Vendor Gratuities... Who Do You Need to Tip, and Which Ones to Skip!

Photo by Ester Knowlen Photography

Dos Goats here with some more wedding planning advice, this one has been one of our most asked questions lately, so we thought we would write a blog on it! Over the years, we have updated this, as weddings are always evolving, the topic is a fun one… Tipping your vendors!

We get it, weddings are hella expensive (We are in the middle of planning ours, so we feel the pain!) When you have already spent so much money, it is hard to believe you are expected to shelve out even more! So we want to get into this and say, you are not required to give any of your vendors a tip, but there are some vendors where it is pretty standard, as well as some, that you can decide on later.

It takes a village to pull off a wedding, and that village is a team of professional wedding vendors who put their hearts into their work, so we thought we would give a little run down on what is customary when it comes to tipping your wedding vendors!

For starters, gratuities doesn’t always have to mean cash money… There are other ways to show your appreciation. Reviews on Google, and other wedding websites is the best, and if you are tight on money towards the end of planning, don’t feel bad if that is your form or gratitude.

Small gifts are a great way to show your appreciation, when couples get us crystals, it is so kind hearted! Find out what your vendor loves and get them something nice!

The best way to hand out gratuities to your vendors, put it in envelopes, labeled, and make sure your coordinator has them at the beginning of the day!

People you should always tip!

Delivery set-up and tear-down crews

Chairs, tables, linens, decor, lounge furniture, lighting, arches - If someone is coming out and delivering these items to you, you typically would want to leave them a tip.

How much?

$25-$50 For them to divvy up is standard.

Floral delivery that includes set-up / tear-down

If your florist is delivering, setting up your ceremony space, reception space, as well as coming back at the end of the night, you would typically leave them something.

How much?

$35 - $75 per person

Note - If they are charging you extra to do the set up and tear down, you might want to opt out of giving them cash, and give them a gift card or small gift instead?

Officiant

If you are getting married in a church, it is custom to leave a donation to the church, we typically see it around $350 - $500.

If it is a friend or if you hired and they need to get ordained, pay for those fees. If it is a professional service, it is custom to give them a cash tip.

How much?

$75 - $100 is standard

Dessert delivery & set-up

If you have your dessert company coming out and setting up the stands, and desserts, it is always nice to leave them a little tip!

How much?

$25 is standard

Hair & Makeup

Always tip your hair and makeup team! They are keeping you looking freshy fresh through out your wedding day! P.S. check to make sure it’s not already built into their invoice!

Photo https://esterknowlen.com/ | Hair http://hair-by-theresa.com/ | Makeup https://www.makeupbymindie.com/

How much?

$25-$30 per person is standard

Bartender

Tipping your bartender will depend on the type of bar you envision having. If you have an open bar, but they have tip jars, then you don’t have to worry about an extra tip, but if they do not have a tip jar, then it is standard to tip $150 per bartender.

Optional Tips

We call these optional because they tend to be the more expensive vendors, but again, if you had a wonderful experience with them and they went above and beyond to make your day special, you might want to give them something!

Band or DJ

If they kept your party high vibe and hopping, consider leaving them a small tip - $30-50 per person is standard for a band… DJ’s we would say $150-$200 is standard!

If you have a band and they have a sound guy or someone that works the Emceeing for you, you should leave that person a small tip, typically $50 - $75

Photographer & Videographer

This section is a total edit because over the years, we have seen a shift in what people consider standard and we feel it’s important to keep things up to date.

We think that a small gift or Cash is great for your photographer, especially if they kept the timeline on track in terms of photos, and were a joy to work with… We also think it’s ok to save the tip until after you get your photos back, so keep that in mind.

$100-$150 per photographer

If your photographer comes with a second shooter, it is always nice to leave them something. - $75 - $100 is standard for a second shooter.

Photobooth Attendant

If your photobooth person is awesome, lively, and is able to get people over to take photos, you should definitely consider giving them something.

Photographer https://alexandrarobyn.com/ | Photo booth https://thesnapshotphotocamper.com/

How Much?

