How much to tip your wedding vendors
Tick your vendors and see a Merriwell starting range for each, who usually gets a tip and when, a total range, and a printable list of envelopes for the day. Free, no account.
Updated Oct 16, 2026
A tip is a thank-you, never something you owe. The ranges here are Merriwell's own: rounded starting points in plain words. A few figures from other wedding guides are credited further down.
Tick the vendors you have
Each one shows a Merriwell suggestion: our own rounded starting range, with a few plain words on who usually gets a tip and when.
Your total
Tick a vendor to see a range.
Envelopes for the day
Who gets one, a suggested range, and who hands it over. One trusted person for all of them works best, with labeled envelopes made a couple of weeks early.
Your list appears here when you tick a vendor.
Free, no account. Your list stays in this browser.
Envelopes for the day
Suggested ranges are Merriwell's own starting points. Write the amount you decide on, put it in a labeled envelope, and give the list to the person handing them out.
| Who | Suggested | Your amount | Who hands it over | When |
|---|
A service charge isn't a tip. If your contract says gratuity is included, check who it goes to before you add another.
A few figures from the big guides
These are the only numbers on this page that are not ours. Each is short and credited, with a link and the date of the guide.
73% of couples in Zola's 2026 survey of 720 couples tipped their caterer.
Zola, Jun 1, 2026
48% tipped a wedding planner, the least tipped of the five vendors Zola asked about.
Zola, Jun 1, 2026
When gratuity isn't already in the contract, The Knot suggests 15% to 20% of the food and drink fee for catering staff, and Zola 16% to 20%.
On whether you have to tip, The Knot says vendor tips “aren't required, but are often expected and appreciated”.
The Knot, Jan 26, 2026
How to work out your wedding tips in 4 steps
Check your contracts first. Look for the word "gratuity". Caterers, transportation companies and some venues already add it. A service charge isn't the same thing, so ask who it goes to.
Tick the vendors you have. Each one shows a Merriwell suggestion, a rounded starting range, with a few plain words on who usually gets a tip and when to hand it over.
Type in the bills for the percentages. Some suggestions are a percentage of what you pay. Type that bill in and the range turns into dollars. Leave it blank and that vendor waits out of the total.
Print the envelope list. It lists who gets an envelope, a suggested range, and when. Pick one trusted person to hand them out and give them the list.
Other ways to say thank you
If cash isn't in the budget, vendors value a five-star review, a referral, a handwritten note and your photos to use in their portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you tip wedding vendors?
- Often, but it isn't always owed. The Knot says vendor tips "aren't required, but are often expected and appreciated". In Zola's 2026 survey of 720 couples, 73% tipped their caterer and 48% tipped a planner. Check your contracts first, because some already include gratuity.
- How much do we tip the photographer, DJ, officiant and hair and makeup?
- These are Merriwell's own rounded starting points, not a quote from any guide. Photographer: $75 to $150 each. Many owners say they don't expect one. A team member paid by someone else is more likely to be glad of it. Give it if you loved the day. DJ: $75 to $200. A thank-you for keeping the room moving. Go a little higher if they also ran your timeline and made the announcements. Officiant: $50 to $150. A thank-you for their time at the ceremony, and at the rehearsal if they came. Hair and makeup: 15% to 20% of the bill. Treat it like a visit to a salon. Remember the trial too. A travel fee is for their time and gas, not a tip.
- Is a service charge a tip?
- No. A service charge usually pays the business for its costs. Gratuity goes to the people who served you. Look in your contract for the word "gratuity". If it only says "service charge" or "administrative fee", ask who gets the money, and ask for the answer in writing.
- When and how do we hand tips out?
- Most tips go in a labeled envelope at the end of the vendor's work or at the end of the reception. A few are better early or late: delivery and set-up crews when they arrive, and florists and bakers in a thank-you card after the wedding. Some vendors prefer Venmo, PayPal or Zelle, so ask when you sign the contract.
- Who holds the envelopes?
- Choose one person you trust, such as your planner, maid of honor, best man or a relative who stays calm. Give them the printed list and the envelopes, with each vendor's name, the amount, when to hand it over and a backup phone number. Get the cash a couple of weeks early so the day stays easy.
Sources
- Wondering How Much to Tip Wedding Vendors? Bookmark This Decisive Guide, The Knot, Jan 26, 2026. The Knot's tipping guide, read from the Internet Archive's copy of 11 Oct 2026. Checked Oct 16, 2026.
- How Much To Tip Wedding Vendors, Zola, Jun 1, 2026. Zola's 2026 Wedding Spend Survey of 720 couples. Checked Oct 16, 2026.