How Much To Tip Wedding Venue Coordinator [The Expectation]

Your wedding venue coordinator has a significant amount of pressure. They play one of the most vital roles, after all. It is ultimately up to them to ensure that everything goes to plan. And even though it is the venue that indirectly hires them, it’s only natural to wonder if, and how much, you need to tip them. Here is what you need to know.

So, how much do you tip a wedding venue coordinator? Generally speaking, you should tip between 15 to 20% of your wedding venue coordinator’s fee. This will usually mean your tip will range from $250- $500, depending on the complexity of their role and how much they need to do. However, you can consider a cash alternative to show your appreciation instead. 

It seems like a lot.

Particularly with all the other costs of a wedding involved.

It’s never-ending, right.

So, let’s talk about these numbers further and how you can navigate these tricky waters.

This way, you won’t break the bank but also don’t feel like your still showing your appreciation for somebody who makes everything tick on your special day.

How Much Do You Tip a Wedding Venue Coordinator?

The 15-20% rule is a good one to follow. This is a type of position and role where tips are usually expected.  

But how much to tip can be a little more complex than this. 

Let’s talk about several different categories that would provoke certain tipping amounts. 

There are three ranges to look at here.

1. Money is no issue.
2. Thanks for a good job.
3. Less than satisfied

20 Percent and Beyond

When you have the money and the wedding is on par with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, it’s expected to tip a considerable amount, given the amount of work the wedding venue coordinator will have to do. 

Their contract may already include service fees, but this is different than gratuity. 

Don’t be surprised, though, if they already add a gratuity percentage into the contract if you have an extensive wedding.

So lookout for it.

This is very similar to how restaurants that allow reservations for more than ten people will automatically include gratuity. 

While it may rub people the wrong way to include gratuity already on their bill, this is generally an industry standard. 

On average, a wedding venue coordinator will charge $500-$1000. 

So if we are looking at 15-20%, this usually equates to around $200. 

But for more expensive weddings, we may be looking at $500 in tips!

Middle Range

Those who don’t have endless money to throw to tips but feel satisfied with the job may look to the tip of around 15%. 

This may be a little more reasonable for most looking at $75-$150 for national standards. 

This would mean that everything went according to contract and you and your wedding party were happy with the day. 

Low End

At the end of the day, there is a lot of work that happens on behalf of the wedding venue coordinator. 

If they do a poor job, you are never obligated to tip but making a few mistakes is different than being negligent. 

In this case, you may look to tip 10% percent because of the hiccups along the way that weren’t fixed. 

Should You Tip Your Wedding Venue Coordinator?

You really should look to tip your wedding venue coordinator, and in many ways, there is an expectation that you will. Even if it’s a lower percentage than the standard, some form of a tip is always advised over nothing at all.

Of course, a lot is going to come down to context here.

But, for the most part, wedding coordinators have their work cut out.

They generally go above and beyond, and it’s quite a thankless job in many ways too.

They do a lot behind the scenes to ensure our days are as special as they can be.

Even if things do go wrong, at no fault of their own, they will be the ones to step in to resolve them. 

Let’s talk about their role and why they matter so much. 

Make Sure It’s Up and Running

The wedding venue coordinator is hired by the venue to make sure that the space is clean, ready for setup, and many other things. 

The running list goes on forever, but here are all the things that a wedding venue coordinator will check and make sure works.

• Clean space
• Working lights
• No hazards
• Decorations in place
• Weather element safeguards
• Seating arrangements/ chairs

Manage Everyone Else

They also are the grand manager of everyone else. 

Are the food caterers putting the food in the right spot? 

Are the flower arrangements exactly where they need to be? 

They check on the DJ/Band space to make sure things are sounding and working properly. 

Anything that needs to be done, they’re doing it. 

So, a tip to show your appreciation for their efforts will always be appreciated.

And in most cases, the tip will be well deserved!

