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"we don't have to tip the vendors, right? lol"

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Re: "we don't have to tip the vendors, right? lol"

  • Sorry if I'm hacking the thread, but PPs what did you tip your vendors, and why did/didn't you? I'm all for tipping for excellent service (I'm a concierge in a hotel-if I go above and beyond to get you into someplace, I expect a little somethin') but I have no idea what to even give.


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  • I gave our DJ 100 (he was an employee of a large entertainment company). I tipped the florist 40 for delivery even though he owns the business. I tipped our personal server at our wedding an extra 50 (service charge included gratuity, so this was in addition to that). 

     I was planning on tipping the person who delivered our cake, but the cake appeared and I never saw the delivery person, so I never had a chance. I'm pretty sure it was the owner anyway, because she was a preferred vendor for my venue. I had also paid a delivery charge.

    Our photographer didn't need full payment until after we received our pictures, so I gave him an extra 100 when I paid in full. He owns his own business.

    I tipped the hair and makeup people over 25%; they came to our venue.
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  • I tipped our DJ $200, he worked for large company.
    I tipped the DOC $100 even though she owns her own business because she knocked down her typical price for me to the point that it was below market rate.
    I tipped MUA only about an extra $70, but she owns her own business and I paid $850 just for my makeup, my mom's and my sister's, so I thought she was being well compensated.  I wasn't about to put another 20% on top of that.  If she were an employee at a salon I would have just tipped her 20% of whatever the fee was.  I got my hair done at my normal salon and tipped 30% because the stylist came in early before the place opened for me.  I tipped catering service captain 4% of total catering bill (which was PLENTY) and some extra 20s for him to distribute to the venue security staff.  Individual servers didn't get tipped because it was included in my contract.  I didn't tip my photographers and don't plan on doing so, as they both own the business and set their fee.  I am happy with the pics but they also took a really long time to get back.  :/  I did write a really good review for them though.  If they had had another shooter that they hired as a per diem I probably would have tipped that person.  Finally, I didn't tip the officiant because she owns her own business and sets her fee. (She was also very well compensated. If i felt that she was a big bargain I might have thrown in some extra).  I also didn't tip the florist because I only ever dealt with the owner.  I probably should have had someone give the delivery people something but he did add 15% delivery/setup charge into the contract already.
  • My mom paid for flowers and I don't know if she tipped the florist. I paid the officiant fee and travel expenses so I didn't tip on top of that. If I didn't pay for the travel I would have tipped officiant. I tipped hair and MUA 20%. Neither works for a salon and they came to my house. Venue included gratuity so I didn't tip on top of that. DJ owned the business so I didn't tip. Photog was a nightmare (still haven't got all the pics) so not only will there be no tip I'm also not going to pay the outstanding balance due to contract violation.

    Anniversary
  • ssautter said:
    anjemon said:
    ssautter said:
    I don't think it's necessary to tip everyone. I wouldn't tip vendors who work for themselves. Like say a florist, DJ or photographer. I figure the "tip" is included in their package price. If they have employees, then I'd tip them. If these vendors went above and beyond, then yes I'd consider tipping on top of the contracted price. Otherwise, not really.

    etf spelling

    Unless the contract says the tip is included, it is not included.  I understand what you're saying, but all of the people you hire for a service - including a photographer and DJ - should ne tipped.  These people may work for themselves, but they often still work for tips.  A photographer may not make a full hourly minimum wage after all the time spent reviewing your photos, editing them, etc.  With respect to the flowers, at the very least, you should tip the person who delivers them.

    Everyone should also always tip the maids in hotels.  They work for tips, too, and (just like waiters) they often are not given a full hourly minimum wage because the hotel excepts the tips to make up the difference.

    You must have worked in a very different hotel than I did. The hotel I worked at we almost never got tips. If it had been factored into my wages I would have been screwed. I got tipped maybe once a day. Maybe. It might have been more frequent if I had a lot of business traveler's rooms. Ironically, super clean business types were the best about tipping, but families were usually terrible and often messy.

