Photo: Heather Kincaid
Proper wedding tipping etiquette is a common source of confusion. Vendors like the photographer, videographer, and band or DJ provide a service throughout the wedding, and the rules for topping aren't always cut and dry. Should you tip each member of your reception band? Our wedding etiquette experts are here to answer your questions in our daily post.
Am I supposed to tip each member of the reception band?
When it comes to wedding musicians, the question of "to tip or not to tip?" depends on if you have hired an independent band (or DJ, for that matter), or if you have hired them via an entertainment agency. For independent bands that book their own gigs, tipping is not customary (unless you felt they really went above and beyond, of course). But if you've booked your musicians through an agency, the company will usually either include a gratuity in the contract (read the fine print carefully to avoid unnecessarily double-tipping) or suggest that you give each band member or deejay a little extra in cash. This means there will be no "to tip or not to tip" guesswork for you. Musicians should be tipped about $25 to $50 apiece. Assign the best man to hand out envelopes with the tips in cash to each of the musicians at the end of the reception.