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Every wedding I've been to with a open bar has a tip jar. The way I think of it is that it's no different than you going out with friends and leaving a tip for the bartendar. That way if they want to they do, if they don't want to, they don't.
this is definitely something that falls under "personal preference"
personally, I don't like them. you are entertaining your guests and providing an evening of drinks/dinner at a venue. if the venue happen to be your home you wouldn't put a tip jar out, right? so I don't think there's any difference just b/c you are entertaining your guests outside if your home.
but Again - totally personal preference.
I think its preference as well. We didn't like the idea of a tip jar, since people had spent so much money on gifts, flights, hotels, etc just to be there on our day. So we respectfully requested our vendor to not put out a tip jar, because frankly they were making big money on the drinks themselves and on the service & gratuity charge (in our case 22%!). We decided to tip them at the end of the night anyways though...
I dont like the idea of a tip jar either, but thats just me. Usually I dont even bring money with me to a wedding, so if there were a tip jar I'd feel guilty about drinking if I didnt have money to tip the bartender.
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It is my personal opinion, mind you I've never seen a tip jar at an open bar/wedding, that I would not have one. I think that you are choosing to provide drinks for your guests, which you are paying for, and so you should also tip.
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If it wasn't so expensive, I would just go ahead and tip them myself, but doesn't $740 seem like a lot to pay for 2 bartenders?
I have never seen a tip jar at an open bar wedding - a lot of guests don't carry cash with them at a wedding so for $300, so I think it's worth it to pay it for them and spare them the hassle.
The way I see it, having a tip jar when there are professional bartenders is fine. For our wedding, we'll be providing the alcohol and friends will take turns tending so I wouldn't be comfortable putting out a tip jar when the money in it would come back to us, but it's totally personal preference.
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What if I re-phrase the question...if you were attending a wedding that had an open bar, would you be offended if there was a tip jar? Personally, I would be fine with it, I understand that the open bar can be expensive and dropping a couple of dollars wouldn't really phase me if I'm enjoying the bar all night. I wouldn't feel obligated to tip for every drink.
As a guest at functions with an open bar i make a point to tip the bartender weather i see a tip jar or not.
a few reasons. as a guest i never know how its set up behing the scenes. In this country (the US) most food service people litteraly work for tips. I tend to ask for weird drinks, and tipping in that instance is extra polite. Also if the host is not tippinng and they are relying on the guests then there are pelenty of guests who will NOT tip because it is an Open bar.
hope that helps some!
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I tip the bartenders whether there is a tip jar or not. I will probably not want a tip jar out at our wedding, but I know that many of our guests will tip anyway.
Just want to clarify that in my case we will most likely be leaving gratuity to the caterers to cover all that. But, you know that bartender isn't making much. If leaving a tip jar earns them a couple extra bucks for the night, why not? And in our circle most people will not go out with some cash in the pocket for emergency situations. And if the tip jar makes them a little less comfortable about continually going back for drinks maybe that's a good tactic to keep the drinking under control! Which is in no way a means to save us money because most likely for us it'll be a flat drinking fee that we pay to the caterer anyway. Or even if we end up booking a venue we can bring our own alcohol in we always over buy anyway.
And like sansserif & RIBride we are the type of people whether there is a tip jar or not we leave a tip. Even when the FI knows that they are getting gratuity he still feels compelled to leave a tip. And most of the people we know are the same way.
Which now that I think of it maybe a good solution for US would be to leave a sign by the tip jar that mentions we are covering gratuity but if the guests feel like leaving a small tip we're sure the bartendar would appreciate it!
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For me personally, I would not leave the tip jar out. I think that one reason why people do an open bar is so that guests do not have to pay, but then the tip jar is out there, so it gives a mixed message. I would rather fork out the $1 per guest...
It depends though!! Everyone has different preferences...
I personally wouldn't be offended if there was a tip jar. I tip bartenders anyways regardless of whether or not there is a tip jar. I think a tip jar just makes it easier to just pop in the tip as opposed to people leaving money all over the bar.
I know our guests will tip no matter what. I have no problem with a tip jar (as long is there isnt an obtrusive sign that requests tips. I know how hard service workers work and I think they deserve the extra tips if people want to.
I also plan to tip the bartender separately, even if he/she is rackin in dough with a tip jar.
Tip jars bother me a little, simply because guests usually deposit a dollar or two EVERY TIME they get a drink. In that regard, you are better off forking over $1 for each guest, which might run you about $300. But if your 150 guests end up drinking, on average, 4 drinks each (and some will definitely have more) and they deposit a dollar each drink, then on average, your guests will be paying $600 for this same service.
Personally, I'd rather pay $1 per guest to avoid having a tip jar out all night.
wow, I didn't even think a catering bartender would require a tip. I guess I assumed they make more than the average bartender per hour. Similarly how you don't tip your server at a catered function because they are getting paid a higher wage. Or maybe I have just been living in a country that doesn't tip for too long!
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i agree with the gals that said people tip whether there is a jar or not. personally, if i am getting free drinks, i over-tip. is there any way you can work it out with your bartenders that they can accept tips without the jar?
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My venue will have an open bar and we have to pay $80 per bartender and then we can choose to either have them put out a tip jar or pay each bartender $1.00 per guest.
So my question is, do you think it is appropriate to have a tip jar at a wedding? My thoughts are...I'm offering an open bar, so guests do not have to pay for drinks and guests can tip if/when they want to. If we have 2 bartenders and 150 guests, that would save us $300. This way only those guests that take advantage of the open bar would essentially be paid for through tipping.
What do you think? Will guests find it tacky?