Gratuity?

NEOhioGirl

Hi all,Our reception venue charges an 18% service fee in addition to the cost of food and drink. When we had a preliminary meeting with the owner to put down a deposit on our May 2010 wedding date, I asked him if that 18% included gratuity, and he said no. I plan to double check this when we meet again after the first of the year to finalize things, but I wanted to see if anyone else has run into this. If we do need to leave additional gratuity, do we do the standard 20%? That would be over $1,000. Or do we just tip individuals (servers, bartender, etc.) and not the owners? If so, how much is appropriate per person? I know this might seem a bit early, but I just want to gauge how much so I can save accordingly.Thanks!

jinxed8605

if gratuity isn't included, you tip per person. The owners do not need a tip as they are getting all the profit of your wedding to begin with. Tip your servers and bartenders. I wouldn't base it on % because that would be outrageous. Consider an amount you'd be willing to tip and split it up.

sucrets4

Yes, usually the service charge and gratuity are separate.  I would ask the venue what is a standard tip.  Our place suggested $3-4 per guest for just under $100 a plate.  So, it definitely wasn't 20%, but we followed their guidelines and I felt good about that.  Btw, they told us to give it to the maitre'd and he would distribute it amongst the staff.