Tipping vendors when it is optional in the contract

It’s always optional to tip, a company isn’t going to tell you that you’re required to tip them.

Good question. Our ceremony would be small, just us and our kids. How much do I need to tip the officiant, photographer, and limo driver? I don’t know how much they get since we chosed a package.

*chose not chosed 🙄

Gratuity is optional in any situation. Do they want you to tip them, sure but it is never a requirement.

Maybe also ask for a break down of the service fee if there is one? because sometimes those can involve something gratuity. but yeah i think it's kind of implied that gratuity would be nice.

I think it's their way of politely reminding you that you should tip! I feel like it can be almost passive aggressive sometimes but they've probably been burned so many times.

View Quoted Comment I think when it comes to photographer, just give them a flat rate tip. For us, we tipped $50 for our engagement photo shoot and $300 for our wedding. It would have been insane to tip $1200 on top of the cost of our photos.


For drivers, our bridal party transportation included the gratuity so make sure it isn’t already included in your cost breakdown— we wouldn’t have realized it if we didn’t go through each line item. My husband actually forgot and tipped him anyway. 🤦🏻‍♀️
For our wedding guest buses, gratuity wasn’t included so we tipped each driver $50 each way. So for two buses, it was $100 per bus.
Officiants— if it’s a pastor, they’ll usually take a donation for their church. Otherwise I think depending on how much the officiant works you beforehand, I would do $50-100.

Our service fee include a 24% tip for all staff. I thought was more than enough and only had money set back for those for those outside of the venues contract

Service fee is not gratuity. Saying gratuity is “optional” is the same as how it’s “optional” to tip your waiter at a restaurant. The amount you choose to tip is up to you and can be based on the quality of their service, and while technically you are under no contractual obligation to tip them....... you’re a pretty crappy person if you don’t 😂

View Quoted Comment Should prob ask their vendor about that. Our 25% service charge is used to tip the entire staff.

View Quoted Comment Yeah sometimes service fee is the same as tip, but OP said that it was not in her case