Now what about tipping vendors!

We're diving into the heart of wedding planning today – the often overlooked but oh-so-important topic of tipping your incredible wedding vendors. Think of it as the icing on the cake, the final bow on a perfectly wrapped present – it's your way of saying, "You rocked our world, and we appreciate you!" So, grab your cup of coffee or tea, and let's chat about the art of tipping with style.

Why Tipping Matters: A Love Note to Your Vendors

Your wedding vendors are not just professionals doing a job; they are the architects of your dream day, the unsung heroes behind the scenes making sure everything sparkles with magic. Tipping is more than a gesture; it's a way to express gratitude for their hard work, dedication, and for going above and beyond to make your wedding day absolutely perfect.

The Budget-Friendly Reminder

First things first – let's talk budget. When you're meticulously planning every penny, it's crucial to factor in gratuities for your wedding vendors. Consider it an investment in ensuring everyone on your dream team feels the love and appreciation they deserve.

How to Incorporate Tipping into Your Budget:

1. Include a Tipping Category: When creating your wedding budget, set aside a specific percentage for gratuities. This ensures that expressing your gratitude is a planned and joyful part of the process.

2. Allocate Based on Service: Consider the level of service provided by each vendor. Those who go the extra mile might deserve a little extra love.

3. Anticipate Last-Minute Adjustments: Keep a small buffer for unexpected surprises or vendors who exceed your expectations. A little extra tip can go a long way in showing your appreciation.

The Art of Tipping: Who, When, and How Much?

Now, let's break it down. Who gets a tip, when should you tip, and how much is just right? It's a bit like a dance, but don't worry – we've got the perfect steps for you.

1. The Who (but not limited to just these vendors):

• Catering and Bar Staff: 15-20% of the total bill is the sweet spot for these unsung heroes. Most often the gratuity is included in your final bill so always double-check and make sure how they distribute the tips to the team at your wedding.

• Photographer/Videographer: A good amount is $200-$500, but that depends on whether you hired an associate photographer or if you had the owner of the company.

• Hair and Makeup Artists: 15-20% of the total bill, just like a salon visit.

• Florist: A flat fee of $10-$500 for their bloomin' beautiful work.

• Entertainment (DJ/Band): $50-$100 per member.

• Wedding Planner: This is the hardest area for us since we are talking directly to our clients about this. Its great to tip your wedding planner and their team member(s). Typically its $200-$500 for the wedding planner and $50-$100 per team member.

2. The When:

Timing is everything. We recommend placing your cash tips in sealed envelopes, ready for distribution, during the rehearsal, or when we arrive onsite on the wedding day. This ensures a smooth and stress-free process, allowing you to focus on the love and excitement of the day.

3. The How Much:

Remember, these are just guidelines. If a vendor has gone above and beyond, feel free to adjust accordingly. Tipping is about recognizing exceptional effort and making sure your gratitude is felt.

The Envelope Exchange: Spreading the Love

As your trusty wedding planner, we've got a little secret to share – the magic of the envelope exchange. Handing out tips can be a logistical challenge on your big day, so we've got you covered. Simply seal your cash tips in labeled envelopes during the rehearsal or before the wedding day. Hand them over to us, and we'll ensure each vendor gets their well-deserved token of appreciation after they've given their all to make your day perfect.

Spread the Joy!

In the end, tipping is not just a transaction – it's a beautiful way to spread joy, show gratitude, and ensure that your wedding vendors know their hard work has been noticed and cherished. Show the love, spread the joy, and let your wedding day be a symphony of appreciation and unforgettable moments. 💖✨

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Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.

Why Hiring a Wedding Planner is a Game Changer

We’ve heard all sorts of reasons why couples choose not to hire a wedding planner. From “my Aunt loves DIY projects” to, “I’ve got my Pinterest board” we’ve heard hundreds of reasons why couples don’t book a wedding planner. But, did you know that hiring a wedding planner is a TRUE game changer. Ask any of our brides or grooms and they will tell you the impact our team has made on their planning process and wedding day. A wedding planner is there to help you as little as you need, to as much as you need. We are in it for our couples and our couples only! So, let’s settle this once and for all - here is why you NEED to hire a wedding planner. 

