Question on tips for wedding vendors

[sasa]

I''m wondering do we need to tip our wedding vendors? ex: make-up artist, hair stylist, florist etc....and how much? 10%, 15 %?

 

[selflove]

I didnt tip any of my vendors who were "self-employed" (ie. my photographer and my DJ). I didnt tip the waitstaff b/c an 18% taxable service charge was included in our bill. But if I would have had a photog or DJ who worked for a big company, I would have tipped them. We didnt give extra $$ to the limo driver b/c a 20% tip charge was included in his bill.

 

[sasa]

our reception site is charging us 20% for service charge, but they still ask us to tip the wait staff. Hmm.....

 

[selflove]

NO WAY! The what the F*!# is the 20% service charge for then?!?!?!?!!? Serious question, what is the service charge for? I wouldnt pay a tip on top of that.

BTW--I love your dog!

 

[sasa]

Thank you selflove, my baby is a American Eskimo.

In the contract it read Service Charge is not Gratuity, service charge is for all the labor needed to excute the event.

 

[selflove]

Oh thats just a bunch of BS! So then the price for the food is just for the food, not for any other business/overhead expenses--you must be paying like, what, $15 pp for food if theres no overhead for labor built into the cost of the food and drink? Thats BS. Whats the per person charge?

Id really sit down and figure out how much the total bill is gonna be, then figure out what is 20% of that, divide by the number of workers and the number of hours, and see what its coming out to on an hourly basis.

 

[Rebemdee]

Let''s see....

The tip for the caterer and servers was included, at 18%.
I did not tip my seamstress, because I wasn''t happy. The dress turned out fine, THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING. The week before it still wasn''t done. I had nightmares about it.
I tipped my photographer 10% because she drove to meet me, drop off the photos, and was generally wonderful and the guests loved her.
I tipped my florist 10% because was so awesome and I adore her, and she came to my house to pick out the flowers and to drop off my hair flowers.
I tipped the makeup and hairstylist 20% because they were great and came to the hotel at 5:30 am, and did my trial free.

I think that''s it for the tipping. They are all self employed, but I figured showing my appreciate with money, rather than a bottle of wine, was more useful for them.