Tipping. A necessary part of weddings of all sizes and budgets. But, do you know when to give tips? Or, How to prepare the tips you are giving? What about, who are you tipping? Well, sash&bow is here to help! Here is what sash&bow thinks when it comes to weddings and tipping…
Preparing the Tips
Regardless of how you decide to distribute them, tips should be placed in an envelope that has been labeled and sealed and paired with a thank you note.
Delegating
Place someone trustworthy in charge of distributing the tips. You’ll be so busy the day of your wedding, so it’s important to ask a parent, maid of honor or the best man beforehand; sash&bow will also take care of all tipping for you as long as tips are clearly labeled ahead-of-time.
Timing
When you choose to tip creative partners is at your discretion. Here are a few different options and the reasons behind each…
Before: Some suggest tipping creative partners before they perform their services. This can happen days before the event as incentive or even 30 minutes prior. Doing so serves as motivation to go the extra mile and do the best job possible. If you don’t feel comfortable giving the whole tip upfront, give half prior to your wedding day with the acknowledgment that there is more to follow depending on quality of service.
After: Brides who choose to tip after are looking at how well services were performed. As a general rule of thumb, it’s recommended to tip entertainment and hair and makeup artists after services are performed. Donations to churches or synagogues are also made after the service.
Methods of Distribution
One way of distributing gratuities is to decide on a lump sum that you can afford and divide the percentage. Another way is to get a comprehensive list of everyone working your wedding and divide portions based on performance. In this case, the lead bartender and maître d would receive larger percentages.
Another aspect to consider is the relationship you’ve developed with partners. If you have become very close with your photographer and had an amazing experience, you may want to tip them a higher percentage.
On Gifts and Letters
Sending your DJ or photographer a fabulous bottle of champagne a few days before the wedding in lieu of a cash gift is entirely appropriate and thoughtful. Along those same lines, handwritten notes are invaluable to creative partners; there’s nothing like the words of a happy client that will serve as feedback and a testimonial to their excellence.
So Who’s Tipped?
Unless they’ve been a complete nightmare throughout the planning of your wedding, it’s courteous to present each of your creative partners with a gift. Don’t forget your photographer, hairstylist, make-up artist, florist, driver, baker, caterer, wait-staff, bartenders, lighting crew, DJ, photo booth attendant and maintenance.
When All Is Said and Done…
How you choose to tip creative partners is entirely up to you. Take time to decide what works best for you as a couple and for your budget and remember, thought and sincerity holds a lot of weight when it comes to saying thank you!
For help with tipping and ANY of your other wedding needs, contact Alliey at Alliey@SashandBow.com TODAY! Cheers!
