Tipping wedding vendors is a customary practice, but it depends on the wedding budget and level of satisfaction. Some guidelines include tipping your photographer or DJ, which should be handled upon services rendered or at the end of the reception. The responsibility of passing out tip envelopes to your maid of honor, best man, or wedding planning should be given.
When it comes to lighting, tips for indoor and outdoor weddings vary depending on the time of day and amount of lighting needed. Wedding planners, coordinators, and designers can help you choose the right one for your wedding. The standard for tipping most vendors is around 15-20, with DeMarco suggesting 5-15% of the photography contract or $50-$200 per photography team member.
At weddings, it is important to consider the difference between wedding planners, coordinators, and designers and how to know which one to hire. A 20-tip standard is acceptable for intricate designs or gems, while 25 for fancier, more detailed services is good. If your wedding planner goes above and beyond, a gratuity of up to 10 of their package price is acceptable.
All vendors can be tipped, including catering staff, chauffeurs, venue staff, hair stylists, makeup artists, photographers, DJs or bands, and wedding decorators. A gratuity should be $1-$3 per guest, with a minimum of $100 per bartender. While not customary, it is a great way to say “thank you” for exceptional service.
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Are you supposed to tip your wedding planner?
Tipping your wedding planner is optional and not expected. If you feel the need to give something, 10-20% up to $500 is standard, or a thoughtful gift would be a nice gesture. Gratuity is expected, with 15-25% being the standard. A cheat sheet for keeping track of wedding gratuities can help you decide which vendors to tip and how much. It’s a good idea to add more if there’s a crisis or last-minute redo.
How much do you tip wedding lights?
Tiping wedding vendors can be challenging due to the difference between a lighting designer who makes multiple site visits and coordinates with the venue manager, and someone who just hangs the lights. For the former, consider paying $50 for the designer, while $20 for the latter. If a wedding dress store clerk goes above and beyond by providing style advice, size comparisons, champagne, personal attention, and accessory recommendations, tip them $10-20. Tiping wedding vendors is easy if you know the rules and prepare your budget ahead of time.
Do you tip light installers?
Professional Christmas light installers like Sparkly Clean Windows in Park City offer a hassle-free solution for holiday decorating needs. They handle tasks like hanging lights, untangling knots, and climbing ladders. While there is no set rule on tipping, it is generally considered appropriate if the service is satisfactory. A good rule of thumb is to give a few dollars per hour of work or 10-15% of the total bill. Sparkly Clean Windows custom-fits strands of lights to create a clean and tidy look, and they will promptly address any issues with the lights or strands.
Do you tip a photo booth at a wedding?
Tipping a photo booth attendant at a wedding is a common practice, with a standard tip of 10-20% of the total rental cost. However, if you’re not comfortable with tipping or don’t have the budget, you can express your appreciation by leaving a positive review on the company’s website or social media, or personally thanking them. Tipping not only shows appreciation but also fosters a positive relationship between the guest and the attendant, leading to better service in the future. It can also encourage the attendant to go above and beyond in their duties, such as staying later or providing additional props.
Do you tip your wedding hairstylist?
Tiping is highly encouraged and expected in the hair and makeup industry, with an average of 20 dollars per day. Hair stylists and makeup artists are often rewarded with tips, as they make clients look beautiful. Wedding dress boutiques and alterations do not typically expect gratuity, but sending a thank you card or small gift is appreciated. Cake bakers, who bake delicious cakes and desserts, may not expect or receive tips, but a personal card can go a long way in expressing gratitude. Small gifts or gift cards for coffee can also be appreciated. Overall, tipping is a nice gesture and appreciated by those who make a difference in the beauty industry.
Should I tip bridal consultants?
Tipping your bridal stylist is not mandatory but always appreciated, as it shows appreciation for the person who helped you find your dream dress. Factors such as service level, budget, and cultural norms in your area influence whether to tip your stylist. However, not all stylists receive commissions on purchased dresses or allow tips from customers. It’s important to ask your stylist about the norm at the specific shop to show your appreciation.
Some stylists may prefer a five-star review on Google or their website, so it’s worth asking about their preferences or policies regarding gratuity. Tipping your stylist can help you feel more confident in your decision to have a professional and respectful experience.
Do I tip the DJ at my wedding?
A 10% to 15% tip for the wedding DJ is a thoughtful gesture, as they ensured the night ran smoothly and carried heavy equipment. An extra $50 to $200 for the photographer and videographer is also appreciated, with each receiving a $50 to $100 tip. If multiple shooters are involved, a $50 to $100 tip is optional. Officiants may not accept tips, but a donation to their church is a great way to show gratitude.
Are you supposed to tip professional photographers?
Tiping your photographer is a thoughtful gesture of appreciation that goes beyond mere gratitude. It recognizes the artistry, dedication, and personal touch they bring to capturing your most cherished moments. Whether it’s a wedding, family portrait session, or any other milestone event, your photographer invests their time, talent, and expertise into creating stunning images that you’ll treasure for a lifetime.