    Although I do say you should tip your maid. Especially if you're a terribly messy family. They don't get paid enough to clean up the food you smashed into the floor. 
    I've actually never worked in a hotel.  But I have been a legal intern for firms representing hotels, so I know what they paid the hotel doormen and maids, and it was significantly less than minimum wage because (allegedly) tips would make up the difference.  I'm NOT saying the tips actually DID make up the difference - that's just what the hotel said to get a tip credit and pay them less than minimum wage.
    I don't know what state you are in, but when I worked as a waitress in CT, if your tips didn't get you to minimum wage for that pay period, your employer had to pay the difference. That never happened with me, and is probably rare for waitresses, but it's not unheard of.

    If I'm staying in a hotel for 1 night, I usually will not tip the maid. I've barely made a mess, and you have to clean the room between people. Now, if I stay more than one night and they clean my room I will tip. 

    A few years ago my now husband and I went to a wedding out of town and stayed at an expensive hotel for 2 nights. Pretty much the whole hotel was wedding guests. They never cleaned our room, and my husband (then boyfriend) had to go down to the front desk to get us more towels. No sorry, obviously the maid is not getting a tip in that instance.

    For my bachelorette party we were at the hotel for one night, but I tipped the maid, because there was a lot of alcohol bottles and food to clean out of our room. It wasn't messy per se, but it's still extra work.

    Under Federal Law, employers always have to make up the difference between your hourly wage and minimum wage if your tips don't do it. 

    But it's a funny thing - employers lie.  When I was a waitress, my  boss said that EVERY server made the EXACT amount to make minimum wage.  That seems statistically improbable, doesn't it?

  • lovemyrunnerlovemyrunner member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary First Comment Name Dropper
    edited October 2014
    lolo883 said:
    But if the DJ is paid enough, why do they need to be tipped as a general rule? I provide a service to my clients, but I don't get tipped. If so many people are saying "uh, I don't tip the DJ" then clearly it's not an industry with a standard practice of tipping the way food service is. Tipping is absolutely a great OPTION for these vendors but I don't buy the notion that all service providers should automatically be tipped all the time, because they don't all "work for tips."
    THIS.  This is what I think of when I see tip jars on the counter at places like Orange Leaf.  Excuse me.  You're paid at least minimum wage.  I'm not going to tip you just for ringing up my yogurt.  Literally that's all they do!  Orange Leaf is self serve for PETE'S SAKE!  I believe in tipping where there is an established tradition for tipping or for exceptional service.  I will not be tipping vendors who own their business (unless they do something truly amazing) and I will not be tipping servers at the reception as it is included in the fee.  I will tip hair and MUA, DJ (not an owner) and the party bus driver.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
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  • I wish I lived in the parts of Europe where tipping was deemed unnecessary, or even rude. Keep the change and that's about it. 
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  • I will tip the photographer and her assistant once I get my pictures and see how exceptional they are; probably a $100 Visa gift card to each of them, not a percentage of the total contract. (My photographer cleaned up vomit; owner or not that's going above and beyond.) Didn't tip the DJs as they were co-owners of the business and their contract said tips are not expected. I didn't tip the florist or bakery - to me that felt like tipping my car dealer or farmer's market person... I'm buying a retail product from them at a store that's priced with a mark-up. My BM picked the flowers up from the storefront; the cake was delivered for a hefty fee and I never saw the delivery person. I tipped my H&MUAs 20% because they did an awesome job.

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  • I will tip the photographer and her assistant once I get my pictures and see how exceptional they are; probably a $100 Visa gift card to each of them, not a percentage of the total contract. (My photographer cleaned up vomit; owner or not that's going above and beyond.) Didn't tip the DJs as they were co-owners of the business and their contract said tips are not expected. I didn't tip the florist or bakery - to me that felt like tipping my car dealer or farmer's market person... I'm buying a retail product from them at a store that's priced with a mark-up. My BM picked the flowers up from the storefront; the cake was delivered for a hefty fee and I never saw the delivery person. I tipped my H&MUAs 20% because they did an awesome job.

