How much should I tip my wedding vendors?

Weddings don’t follow the same gratuity or tipping that other industries do, which means the tipping follows a different pattern.

Cash is best, but offering a mobile cash deposit (Venmo, Cashapp, Paypal, Zelle, etc) or check can be good too.

Here are who you should tip and amounts you should tip for your wedding . These are based on averages collected from wedding pros and engaged couples from around the US in 2022 and 2023.

When considering the amount you’re going to tip, consider the cumulative. Did this person work with you for more than the wedding day and did they often seem to go above and beyond? Did they do things to make your event that much more memorable? Don’t forget about the people working at your pre and post wedding events!

*Check your invoices to see if gratuity is included and if “service charges” go directly to the service staff or to the house.

Hair & Makeup Artists 15%-25%

Installation and Set up workers (Rentals, Florists, etc) $15-$20 each

Cake Delivery $10-$20

Valet $3-$5 per car

Bellman $3-$5 per bag

Caterer (includes staff) 15%-25% of menu costs

Venue Manager or Coordinator $250-$1000

Venue Chef $100-$250

Venue Banquet Captains $100-$150

Venue Servers $25-$50 each

Venue Bartenders $50-$75 each

Dresser/Stylist $100 plus $10-20 per bridesmaid or groomsmen

Photographer $100-$500

Photographer Assistant $50-$500

Videographer $100-$500

Videographer Assistant $50-$100

Full Service Wedding Planners 10%-20%

Day-of Coordinators 10%-15%

Band Musicians $50-$100 each

Band Leaders $100-$300

Lighting and Sound Engineers $50-$100 each

DJs $100-$300

Officiants $100-$300

Ceremony Musicians & Vocalists $50-$100 each

Entertainment Attendants (Photo Booth, live artists, cigar rollers, etc) $50-$100 each

Aside from tipping, after your wedding the most important thing you can do is give your vendors great testimonials on Google.

Want to make your wedding team jump for joy? Send them a thank you note or at least a text message letting them know how they made your day great.

Looking for a place to get super cute tip envelopes to hand out? We love these and these

For more tipping and wedding planning tips, listen to our podcast, This vs That, Wedding Decisions with Kelly McWilliams