$25

Coordinator / Planner

As planners, we don’t like to boast that tips are standard, we have seen some companies have a set gratuity that they build in… We don’t believe in built in tips, we are all about working for them, so if you loved working with your planner, they made the planning process easy and stress free, and you just loved us, then we are always so dang grateful to get a tip from you! Standard is $100-$125 per person.

Catering staff

This is a hard one because every catering company is different. Some use the service charge and part of that goes to the serving staff as a built in gratuity… We always say that it’s never a bad idea to make envelopes with catering staff in mind, and if they went above and beyond, leave them one to divvy up between the staff. - Typically $25 per staff member, or just give it to the ones that stood out the most to you.

Venue coordinator

We again leave this up to you, if you feel like your venue coordinator went above and beyond, a small gift is nice!

Photographer Lindsey White Photography

We hope this list brought you a sense of calmness and answered some of your big tipping questions! We are always here to help as well, so if you have any questions about who you should be tipping, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Stay Weird!

Dos Goats Plans

Let’s Talk Wedding Day Timeline Tips!

Is there anything worse than a poorly timed wedding? Have you ever been standing around after a ceremony, not knowing what the hell is going on, and just twiddling your thumbs, waiting for dinner to start? Weddings have many transition periods that if not thought out properly can leave your guests feeling a little lost.

Photo by Brynn Wheatly

We strongly believe that everyone deserves a curated timeline for their wedding day, one that takes all your vendors individual timelines and puts them all into one, neat little sheet. While this is something that your wedding planners will do for you, we realize that not everyone might have little angels like us, so today, we are giving you tips and tricks on how to curate your wedding day timeline.

Start with the Ceremony!

Image Morgan Elizabeth Photos

When we are building your timeline, we think that the ceremony time is the most crucial time on there. This dictates basically the rest of your day, it helps us figure out when hair and makeup need to arrive, when pictures need to start and when you two will have some alone time after the ceremony… We always recommend starting with your ceremony start time and working backwards to create the first half of your day, then going ceremony and beyond to finish up the night! A well prepared timeline leaves no detail untouched, it notes when you need to be dressed, to what time the sunset is, so that you know when the best time is to get those dreamy shots!

Some things to think about when deciding on your ceremony start time…

• Some venues have it laid out by blocks of time because they have multiple weddings in a day. Make sure you check with your venue!

• How much decor will your ceremony space have, and what time can that decor be set up? Knowing what time you can get into the space is super important, and will dictate when things can get set up.

• If your ceremony is outside, you will want to consider when the sunset is that day. You can look up sunset times on specific days on Google! If you are getting married off season when the sun sets early, you might want to consider an earlier start time to ensure you have enough daylight!

• Is your ceremony and reception in the same place. If your ceremony is inside, does the space need to be flipped for the reception? If so, you might want a bit earlier of a ceremony time, because your social hour might be an hour and a half, compared to a typical hour.

Variables to your wedding can be endless and to stress about them is silly. We can only control what we can and for things we can’t we just roll with it and make it work! There is no need to get sad on your wedding day as long as you have a plan in place and professionals by your side.

Vanessa Lee Photos

   Make sure you allocate enough time for hair & makeup and getting dressed!

Typically, the bride will get ready either 2nd to last or last, ensuring she looks mighty fine for that first look! Always make sure to ask your Hair & Makeup artist how long they predict each person will take.

We will make lines on our timeline for times that the wedding party needs to be dressed by, as well as the couple. This helps them stay on track!

Pro Tip: The more people getting ready, the earlier you must be awake! If you have more than 5 people getting Hair and Makeup, it isn’t a bad idea to have additional artists there to help!

   Have designated times for snacky snacks! No one needs a hangry couple!

If you are getting ready at a venue, they may have snack options for you to order while you are getting ready, but beware, sometimes it is crazy expensive! Always ask if you can bring your own getting ready snack, sandwich platters, fresh fruit, and nuts are great snacks to keep you fueled! Don’t skimp on the water! Mimosas are great for getting ready, but hydration is fun!

