Free services--tipping?

palegirl146

I was incredibly lucky, and won a bridal portrait session--everything included!  I am getting use of a bridal suite in a very nice hotel, a free bouquet, my hair done professionally, my make up done professionally, and the photography session...all for free! I won it through a social media sweepstakes, and couldn't be more excited, but what is the protocol for tipping?  Am I expected to tip?  Am I expected to book these people? (I already had others booked for the actual wedding!)  What's the right thing to do?

garcias1

I would say a definite yes to tipping.  Since you won't have to budget for these services, you might want to be more generous with your tip than originally planned.  I don't know what you mean about booking the vendors.  If you don't book them, they won't provide the service on your wedding day.  So cancel the other vendors that you booked for that day (they might keep your deposits), and book the free vendors.

Beachy730

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_services-tipping?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:bf3ebfd8-15a3-4d5b-a29b-437f6d8bdce8Post:219e125c-3462-4f29-b985-46a447fa4e26">Re: Free services--tipping?</a>:
[QUOTE]I'd read the fine print in the contest details to see if any of this is mentioned.  When you were told you won, did they send you anything "official" that listed exactly what you'd won and what was expected of you as the winner?
Posted by ILoveMilkDuds[/QUOTE]

Ditto this.  I'm always very skeptical of free things given out for weddings.  Something like this makes me think that in the fine print it says it is only free if you hire the photographer for the rest of your wedding at a price of $4,000. 

If you have read it all, and are fine with the terms and conditions, then I would absolutely tip.  The people providing the service could easily be doing it for someone else that day and making money as well as getting a tip, so you should definitely be tipping them.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Tip on the normal amount they would charge. If there are other vendors involved (like a florist) you might want to ask them about that.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_services-tipping?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:bf3ebfd8-15a3-4d5b-a29b-437f6d8bdce8Post:02eeed27-851c-4cb6-8396-648b21ca0896">Re: Free services--tipping?</a>:
[QUOTE]I would say a definite yes to tipping.  Since you won't have to budget for these services, you might want to be more generous with your tip than originally planned.  I don't know what you mean about booking the vendors.  If you don't book them, they won't provide the service on your wedding day.  So cancel the other vendors that you booked for that day (they might keep your deposits), and book the free vendors.
Posted by garcias1[/QUOTE]

She doesn't want them for her wedding. It's for bridal portraits.

jamiemarie33

I won an engagement shoot at a bridal show.  I tipped the photographer (put money inside of a thank you card), and she called me and told me (actually pretty condescendingly) that no one has ever tipped her, that you are not supposed to tip vendors who own their own business.  I thought it would be nice since she dedicated an hour of her time...

garcias1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_services-tipping?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:bf3ebfd8-15a3-4d5b-a29b-437f6d8bdce8Post:44583045-6979-416e-834f-bd2c2ce8a5a1">Re: Free services--tipping?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Free services--tipping? : She doesn't want them for her wedding. It's for bridal portraits.
Posted by msmerymac[/QUOTE]

Ahhh, I read over that part too quickly.  Thanks for clarifying.  Based on that, I would imagine that the point of the free bridal session is to encourage you to book the vendors for the wedding itself.  In this case, go with PP and make sure that there is nothing in the fine print that says you must book them for your wedding.

It may not be a "prize" at all.  Perhaps these vendors offer this to every bride.  They might market it as a "prize," but in reality, it's just a complimentary bridal session that you get for booking these specific vendors.

Manwaithiel

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_services-tipping?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:bf3ebfd8-15a3-4d5b-a29b-437f6d8bdce8Post:5c39ccce-a59b-426b-97ee-2289123c3498">Re: Free services--tipping?</a>:
[QUOTE]I won an engagement shoot at a bridal show.  I tipped the photographer (put money inside of a thank you card), and she called me and told me (actually pretty condescendingly) that no one has ever tipped her, that you are not supposed to tip vendors who own their own business.  I thought it would be nice since she dedicated an hour of her time...
Posted by jamiemarie33[/QUOTE]

...What? I don't think she knows what she's talking about.

shortee426

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_services-tipping?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:bf3ebfd8-15a3-4d5b-a29b-437f6d8bdce8Post:5c39ccce-a59b-426b-97ee-2289123c3498">Re: Free services--tipping?</a>:
[QUOTE]I won an engagement shoot at a bridal show.  I tipped the photographer (put money inside of a thank you card), and she called me and told me (actually pretty condescendingly) that no one has ever tipped her, that you are not supposed to tip vendors who own their own business.  I thought it would be nice since she dedicated an hour of her time...
Posted by jamiemarie33[/QUOTE]

<div>If she was so upset that you tipped her, did she send the money back?</div>

jamiemarie33

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_services-tipping?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:bf3ebfd8-15a3-4d5b-a29b-437f6d8bdce8Post:dfd60eee-42a4-4fc2-9052-a271bf343357">Re: Free services--tipping?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Free services--tipping? : If she was so upset that you tipped her, did she send the money back?
Posted by shortee426[/QUOTE]


No, she said she donated it to a children's charity. 

palegirl146

Thanks for all the advice! Yes, it is just for bridal portraits, and no, there is no fine print about booking or payments.  It's a legitimate giveaway that only had one winner (me!) as opposed to a promotional thing that everyone wins.  I wasn't originally planning to do bridal portraits (because I don't have the money for it), so tipping is still above my budget.  How much would you recommend tipping?  I have no idea what the rates are for these vendors (aside from the photographer).  What do you tip a florist for just a bouquet?  What do you tip for hair or makeup if you don't know the original cost???  Is it best to send a thank you note with a tip, or to tip at the time of service?

squirrly

You might be able to find the cost on the photog's website.  Our photog charges (or did when we booked him) about $300 for either a bridal session in the studio with hair & makeup, or $300 for an epic session at a few locations around town. 

That puts his bridal sessions at ABOUT 10% of his upper end wedding photography package (which includes such a session, BTW).  That might give you a ballpark for guessing prices. 

Tipping $40 for the photog, and $10 each for hair & makeup seems reasonable, without anything else to go on.