There is a lot of planning that goes into a wedding. You have to think about what kind of flowers you want to carry with you down the aisle, what to say during your vows, whether you want red velvet or vanilla cake and what song to dance to with your new spouse. But there are some things that may slip your mind when planning for your special day, and one of those is tipping. Of course you’re painfully aware that you’ll have to pay all of your vendors, but yes, it’s appropriate to tip them as well. While tips are never expected, they are always appreciated, especially if your vendors went out of their way to make sure your big day went smoothly. But how much do you offer for gratuity? Check out our easy guide for tipping:

Officiants
If you’re marrying in a place of worship, it’s typical to make a donation of anywhere between $100 to $500 or more. However, this depends on how active a member you are at that religious location. The more active you are, the more you’re expected to give. For a nondenominational officiant, a tip should be anywhere between $50 and $100.

Photographer/videographer
While you’re not expected to give them anything beyond their normal fees, you could consider tipping your photographer and videographer a certain amount, along with giving them a thank you note. Typically anywhere between $50 to $200 dollars is appropriate, depending on your experience. Always tip them at the end of the ceremony – you don’t want to be giving them extra dough if they didn’t earn it.

Band or DJ
Again, the tipping for your wedding musicians is completely optional. Depending on the quality of the job they do and how willing they were to follow your ideal playlist, the standard tip for each musician is about $20 to $25. For DJs it’s a little more, ranging from $50 to $150. Traditionally, it’s the best man that tips the music vendor at the end of the reception.

Transportation
It may depend on your contract, but gratuity is usually already included in your transportation costs. However, if it is not, plan to tip the driver based on the quality of his or her service. For example, if they don’t show up on time and get lost on their way to just about every destination, you may not want to tip as much. The standard for tipping your transportation is about 15 to 20 percent of the total bill.

What are your rules for tipping your wedding vendors? Share your thoughts with us!