#01: From big to small, we do it ALL

We’re not exaggerating. We literally do it all. From small requests, details, or projects to large coordinations of events we do it all. We’ve planned and coordinated elopements for just the bride and groom to a wedding ceremony and reception at max capacity – and we’re talking about 500 guests! Wedding planners are not afraid of the unknown. From meeting and booking vendors, to helping with design or color palettes, wedding planners truly make your Pinterest boards come to life. 

#02: You’ve got a question, we will find the answer!

We keep our communication strong with our clients. Yes, of course we set healthy boundaries – we won’t be taking non-stop calls at 2AM, but communicate with our brides and grooms on a regular basis to ensure that all details are progressing up until the wedding day. A lot of our clients need support with finding vendors or learning more about the wedding planning process. Wedding planners have an extensive knowledge of the wedding industry and have a network of wedding professionals to lean on. At Elegant Affairs, we’ve worked with vendors for over a decade. We’re familiar with costs, understand what vendors offer and can help keep that line of communication open with them. 

#03: Keeping your budget REAL

Oh, the dreaded budget! With a wedding planner, staying on budget is actually easier than you think! Many couples think that hiring a wedding planner will burst the budget, but in fact – we help you stay on track! During our consultations, we meet with couples and explore what their budget is. We will be 100% real and upfront with you about your wedding vision and its alignment to the budget. We will support you by keeping you on budget, hiring vendors that suit your needs, and make sure that payments are handled on time. There’s no hidden agenda and we work to make sure that you are comfortable and knowledgeable about what you are sitting. We even offer budget creation! 

#04: Keeping your wedding day smooth sailing

Wedding planners are usually never alone. We have a team of assistants and interns that make each and every wedding happen. Our team is carefully selected and trained to ensure that each and every wedding is a success. Wedding planners facilitate your day from start to finish. The list of things that we actually do at weddings is so extensive.. In our time we’ve: 

• Sewn a bride in her dress 

• Carried 200 chairs from a ceremony space to the reception 

• Put flowers in the cake

• Made bouquets 

• Filled in as DJ

• Created chalkboards and custom artwork 

• Set up tablescapes and escort cards

• Carried umbrellas for our couples as it poured

• Ensured guests were well fed and happy 

• Took and developed 500 photos for a bride and groom’s parting gift 

• Burnt our fingers on way too many sparklers 

… and we could keep going. There are so many things that we do in the background of each wedding. We are there to make sure the wedding is smooth, but also to support the couple. Our focus is you and making sure that your wedding day is better than you could have ever imagined. 

#05: You’ve got a friend in US

Cue the Toy Story song.. At the end of the day you’ve got a friend in us. We have stayed in this business for our couples. Yes, we love event planning, the florals, and of course a bite of cake, but we love seeing our couples walk down the aisle and start their new adventure together. We’ve cried with our couples (happy and sad), walked with them through some dark times, cheered with them in the bright times, seen them expand their families, and grow. Hiring a wedding planner is more than hiring someone for just a period of time. You lean on this person during one of the biggest and most important times in your life. We become a part of each other's lives and truly become someone special to one another. 

So, we can truly say if you’re hesitating, or wondering if the money is worth it– we’re here to tell you it is. Wedding planners are more than just a business. We are a group of professionals that make an impact on one of the most pivotal moments in your life. We are there to help you with planning, hiring, budgeting, easy and tough decisions. We are there for everything in between, too. It’s never too late in the wedding planning process to sit down and chat with a wedding planner. And if you haven’t we highly recommend that you do. You never know what unexpected events or details might happen and honestly - it’s great to know that a friend has your back. If you think you’re ready to take the plunge and hire someone great – we know a few people – AHEM. Our team at Elegant Affairs can’t wait to meet you and support you on your wedding day. 

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Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 18 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.

Want to be a wedding planner, but don't know how?

