Not Tipping Wedding Vendors: Eight Alternatives To Traditional Tipping

Not tipping wedding vendors: Eight Alternatives To Traditional Tipping

Need ways to thank wedding vendors other than tipping? This post has all the answers you need laid out for you.

I think we can all agree that tipping culture has increased over the last few years. At least in the United States. It seems like everyone who hands you something is looking for a tip. And while, yes, some of these tips are totally bogus, others are part of proper etiquette. When it comes to weddings, there are some vendors you should absolutely give a monetary tip. And, there are others who can be thanked in other ways.

The thing is, if a vendor does a great job, you should thank them no matter what. This may mean by giving them a monetary amount above their agreed upon fee, like a tip, or it may mean other ways. The ways to thank wedding vendors other than tipping are as follows:

• Be a good patron to work with
• Refer the wedding vendor to your friends
• Leave a great review online
• Give them a gift
• Write them a thank you card
• Encourage the vendor to share your information with prospective clients
• Share their work and tag them online
• Continue to patronize their business

Not Tipping Wedding Vendors: Eight Alternative To Traditional Tipping

This post is about not tipping wedding vendors the traditional way. In some cases, you may want to still tip your vendor and choose a few extra ideas to thank them. Those ways are laid out above, and the details are below. Keep reading for all the information you need on ways to thank vendors, picking and choosing the right ones for you. To be clear, this post is not promoting not tipping vendors who rely on tips as part of their transactions, such as servers and bartenders. This post is really about vendors who are not usually tipped, and about how to go above and beyond with your thanks in general. 

Let’s get into it!

1. BE A GOOD PATRON TO WORK WITH

This isn’t really a specific way to thank wedding vendors, but more of being a good person to work with so the vendor’s job isn’t harder than it needs to be.

What does it mean to be a good patron? It means responding to vendors in a timely manner. Good patrons also pay vendors by their deadlines, and they read the contract so there are no surprises as you get closer to the wedding date. People who are nice to work with also have good attitudes, and they communicate well. It’s all common sense, and it all adds up.

2. THANK WEDDING VENDORS BY REFERRING THEM TO YOUR FRIENDS

Referrals can be worth their weight in gold to a wedding vendor.

Why, you might ask?

Well, because referrals are “warm leads”. They don’t involve a lot of work for the wedding vendor. When a referral calls them, the referral is already aware of their services. They already know, like, and trust someone who has worked with the vendor. The amount of effort the vendor needs to do to “close the deal” isn’t as great as a “cold lead”. So, refer away to thank your wedding vendors.

3. LEAVE A GREAT REVIEW FOR THE VENDOR

One of the best ways to thank wedding vendors is by leaving a good review.

Reviews do more than just help a vendor get seen. They provide social proof that this is a person that is good to work with. They encourage potential patrons to make the call, send the email, or fill out the inquiry form. Reviews give details that are hard to find on websites, if at all. Almost all vendors appreciate a rave review, too. You’d be hard pressed to find one who doesn’t.

To make things easy, you can write a review and post the same one, per vendor, to multiple wedding and review sites. Chances are different audiences will come across each one, and the reach will be greater this way.

4. GIVE THE WEDDING VENDOR A GIFT

Is this weird? It doesn’t have to be.

Gifts, at least the right gift, can be really sweet. For example, say you get married at a winery. Perhaps your photographer loves wine. Gifting a bottle of wine from the winery you got married at can be a really nice gesture. Maybe you own a small business, and are able to gift something from your shop. You can also give gift cards to coffee shops, or something kind of generic. Gifts are a sweet way to thank wedding vendors, as long as they come from the heart.

5. WRITE THEM A THANK YOU CARD

If you opt to give a gift, or even if you don’t, a thank you card is always appreciated.

Of course, for some people, writing thank you cards doesn’t come easily. This is okay. There are tons of cards out there that are already written for you. If you need help, searching online will surely come up with tons of content you can use. Thank you cards are a nice way to share your thoughts and opinions on the service you received. Pair them with a gift, or even a monetary note, and you’ve sweetened the gesture that much more.

6. ENCOURAGE YOUR WEDDING VENDORS TO GIVE OUT YOUR INFO TO PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS AS A REFERENCE

This way to thank wedding vendors is not for everyone. However, it can be a really great way to show how thrilled you were with the service and how much you want to support the vendor’s business.

Offering to be a referral is really big. This is where you tell the wedding vendor that they can point prospective clients your way so those clients can ask you about your experience with the vendor. It can be as innocuous as letting the vendor know they can share your email address. Or, as much as giving out your phone number. Sometimes having a previous client to talk to is all a potential client needs. It could help the vendor book more weddings, and it gives them more social proof that they are someone great to work with.

7. SHARE THE VENDOR’S WORK AND TAG THEM ONLINE

Do you ever look closely at Instagram posts and see a bunch of vendors tagged? If you haven’t before, you will see it now.

Sharing and tagging is such an easy way to let others know about a wedding vendor. It does not mean a lot of work for the sharer, and it’s a wonderful way to showcase the talents of a wedding vendor. Work is typically shared via photos and videos, so if you have those handy, put them on your socials. It may be Instagram posts or stories, reels, Pinterest, Facebook, or another platform you prefer. Share away and give credit where credit is due.

8. CONTINUE TO PATRONIZE THEIR BUSINESS

This way to thank wedding vendors won’t work for every vendor, but it will work for some.

For example, we rehire our wedding photographer every year to take family photos. This allows our family photos to have the same look, feel, and vibe as our wedding photos. And, we have formed a relationship with the photographer over the years. Our son trusts him, and we love his work.

Another example of a vendor you can rehire is your baker, or your caterer. Chances are you’ll need to provide food for another event later on in life. Why not go with who you trust? Additionally, your videographer, hair and makeup artist, and even florist are great ones to consider working with again, among others.

THOUGHTS ON WAYS TO THANK WEDDING VENDORS OTHER THAN TIPPING

Friends, there are so many ways to thank wedding vendors other than tipping. The sentiment is that you don’t skip tipping the right vendors, if you can afford it. The thought is that you add in some of these ways in addition to tips, if you really loved the vendor’s service. A little extra effort with a review, a thank you card, or even repeat business can go a long way in keeping a vendor’s business going. All of it will be appreciated. Happy wedding planning!

More On Getting Engaged From Hummingbird Wedding Advice

How To Find The Best Wedding Vendors (For Your Wedding)

The Right Order To Book Your Wedding Vendors

Essential Questions For Your Wedding Officiant 

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