Business History Books » Business Management Consultant » Tipping a wedding coordinator ?
Tipping a wedding coordinator ?
Question:
>Wedding coordinators are not tipped. Many coordinators are linked to the >reception site, or the caterer and are probably considered "management", >or are at least making a commission on your event.
Could I add something to this? I can only speak in one instance, but at one church of which I know, there is a "wedding coordinator" who is little more than a very hard-working volunteer. When a wedding is arranged at that congregation she is a liason only between the bride and the church because the pastor is often too busy to answer questions not about the ceremony per se. She had lists of vendors to suggest (which was a huge help to an out-o -town bride,) offered to call rental places for flower arrangements, knew which photographers in town were likely to be accepting or belligerent toward the pastor’s strict rules, knew what womens auxiliaries in town would lend huge coffee urns, could find baby-sitters, etc. The bride paid her no fee, so surely a tip or gift was in order? There are different kinds of "wedding coordinators." CatBoyToy
Response:
> Hello, My name is Sharon and I am a Wedding Coordinator in the Allentown, > PA area and I can only speak for myself. I have never asked for nor have I > requested tips from any of my clients as the fee they pay is more than > acceptable. If they choose to give me a tip because they feel I went > above and beyond the call of duty or were extremely happy with my services > I would very graciously accept it. I put alot of love and care into my > clients weddings and really appreciate the tips that I get but never would > I expect them!!! Hope this helps.
Wedding coordinators are not tipped. Many coordinators are linked to the reception site, or the caterer and are probably considered "management", or are at least making a commission on your event. However, if the coordinator has an assistant who runs around doing all the dirty work, you might want to tip that person, who is probably getting some pitiful fraction of whatever the coordinator told you he/she needed to pay that person. For example, some coordinators tell the client that assitants get $15/hr from the client, payable to the coordinator, but the assitant only sees $8/hr. I have only needed an assistant once for a wedding and i paid her the full $15/hr, just as I wrote it in the contract. It is my opinion that any consultant or coordinator who takes a tip and keeps it is not someone i would ever want to work with. If i ever get tipped, and it has happened when people don’t realise who to tip and who not to tip, i pass the tip on to someone who was forgotten, mainly the kitchen staff and dishwashers who often making $6/hr and work for 10 hours+ on an event. Before I had my own consulting business, i worked doing parties and banquets for a very very posh and expensive restaurant here in Providence where my husband was the sous chef. We would routinely do $5,000 brunches for 65 and the gratuity was often quite hefty. The party manager (who not only received a salary, but also gained a commission on every party booked–not just on the parties she helped with) usually took a cut of the tip, claiming she was going to tip out the kitchen–but my husband never saw her tipping the hourly cooks or the dishdogs. I think that is indefensible. I should add here as well that her husband was the executive chef. My husband usually gave the tips he received to the dishwashers, or used it to buy beer for the entire kitchen after shift. Management was never meant to get TIPS! My sister who worked for years as a banquet and catering manager for many fine restaurants in CT never once kept a tip. She always turned it over to the buskids who are often stiffed by the waitstaff, or the barbacks, or the kitchen. I would always prefer a letter of recommendation, or reference over a cash tip. Jenna http:/www.tiac.net/users/jsteele/flora
Response:
Sharon.. i have a question for you… i’m not sure if i should hire a correnator or what.. i’m planning my wedding and don’t want to have the recetion in a hotel or anywhere where they do everything.. should i have a corrantor to help and give advise .. i know what i want and how i want it.. i want to do everything my self.. but sometimes i run in to probles.. what shaall i do.. diana Member.aol.com/Missrivera
Response:
I am getting married at a country inn in PA. The inn uses a local wedding coordinator to work with all couples who get married there. There is no extra fee for his service but he is taking care of absolutely everything. I assume he is getting paid by the inn but want to make sure we aren’t supposed to tip him or anything like that. Am I right? Steph
Response:
Hello, My name is Sharon and I am a Wedding Coordinator in the Allentown, PA area and I can only speak for myself. I have never asked for nor have I requested tips from any of my clients as the fee they pay is more than acceptable. If they choose to give me a tip because they feel I went above and beyond the call of duty or were extremely happy with my services I would very graciously accept it. I put alot of love and care into my clients weddings and really appreciate the tips that I get but never would I expect them!!! Hope this helps.