CherieDestination Wedding Tipping Guide
I am often asked for advice on tipping for a destination wedding. The amount to tip vendors is subjective and ranges from low to high, but here is a basic guide on what I see for vendor gratuities. Keep in mind this is subjective and you can adjust as you feel appropriate.
Some couples tip 10-20% of the total bill for each vendor and that gets divided by the total staff that worked an event. Some couples tip per person and either way is fine, it just depends on what you prefer.
If you prefer to tip vendors a set amount, here is a range. They do accept US dollars.
Officiant – $50-100 depending on how far they come and how much time they spent working with you prior to the wedding.
Resort Wedding Coordinator – $100-250
Contracted Wedding Event Planner – Up to 10% of the total contract, usually $200+
DJs – $50-250
Bands/Musicians/Entertainment – $25-50 for each musician for ceremony and cocktail hour/reception $50-100 each
Bartenders – $50-100 each unless there is a tip jar which would be at your discretion
Wait staff / servers – $20-50 each
Specialty Cake – $20+
Floral & Décor – $25-50 per person for staff to set up/tear down
Photography & Videographer – $100-300 for main photographer and videographer and $50-150 for assistants
Hair & Make Up – Typically about 20% as you would in a salon
Photo Booth Attendant – $25-40 each person
Note – There is no right or wrong tip, so you can adjust as you feel. You can assign someone to provide the tips, such as your wedding coordinator, or you can put in envelopes with each vendor’s name and the wedding coordinator or someone you prefer can hand them out to the vendors.
