How much would you tip the venue that has a 15% Service Charge Fee

I would not tip the venue. You only tip after the event is over with a clear mind and only if they go above and beyond the call of duty. Tipping culture is out of control where people expect you to tip just for walking in the door rather than to reward excellent service. You never tip for no shows, bad service, or simply doing their job, and never before you are able to assess the service provided with a clear objective mindset. It’s common and preferred to wait until after the honeymoon to mail in tips or send them electronically at that time.


They make so much money off of fees and minimums that you don’t need to tip the venue itself. Tip the individual vendors afterwards if you wish such as dj only if they went above and beyond.

We had an all inclusive venue too. We didn’t tip as the tip was included in the price. The bartender had a tip jar.

You don't need to tip the venue itself, but you do want to be sure the waitstaff and bartender are given gratuities (it's been suggested $20-$30 tip per waiter 18-20% for bartender). Gratuities are not part of the service fee unless explicitly stated in contract.

We have the same situation (15% service fee that does not include tip), and we were told there are 2 main ways people tip.



1) you tip 15-20% of the total bill, and it is divided up amongst the wait staff and chef(s)

2) you tip each server $20-50, and each chef $50-100