The planning of weddings is a complex process and involves many factors. The best wedding planners have experience in this field and specialize in one thing: planning weddings. They know exactly what their clients want, and they make sure that the bride, groom and guests are happy with the results. Before starting your own career as a wedding planner, there are several things you should consider first!

What is your competition doing?

If you want to be a competitive wedding planner, it's important to know what your competition is doing.

To do this, you need to understand your competitors' strengths and weaknesses. You also need to understand what they're doing right and what they're doing wrong. This will help you see how you can differentiate yourself from them when attracting clients.

Which services do you want to offer?

The services you decide to offer will be the backbone of your business, and they should reflect your strengths. If you're great at helping people plan their weddings, but not so good at managing finances or booking vendors, then it's best not to offer those services in addition. The more services you offer, the more time and energy it will take for you as a planner (and for your clients). This can lead to burnout and frustration on both sides.

The flip side of this is that if all of your experience has been working with couples who have already planned their weddings (or some part of them), then offering other wedding planning services may be an opportunity for growth in terms of gaining new experiences. If this is something that interests you, start by researching which areas interest you most—perhaps there are parts of planning that aren't covered by an existing vendor? Or maybe there are ways in which technology can help make things easier!

Do you have the right experience for that?

When you’re deciding what kind of experience to look for in a wedding planner, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I have the right experience for that?

• How can I get the experience I need?

• How can I get the experience I want?

What are your key strengths?

The next step in the process is to identify your key strengths and weaknesses. You can do so by asking yourself:

• What are my strengths?

• What are my weaknesses?

• How will I use my strengths to my advantage, and how will I overcome my weaknesses?

Who will be the ideal client for you?

The first step to becoming a wedding planner is to find the ideal client for you. This is the person who will hire you because they like your style. Take some time to think about what kind of bride would be drawn to your approach and how you can control how much time and money they spend on their wedding.

Doing this research now will help when it comes time for marketing, as well as keep things fun when you start planning!

What is your pricing strategy?

Your pricing strategy is the most important aspect of your business. It will shape how you position yourself in the market, and it will determine how much money you make. The first thing to do is figure out what kind of profit you need to make. What’s a realistic amount that can cover expenses and provide some income at the end of each month? Once you know this, decide on an hourly rate that covers those costs while still providing a decent wage for yourself.

Next, think about your target market: Are they willing and able to pay what you need them to pay? If not, then look at other ways in which they can contribute toward covering costs (such as by doing some work themselves). If so, great! Hire an accountant who can help set up a business plan and figure out all the tax requirements for running a wedding planner business.

Where do you want to work from and when to start?

• Location: Where do you want to work from and when?

You will need a space where clients can visit you for consultations, for example, an office in a building or a room in your home. You also have to consider how much time each day will be spent traveling between the office and client locations. If there is no way around it, then your travel costs will become part of your overall business expenses.

• Cost of Rent & Utilities: How much does it cost per month?

If you are working from home, remember that this could affect the price point of wedding planning services as well as how much time is spent on administrative work (i.e., paperwork). It may be worth considering renting an office rather than working out of your home entirely so that clients feel more comfortable there (and vice versa).

Take time at the beginning of your career to plan thoroughly.

Your wedding planning career will be a great success if you take the time to plan thoroughly. This means setting goals, creating a timeline for those goals, and making sure you stay on track. It's important to measure your progress along the way so you can see how far you've come and make adjustments when needed. Here are some tips for setting up an effective plan:

• Set goals that are realistic and measurable. If you want to increase revenue by 15%, that's something specific that can be measured (and compared) over time.

• Write down all of your goals in one place so they're accessible when needed—this might be in an email or Google Docs file; it could also be on an app like Evernote or Trello in case this is something you need access to while traveling or away from home base (your computer).

• Create timelines that include deadlines for each step required to complete each goal, whether this is finding vendors or booking venues and photographers—make sure these deadlines fall within reasonable windows of time!

Wedding planning is a very exciting and lucrative career. You can make money while doing something that you love. However, if you want to be a successful wedding planner, it’s important to start planning your business right from the beginning.

And dont forget, the next Wedding Planner Academy starts on Tuesday, November 1 so enroll today!