By tipping your photographer, you not only show your appreciation for their hard work but also contribute to their livelihood, enabling them to continue pursuing their passion and delivering exceptional service to others. So, next time you’re awestruck by the beauty of your photos, consider tipping your photographer—it’s a small gesture that means the world.
Do I tip my wedding photographer?
Photographers and videographers traditionally do not require a tip as they are business owners. However, a cash tip is appreciated by these professionals who spend hours with clients on the big day. When clients are inclined to tip, they tip between five to ten percent, including the dollars tipped out to the rest of the team. Wedding planner Jennifer Matthews of Memorable Events, LLC states that photographers and videographers are usually tipped at a higher rate, often as much as 15 percent of their total. If not tipping as a percent, they are typically tipped anywhere from $300 to $500, and the second shooter is tipped from $50 to $150.
If couples don’t plan to give a cash tip but want to thank their photographer or videographer for their hard work, sending a sentimental gift at a later date is a great idea. Wedding planner Sunna Yassin of Bash Please advises couples to wait on an immediate monetary gratuity and to send a gift once their photos are received, allowing the photographer time to look back and enjoy the beauty and memories they helped create.
Is it OK to not tip a hairstylist?
It is recommended by Consumer Reports that a gratuity of at least 15% of the service fee be provided, even in instances where the quality of the service may not have been exemplary. In the event of uncertainty regarding the appropriate gratuity amount, it is advisable to seek guidance from the establishment’s management or proprietor. While Consumer Reports advises against failing to tip, the decision of how much to tip one’s hairdresser, stylist, or barber ultimately rests with the patron. Factors such as the quality of the work performed and the standard of service provided should be taken into account when determining the appropriate gratuity.
Do you tip an invitation designer?
Tiping wedding vendors can be a complex process, with different situations and expectations. Some vendors expect to be tipped, like makeup artists, while others don’t require it but would appreciate the gesture. Some vendors build service charges into their contracts, like musicians, and others still require it. For example, a service charge by a caterer doesn’t mean you don’t need to tip the delivery person or wait staff. To successfully navigate the tipping process, it’s essential to understand the specifics of each vendor and their expectations.
Tips should be 10-20% of the fee, and the gesture should be appreciated by the vendor. This guide will help you ensure your wedding planning is done correctly and you can enjoy the sunset with your spouse without worrying about if everything went right.
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6:02 Also keep in mind that a colored ceiling will give you a colored bounce light as well, just like a lawn will give you green light on a sunny day 🙂 This can be a problem if the color is really ‘weird’, like we had a burgundy red ceiling one time and we really could not bounce up. For this the MagMod ‘scoop’ or a Rogue Flash Bender is better since it will throw your flash light forward rather than up.
Good evening John, love your website. its helped me no end with wedding photography. I have a few questions, firstly I’m a fuji xt-3 shooter, is your flash for on camera flash set to 1st curtain whilst using magmod mag sphere? secondly what zoom do you have your flash on while using this method (do you change it?) and lastly on white balance, I have your presets and was wondering when using any of the white balance modes do you leave the WB shift on R0 B0? if you don’t that’s fine I was just curious. Thanks
Hi John! Thanks a lot for your precious Tutorial articles! There is one detail on photography i always wondered how it works: while you are shooting a weddingdress right against a window-light, usually the object becomes pretty dark. How it comes your Object (the dress) is exposured in the right way and doesn´t show up only dark frames or shadows? Do you edit them after the shooting and raise the shadow-exposure up? Would be very helpfull for me to receive a reply. Greetings from Germany.
Great article. Your content is awesome. I do disagree with the double lighting. I’ve been shooting since 1994 and we always double or triple light the reception. I have 2 Ad200 Pros on light stands and each camera has a V860IIs on them. Set a very low power I don’t want that flat lighting on them. That’s why I use the other lights to shape my subjects just like I would in the studio. The toaster, I have one light on them and shoot on the shadow side and another light from the side / back to separate them from the background. Then a 3rd light for the B&G’s reactions. Everybody does it different and there’s no right or wrong way. Thanks again, love your website. I shoot with Sony but after perusal your website for so long I’m considering adding a Fuji and a fast prime.
In southern California about half the weddings are outside with no tent or ceiling of any kind. Bounce flash does not work in these situations. Two lights on stands opposite each other with a little fill from on camera flash solves this problem. If you need it, learn it. It’s easy. Otherwise you will be pointing your on camera flash straight at your subjects all night. The off camera flashes don’t need to be ad200’s, speedlights work perfectly fine with more than enough power. Magmod not necessary. Heavy and bulky.