    Wait, what?  Your photographer cleaned up vomit?  Why?  Where?  I really would like to hear the rest of this story
  • ssautter said:
    I will tip the photographer and her assistant once I get my pictures and see how exceptional they are; probably a $100 Visa gift card to each of them, not a percentage of the total contract. (My photographer cleaned up vomit; owner or not that's going above and beyond.) Didn't tip the DJs as they were co-owners of the business and their contract said tips are not expected. I didn't tip the florist or bakery - to me that felt like tipping my car dealer or farmer's market person... I'm buying a retail product from them at a store that's priced with a mark-up. My BM picked the flowers up from the storefront; the cake was delivered for a hefty fee and I never saw the delivery person. I tipped my H&MUAs 20% because they did an awesome job.

    Wait, what?  Your photographer cleaned up vomit?  Why?  Where?  I really would like to hear the rest of this story
    @ssautter my nephew was having trouble with his allergies, and sometimes between the congestion and coughing he gets so worked up that he pukes. Sister and I didn't know this, and were dancing with him at the reception - dancing with a 3-year old mostly involves a lot of picking him up and jumping around. He asked me to put him down, so I did, but sis didn't see/hear that happen so she picked him right back up and started jumping again. Bouncing + coughing + milk with dinner = he threw up all over her. And when she put him down, all over the dance floor. Waitress came running up out of nowhere with a glass of club soda and whisked her away to the nearest bathroom to help her clean up, photographer jumped in with a handful of napkins, said "look out! I'm the only one wearing pants, I got this!" and had it cleaned up in 2 seconds. (She also had a baby earlier this year so I'm sure she's used to stuff like that.) It was like they planned it. Poor nephew though; BIL took him back to the hotel as he was screaming "no Daddy, I wanna dance!"

    Note: Alfred Sung peau de soie cleans up and dries excellently. I didn't even realize until the next day that she had gotten puked on, I thought it was just on the floor.

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  • ssautter said:
    I will tip the photographer and her assistant once I get my pictures and see how exceptional they are; probably a $100 Visa gift card to each of them, not a percentage of the total contract. (My photographer cleaned up vomit; owner or not that's going above and beyond.) Didn't tip the DJs as they were co-owners of the business and their contract said tips are not expected. I didn't tip the florist or bakery - to me that felt like tipping my car dealer or farmer's market person... I'm buying a retail product from them at a store that's priced with a mark-up. My BM picked the flowers up from the storefront; the cake was delivered for a hefty fee and I never saw the delivery person. I tipped my H&MUAs 20% because they did an awesome job.

    Wait, what?  Your photographer cleaned up vomit?  Why?  Where?  I really would like to hear the rest of this story
    @ssautter my nephew was having trouble with his allergies, and sometimes between the congestion and coughing he gets so worked up that he pukes. Sister and I didn't know this, and were dancing with him at the reception - dancing with a 3-year old mostly involves a lot of picking him up and jumping around. He asked me to put him down, so I did, but sis didn't see/hear that happen so she picked him right back up and started jumping again. Bouncing + coughing + milk with dinner = he threw up all over her. And when she put him down, all over the dance floor. Waitress came running up out of nowhere with a glass of club soda and whisked her away to the nearest bathroom to help her clean up, photographer jumped in with a handful of napkins, said "look out! I'm the only one wearing pants, I got this!" and had it cleaned up in 2 seconds. (She also had a baby earlier this year so I'm sure she's used to stuff like that.) It was like they planned it. Poor nephew though; BIL took him back to the hotel as he was screaming "no Daddy, I wanna dance!"

    Note: Alfred Sung peau de soie cleans up and dries excellently. I didn't even realize until the next day that she had gotten puked on, I thought it was just on the floor.


