Tipping vendors

baby and crumble

I know most people tip the likes of the priest and altar servers in a church wedding but we’re having a humanist ceremony in a hotel- what exactly are the tipping requirements there? It seems a bit odd to tip photographers etc since they have a set fee. I get tipping the wait staff and bar staff in the venue but what other folks do we need to think about?

mcgiggles

baby and crumble wrote:

I know most people tip the likes of the priest and altar servers in a church wedding but we’re having a humanist ceremony in a hotel- what exactly are the tipping requirements there? It seems a bit odd to tip photographers etc since they have a set fee. I get tipping the wait staff and bar staff in the venue but what other folks do we need to think about?

My thoughts are anyone that has a set fee don't need to be tipped as generally they are charging enough anyways :-) but as you said the likes of the bar staff or wait staff who are probs on minimum wage and go out of their way to help you.. or anyone that goes above and beyond really! We're getting the wedding coordinator a bunch of flowers cos she is an absolute legend and would bend over backwards for us!

baby and crumble

I’d say we’ll do the same re: the coordinator in the hotel, she’s been fab. I think I’ll organize it to be delivered on the Monday.

stargazer 68

Only tipping we did was to the staff at the hotel. The barman was on until 5.30am! Anyone else got their fee and that was it

irishgirl19

Tipped hotel staff only.

pooch90

We gave the band, photographer and videographer an extra few quid too. Only because they did go above and beyond on a few things.

irishgirl19

We paid for the photographers dinner now that I think of it

stargazer 68

irishgirl19 wrote: »

We paid for the photographers dinner now that I think of it

That's the norm though in fairness.

December2012

Just a thought - could you get something different for the wedding coordinator? I’m sure they are around flowers all the time. Also as a gift, they are expensive but don’t last. Maybe a voucher instead?

Atomic Pineapple

Dovies wrote: »

That's the norm though in fairness.

Our photographer said it used to be but has died out a lot recently, he was extremely grateful we bought him his dinner.

December2012 wrote: »

Just a thought - could you get something different for the wedding coordinator? I’m sure they are around flowers all the time. Also as a gift, they are expensive but don’t last. Maybe a voucher instead?

We went back to our venue a couple of months after the wedding and gave our coordinator a gift basket.

pooch90

I think it was in our photographers contract that meals be provided.
We gave the wedding coordinator cash, everyone likes cash

irishgirl19

Dovies wrote:

That's the norm though in fairness.

I thought so too but my husband said he seemed surprised and like atomicbombs, very grateful.
I have to say I never got it myself. Over 1k for a days work and a paid dinner. But hey, thats just me

baby and crumble

irishgirl19 wrote: »

I have to say I never got it myself. Over 1k for a days work and a paid dinner. But hey, thats just me

It's not a days work though. Our photographer has spent a few hours on the phone with us, going over locations and styles of shots. She goes into every venue in advance and scouts out photo locations too that we mightn't even have seen or thought of, and on the day she'll be there for 10+ hours, working ALL the time except when she's eating. Then another 20-30 hours afterwards processing photos, to say nothing of putting together an album. Factor in making sure they have insurance, decent gear, etc, and it's way way more than only a days work.

I don't think it's too much to make sure they eat a decent meal. We're in a location that means she COULD pop off to grab a sandwich but lots of people get married in exclusive venues etc- if there's no meal ordered in advance, there might be no meal at all.

mcgiggles

baby and crumble wrote:

It's not a days work though. Our photographer has spent a few hours on the phone with us, going over locations and styles of shots. She goes into every venue in advance and scouts out photo locations too that we mightn't even have seen or thought of, and on the day she'll be there for 10+ hours, working ALL the time except when she's eating. Then another 20-30 hours afterwards processing photos, to say nothing of putting together an album. Factor in making sure they have insurance, decent gear, etc, and it's way way more than only a days work.

Exactly this!
Its serious work on the day alone not to mind the editing etc afterwards. A photographer once said to me sit in a room full of people for 5 minutes and try to watch everyone and capture every look and moment, if you happen to see it you've already missed the shot. They have to pre-empt everything. I've had constant back and forth the last few weeks with my photog about timelines, what kind of shots I want, family lists, then he has to edit all after and weed out the bad ones. Definitely worth every cent you pay!

ShaShaBear

Our photographer was my best friend (a professional, obviously ) so she was seated right up front for a full meal, but I would have been covering the meal regardless. I've seen through her first-hand how much time and effort, blood, sweat and tears go into doing wedding photography, and that's when you have an uncomplicated, patient and easy-going couple! An extra plate of spuds and a bit of roast beef for the person who is eternally-memorializing the day you become husband and wife isn't a big ask

We didn't tip staff at the hotel because we were actually very let down by the service in the end. But they made sure to help themselves to what was left of our wedding cake and favours (none of which we got ourselves).

mcgiggles

ShaShaBear wrote:

We didn't tip staff at the hotel because we were actually very let down by the service in the end. But they made sure to help themselves to what was left of our wedding cake and favours (none of which we got ourselves).

The cheeky so-and-so's!!!!!

ShaShaBear

mcgiggles wrote: »

The cheeky so-and-so's!!!!!

Still upsets me a year later. Three-tier cake with chocolate fudge on the bottom, rocky road in the middle and victoria sponge and jam on top, slathered in icing. I legit cried when I found out there was none left!

pooch90

I was like that about our top tier-red velvet. Plenty of other 2 tiers left but not the same