It’s the day you’ve always dreamed of and it’s gone perfectly according to plan. Your vendors all did their job perfectly, and you’re wondering… how much should I tip them?

Well, I can’t speak for other vendors, but I definitely can for photographers! The cost of photography is usually a pretty decent chunk of your wedding day expenses, so I see brides ask on Facebook pretty frequently if they should tip their photographers. I can’t speak for the expectations of every photographer, but generally speaking, wedding photographers do not expect to receive a tip on top of the cost of their services. Most photographers factor in the costs of their time, skill, and expertise into the costs of their packages and because of that are being fully compensated for their work based off the cost of your package. 

However, that’s not to say that photographers don’t appreciate a little extra to show how much you appreciate the hard work they put into helping you have an incredible day though. If you book a photographer who goes the extra mile to make sure you have the best day possible, a tip lets your photographer know the work they put in is appreciated. So if you want to tip your photographer, how much is appropriate?

Speaking from past experience, when I have received a tip for my services, I’ve received tips varying from $40 up to $300. And like I mentioned, I never photograph a wedding expecting to be tipped. So no matter how much the tip is, I’m always extremely grateful that my couples even thought to tip me. If you’re thinking of tipping your photographer, I would say a safe bet is to tip about 10% of what your package cost was. Now, I would just like to reiterate that any tip means a lot to a photographer so if 10% seems high to you, that’s totally understandable. Tip what you’re comfortable with, and I can assure you that your photographer will be appreciative. 

If you’re still unsure of what to think about tipping your photographer, here are a couple more wedding resources that may help you decide!

https://www.brides.com/story/complete-list-wedding-vendors-gratuity-tip-how-much

https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-vendor-tipping-cheat-sheet