Wedding Vendor Tip Calculator

Enter each vendor's fee, pick your region, get a recommended tip per vendor. Toggle "gratuity already included" to skip vendors whose contracts roll it in. Total cash to prepare and printable envelope labels for the wedding day.

Launch the Wedding Vendor Tip Calculator →

How to use this tool

Pick your region (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia).
Enter the actual cost you're paying each vendor — caterer, bartender, hair, makeup, photographer, DJ, etc.
Tick "gratuity already included" for any vendor whose contract bundles it in.
See the recommended tip per vendor and the total cash to prepare.
Print envelope labels — 8 per page — to give to a trusted person to distribute on the wedding day.

Why we built this

Tipping wedding vendors is one of the most-searched wedding finance questions because the conventions vary so widely. US weddings: 18–20% to catering staff, $50–$200 to photographers. UK and EU: typically little or nothing, because service charge is usually included. Australia and Canada: somewhere in between. We bake the regional differences into the calculator so you don't have to research them.

What you get

Frequently asked questions

Why are the UK and EU tips so much lower than the US?

Tipping culture varies. In the UK and most of Europe, vendors are paid a living wage and gratuity is either bundled into the price (as a "service charge") or considered optional. In the US, many service workers depend on tips. The calculator reflects regional norms.

My caterer's contract has a "service charge" — do I still tip?

Usually no — service charge typically covers gratuity. But contracts vary: some "service charges" go to the venue, not the staff. Ask your venue specifically: "Does the service charge cover staff gratuity, or should we tip on top?"

When are tips distributed?

On the wedding day, usually at the end of the event. Label cash envelopes ahead of time, give them to a trusted person (best man, maid of honour, or wedding planner), and ask them to hand them out.