The actual mechanics of tipping on your wedding day are an afterthought for most couples — until the day arrives and suddenly someone’s asking “wait, where are the tip envelopes?” while you’re mid-bustle adjustment.
Here’s the system that works. Set it up the night before and delegate it completely, so the day itself requires zero thought about money.
Step 1: Calculate your tips beforehand
Before you can prepare envelopes, you need to know the amounts. Use our wedding tip calculator to get exact figures for each vendor based on your actual contract costs.
Things to check before finalizing amounts:
- Catering contract — look for the word “gratuity.” If it says “service charge,” you’ll need to tip staff separately. See our service charge vs. gratuity guide for the full explanation.
- Transportation contract — gratuity is often included for limo and shuttle services. Check before doubling up.
- Number of catering servers — ask your venue or caterer in advance how many servers will be working your event.
Step 2: Get the cash from the bank
Visit the bank 3–5 days before the wedding. Don’t leave this until the morning of — ATMs dispense limited denominations and you’ll need specific bills.
Ask the teller for a mix:
- $50 and $100 bills for larger tips (planner, photographer, DJ)
- $20 bills for smaller tips (servers, smaller gratuities)
- $10 and $5 bills for granular amounts (coat check, valet)
The calculator will show you the exact denominations — you can screenshot it or print it and hand it to the teller.
Step 3: Prepare labeled envelopes the night before
Buy a set of small envelopes (plain white works fine; wedding-specific ones are available on Amazon but not necessary). For each vendor:
- Write the vendor’s name on the outside
- Write the amount inside on the flap or a note card
- Count the bills, fold them, and seal the envelope
- Optionally include a short handwritten note — vendors remember these
Label everything clearly. “DJ — $100” is better than just “DJ” when your coordinator is handling a stack of 12 envelopes at 11pm.
For catering staff, use a single envelope addressed to “Catering Captain — to distribute.” Don’t try to hand individual envelopes to each server — the captain handles the distribution.
Step 4: Designate a tip holder and distributor
Here’s the most important step: you should not be responsible for handing out tips on your wedding day. You will have exactly zero mental bandwidth for logistics management while you’re being photographed, greeting guests, and remembering to eat.
Give the full envelope set to one of:
- Your wedding planner or day-of coordinator (ideal — this is literally their job)
- A reliable parent or sibling who you trust to be organized
- A designated maid of honor or best man (pre-brief them the night before)
Write them a simple list: vendor name, which envelope, when to give it, and to whom. Something like:
| Who | When | Give to |
|---|---|---|
| Hair stylist | After your hair is finished (morning) | Directly to stylist |
| Makeup artist | After makeup is done (morning) | Directly to MUA |
| Florist | When florals arrive at venue | Delivery team |
| Ceremony musicians | Right after ceremony | Lead musician |
| Officiant | After ceremony | Directly to officiant |
| Caterer | End of reception | Banquet captain |
| DJ | When they start packing up | Directly to DJ |
| Photographer | Before they leave | Directly to photographer |
| Planner | End of reception | Directly to planner |
Your coordinator can print this list and check items off throughout the day.
What to do about late-night vendors
Some vendors don’t leave until the very end — the DJ, the photographer, sometimes the planner. Make sure the person holding envelopes knows to stay until these people leave.
For the DJ specifically: tip them as they’re packing up, not mid-performance. Same with the photographer.
What if you forget a vendor?
It happens. If you realize after the wedding that you forgot to tip someone, you can:
- Send a check — mail it within a week with a note. The thoughtfulness is appreciated.
- Venmo or Zelle — for business owners (photographer, DJ, planner), sending a tip digitally after the fact is perfectly fine.
- Write a detailed review — if the tip ship has sailed or budget is tight, a genuine, specific 5-star review on Google, The Knot, or WeddingWire is the next best thing. Mention them by name. Vendors tell other vendors.
The vendors who handle their own tips
A few vendors don’t go through the envelope system:
- Delivery personnel — tip them at the moment of delivery, the morning of the wedding or the evening before for items delivered to the venue. Keep a couple of $20 bills separate for this.
- Valet — tip structure varies. You can either pre-arrange it (give a lump sum to the valet manager at the start) or tip per car as guests retrieve vehicles. If the latter, brief family members to have cash ready.
- Hair and makeup artists — tipped individually right after they finish each person’s service, not at the end of the day.
Set up your tip envelopes in minutes. Use our free calculator to get exact amounts for every vendor, including which cash denominations to bring.