   Make sure you know what time vendors & people setting up can get into the venue.

Rachel L photography

Setting up a wedding takes quite a bit of effort, time, a good plan, and some patience. Having a timeline of not only what time everyone can be on site, but when each vendor plans on showing up, will be so helpful when it comes time to start setting the space.

We time out when the place cards will be set out, to when the gift table gets set up, this helps us allocate enough time between each activity, but if the tables for these activities is being delivered and not on-site, that can throw a wrench in setting those items up. If you have a room of 250 people, and you are setting up the napkins, favors, place settings, center pieces, lighting candles and so on, this can take on average 2-4 hours, depending on how many people are working on it. Your florist will need to know when the tables will be ready with linens so that they can set the center pieces. They will also have to know when they have access to your ceremony location to set that up.

Your vendors typically try to show up 2 hours prior to make sure they have things set up properly, but if you have décor and floral that is more extensive, you may need to add extra time to the venue rental.

Pro Tip! If your caterer is providing linens, you may need them earlier than they plan on arriving so that your other vendors can set stuff up. If you work with us, we will always pick these up for you so that our day gets started nice and early!

Extra Pro Tip!!! If your wedding is on a Weekday, ask the venue if no event is happening the night prior to your wedding, if you could possibly get into the space early and set up!

   Deciding on having a first look or waiting to see each other at the ceremony, will determine what kind of social hour you are going to have.

Uppercase Photography

We will never push you into doing a first look, if it is your dream to wait till the ceremony, but, there are many befits to doing a first look. Our main reasoning is because your day goes by FAST, and a first look allows you to spend time with your partner more on the day of! You will have more time during the social hour to enjoy with your guests, or wedding party if you chooses, and you can have some cute private moments together! If you want to wait till the ceremony that is ok as well, just make sure to allocate enough time during the social hour to ensure you get all your photo needs taken care of!

      Consider guest arrival time and the ceremony start time.

If guest arrival is 15 mins prior to the ceremony start time, but they have to find parking, pay for parking, and walk to the venue, this can push back the start time, or even worse, they can miss the ceremony all together. We once assisted at a wedding that the guests had to take a tractor ride to the ceremony site and the turn around time was about 15 minutes and this wasn’t really allocated into the timeline, needless to say, that ceremony started a few minutes late. If you are worried about guests being late, indicate on the invites or your wedding website what the parking situation is, if there are shuttle options, and when guest arrival is and when ceremony start time is, that way no one has excuses!

How many hours do you have your photographer for?

Most photographers have packages that can be 6, 8, 10, 12, or full day coverage, knowing your package and hours of coverage will help determine certain aspects of the day you might want photographed. Let’s say you hire your photographer for 6 hours, but you want pictures of your wedding party before you get dressed, photos prior to the ceremony, and pictures of dancing, and sparkler photos… You will not have enough coverage to do all of this because your photo timeline would be starting at 11am and going till at least 30 minutes into dancing, so let’s say 8:45, that is almost 10 hours of coverage. Something to keep in mind when you are envisioning what photos you want captured on your wedding day!

      Your ceremony is going to be no more than 20-25 mins unless its being held at church and it’s a “traditional ceremony.”

A receiving line after the ceremony can sometimes last 25-35 minutes.

      Your social hour will typically be a 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

This time is used for photos after the ceremony, the signing of the marriage license, bustling your dress (this can take up to 20 minutes if you do not know what to do.) Time for the couple to enjoy being newly married and spending 5 minutes alone, and in the case of your venue needing a flip this will allow for plenty of time to get that done as well!

      Make sure you have ONE-point person who oversees your timeline.

