also customary to give second shooters a smaller tip than the main photographer or videographer. If you're unsure about how to divvy up the tips, ask your photographer or wedding planner for expert advice.

Ceremony musicians are typically paid per musician, so if you have a soloist, duo, or small ensemble playing during your ceremony, plan to spend $50-$200.

If your ceremony is longer or more involved, you may want to give them a bit more. If they perform at your rehearsal dinner too, you could give them a total of $100-$300.

The band or DJ is an important vendor at your wedding; they keep everyone entertained and help to create an unforgettable atmosphere. We recommend 15-20% of their total fee, or $200-$500 if you have a smaller budget.

Your cake baker is one of the few vendors you will see before your wedding day. They put in a lot of hard work to make your cake perfect, so it's only right to show them some appreciation with a tip. You can either tip them in cash or include it in your final payment. A good idea is to tip them $50-$100, depending on the complexity of your cake design.

If your florist went above and beyond to make your wedding day extra special, a 15-20% tip is appropriate. If you're happy with the work but didn't receive any outstanding service, then a standard gratuity of $50-$100 is sufficient.

Bartenders work hard to make sure everyone has a drink in their hand, so be sure to take care of them, perhaps even before the wedding begins.

If the bartending service is included with your venue or with your catering, then tip might already be included. If not, you can tip 10-15% of the pre-taxed bill.

Just like with servers, it’s important to remember that bartenders are also responsible for cleaning up after your guests. So, if you have a messy group or someone spills a drink, give the bartenders a little extra. If you have a bar tab, settle that before leaving a cash tip.

Tipping your wedding caterer and staff 15 to 20 percent of the total bill is customary. Again, if the catering is included with total venue costs, you might tip directly through the venue.

If you’re tipping staff individually, you might give $10 or $20 to each staff member.

The average tip for reception staff is between 15 and 20 percent of the bill. If you had a large wedding or the service was particularly good (or bad), you may want to adjust your tip accordingly.

This will most likely be given through the entire venue tip, but if you are tipping staff independently you can give $10 or $20 to each.

For your limo, town car, or SUV service, it's customary to give the driver 15 to 20% of the total fare. So, if your ride from the ceremony to the reception costs $200, tip $30 to $40. If you have a shuttle bus transporting guests between locations, you're not expected to tip per person, but a gratuity of $50 to $100 for the driver is appreciated.

Tipping your valet parking attendant is also a nice gesture if they go above and beyond. For example, if they help you with your dress or veil or run and get something for you, it's appropriate to give them an extra $20-$50. If it's a particularly busy night, you can give them $100 or more.

While it may not be the most glamorous job, someone has to do it! Show your appreciation by tipping $0.50-$0.75 per guest or a flat fee of $20 if the event is large. If you have a coat check attendant, you can tip $20 per 100 guests.

It’s not standard to tip tailors or seamstresses. However, if they provided exceptional service or did something extra (rush job, accessories, etc.), you could of course give a tip.

The standard industry practice is to tip 15-20% of the total bill.

While cash is always appreciated, it's not always necessary. If you're giving a vendor a check, make sure to confirm whether to write it out to the business or individual.

Generally speaking, you shouldn't need to tip your officiant since they often perform a service as part of their religious institution. However, asking if they would like a gratuity for their time and effort is always polite.

The same goes for wedding vendors that run their own businesses, which can vary depending on what vendors you’re working with!