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Tipping vendors?

EllenG27EllenG27
First Comment
in Iowa-Des Moines
Hi all!
So on my month board, I saw someone post about tipping their photographer. It sounded like a individual circumstance - friends of the bride. However, I'd read in magazines that we're supposed to tip our vendors. I just am surprised by this, because I'm paying people good money for their services! I don't feel the need to tip them more! Fiance and I have talked about it and maybe the DJ or limo driver, if they do something extra and we've got the cash on us. But to prepare to tip all our vendors seems silly.
What are you girls doing? Do you plan to tip your vendors - cake, photographer, limo, dj, caterer? Just curious!
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Re: Tipping vendors?

  • milesbellamilesbella member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I've always heard/read that if the vendor owns the business, then there is no need to tip them.  If the vendor is employed by a larger company, then you would tip them. 

    Our florist owns the company, no tip.  Our DJ owns the company, no tip.  Our photographer owns the company, no tip.  We will be tipping the bartenders and the servers because they are employed by our venue.
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  • EllenG27EllenG27
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Oh that makes a little more sense!
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  • kdyer09kdyer09 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Be careful to look at your contract with your venue and what type it is before deciding on tipping.  My reception is at a hotel, and they are charging us 22% gratuity on everything, which will be divided among the bartenders, cooks, waiters, etc.  Don't overtip if you don't want to/can't afford it.  We will not be providing tips to those people.
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  • mlharrison23mlharrison23
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We are going to be tipping. Our limo driver-$100 (we are getting him free though).
    Our photographer, dj, videographer-all probably $100 or at least $50 if we can't afford more but I say tipping is really good. Sure we are paying them good money but I feel that they also deserve a tip because they are there with you for so long making your one and only day special, and especially if you feel they did a good job, I just think it is important but that is only my opinion. Don't feel bad if you can't afford it. We are working it into our budget.
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  • EllenG27EllenG27
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Yes, I'm definitely not tipping our hotel. That's already worked in to our whole price. Other vendors, I guess I will decide on a case-by-case basis. But planning in advance to do it seems silly because you actually aren't sure yet if they are doing a good job or not.
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  • mlharrison23mlharrison23
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Well we are just planning on at least having the money for it and if we decide someone, like our dj, or something didn't deserve it than we will just have that extra money and that is fine.
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  • MaggieandJakeMaggieandJake member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Ditto PP that you don't need to tip people who own their own business…
    Here's what we tipped compared to what their cost was

    Florist-Nothing; she owned her business
    Dj-$25 ($250) but we really shouldn't have since he was not very good and had an attitude, but it was someone else's job to tip him that night and I never got around to telling him not to.
    Transportation ceremony -> reception-$20 ($175)
    Cellist-$20 ($150)
    Hair/Make up-$30 ($200- including trial run)
    Photographer-$150 ($1100)  We will tip this pending the receiving of our pics

    We also had a 20% gratuity built into our reception bill so we did NOT tip on top of that.  We also gave my uncle who married us a $150 gift certificate to his favorite restaurant.
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  • mlharrison23mlharrison23
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hmm I think I would be tipping too much after reading what you put, MaggieandJake.  I will still tip the $100 probably to my videographer and photographer if I think they did a good job because they are both kind of beginners in the business so they are already giving us an amazing deal really. But maybe not that much to my dj or others. Thanks this helps alot!
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  • MaggieandJakeMaggieandJake member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_iowa-des-moines_tipping-vendors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:80Discussion:0484a82e-ab90-4948-8b76-f36f27b3e1d1Post:16b61b08-a28c-4683-beed-baa8947b6e1f">Re: Tipping vendors?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Hmm I think I would be tipping too much after reading what you put, MaggieandJake.  I will still tip the $100 probably to my videographer and photographer if I think they did a good job because they are both kind of beginners in the business so they are already giving us an amazing deal really. But maybe not that much to my dj or others. Thanks this helps alot!
    Posted by mlharrison23[/QUOTE]

    <div>We just did around the 15% mark.  I normally tip closer to 20%, but with the inflation of "wedding" services, we tipped a little lower. </div>
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  • hsbstonehsbstone
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Quoting previous post (MaggieandJake):

    Here's what we tipped compared to what their cost was

    Florist and photographer-Nothing; they owned the business and had extras added to the original budget; the florist had more $150.00 added and the photographer more $250.00. No more tip whatsoever!
    Dj-$50 ($550)
    Hair/Make up-15% of the trial and day of ceremony (around 250.00)
    Officiant - $115.00 total.
    We also had a 20% gratuity built into our reception bill - which we had an extra 2.00 per  person because I wanted plated service - and so we did NOT tip on top of that.
    My rule is if they own the business just tip them if they did an outstanding job. If they are employees, tip them.

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  • yourdjyourdj member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I am on the fence on this one.  I have been a dj for 12 years now and currently i make good money doing it so tips are great show of gradtitude but,  When i was first starting out and getting up and going I lived off of tips because the pay wasnt that good.  I didn't own the company and even if i did that doesnt mean that I would be rich or something.  So the best recomendation is this.  If your dj does a good job tip him or her.  If they treated you like a qaiter at a resturant take care of them, i guarentee they will remember that.  Plus the cost of the dj is probably cheaper than the majority of the rest of the party and they are a major part of your reception.  just my 2 cents
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