 There are a lot of egos running around on a wedding day, and we have seen many times where a photographer or other vendor, might just try and push everything back an hour… AN HOUR! Having someone make drastic changes like this last minute can ruin your wedding day. Imagine pushing everything back an hour and BAM, you now cut your dance time in half because everything ran so behind. P.S. This is where wedding day management comes in real handy.

https://www.savannahkayphoto.com/

Speeches, Couples Cake Cutting, Sunset Photos, and Special Dances, and sparkler photos, should all have a spot on your timeline. (But are also easy to move around)

We will typically have the couple get seated for dinner and once the last table is served, we will start speeches. After speeches wrap up, we like to get the cake cutting photos and first dances out of the way, and then have the couple go off to do sunset photos because this will allow for the dance floor to open up for everyone. This is not always the way it goes, but it is the way it works best. Having it laid out on the time line, allows for someone to be aware that the special things will be happening, the point person will be the one to decide which one might be moved around. Checking to see how late your photographer will be on-site will also help determine when it is best to do these activities!

How many hours do you want to dance?

You want to keep the dance floor a vibe but no one really knows (or can agree on) how many hours the dance party should be, we believe a few things will determine this!

Are you doing a DJ or a Band…

For bands, you will probably do 3-4 hours of coverage, but they will take breaks in between that time, so you will want to make sure you can fit that 4 hours in…

Photo by Uppercase L Photography

For DJ’s

2 1/2 to 3 hours seems to be the amount of time a dance floor stays packed. If you have several people working on your timeline, they will all put their idea’s in, but what it really needs to come down to is how long do you have your photographer for? Because I know DJ’s like to start when the sun goes down, but if the photographer is only there till 8:30, dances need to get started by 8, and in Summer, that sun stays up till late. So if you start early, and want to stick to that 2 1/2 - 3 hour rule, you can always end the party before midnight. Have dancing 8-11:30pm. If you really want it to go till midnight, look at extending your photographers time.

Bonus Tip: Make sure you are giving yourself time to mingle with guests, after speeches, while desserts are out, is a great time to mingle!

Make sure you are clear on when everyone needs to be out by the end of the night.

J. Olson Weddings

Typically, last call is 45 minutes prior to the end of the night. The Wedding will end at midnight, and vendors have till 1am to clear the space. SOMETIMES, a space will have the event ending at 11 and the vendors have till 12am. Just make sure it is clearly stated on your contract!

We take timelines very seriously here at Dos Goats, and pride ourselves on keeping them flowing pretty much down to the minute, but we always let our couples know, this is our guideline for you and if you would like to change something up we totally can! And this is due to preparedness in the timeline and communications to all the relevant vendors(who are located one the timeline and will also have their own copy) to watch this or that because we may be running behind because of pictures, people showing up late…the list goes on.

We would like to remind anyone who reads this to know…this is YOUR DAY and to spend it how you want to!!! But as professionals we like to see a well planned out timeline!

But the day will flow how it will flow, a timeline is only really a suggestion to stay on track and ultimately make your day smoother being that you know where all the time is going, and remember to breathe throughout the day and not to get wrapped up in it and allow yourself to be present.

Need more timeline help? We now offer hourly consulting and can help you curate your perfect timeline or show you some samples as well, or maybe the thought of all of this is way too much and you are interested in our planning services, you can learn more about working with Dos Goats here!

Much Love, Christina & Adam

Photo by Rachel Lynn Photography

Kickin it with Jesse Mast of Mast Wedding Films!

One of the things we pride ourselves on is finding the perfect vendors for our couples to work with. There are so many people in this industry, sometimes it can be hard to choose who is going to be the best option for you. We wanted to start doing vendor spotlights on some of our favorites in the industry, giving you a little glimpse into their personalities and their passion!

We kick this off with one of the most charming guys out there, Jesse Mast of Mast Wedding Films! Jesse is the kind of guy who literally lights up a room with his smile. His genuine love for what he does, comes through in his perfectly curated videos that he makes, showcasing the love and happiness his couples get to experience on their wedding day!

We dug deep to ask him some questions about his business, family, and some silly ones thrown in there as well! So If you are curious to know what Muppet Jesse relates to most… Just keep reading!

Starting off easy, what made you decide creating wedding films was the path you were going to take?

