Tipping the vendors

Re: Tipping the vendors

• littleredcrimson

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  I've heard there's no obligation to tip the vendors unless they go above and beyond. You're paying them and the only way they should earn a "tip" is if they save the day (and by save the day, I do not mean show up, on time, right after a freak out that they weren't going to).  If you do tip them, I think 10-15% is sufficient enough.

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• doubleflipchick

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  Ive been thinging about the same thing. We do not have a vendor package and Im booking everyone seperately. I know it is typical to tip your vendors but how much is normal? One of the wedding magazines I got had a table with the standard amounts but they seemed really high. Catering was something like 20% of your total bill. Thats like $600.00 seems really high when im already paying a few thousand dollars for the food it self.
  
  Hellp!

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• Syndelin

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  It's pretty typical or common to tip the officiant, the DJ, waitstaff (if there's no service charge already included), floral or cake delivery people, hair and makeup artists, and day of coordinator, and sometimes photographer.
  
  The exceptions to this would be if they own the company, which assumes that they are personally getting any profits from fees that you've paid when you hired them.
  
  We plan to tip our DJ ($50), officiant ($50 which we know he donates to charity), hair/makeup/nails ladies ($20 each), flower and cake delivery/set up people ($20 each), 2nd photographer & videographer ($50 each),  and probably $25 for DoC, but we haven't met her yet really.
  
  Our DJ doesn't own the company, the officiant does, but we like that he donates any gratuity to charity so we are giving him extra anyway, I always tip my salon ladies. The flowers/cake depends on who delivers them...  we won't tip the owners if they are the ones that show up with them probably.  Our main photographer owns the company, but his 2nd and the video guy are just working for him.  Depending on how our pictures come back, and how fast we get our stuff delivered, he may even get a tip from us that would be more like around $100, but he gave us an awesome deal to begin with.
  
  So our tips will be anywhere from $300-$450 or so.   Some people might think that's crazy, but they're probably also people that have never worked in a service or hospitality industry. 
  

  
  

  
  
  TTC since 2-09 Diagnosed with PCOS 12-11

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• jemmini6 member

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_arizona-phoenix_tipping-vendors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:71Discussion:eaf2b859-87a4-4548-b1c3-157d2e829c61Post:64188a83-0671-4c20-85eb-4003ffbce743">Re: Tipping the vendors</a>:
  [QUOTE]Ive been thinging about the same thing. We do not have a vendor package and Im booking everyone seperately. I know it is typical to tip your vendors but how much is normal? One of the wedding magazines I got had a table with the standard amounts but they seemed really high. <strong>Catering was something like 20% of your total bill. Thats like $600.00 seems really high when im already paying a few thousand dollars for the food it self.</strong> Hellp!
  Posted by doubleflipchick[/QUOTE]
  
  When you go to a restaurant, you normally tip your server don't you?  Even though you paid for the meal?  Catering is the same way because what you are paying for the meal, is paying for the food itself, the tip is paying for the service you get to get the meal to you.
  
  Most venues/catering companies have a 20% gratuity included, it definitely gets expensive, but that's what happens when you are paying servers for upwards of 100 guests...

  
  

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• doubleflipchick

  

  February 2011 edited December 2011

  Jemmini6-- yes that  makes sense I never really thought of it that way. I would never think of leaving a restauant without tipping at least 20%. Ill have to ask if its included in the price. As for everything else.. any seggustions??

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