Should You Tip Your Wedding Vendors?
In the USA, tipping is an integral part of our service industry. For professionals like servers, bartenders, nail technicians, chauffeurs, and other hospitality roles, gratuity makes up a major part of their income. Something we’ve heard being discussed in the wedding industry lately is the topic of tips for wedding vendors.
As a florist who services the wedding industry, here’s our opinion. We don’t think wedding vendors are due tips by default, with maybe the exception of a few specific scenarios. As a general rule, don’t feel obligated to tip any vendor, but if you are curious, here are the categories we would break vendors in to as it relates to gratuities.
Non-Customer Service Based
Vendors that are providing services that aren’t customer-service based, but rather project-based, shouldn’t expect a tip. Florists, rental companies, bakeries, etc. are providing you a service or product for a set fee. Their expenses and profits should be 100% covered in their invoice. They likely won’t interface with the couple or guests directly at any point during the day, either, so there wouldn’t even be a natural opportunity to provide gratuities.
Single Member Businesses / Owner Operated / Freelancers
Vendors like makeup artists, hair stylists, wedding planners, officiants, DJs, and photographers often fall into this category. If a small business owner is providing you services, their labor should be 100% covered in their project fee. They have the authority to charge whatever rate they see fit, so expecting an additional tip in this scenario, in our opinion, is odd.
Customer Service Based Roles
This is the category we think there is some justification for tipping. Vendors that are providing customer service to you and your guests for hours like bartenders and valets may be service providers you feel inclined to tip. These are also vendors that your guests can choose to tip a couple dollars to throughout the night, so you don’t even need to feel responsible for the tipping. They can accumulate gratuities in a more conventional manner and it’s not awkward for anyone. Let them know that you’re fine with them setting out a tip jar at their station, if you’re comfortable with this. Be sure to check if your vendor contracts already include gratuity, as well. This is a common line item for catering contracts and covers tips for servers, waitstaff, bussers, tray passing staff, etc.
Final Thoughts
In general, it’s completely up to you. As a florist, if we received a tip from one of our clients, it would feel a little weird to be honest. We own the business and handle all the operations ourselves, so it would be unnecessary. However, if you see the furniture rental delivery driver is hustling in 90-degree heat and you want to throw them $50, that’s totally normal. If the valet company sent one person and they were running back and forth to keep the line moving all night, it’s completely reasonable to give them some cash to show appreciation for excellent service.
Another way to gauge tipping is to determine if the person providing the service is just an employee of the company you’ve contracted with. If you know they’re just making $18 per hour and they provided great service, it makes sense to tip them if you feel inclined. Use your best judgement for when it’s appropriate, but never feel obligated to pay extra for a service that you’ve already been billed for.
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