Wedding Vendor Tipping: Am I supposed to?

It’s the million dollar question isn’t it?

Someone gives us good service, we feel inclined to tip, right? Our food servers, maybe it’s our hair stylist, or the dog groomer because tipping says, job well done! But is there a place for it with your wedding vendors, and what if you’re already hitting budget limits, or even just wondering if you really need to?

Before we go further, let me just say I’m a firm believer in generous tipping when I get great service because we both worked in the service industry in our college years to put ourselves through college and tips counted! But, do we tip every time at a fancy ice cream shop when someone scoops us an $8 ice cream cone? Well, did that ice cream server take a minute to smile, make conversation with us? Then yeah, we’re probably going to tip even though we could have just bought a gallon of Rocky Road Blue Bell ice cream, are we right?

So…fast forward to your wedding day and all of the vendors hustling to make your day special. Do you tip? Maybe you’re thinking, “But I already paid the rate they asked for, so shouldn’t that be enough?” Bride’s, there’s no easy answer, except this: It’s really up to you.

Ask yourself, did they go above and beyond, either leading up to the wedding day, or on the day of? Did they exceed my expectations and go the extra mile when they didn’t have to?Then sure, consider doing it, but plan ahead for it into your budget. If on the day of, or the week after you feel like they deserved it then you have it to give.

You can also consider that there are alternatives to cash tipping but this is definitely one to think through ahead of time. Gift cards to that vendor’s favorite restaurant, or spa with a handwritten beautiful thank you note might have just as much meaning to them.

And more importantly, whatever you decide about tipping or not: Always, always write a review for that vendor if they did a great job. Our next job may depend on it.

XOXO,

Delia & Maddie

Unveiled Wedding Co.