When Not to Tip Your Wedding Venue Coordinator

There aren’t a lot of times that you shouldn’t tip your wedding venue coordinator, but there are a few exceptions when tipping is not advised, or at the very least – they should be tipped much less than the industry recommendation of 15-20%.

Keep in mind that these situations are not as common, and the standard is to tip. 

Negligent Service

If they have done an awful job and everything has gone wrong, not only should you not tip, but you may be entitled to getting some of your money back as well. 

This would include something like the following.

• Food problems.
• Dirty venue
• Not enough seating
• Dismantled decorations

Etc. 

Remember, this is not just one thing. This may be a multitude of issues combined that severely disrupt the day or run counter to the agreements in the contract.

Built-In Gratuity

If they already tipped themselves, then you don’t need to give any more!

Equally, if they did a poor job and tipped themselves anyway, you are well within your reason to challenge and question the contract with them.

This may even result in some negotiation depending on the agreements and the overall quality of service/impact on your day. 

Alternative For Tipping Your Wedding Venue Coordinator

Not everyone likes to tip just cash or put a dollar amount on everything. It’s understandable! However, it is encouraged to provide a cash tip because this is versatile and can be spent by the wedding coordinator however they wish. 

Regardless, here are some options that are a little different than handing over a wad of cash. 

We can look at cash value and non-cash. 

Cash Value

Giving something with monetary value is important because it’s the most useful. 

But if you do not want to be carrying around cash on your big day, are not comfortable giving it, or you want to appear a little more thoughtful, here are some alternatives and ideas that can go a long way. 

• Gift cards are great because most people can use them. Keeping it general is important because if you get something too specific, it may be of no value to them. Amazon, restaurants, or just plan visa gift cards are all great ideas. 

• You would need to know what types of food and drink they like but buying a nice bottle of wine, and some sort of appetizer plate is never a bad idea. A fancy cheeseboard and nuts is a nice thought. But if they haven’t specified stated they like this, it is a bit of a gamble!

• Gifts, in general, become the trickiest thing to do. It’s not they aren’t a possibility, but you need to know what they want or need. If you work close enough with your venue coordinator, you could find out something beforehand. Otherwise, you’re going to have to make some guesses!

No Cash

Simply said, we don’t always have the budget to throw out a lot of cash. You can do a combination gift and do some cash and something else to help offset the costs. 

If you are great at baking or have a talent, then these are some ideas to consider. 

Otherwise, here are useful options:

• One of the things you should do in addition to tipping is to leave a detailed review if they do a great job. This will help them get future clients down the road, which in itself has monetary implications and benefits. 

• You can also refer their business to friends and friends of friends as a way of saying thank you. If you help them land a few more clients, this can be of similar value to giving a great tip. 

• A thank you card is not necessarily a tip but is also a great idea. The work that goes into the planning is a lot and can be often be undervalued and appreciated by the wedding party. 

Tip!

The easiest thing you can do is set aside your tipping budget at the beginning of your wedding planning. 

The wedding venue coordinator is not someone that you directly hire but is one of the most essential vendors you’ll work with. 

They do an enormous amount of work, so much more than we generally see. 

Not just on the day but months before in the planning process too!

And as such, they really need to be tipped and compensated for their work.

It’s different from the photographer, for instance.

That being said, there are certain circumstances where you don’t need to tip a lot. 

It does depend on how your wedding turns out, after all. 

This is perhaps the best way to consider the full tip amount.

You can also do a combination of tips and practices if you don’t want to just give cash. 

Thank you cards and referrals can really go a long way. 

They may be something that you want to do regardless of whether you give a cash component tip or not. 

To keep things simple, keep the 15-20% in the back of your mind. Or budget for up to $500.

This will help keep your mind clear for any other planning you have to do. 

And if you wondering who else you may need to tip and how much, then check out my following guides:

• How Much To Tip Wedding Florist?
• Do You Tip A Wedding Photographer?
• Do You Tip A Seamstress?
• Do You Tip A Makeup Artist?