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Tips and gratuities are often forgotten when determining your budget. If you want to tip your amazing team of vendors, don’t forget to include them in your total budget. In this section, we’ll discuss whom to tip, what to tip, and how to deliver your tips.

Tips are never expected but always appreciated. Most of the people who receive tips on your wedding day are being paid by the hour and tips help offset the costs that occurred for them to be at your wedding. If you feel like a vendor has done an amazing job for you, then give them a tip. If you feel like they have not measured up to your expectations, don’t tip them.

Table 3-6 is a cheat sheet to help you figure out how much to tip each vendor. This is only a guide. Anyone you tip will appreciate the additional cash in their pockets, no matter how much you tip.

TABLE 3-6 Vendor Tip Percentages

Item	Percentage of Budget
Wedding planner	10–15% or a nice gift
Caterer	Check to make sure there isn’t already a service fee built in; if not, 20% of the staff fee
Photo & video	$100+ per person
DJ	$50–$100 per person
Band	$25+ per band member
Bartender	Check to make sure the tip isn’t already included in the bill; if not, 20% of staff fee
Officiant	$100–$300
Ceremony musicians	$25+ per musician
Hair & makeup	$15–20% of service
Transportation	$20 of bill
Deliverers (for example, baker, florist, rental company)	$25+ per person

Delivering your tips to the appropriate person is a great task for your parents, best man, maid/matron of honor, or wedding planner if you hire one. This is something that you need to prepare before the day of the wedding. Determine your tips per vendor and get out those envelopes. On the envelope, write the name of vendor receiving the tip. Then include the cash and seal the envelope. (Your tips should be cash only.) Make sure to tell the person you’ve asked to distribute the tips to check in with you first to see if you’re happy with the service prior to giving the tips to the vendors. The last thing you want is to distribute the tips and not be happy with the service and have to try and get that cash back.

Tipping your vendors is a wonderful way to thank them for all their hard work and being a part of your wedding day. You may not believe me when I say this, but there’s a chance you’ll remember your vendors more than you’ll remember some of the guests who attend your wedding. Show them how much you appreciate them. Happy tipping!