Your wedding is the grandest occasion in your life. You may be super busy on the day of your wedding, but the inner happiness and contentment reflect on your glowing face and your glittering eyes. While it is natural for you to be buoyant and soaked up in rituals all day long on your D-day, showing a little bit of care in sharing your happiness with others would be a gesture worth remembering. And who else can be a better choice to share your happiness with than the people who make your special day the best day in your life? Yes; we are talking about the wedding vendors here, right from your caterer, to the florist to the make-up artist and to your wedding photographer. Since they take extra care to make you look your best on your dream day or prepare the best food for your guests, it would be great if you too could do something extra to express your gratitude to them. And what better way to do that than paying them some tips over and above their contracted remuneration, appreciating them for all their hard work?
All said and understood, the only question that comes to mind when we discuss paying tips to someone is “how much?” And that is precisely the question this article answers. It discusses in detail who are those vendors you should consider paying tips to and how much you should pay. So, go through this article and treat it as a guide to tip your wedding vendors if you are in India.
- Paying tips to your Pandit ji
Your good old Pandit ji is the backbone of your wedding. Though he is not a vendor who supplies you with a product, without his services your marriage would not be solemnised in the first place. Right from doing the Kundli matching to finding out the auspicious wedding dates for you to performing the hectic marriage rituals, he is the one who plays a silent yet decisive role in any marriage. And in most cases, his relationship with the bride or groom’s family extends beyond one generation, making him everyone’s favourite family Pandit ji. He is also the most trusted man who performs most of a family’s auspicious functions. Therefore, tipping him on your wedding day and making him happy is going to earn you a lot of blessings from him. As per the current trends in cities, the Pandit ji is paid around ₹5000-7000 as a tip, which may go up depending on the bride’s or groom’s financial prominence. And, if you are planning to get married next year, it’s time to discuss wedding dates 2023 with him right away.
- Bring a smile on your photographer’s face
Your wedding photographer and videographer frame and preserve your smile for life. So, why not bring smiles to their faces too? If they are part of a large business, tipping the owner would not be a great idea. In that case, you can tip the group members who actually do the photography or videography for your wedding. An amount of ₹3000-5000 is the current industry standard for tipping photographers. So, give the individual, who always says “smile please,” a reason to smile on your wedding day.
- Make your make-up-artist (MUA) look happy too with a tip
Your make-up artist and her assistants are the real people behind your gorgeous looks on your D-day. If your man-to-be can’t help but steal continuous glimpses of you at the mandap, it is because of these people who have worked tirelessly on your looks for hours behind the scene. So, it’s good to thank them with a tip for your heart-stopping blushes. 10-20% of their total fee is the standard tip as per present trends.
- Satisfy the catering staff with a tip for the filling meal
Most catering businesses, nowadays, are professionally managed and the fees they charge from their clients include even the smallest of expenses. But the catering staff or the bartenders are at the bottom of the pyramid and are paid at par with contractual labours. And they are the ones who handle the toughest of responsibilities – serving guests with a smile. And being in the frontline, they are also the ones who always bear the brunt of something for which they are not even remotely responsible. So, you can make these people happy by paying them 10-15% of the total catering bill as tips. You can either hand over the money to the catering manager or supervisor the next day or you can distribute the same amount yourself among the catering staff at the end of the event. Trust us, it would earn you a lot of good wishes and blessings.
- Pay tips to the band party
No Indian wedding is complete without a band party playing the latest Bollywood chartbusters with their quirky-sounding trumpets, saxophones and drums. These poor men in peculiarly eye-catchy attire entertain everyone with this age-old artistry and their mastery of this traditional art form. There was a time when music by these band parties was the only form of entertainment at a wedding. Though time has changed, baraatis still don’t take out the marriage procession without the brass bands accompanying them. So, paying the band members some tips would not only make them happy but also help in keeping the tradition alive. Paying 15-20% of the total bill as a tip is the usual norm in this case.
- Tip your wedding planner
Tipping your wedding planner is purely optional and totally depends on your generosity. If you have signed an all-inclusive deal with your wedding planner, then he is managing everything about your wedding right from the décor, food and catering to photography, make-up and guest management. And since you have paid tips individually to each one of them, there is hardly any need to pay the wedding planner. But if your wedding planner is an individual, arranging a few things about your wedding or working in coordination with other vendors, then you can pay him 10-20% of his total bill amount. But again, it is totally up to you and depends on how happy you are with his services.
- Don’t ignore the cab drivers
Ya ya! We know you have paid a hefty amount to the transport company for your wedding car and showy entourage. But chances are that the cab driver is paid only the remuneration he is supposed to receive. Well, there is nothing wrong with that. But while you are tipping everyone around for their services on your wedding day, it would be a little injustice to leave this poor man out. Just tip him between ₹500 to ₹1000 and win him over with your kind gesture.
Conclusion
Tipping someone for doing something that is part of their job may sound foolish to many. But rewarding someone for being exceptional at work is a proven method of encouragement. Your wedding is a magnificent display of collective efforts by many people. Paying them a little extra would not only recognise their hard work but also encourage them to go that extra mile to satisfy their clients in the future. Moreover, sharing your happiness with others and spreading the cheer creates a pleasant vibe around the event that fulfils you from within. And guess what, you earn plenty of blessings and lots of good wishes as a bonus. This article should not only be seen as a tipping guide, but also as a composition that upholds the virtues of generosity. If you are looking for any wedding venues in Delhi, Feel free to contact us: at 08860038373
