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Guide to Tipping

You have your budget down to the penny, every ranunculus and ribbon wand accounted for! And then it hits you…you forgot to allot for tips.

Truth be told, gratuities are up to you as long (as they are not included in your contract – so read carefully) and not everyone deserves one. But in our experience, the reason you selected your vendor is because they are awesome at what they do.  And when someone excels in their field, a “thank you for your service” is a nice gesture of appreciation.

Below are some guidelines to help you in determining what to budget and for whom.

Miscellaneous expenses typically run about 5-8% of your budget and cover things like taxes, gratuities and other extras.
Expect to leave a traditional tip to wait staff, bartenders, limo drivers, parking attendants, delivery staff, wedding officiant, makeup artists and hairstylists.
Read your contract! Today, tipping is often included. An additional tip is optional if you received exceptional service or required extra assistance.
No need to tip business owners for exceptional service; for example, tip the DJ if he is an employee but not the owner.  However, a personal note and gift are always appreciated.

Make a donation to the church or the officiant’s church. If the church or officiant do not require a fee, you should tip.

HOW MUCH TO TIP?

Hair stylists and makeup artists: Expected at 15-20%
Transportation: Expected at 15-20%
Parking attendant: Expected at $1 to $2 per car
Bartenders: Expected 10% of the total liquor bill (to be split among them)
Catering: Expected 15-20% or tip $50 to $100 per chef and $20 to $50 for each server delivery staff (florist, catering, rentals, etc.)
Delivery staff (florist, catering, rentals, etc.): Expected at $5 to $10 a person

Wedding Ceremony Officiant: Expected as donation to the church or tip to the officiant

Photographer/videographer: Optional at $50 to $200 per vendor
Ceremony musician or reception musician: Optional $25 to $50 or 15% per musician or $50+ for the DJ
Wedding planner: Optional at 10-20% or a personal gift
Florist: Optional at 10 to 15%

 

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ChicagoStyleWeddings
We are a small team of love junkies at heart, we love seeing, reading and sharing the beautiful stories that come across our desks. We’ve seen a lot, so we have advice to share! We are lucky we get to share this love and show off the teamwork and trust of our couples and our amazing vendors and venues. It all starts with love and we are lucky to love what we do.

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