Wedding Industry
If I’m already paying a caterer thousands to wow my guests with salmon and garlic mashed potatoes, should I also tip her a percentage of what I’m paying? What about wedding planners and officiators? Amber Rose, a senior hospitality and tourism major with an emphasis in event planning at San Diego State University, helped enlighten me. “Even though people planning big events, like weddings, are always thinking of that huge total cost, you have to remember that each vendor is providing special service,” she says. “This means they usually expect, and hopefully deserve, a tip.”
- Caterer and wedding planner: “It’s optional, but I’d recommend it,” says Rose. Unless they’re the owner of an event planning firm or hotel, they’re not seeing much, or any, of the fee you’re paying. So 15 to 20 percent is a way to thank him or her for making your day so special.”
- Night-of-the-event service (makeup artist, bartender, DJ, waiters, bartenders): Again, if a service charge isn’t included in the contract—it’s sometimes included with the venue charges—10 to 20 percent of the service provided is appropriate.
- Florist: No tip is expected, but if the employees delivering and setting up your arrangements do a particularly nice job, a few bucks each is appreciated. Same goes for your cake baker.
- Officiator: Depends on the type. “Don’t tip a priest,” laughs Rose. “That would be a situation where tipping is a no-no.” A judge, on the other hand, usually accepts a tip in place of a fee, and a Justice of the Peace is only legally allowed to accept tips after court hours. (So if it’s before five on a Friday, you’re in luck.)
Rare Encounters
These are the strange situations we sometimes wind up in on vacation (who knew you were supposed to tip your black jack dealer?), at a tattoo shop, or even after getting flowers delivered to your house. Hint: You are supposed to tip in all of these situations. Sarah Gwerder, a former flower delivery girl, says she regularly received tips based on the size of the arrangement: “I think people felt bad for me when I trekked all the way up their stairs with a huge bouquet of flowers for them,” she says. “And it was hard work, so the tips were nice.” As for those other situations:
- Casino drink server: $1 to $2 per drink (c’mon they’re free anyway)
- Dealer: $5 chip per gambling session, and if you win big, tip a little extra
- Flower delivery person: $1 to $10, depending on the size of the arrangement
- Furniture delivery: $5 per item per delivery person
- Dog groomer: $5 to $15, depending on the size of your dog (larger dogs require more work)
- Car wash attendant: $2 per car for a standard wash, $3 to $5 for an SUV, 15 percent for detailing
- Tattoo Artist: 10 to 20 percent, depending on the complexity of the work and whether the artist helped you design it
- Piercing Technician: 10 percent
What it boils down to is that a tip is a way of showing your appreciation for a service—so if you love what you got, show the love with a little extra; and, if not, use a smaller tip as a way to give some constructive feedback. Whenever I’m in doubt, I’ve found that using the 15 to 20 percent rule is usually a safe bet. But if you get an eye roll or an open mouth, you might want to double-check your references before you tip again.
Updated July 29, 2009
