Tip wedding vendors only if your contract requires it; otherwise it's optional. The speaker tips 20% by habit, but you can choose to tip, give a gift, or skip it based on your budget. Verbal tip requests don't obligate you unless it's in writing.
Tipping culture is hot button, hot button ticket. Only do it if you have to. Only do if it's written down. If it's being enforced in writing, then yeah. And if you want to discuss the merits of tipping culture with those particular vendors at that particular juncture, I invite you to do so. Just know, as a general disclaimer, you don't have to do it. I love doing it. I love tipping. Like, I'm the person at Dash Pros that automatically has it set to 20%. Bet, because like I just love being able to tip people and I love factoring that into what I'm paying. Tipping comes with its own emotional and cultural attachments to it. Tip the business owner if you want to, give them a gift instead if you feel like that's more intentional. This is all entirely up to you because this is your wedding day and it's already really, really, really, really, really expensive. Do it if you want to, do it if you can, do it if you have the means to, but don't do it as a requirement. And definitely don't do it if someone asks for it. You're like, well, what if it's on the paper? Well, it's on the paper, you have to do it. But if they say it out loud with just their mouths and like, where's my tip? Then it's nuanced.
