We're doing our whole shebang- ceremony, cocktail hour, reception- at a high end restaurant that more often does just the dinner portions of wedding. They are not a wedding venue, per se, but do list weddings as a service on their website and do occasionally do ceremonies on their grounds before they open to the public. They don't charge any grounds fees, only a $150 set up fee for the ceremony chairs. We just have to meet the food and beverage minimum for our private dining room. There is an automatic 22% gratuity on the whole bill, which I assume will be divided amongst 3-4 waiters and at least one, maybe two bartenders assigned to work the private bar off our dining room. Compared to the wedding factory type places that nickle and dime people to death just because it's a wedding, I feel like we're getting a screaming good deal.
The coordinator there has been amazing to work with and, when I tried to clarify her role on the day of, she readily offered that if we dropped off all of our stuff the day before, she'd gladly set up everything including decorating for the ceremony and reception, coordinating our outside vendors, the ceremony cues, all of it. I haven't hired my own separate day of coordinator, based on what she said but somehow, in light of where we are doing this, it just seems really above and beyond her duties as a restaurant private dining coordinator. She also unexpectedly comped us what would have been an over $100 dinner the last time we went
out there, after we upgraded to a larger, more expensive reception room and then stayed
to eat. I just want to make sure she is properly compensated for her efforts and gets the acknowledgement she deserves.
Generally speaking, how are folks in her type of position paid? Commission on the amount of sales for the event? Straight salary? Does she share in the 22% along with the wait staff? I don't feel like these are questions I can ask her. We want to give her an appropriate tip afterward to let her know how much we appreciate her hard work, but don't know how much. If it makes a difference the food and beverage minimum for our room is $3500 and we'll come in at about $4000 before tax and gratuity for 36 guests, after all is said and done. How much would you tip? And should we do it the day of or can we wait until we get back from our honeymoon and send it to her with a thank you card?