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Tipping???

kellyandjonkellyandjon member
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in South Carolina
OK...I need help. I do not want to be cheap, but I have no idea which vendors I am supposed to tip and how much I shoud tip them. Specifically I am concerned about the caterer and servers (my coordinator is the caterer), the photographer, the musician for the ceremony, the dj, the officiant (not clergy nor associated with a church), the lady baking the cake and the guy rolling the cigars. Am I forgetting someone??Any suggestions??
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Re: Tipping???

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    Bulloca2Bulloca2 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Typically, those that own their own company do not recieve a tip. Photographers would be a good example. This is because 100% of the money made goes to them. Those that work as an employee of a company usually do recieve a tip because they are only paid salary. There are exceptions to every rule. If you want to tip a vendor because of outstanding service, owned company or not, nobody can stop you. Remember, you can always thank someone with a small gift (not $) as well. An example of this would be a wedding coordinator or planner. Usually, they own their own business so they fall into the no tip category. However, they do a lot of work for you before/during/after so they might deserve a little something extra. Also, make sure to read your contracts carefully! Some vendors will tell you how much tip is expected (our DJ did). Other vendors, such as caterers/servers/venues will charge you a service fee which would be the same thing as a tip- a required tip. For your specific examples:1) Caterer and servers- check your contract for a service fee or call to ask so you're not surprised when you're charged for one. If there isn't one, typically 20% is required.2) Coordinator benig the caterer- maybe a personal thank you gift for her such as a gift card to a store/restaurant or a Amex/Visa/whatever gift card to be used anywhere she would like.3) Photographer- no tip4) Musician- up to you depending on cost and amount of time played. If just for the ceremony, I would say tip not needed. 5) DJ- Yes. The amount could possibly be stated in contract as a required %.  15-20% is normal.6) Officiant- In your case, I would say no tip. If they were a clergy member or associated with the church, I would either make a tip donation to the church in their honor OR give them a small personal gift as a thank you. Our pastor loves baseball so we bought him season tickets for him and his wife to a local baseball team. 7) Cake Baker- No tip8) Cigar Roller- No tip
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    kellyandjonkellyandjon member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    That was VERY helpful!! Thank you so much!!
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