Orange County Wedding Tipping Guide
You’ve covered all the big wedding expenses and probably feel like your budget is set. But have you thought about tips? Even though it’s your wedding day, it’s also a time to recognize the vendors who went above and beyond for you. Setting aside a little for gratuities is something to plan for before you finalize your total costs.
Keep in mind, not every vendor expects a tip, and the level of service can vary. To make things easier, we’ve put together some simple guidelines to help you decide who to tip on your wedding day.
General Tipping Suggestions
Some of your wedding vendors might work extra hard to meet your expectations and make you happy. In these cases, couples usually feel the need to tip them because it’s a common courtesy. However, it might also happen that you’re not satisfied with a vendor’s service yet still feel obliged to tip them because those are the universal rules. In both cases, don’t hurry to give a tip before learning about general wedding tipping etiquette.
Here, we have included some vendor tip guide protocols you should follow:
- Tip only when you’re extremely satisfied with the service. People who give their best deserve to be acknowledged and appreciated.
- When your vendor is a large company, you don’t have to tip the whole organization- just the employees. Nonetheless, you might want to tip the owner if you received exceptional service when it comes to small businesses.
- Always check your contracts with your vendors before you turn to tipping. Some of them include tips in their final prices, so there’s no reason to “overtip” them.
Tipping Hair and Makeup Stylists
Tipping your hair and makeup artists is expected. The tip amount should be 15 to 25% of the total charge, just like at a salon. These are the people who’ll make sure you look stunning for the whole day, so it’s nice to show them appreciation.
Tipping the Wedding Coordinator
Tipping your wedding coordinator isn’t required, but if you received exceptional service, you may want to do it out of appreciation. Therefore, a tip of 10 to 20% of the total bill (up to $500) or a personal gift is a good option. The tip or gift can be given at the end of the reception or sent by mail after the honeymoon.
Tipping Wedding Photographers and Videographers
According to many vendor tip guide pointers, it is recommended that you consider tipping your Orange County wedding photographers and videographers, in addition to the business owners. Although not mandatory, a cash tip of $50-$100 per person is suggested, or you can give a personal gift as an alternative. You should give the tip or gift at the end of the reception.
Tipping the Wedding DJ or Live Entertainment
If your DJ did a fantastic job and responded to all your requests, consider tipping them $50 to $150 or 10% to 20% of their total cost.
Tipping ceremony musicians is optional, but you can consider it based on their setup or performance complexity. It’s recommended to tip each musician $15 to $20. If you decide to tip them, you should do it at the end of the celebration.
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Wedding tipping can be tricky, and you can easily get confused, especially in those exciting moments of your big day. However, if you stick to our pointers, you’ll be on the right track! Visit our blog section for more wedding ideas and inspiration, or contact us for more information on our photography, videography, DJ, coordination, and photo booth rental services in Orange County, CA.
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