It'd been a combination of things. It's a rewarding job, but also a God-send to support my family. Sending the final product to clients, and seeing their reaction, knowing they'll cherish the wedding film for years to come is really special to me. 

Tell us about your family!

My wife is an incredible teacher, she subs part-time at our kids school. I have a highly creative 8 year old daughter, who enjoys selling custom “Picture stories” on the sidewalk in the Summer. My 7 year old son is the most extroverted kid there is, he doesn’t care what game you are playing, as long as you are playing with him!

Can you describe your approach to creating wedding films?

Photo by Unique Touch Photography

I'm a filmmaker. I look at the wedding day like I'm making a movie. I want to tell a great story about my heroes (the couple), and please the "fan base" (family & friends) who can't wait for the release date! My vision is to capture visually, what they are experiencing emotionally :)

Do you have anyone in the industry that influences your work, or work that you admire?

In this field, I've really enjoyed the work of Curtis Kennedy. He's been doing this for 6 years, and had lots of success. We met for coffee last winter, and he gave me lots of helpful, professional advice. 

As wedding vendors, we all have our struggles when it comes to booking our ideal clients, what do you think are some of the biggest struggles in the land of videographers?

Getting bookings is an uphill battle. It seems like most couples want videography, but it's not in their "Top Ten" list of wedding priorities, but I think that will change in the next 5 years. Most couples who don't get a wedding video often regret that decision.

Describe to us, your spirit animal?

A handsome, friendly brown horse named Julio.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of wedding days? 

FAVORITE: Getting "lovey-dovey" shots of the couple, along with the photographer. It's always a ton of fun, and the shots turn out great!

LEAST FAVORITE: Filming the "grand entrance," when the wedding party enters the reception area. It's hard to get good shots in the midst of all the chaos.

LEAST LEAST FAVORITE: When a wedding guest takes photos on their phone during the ceremony, especially when they're told NOT to. My motto is, "Guests enjoy the moment, tourists take photos. Don't be a tourist."

What are some of your dream wedding venues you want to work at? 

FAVORITE PLACES: The Calhoun Beach Club, The Blaisdell Mansion, The Varsity Theater, The JX Event Venue, Camrose Hill, Legacy Hill Farm, The Gardens of Castle Rock

PLACES I WANT TO FILM: Filming anywhere in Hawaii would be great, but in the Twin Cities, I would like to film at the Mill City Museum, Aria, and The NP Event Space

FIRST TIME 2020 VENUES: Pinewood, The Hutton House, The St Paul College Club

 What do you like doing in your free time?

Binge-watching Netflix, working out, and disc golf!

What Muppet would you say you most relate to? 

Kermit, especially when makes his scrunched face (when perturbed) 

What advice do you love giving to couples that are planning their wedding?

First, hiring Dos Goats (We’re blushing)

Second, having them instruct the officiant to "winsomely" tell the wedding guests to turn off their cell phones before the ceremony begins, and lastly, reminding them that during the wedding day, they can completely ignore, and just enjoy getting married. Again, my vision is to capture visually, what they are experiencing emotionally, so when they watch the wedding film over and over, they get to remember how it all felt!

www.mastweddingfilms.com

Instagram - @Mastweddingfilms

Photo by Tom Thornton Photography

REAL Wedding Budgeting Tips & Tricks

We like to create our blogs to give you advice in the places where it is sometimes needed most. Budgets are one of those things that some people are rock-stars at, and others, need a little help. So lets talk about the subject that makes everyone want to hide under a rock when it comes to wedding planning, drum-roll… Lets talk budget!

There are the basic questions that we ask our couples to help them layout their budget as well as their payment schedules. Who is paying for this, who is paying for that? How are you keeping track of your budget? Do you have money now to start making deposits, or are you saving up? (this will determine when you should start booking your vendors, because all vendors will require a deposit to secure their services for your big day.)

1. As a couple, come up with 3 of your TOP priorities and 3 of your least important priorities. Some people want to spend money on a really high end photographer, some want floral and decor, others could care less about flowers, but they really want a band or a really awesome DJ. We try to get couples to pick 3 or 4 things that are at the top of the priority list for them, this will help when we allocate funds to certain vendors.

