Tips or gratuities can help you show your wedding vendors, like your wedding venue coordinator, that you appreciate their hard work and commitment to your big day.
Even though tips may not be compulsory or expected, they are always valued.
It can be stressful organizing and preparing wedding services, but these little gestures can help your wedding staff continue to deliver their best on the big day.
One of the problems you might run into is figuring out how much to tip.
In the case of wedding venue coordinators, these individuals can have several responsibilities which makes calculating the appropriate amount difficult.
To help with this issue, you’ll find an explanation of how much to tip your wedding venue coordinator below, as well as your wedding planner and other wedding vendors.
You’ll also find a breakdown of the difference between a wedding coordinator and a venue coordinator, as people can get confused between the two roles.
Venue Coordinator Vs. Wedding Coordinator
Many couples planning their weddings mix up both of these roles. Essentially, the difference is that the venue coordinator is employed by the venue.
A wedding coordinator is an independent person who works for the couple.
The wedding coordinator handles the couple’s interests, but the venue coordinator looks after the concerns of the venue.
The venue will have employed the venue coordinator to ensure that they maintain their reputation by meeting regulations and standards.
This person will make sure that your location room is arranged to your specifications and that you understand how to use the rooms in the venue.
The venue coordinator is like a manager, as they may arrange the chairs and tables in the space, but they aren’t responsible for the decorations.
A different venue duty manager may take over once their job is done.
A lot of people ask venue coordinators to handle things that are outside their job description.
They may be able to find some more plates for last-minute guests or find a sewing kit for unexpected mishaps, but a lot of the assignments that happen during a wedding aren’t their responsibility.
These tasks are best handled by a wedding coordinator, a planner who looks after more of the couple’s interests.
How Much To Tip Wedding Vendor Coordinator?
As mentioned above, wedding venue coordinators are employed by the venue to ensure the space is arranged to your specifications.
Some venues may give their venue coordinator the job of communicating with other vendors, like caterers and decorators.
As they can have a lot of tasks, it’s a good idea to tip the venue coordinator, particularly if they deliver a great service.
This is usually between $100 and $200, but you can give more than this if you believe it’s appropriate.
Remember to look at the last invoice from the venue, as they may have already incorporated a staff gratuity.
How Much To Tip Wedding Coordinator?
Wedding coordinators will need a higher gratuity compared to venue coordinators as they have to handle more tasks.
This person is helping the couple carry out their vision on the big day, like booking services, scheduling the procession, and making sure all last-minute details are in place.
You may give your wedding coordinator a tip between $100 and $500, particularly if they have been helping with the service from the get-go.
Other factors that affect the tip amount are how long you’ve been working with the coordinator and how big or small the wedding is.
Advice On Tipping Wedding Vendors
Now you know how much to tip your wedding venue coordinator, as well as your wedding coordinator, here are some guidelines on tipping etiquette to help make the process easier.
Create A Plan
Look through the list of all of your wedding vendors and make a note of the ones that you will need to tip.
A wedding planner/coordinator will be able to help you with this, so let your planner know if you want more help with this.
After you have decided who to tip, make sure that you plan how you will be giving them the money.
Examples include in hand after the night itself, through delivery, or once you come back from your honeymoon.
Go Over The Contracts
A lot of vendors, like caterers, reception employees, and venues that handle day-of-wedding tasks put tips or service charges in their contracts.
Make sure you go through every contract to establish whether a tip has been paid or not.
Make Sure It’s In Your Budget
If you have a lot of wedding vendors, the tips can start to become very expensive. This is why it’s important to factor these costs into your main budget.
Remember that tipping can often be spontaneous, such as when you unexpectedly get amazing service, so it’s a good idea to leave a little wiggle room in case this happens.
Tip When The Service Has Been Good
Tipping should always be about rewarding great service, instead of feeling guilty about not tipping.
It’s always good to be thoughtful about the service that is being delivered and how various service employees make their income, then give tips as appropriate.
Bear in mind that vendors can deliver excellent service before, throughout, and following the big day.
Have Someone Manage The Tips
You should hire someone in charge of handing out tips while the wedding is going on, or after the wedding, if need be.
This can be several people or a single individual, depending on how many tips are being offered. You will have a lot to deal with on the day, so don’t try to handle all of the tips yourself!
If you have hired a wedding coordinator, you should enlist this person as the one who hands out tips.
If you haven’t got a planner, think about how the day will go, then ask your family members or wedding party to hand out gratuities to various vendors.
The Bottom Line
Now you know how much to tip your wedding venue coordinator!
Remember that the venue coordinator and the wedding coordinator are two different roles, so don’t confuse them with each other!
The venue coordinator isn’t responsible for any tasks outside of ensuring the venue is arranged to your specifications.
The wedding coordinator will do a lot more than the venue coordinator will, so they will need a larger tip.
Make sure that you check the contracts to ensure that the service charge hasn’t already been included in the total, and enlist someone (or several) to hand out the tips throughout the day.
Don’t do this yourself – you should be enjoying your big day!
