Gratuity amounts?

[LoveHim08]

Hey guys! My FH and I just went over "day of expenses" so that we can be sure we have enough money. It was sort of painful, BUT, TO BE HONEST, much less than I expected it to be (which is nice!).

Anyway,
We are debating how much gratuity to give to our banquet manager. I have corresponded via email with her about lots of choices, and she will be there the day of to make sure things at the reception run smoothly. How much of a tip should I give her?

Furthermore, how much for our photographer (who we got for MUCH cheaper than he is charging now), and my day of coordinator (who took off $750 of her charge as a favor... I am paying 250 for something that costs 1000)?

Any suggestions? I see online for the percentages that should be given, but what about for people who we got their services for MUCH cheaper than they normally charge?

[Layla08]

I've always believed that the best tip for vendors that are already getting paid is an excellent letter of recommendation.

[WebLady]

The topic of tipping has been brought up here many times before ... tipping of course is not required, but in some cases it is nice and even expected.

I would tip people that went above and beyond for you or you got their services for much less than the norm. The amount that you tip would be dependant on how good of a job you feel they did, how long they spent with you, and so on.

As a vendor in the past myself the few times I got monetary tips (as a photographer and a coordinator) I got like $25-$50. Tips can also be small gifts such as flowers, cookies, etc ... Testimonial letters are great for vendors too; they can use these in getting future clients :)

[soontobemrs]

When we booked our hall, they included the tax and the staff gratuity in with the total amount and it ended up being 7% sales tax and 19% gratuity. Hope that helps.