Hi John, for the first time I dont agree with a lot you say – when you use 2 off camera flashes clever way and carefuly, the results are far superior simple lighting from the sealing, not mentioning the one using simple bounce from the top without the light direction. But sure, if there is no time to set it up or think about how to hide the stands, on camera flash is always a good tool. Dont want to be negative, just my opinion, you have great vids and thank you for sharing! Have a great day, Martin
Hey John! Love your content. Have you ever shared an entire wedding album with your followers? I would love to see which images from the day are you delivering. When you take 2,000+ pictures, which parts of the day do you make sure you’ve delivered? Also do you do wedding albums? And again, the same question, which images are you putting in it? Thanks.
Thanks for the article. I know different lighting situations require different settings but generally speaking do you shoot in manual or aperture priority with on camera flash? And do you go TTL or manual? My sync speed is 1/250th so it makes sense to use it in Manual(mode)-TTL(flash) instead of. Av-TTL. Any advice?
MagSphere on the top of your flash at 90 degrees is ok, but do you have any issue with the weight of the MagSphere plus the magnetic support on top to your Speedlight when you have the Speedlight at 45 degrees? My Speedlight doesn’t hold the weight anymore. Now, I use my Off Camera Flash (OCF) around the venue to create separation with a transmitter on top to my camera and on top the transmitter my Speedlight. Instead the MagSphere, now I use a magnetic diffuser system similar that Godox has, is light and reliable. The main issue is the pain that the left side of my middle finger has because holds the camera weight.
I just don’t like the look of that ModSphere from the photo subject viewpoint – but I LOVE the result it gives. The other thing is that I prefer to be able to capture MORE images which the flash can’t keep up with. I think what I’m going to have to just do is have one cam with the ModSphere and one without. I agree with you that the light stands are an issue also if they are in the background. All that said, I would like to simply try a wedding YOUR way to see if that is ultimately preferable. The only thing I don’t quite understand about “bouncing” a flash – is when the ceiling is clearly too far away to effectively allow any light from the flash to actually bounce back (think barns and extremely high ceiling venues) – I don’t see that light is actually bouncing from the ceiling in these cases – the light is actually just getting thrown from whatever the MagSphere can push out forward. This may still work – but the flash is working harder also since it isn’t actually bouncing into a ceiling that is too far away. This puts the photographer into the position of getting much, much fewer moments. So…in this case, multiple OCF is actually a better option?
when you bounce the flash on the sealing with magmod you are wasting the light off by using that soft magmod. I have been doing event photography for 5 plus years and I find magmod is an unnecessary accessary to carry around with in a versatile lighting event. I have been doing events just with flash bouncing off the sealing with a small built in white flap which would be there in almost all speedlight flash.
I use the sphere as well as the long through accessory; but not too often (I shoot more portraits than weddings for now). But, how do you deal with shadows under the chins and eyebrows when bouncing light from above downward? Particularly if the floor is dark wood or non-reflective? Thanks for the article and your time.
Omg this is the article I needed about 2 weeks ago. I went to the reddit wedding photography sub and was asking about whether or not off-camera flash was necessary, or if on camera was fine for weddings. Some photographers who responded were honestly kind of snarky about how you MUST use an off-camera flash. Thankfully one person mentioned the Gary Fong lightsphere, and from perusal your articles now I’m really interested in buying the Magmod sphere. I think diffusing the flash is a really great, portable solution! Thanks for sharing your tips, really appreciate it.
Hi John, Thanks for the info, you do get good results with that magmod, Niel Redfern uses them as well. But many reviews are not fans. They say the magnets are heavy and they get better results with other gear. So bit of a head scratch. I currently use a small silicon bag sticking up 100mm, held on with lackys, you may laugh, but works a treat, give a very full and soft image. As too Squarespace. I got a web designer to quote on setting one up, they are using squarespace as the base. So need to pay the subscription and the setup fee, which is quite expensive, and i have heard some put firewalls in limiting access so you need to get them to do the changes, (extra cost). For a novice, how hard is it to set up. Not wanting a fancy page just nice photos and blog contact details. Can you or subs please give some feedback? Cheers
What about no flash at all? I rarely use flash at all, I don’t like the style at all. I use flash mounted in the camera facing directly at the subject, but I make around 10% of the photos during the reception with this approach and mainly in the dance floor. Otherwise I use the available light and preserve the atmosphere of the venue.
Hi sir I’m very new to using presets and usually don’t use them however I truly love the look/feel/appearance of your captures. I’m about 2 live streams in and own your preset but I can not seem to get it to work properly on my captures I’m using a Nikon z6ii and it seems when I place your preset and adjust the orange hues and luminance I have Casper or a golden retriever. Lmfao. I will continue practicing with my WB/exposure/ tint and HSL to make my daughter and wife look human and alive.
Sir, I am currently using a Fujifilm XT200… Does it support HSS?? I cant find this anywhere… The flash sync speed is 1/180th … Is that enough to use for weddings incase my camera doesnt support HSS?? What are my work arounds?? And what can I do to make things better for such situations?? Thank you❤️