    OMG poor guy!!!  I'm sorry!  Poor nephew! 

    I thought it was going to a drunken throw up story lol.  One of my BMs friends once almost threw up ON her wedding dress, and the photographer kept having to stage her so she didn't look as sloppy was she was

  • ssautter said:
    ssautter said:
    I will tip the photographer and her assistant once I get my pictures and see how exceptional they are; probably a $100 Visa gift card to each of them, not a percentage of the total contract. (My photographer cleaned up vomit; owner or not that's going above and beyond.) Didn't tip the DJs as they were co-owners of the business and their contract said tips are not expected. I didn't tip the florist or bakery - to me that felt like tipping my car dealer or farmer's market person... I'm buying a retail product from them at a store that's priced with a mark-up. My BM picked the flowers up from the storefront; the cake was delivered for a hefty fee and I never saw the delivery person. I tipped my H&MUAs 20% because they did an awesome job.

    Wait, what?  Your photographer cleaned up vomit?  Why?  Where?  I really would like to hear the rest of this story
    @ssautter my nephew was having trouble with his allergies, and sometimes between the congestion and coughing he gets so worked up that he pukes. Sister and I didn't know this, and were dancing with him at the reception - dancing with a 3-year old mostly involves a lot of picking him up and jumping around. He asked me to put him down, so I did, but sis didn't see/hear that happen so she picked him right back up and started jumping again. Bouncing + coughing + milk with dinner = he threw up all over her. And when she put him down, all over the dance floor. Waitress came running up out of nowhere with a glass of club soda and whisked her away to the nearest bathroom to help her clean up, photographer jumped in with a handful of napkins, said "look out! I'm the only one wearing pants, I got this!" and had it cleaned up in 2 seconds. (She also had a baby earlier this year so I'm sure she's used to stuff like that.) It was like they planned it. Poor nephew though; BIL took him back to the hotel as he was screaming "no Daddy, I wanna dance!"

    Note: Alfred Sung peau de soie cleans up and dries excellently. I didn't even realize until the next day that she had gotten puked on, I thought it was just on the floor.


    OMG poor guy!!!  I'm sorry!  Poor nephew! 

    I thought it was going to a drunken throw up story lol.  One of my BMs friends once almost threw up ON her wedding dress, and the photographer kept having to stage her so she didn't look as sloppy was she was

    We did hear that one of H's friends was so drunk that he threw up before dinner was even over and ended up passed out in his car. We never saw him, and I was pissed that he no-showed. Nope, just skipped the receiving line to fully enjoy cocktail hour. Our bartenders were pouring HEAVY. I think the golf club staff must have asked this guy to leave because he's not one to be very discrete with his drunkenness. They were really on point all day. 

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  • ssautter said:
    ssautter said:

    Business owners often do work for tips, though.  They can't really come up with a new business plan if the business industry is such that everyone in that business works for tips.  Nobody would hire them over another DJ or photographer if they built the tips into the contract price
    But a sole proprietor DJ gets the full amount of the contract price.  A DJ company that then goes and hires other DJs to play at your wedding only pays them a fraction of the contract price.  That's why business owners don't need tips.
    But if standard business practice is to advertise a lower price because people tip after, no DJ would ever get hired with a price that included the tip.  People wouldn't even ask to see a contract - they would decide to go with another DJ (who did not include tip in the price)

    My point is that it isn't as simple as you're making it seem.  A business owner can't really raise prices to include tips if nobody will hire a DJ at that price - the business will go under.
    Yeah they would. All they have to do is specify in the contract or in pre-contract price negotiations that their price includes the tip. Most intelligent people can work out that if the other DJs don't include the tip, they'll be expected to pay extra beyond the advertised rate. 

    Clearly that doesn't solve the issue of some people not tipping, but charging an appropriate wage doesn't mean they'd never get hired. I'd prefer to hire vendors who include tips as part of their wage so I don't have to figure out what's appropriate to tip or whether to tip at all. 
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