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How much to tip wedding vendors: a guide by vendor

Updated October 23, 2026. 9 minute read.

Tip the people who work your wedding for someone else: 15–20% for hair and makeup, catering staff and drivers, unless a gratuity is already in the contract, and a flat $50–200 for each photographer, videographer or DJ who doesn't own the business. Owners, and planners who run their own company, aren't expected to be tipped; a thank-you note and a review mean more to them. Below are the usual ranges for each vendor, where the published guides agree and where they don't, and how to hand it all over on the day.

How much to tip wedding vendors: the ranges

These are the ranges the published tipping guides give, US and Canadian alike. Where the guides disagree, the table gives the range most of them share, and the notes further down say where one differs. The sources and the dates we read them are at the end.

| Vendor | Usual tip | Expected? | |---|---|---| | Hair and makeup | 15–20% of the bill | Yes | | Catering staff | 15–20% of the food and drink, or $20–50 for each server, if no gratuity is in the contract | Yes, unless included | | Bartenders | 10% of the bar bill, or $20–50 each, if no gratuity is in the contract | Yes, unless included | | Transportation | 15–20% of the bill, if no gratuity is included | Yes, unless included | | Photographer and videographer | $50–200 for each shooter who isn't the owner | Not from an owner | | DJ | $50–200, or 10–15% of the bill | Common | | Band and ceremony musicians | $25–50 for each musician | Common | | Officiant | $50–100, or a $100–300 donation to a house of worship | Common | | Wedding planner | 10–20% for exceptional work, or a gift | No | | Florist | $50–100 for the team | No | | Delivery and setup crews | $5–20 for each person | Common | | Cake delivery | $20–40 for the crew | No | | Venue staff | Check the service charge first | Only if not included | | Coat check and parking | $1–2 for each guest or car | Yes |

Who do you tip at a wedding?

Two questions decide almost every case.

Do they own the business? Tipping is for people who work for someone else and are paid a wage. A photographer who owns the studio, a florist who owns the shop or a planner with their own company sets their own price, so a tip isn't expected. Their second shooter, assistants and delivery crew are a different matter.

Is a gratuity already in the contract? Caterers, venues and car services often add a service charge or a gratuity line. Read the contract and ask what the charge covers: some go to the staff, some to the house. If it goes to the staff, you've tipped already. An extra $20 for a server who went out of their way is a kindness, not a rule.

Vendor by vendor

How much to tip the wedding photographer. If the photographer owns the business, no tip is expected. For a hired shooter, second shooter or assistant, the guides suggest $50–200 each. Zola puts the photographer and videographer at 1–5% of the bill instead, which lands in the same place on most contracts. Videographers follow the same rule.

How much to tip the DJ. A flat $50–200 is the common answer. Joy suggests 10–15% or $50–100, WeddingWire.ca 15–20%, and Zola 1–5% or $200, so this is the vendor the guides agree on least. A DJ who owns the company and quoted you a full price doesn't expect a percentage.

Bands and ceremony musicians. $25–50 for each musician, in every guide we read. For a four-piece band that's $100–200.

How much to tip hair and makeup. 15–20% of the bill, the same as you'd tip in a salon, in every guide we read; Today's Bride goes up to 25%. Tip each stylist and artist who worked on the day, not only the one you booked.

Do you tip the caterer? Check the contract first. Caterers often include a service charge or gratuity, and if it goes to the staff you're done. If not, tip 15–20% of the food and drink, or $20–50 for each server and bartender, with $100–200 for the head caterer or banquet manager and $50–100 for the chef. Bartenders who aren't covered get 10% of the bar bill.

Do you tip the officiant? A friend who officiates gets a thank-you gift. A paid, independent officiant: $50–100. A religious officiant usually isn't tipped personally; a donation of $100–300 to the house of worship is the custom, and some guides go to $500.

The wedding planner. Not expected. The guides that suggest a tip put it at 10–20% for a planner who went well beyond the contract; Zola says 1–5% or $200. A gift, a thank-you note and a review are just as welcome.

Transportation. 15–20% of the bill if the contract doesn't include a gratuity. Most limousine and bus contracts do, so check before the day.

Florist, cake and rentals. No tip is expected from the owner. The people who deliver and set up get $5–20 each, or $20–40 for the crew that brings the cake. Some couples give a florist who did something special $50–100.

Venue staff. The service charge usually covers them. If it doesn't, Joy suggests $100–300 for the venue manager, and the catering ranges for the rest of the staff.

Do you tip on top of a service charge?

Not as a rule. A service charge or gratuity in the contract is the tip, if it goes to the staff. Ask the vendor, in writing, where the money goes. If the answer is "the house", tip the staff as if there were no charge. If it goes to the staff, a small extra for someone who made a moment is your call.

