Post # 1

Member
414 posts
Helper bee
Hi ladies, my fiance asked me this question and I didn’t know the answer.
However, considering how much were already being charged for these expensive services, I’m assuming that any type of gratuity is not expected.
Am I wrong? What’s the ettiquette?
Post # 3

Member
544 posts
Busy bee
We only tipped the DJ……I think it was $50 or so? Can’t remember. Our photographer cost almost $7000 and I thought that was quite enough money already.
Post # 4

Member
2680 posts
Sugar bee
Technically if your photographer or DJ is the owner of their company you shouldnt have to tip them. However, you are being provided a service and if you are very happy with the services they provide, I would tip them. Our photographers owned their company but we still tipped them because I was so happy with them. Can you get them a small gift card instead of tipping them cash?
Post # 5

Member
414 posts
Helper bee
@ gvsusara – you’re right, the cost of photography is enough already. We’re paying $5800 for ours, and I don’t think they need extra money.
@naangel55 – I like your idea with the gift card. What’s a good gift card to give? iTunes? Restaurant? I have no ideas.
Post # 6

Member
2680 posts
Sugar bee
I think a restaurant would be a good gift card, everyone eats but not everyone used iTunes. We got our catering manager an Amex gift card so she could use it anywhere.
Post # 7

Member
4122 posts
Honey bee
Apple – DJ or photographer is probably an apple nerd. Macs are kind of like a necessity for both.
Post # 8

Member
4485 posts
Honey bee
You only tip people who go above and beyond for you, not for just doing their job or if they do a bad job. You tip whomever you feel deserves it, even if they are the business owner. A tip does not have to be monetary either. Never tip someone before you see the final service or product in action because people will be completely different during the planning process than at the wedding itself. Gauge how they are at the wedding and then give them a tip only if they deserve it after the wedding is over when you’ve stepped down from cloud nine.
Post # 9

Member
155 posts
Blushing bee
Aren’t gratuities in most of the contracts already though? In all of our contracts…DJ, photog, videographer, caterers, etc…they all have included a gratuity percentage that is added in to their total price. That doesn’t mean I have to tip them additionally the night of the wedding does it??
Post # 10

Member
2767 posts
Sugar bee
We didn’t. We thought about tipping our photographer, but then we decided we would order an album from him instead. We hadn’t planned on ordering any albums from him, so he is making more money off of that. The album is like $850.
We didn’t tip the DJ because he didn’t do a very good job and he caused stress in the weeks leading up to the wedding too. I do not recommend J-Sun Entertainment from Rochester, MN.
Post # 11

Member
4485 posts
Honey bee
@dmp777 – yes, a gratituity is a required tip. You don’t tip anyone on top of that unless they absolutely went above and beyond and you feel they deserve something extra.
You don’t tip anyone the night of the wedding anyway, because you have no way of knowing before the wedding how they will perform. Wait until you send out thank you notes to your vendors after you return from your honeymoon and send a tip, if you feel they deserve one but it’s never required, at that time.
Post # 12

Member
2695 posts
Sugar bee
I went on theknot.com and did a search for vendor tipping and it said that you usually tip 50 to the DJ and don’t tip the photographer if they own the studio. They also had other suggestions for other vendors.
Aggh, we’ve got just a few more days to figure this one out