2.      Who is contributing – Gone are the days of tradition where the brides parents pay for everything. I hate using terms like “Average cost of wedding” because the average can vary depending on the location, and the time of year, and we have seen costs of vendors going up lately, so what may have been average a year or two ago, is not. One thing is for sure, couples are getting creative when it comes to paying for there wedding. Older couples might be paying for a majority of it themselves, While some have parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles that pitch in. Sometimes, the groom’s parents are more financially stable, and they pitch in more. So first thing first, once you are engaged, start talking to your family and see who is going to contribute.

3. Being intentional with your guests count!

Your guest count will be the biggest impact on your budget. 8 guests can be an extra $1000 dollars if factor in everything that goes into having those 8 guests there.

8 people is 1 more table, which is 1 more linen, 8 place settings, 8 dinners, drinks, desserts, that can add up quickly!

4.  Getting advice from people who have been there! Asking friends, siblings, and co-workers for their advice, how they came up with their budget. Ask them what things WISH they had spent money on, and what they REGRET spending money on. Asking people who have been through this before will give you a great perspective on what you need to prioritize when it comes to determining your budget.

5.     Hiring a planner – Yes, I know, hiring a planner when we are talking budgets? Wedding planners offer a wide variety of packages, each of them offer a little more service then the other, so while you might not be able to afford a full blown wedding planner, there is also partial planning and wedding management that you could look in to, the most important part of a planner, they run your wedding on your day so that you don’t have to!

Some other perks of wedding planners, they often come with a vendor recommendation, they are super organized and can make a very detailed timeline for you, they are professionals and they can help when shit might hit the fan!

Pixel Dust Photography | Muse Event Center | Crave Catering

6.  Researching your venues: Venue & Catering will take up a ridiculous percentage of your budget. We always suggest looking at the catering list before booking with that venue. We all have those dream venues in mind, and I know that the venue to some is the most important part of planning, but we would argue that the most important part is being happy that you get to marry your best friend and spend the day with your friends and family. Sometimes choosing a less expensive venue, can leave more room in your budget for decor, and any venue can be gussied up with some nice decor!

Food is a huge portion of your budget and if you have a strict one to keep, you might not be able to get that dream venue you desire unless you up your budget. We never discourage our couples from touring these venues and getting to know the catering list, but we do like to be somewhat realistic when the budget is in play.

7.     Have a timeline of when payments are due. This is where an organized spreadsheet comes in hand. You will know what payments are due when. Keeping track of when the big payments are due. Always ask if you get a discount for paying in full. Again, hiring a planner will help you keep this all organized!

8.      Liquor Budgets!!! This can sometimes be such a touchy subject that it requires some booze at the meetings just to talk about it. No lie, I have had parents get in full blown arguments over if the alcohol was going to be hosted or cash. As a planner, we always want our couples to be happy, but if you are the ones that are going to end up paying for all of this, we also don’t want you to have to take out a credit card just for liquor bill at your wedding. Things to keep in mind when you are putting together your liquor budget

a.      Does your venue have a beverage minimum? In our last blog (click here) you can read all about food and beverage minimums.

b.      Pricing out kegs and bottles of wine vs. hosting per hour

c.      Consider your crowd. You know your guests best… Are they beer and wind drinkers? Or are they vodka & whiskey drinkers? Would you benefit from hosting beer and wine while having your guests pay for liquor or is your guest list small enough that hosting the whole thing won’t break the bank.

Photo by Alyssa Pearl

9.     Lastly, Pro Tip: Don’t just go with the flow and think that you will just come up with the money as time goes by. Figuring out a clear and accurate budget, prior to starting your wedding planning will save you heartbreak and stress!

Hopefully this gives you some starting points when it comes to coming up with your budget. As always, we are available for consultations and advice anytime! Click here to read more of our blogs and stay tuned for next week when we are back with the third installment of our catering series!

Namaste!