Wedding vendor tips in Canada

The Canadian guides we read give the same percentages as the American ones: 15–20% for hair and makeup, catering and drivers, a flat amount for musicians and shooters who aren't the owner, and nothing expected from owners. A few things are worth knowing in Canada:

  • Service charges are common. WeddingWire.ca notes that caterers often fold the gratuity into a service fee. Read your contract before you add anything.
  • Tax. Contracts in Canada add GST, HST, or GST plus QST or PST on top. None of the guides says whether to tip on the price before or after tax. Working from the price before tax keeps the tip about the service; either is fine.
  • Coat check and parking. WeddingWire.ca suggests a loonie or toonie for each guest or car, paid by you so your guests don't have to.
  • Cash or e-Transfer. Cash in an envelope is still the custom. Ask each vendor whether they'd rather have an Interac e-Transfer; many small businesses would.
  • Officiants. A religious officiant often expects a donation to the church, synagogue, mosque or temple. A civil officiant at city hall charges a set fee, and a tip on top is optional.

When to give the tips

Give each tip when that vendor's work is done:

  • Hair and makeup: when they finish, before the photos.
  • The officiant: after the ceremony, or at the rehearsal with the fee.
  • Delivery and setup crews: when they've set up.
  • Catering: to the head caterer or banquet manager, before service or at the end of the night.
  • Photographer, videographer, DJ and band: at the end of the night, or as they pack up.
  • Drivers: at the last drop-off.

Tips can also go with the final payment, or as a cheque or transfer after the wedding with a thank-you note. Nobody minds a tip that arrives a week late.

Tip envelopes and who hands them out

The tidy way is one envelope for each vendor, prepared a week or two before:

  1. Make a list of everyone you'll tip: the vendor, the person to give it to, the amount and when.
  2. Get the cash about two weeks before, in $20s and $50s, plus a few spare $20s for someone you forgot.
  3. Label each envelope with the vendor's name and who it's for, and add a short thank-you note.
  4. Hand the envelopes and the list to one person, often the best man, the maid of honor, a parent or the planner, so you aren't carrying cash in your dress or suit.

Our wedding party duties guide covers who usually does this, and the final payments guide covers the balances that often go in the same envelopes.

Budget for tips before the day

Tips add up. For a wedding with full catering, hair and makeup for several people and a band, they can come to several hundred or a few thousand dollars, so put a line for them in the budget from the start. Our budget guide shows how to plan each category, and the free budget calculator splits your total so there's room for them.

Plan tips in Linenfold

Final payments and tips in Linenfold, part of Complete, lists what's left to pay each confirmed vendor. Next to each one you can plan a tip, with a suggestion for its budget category that you can change, and say who's handing it over. It prints an envelope sheet with each vendor's tip, the balance due on the day, the envelope total and who hands it over. Choose whether tips count towards what you've paid, and the budget and dashboard follow. The features page has the rest of the final stretch.

Start with the free budget calculator, and when you're ready to plan the payments and tips, create a free account.

Sources

We read each guide on 23 October 2026. The ranges above are what they share; every one says that tips are a thank-you, not a duty.

Questions

Who do you tip at a wedding?
The people who work for someone else: hair and makeup, catering staff and bartenders, drivers, delivery and setup crews, musicians, and any photographer, videographer or DJ who isn't the owner. Owners, and planners who run their own company, aren't expected to be tipped.
How much do you tip the wedding photographer?
Nothing is expected if the photographer owns the business. The guides suggest $50 to $200 for each hired shooter, second shooter or assistant, or 1 to 5% of the bill. A review and a thank-you note mean a lot to an owner.
Do you tip the caterer if there's a service charge?
Not as a rule. Ask where the service charge goes: if it goes to the staff, it's the tip. If it goes to the house, or there's no charge, tip 15 to 20% of the food and drink, or $20 to $50 for each server and bartender.
Do you tip the officiant?
A paid, independent officiant usually gets $50 to $100. A religious officiant isn't usually tipped personally; a $100 to $300 donation to the house of worship is the custom. A friend who officiates gets a thank-you gift.
When do you give wedding vendors their tips, and who hands them out?
When each vendor's work is done: hair and makeup when they finish, the caterer at the end of the night, the photographer and DJ as they pack up. Put each tip in a labelled envelope and give them all, with a list, to one person you trust, such as the best man or maid of honor.
Is wedding tipping different in Canada?
The Canadian guides give the same percentages as the American ones. Check your contracts for a service charge, which caterers often include, and ask whether a vendor would rather have an Interac e-Transfer than cash. For coat check and parking, a loonie or toonie for each guest or car is the custom.