Photos on thumbnail courtesy of Ama by Aisha #amabyclaudia.
Planning a wedding is already a significant investment, and finding room in your budget for gratuities can feel overwhelming. While your contract may outline service charges or production costs, tipping—though not mandatory—is always a thoughtful gesture for exceptional service. It’s a meaningful way to acknowledge the dedication and effort your vendors put into making your dream wedding a reality.
When considering tips, keep the following factors in mind:
- Time spent planning your event
- The quality of service provided
- How well your event was executed on the day or night
“As with hairstylists, nail technicians, or servers, I firmly believe all wedding service vendors deserve a tip,” says wedding planner Robyn Swink. “While it’s never required, it’s always appreciated.”
Below is a helpful guide on customary tipping practices for each vendor.
Catering Staff, Banquet Staff, & Bartenders
The wait staff and bar staff play a crucial role in making your wedding day run smoothly, handling one of the most demanding jobs of all your vendors. They ensure your guests are served promptly and efficiently, manage cleanup throughout the event, and tackle any messes directly, ensuring everything stays on track.
According to The Knot and Here Comes the Guide, a gratuity for the venue, catering, and bar staff should be around 15%-20% of the food and beverage bill.
What are the Production Costs on the Madera Estates bill then? I thought that covered the tips for the staff?
A “service charge” or “production costs” fee is a mandatory fee that gets added to your venue and/or catering contract, but it means different things for different venues. At Madera Estates, the “Admin, On-site Staff, & Productions Costs” cover the hourly wage for the banquet staff, administrative costs, and general overhead in producing your wedding (i.e. venue maintenance). This fee does not act as the tip for the staff.
Other Options to Consider for Your Bartenders
Option 1: Tip Jar at the Bar
A traditional tip jar will be available, allowing guests to show their appreciation directly.
Option 2: “Buy the Jar”
For a seamless experience, couples have the option to prepay a gratuity with a suggested minimum of $150 per bartender. This ensures the bartenders are taken care of without needing a tip jar on display.
Wedding Planner & Coordinator
Your wedding coordinator has been your trusted partner throughout your planning and on wedding day, ensuring everything runs smoothly. They oversee vendors, manage the timeline, and handle any last-minute challenges that may arise, making sure your wedding day unfolds flawlessly. And often, they are the only other person who cares about your wedding as much as you do.
While tipping is not expected or required for Madera Estates wedding coordinators, it is always appreciated! According to both The Knot & Here Comes the Guide, a gratuity of 10%-20% of their service fee is traditional if you choose to tip your coordinator (up to $500).
Officiant
If your officiant is associated with a church or synagogue, it’s customary to make a donation to the institution. For officiants, The Knot and Here Comes the Guide recommend a tip between $50 and $100 or $100-$500 donation to their place of worship.
Hair & Makeup Professionals
Your hair and makeup artists work hard to make sure you and your crew look absolutely fabulous. The Knot and Here Comes the Guide recommend tipping them 15%–20% of their service fee. It’s customary to give them their tip immediately after they’ve completed their work on your wedding day.
Baker & Florist
Your baker and florist do not require tips. However, all tips are extremely appreciated! According to The Knot and Here Comes the Guide, the standard for tipping these vendors are as follows: $50-$100 for the cake baker and $50-$200 for the florist.
Wedding Reception Music
For both a band or DJ, tipping should reflect the quality of your experience and the service they provided. If you’ve hired a band, it’s customary (though optional) to tip each musician $25–$50. For DJs, a suggested tip ranges from $50–$150.
Wedding Photographer & Videographers
The Knot advises that there’s no obligation to tip your photographers or videographers beyond their regular fees. However, if they don’t own the studio, consider tipping each individual or providing a collective amount along with a thank-you note for the team to share. A standard tip ranges from $50 to $250 per person.
How should I bring cash tips for my wedding vendors?
The first step is to inform your Madera Estates coordinator that you plan to provide tips to your vendors during your final planning session one month prior to the wedding day. Then, to make tipping easy, prepare cash in clearly labeled envelopes (e.g., Photographer, DJ, Catering Staff) before the wedding, and feel free to include a personal note of appreciation. On the big day, hand the envelopes to your Madera Estates coordinator, who will discreetly distribute them to vendors at the appropriate times.
We recommend bringing a little extra cash just in case you want to recognize someone who goes above and beyond. With everything prepared in advance, you can relax and enjoy your special day, knowing we’ll take care of the rest.
A Thank You to Your Wedding Vendors
Ultimately, tipping your wedding vendors is entirely up to you and should reflect both your budget and the quality of service they provided. We suggest planning for vendor tips as part of your wedding budget. However, if tipping isn’t feasible, consider leaving them a thoughtful review and a heartfelt thank-you note instead.
For more Information on Wedding Vendor Tip Etiquette, read this blog on The Knot.