One of the first things you do after your engagement is set a wedding budget. It’s important to remember to reserve a little of that budget for your vendors that go above and beyond. Prepare tips in separate envelopes to be handed out the day of. Not all vendors expect a tip, and some may be written into your contracts to avoid confusion, but there are a few that will be expecting one. Here’s the short list on who and how much is expected.
1. Your makeup artist and stylist. Just like in a salon, prepare at least a 15 to 25 per cent tip depending on the quality of the work.
2. The Church Officiant. This is usually a donation of $300 or more. It can be higher if you belong to the church. For a non-denominational officiant, $50-$100 is the norm.
3. Transportation. Check the contract, if the driver’s tip is not included, expect to give them anywhere from $50 and up at the end of the night.
4. Caterers. Including the maître d’, the banquet manager and the on-site coordinator. There will be a service charge (for staff like bartenders, servers, valet staff, coat room attendants etc.,) but if an additional tip is not included in the contract, expect to pay 15 to 20 per cent of the food and drink bill and/or $200 to $300 for the maître d’.
All other vendors are not expecting it, but do appreciate a tip. If you’ve given a long-list of demands or they have gone above and beyond to give you the wedding of your dreams, show your appreciate with a little extra gratuity.
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[Photo courtesy of Wedding Expo Blog]
If you have been planning your wedding for some time, you have likely been to a few wedding shows. You ladies know how hectic and overwhelming they can be! If you’re about to start planning a wedding, don’t worry, we are not here to scare you away from wedding shows. We’re here to help you navigate them!
These Bridal shows can be extremely helpful to the process of planning your big day. The abundance of vendor booths practically show you everything you need to plan, give you lots of options, present a bridal runway, and you give free swag! The Bridal Guide brings you 5 easy steps to make the most of any wedding show.
[Photo courtesy of Sweet Bliss Weddings]
1. Bring a good advisory group. This rule is key in wedding planning. Whether you’re picking out a dress, making invitations, or attending a wedding show, you need to have positive people around you. Skip inviting anyone that will bring your mood down, and pick selfless friends! Make sure they understand that there is some work to be done, and it won’t all be fun and games.
2. Have a vision. If you go into a wedding show without a vision of your wedding, you may get very overwhelmed, and end up not being able to make a decision about anything. Decide basics like theme, colours, number of guests, etc. to save yourself from being pulled in too many directions. You want to leave with plans, not confusion.
3. Prepare! Make a plan. It may seem straight forward: you see all the vendor booths, and take all information in. We can guarantee you that it’s not that straight forward. We suggest you have a plan. Hit as many vendors as you can, and don’t miss the runway show. Allot where you need to spend the most time. Consider which types of business people you will need to have conversations with. Print stickers with all of your contact information on them in lieu of repeatedly writing it out. Bring a tote bag for all free swag. You get the gist!
4. Ask questions. Don’t be shy! As we said before, you should leave a wedding show with plans and answers, not confusion. Consider making a list of questions prior to arriving at the wedding show. Have your team do the same, in case you miss anything. Don’t forget: no question is a stupid question.
5. Decide and follow up. Finally, we want you to be decisive! To make the most of your time at a wedding show, you need to decide what you like and what you don’t. You need to decide what fits in your budget and what you don’t. Take some time at home to process all of the information you gathered and review it with whoever is helping you plan your wedding. Follow up with vendors you are interested in, because they can only be at one wedding at a time.
Be sure to come visit the Bridal Guide‘s booth at the National Bridal Show this weekend at the International Centre in Mississauga!
Lauren Chan is the Editor of the Bridal Guide.
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Congratulations! You’re getting married! It is a wonderful time but there is so much to do and decide on and let’s face it, time flies. With so many decisions to make in such little time, many brides find themselves overwhelmed to come up with creative ideas. From the ceremony to the center piece it is hard to find a balance between your personal creative touch and the amount of time left in your day. As a modern bride, you may research on the internet various ideas and creations, but there is nothing like physically seeing a product before purchasing. With such time restraints how can you accomplish many different tasks in a period of time?
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