Wedding Photography and Videography Forum

Do we need to tip? Or treat lunch?

Hi everyone, FI and I are having our engagement photos taken next Tuesday... we are so excited!!! We won a giveaway for free engagement photos so we are not paying anything for the session.

The photographer asked us if we'd like to have lunch first before we start shooting, just so we could all get to know each other a little bit. FI and I think this is a great idea and we agreed.

My questions are:

(1) Are we required to tip our photographer? This may be a dumb question but I've never worked with a professional photographer before and this is the first wedding vendor I've worked with.

(2) Should we pay for the photographer's lunch? I don't know if this is usual or customary in the industry. Since we are getting the session for free I thought it would be a nice gesture, but I don't want to be weird.

Thanks in advance for the help!
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Re: Do we need to tip? Or treat lunch?

  • (1) If the photographer works for him/herself, then generally no, you don't have to tip, but since this is a free service that you're getting (and it doesn't sound like you've booked him for your wedding yet, so he's not necessarily getting any payment from you) I personally probably would tip.

    (2) I'd offer, although again, I'm not sure it's required, since the photographer is the one who proposed the idea of lunch in the first place. 

    Hope this helps!
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  • Personally I would tip since you are getting a free service. Just like if my meal was comped at a resturaunt i would tip more, just cause. If you tip, buying lunch probably isnt necessary, but I bet they would go above and beyond if they just got a free meal. I know i would, lol.
  • Thanks for the help ladies! I just don't know if it's customary to tip wedding photographers. If so then I wouldn't want to stiff ours especially since he is providing the service for free. We will definitely pay for the photographer's lunch. If we wanted to tip, when would be the appropriate time? We have not booked this photographer (or any other) for our wedding. Do we tip upon completing the session or upon receiving the photos? 
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_do-we-need-to-tip-or-treat-lunch?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:30Discussion:d4a6904b-a974-47fb-8626-6be76dda9c0fPost:59cf3650-6554-4e09-9b48-9397aa7dff4a">Re: Do we need to tip? Or treat lunch?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Thanks for the help ladies! I just don't know if it's customary to tip wedding photographers. If so then I wouldn't want to stiff ours especially since he is providing the service for free. We will definitely pay for the photographer's lunch. If we wanted to tip, when would be the appropriate time? We have not booked this photographer (or any other) for our wedding. Do we tip upon completing the session or upon receiving the photos? 
    Posted by Chels&Jimmy[/QUOTE]

    <div>If you're going to tip, I'd tip at the end of the session that day.  Also, it's only typical to tip photographers who work for someone else - so, if your photographer is Joe Smith and he works for "Beautiful Awesome Photo Agency," then you'd tip him, but if he runs his own photography business, tipping generally isn't required.  (That said you can obviously tip him for great work even if he does own his own business, but it's not required.)</div>
    imagemy to-read shelf:
    Steph's book recommendations, liked quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists (to-read shelf)
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_do-we-need-to-tip-or-treat-lunch?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:30Discussion:d4a6904b-a974-47fb-8626-6be76dda9c0fPost:aa1525b9-a43b-44b2-a714-ef85d323c644">Re: Do we need to tip? Or treat lunch?</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Do we need to tip? Or treat lunch? : If you're going to tip, I'd tip at the end of the session that day.  Also, it's only typical to tip photographers who work for someone else - so, if your photographer is Joe Smith and he works for "Beautiful Awesome Photo Agency," then you'd tip him, but if he runs his own photography business, tipping generally isn't required.  (That said you can obviously tip him for great work even if he does own his own business, but it's not required.)
    Posted by StephBeanWed61502[/QUOTE]<div>
    </div><div>Got it, thanks for the help - I appreciate it! :)

    </div>
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  • If you get a good service then I would leave a tip, or perhaps if you really like his style and you click over lunch perhaps you could arrange him to take your wedding photos
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