Guide for Tipping at Your Hotel Xcaret Wedding
We get asked often for advice on tipping at your wedding in Mexico. The amount to tip vendors is very subjective and is all across the board but we will give you an idea of what we normally see for vendor tips.
A lot of our clients tip as a percentage of the total bill (usually somewhere between 10% & 20%) for each vendor and it gets divided amongst the total staff that worked on an event. Some of our clients tip per worker. Both are pretty normal and accepted. It really depends on how you would prefer to handle it. Please feel free to tip as you see fit.
If vendors are not tipped as a percentage, here are the ranges of what we usually see for the vendors that you are having at your wedding –
Officiant
Officiants are normally tipped anywhere from $50 – $100, depending on how far they have come to be at the ceremony and how much time they have spent with you leading up to your wedding.
Musicians, Bands & DJ’s
Strings players and musicians for ceremonies and cocktail hours only are normally tipped appx $25 – $50 each member.
Reception Band members are the tipped in the $50 – $75 per person range.
DJ’s are tipped from $100 – $250.
Catering Service Staff
-Chefs
-Cake Baker
-Bartending Staff
-Catering Manager
Usually tipped individually as follows:
The catering staff members usually are tipped from $10 – $25 per person, with the chef being tipped $25 – $50.
The cake baker is usually tipped from $20+.
The catering manager is usually given $50 – $100
Bartenders are usually tipped $50 – $100 per person, unless there is a tip jar. If there is a tip jar, there is not usually an additional tip given unless they did an exceptional job. It is completely your decision to allow a tip jar or not.
Resort Provided Wedding Coordinator
We usually see this in the $100 – $200 range.
Floral
From $25 – $50 per person for all of those that are involved in the set up and tear down.
Photography & Videographer
Because photographers and videographers are considered to be more skilled trade vendors, they are usually tipped at a higher rate, often as much as 15% – 20% of their total. If not tipping as a percent, I usually see the photographer and videographer tipped anywhere from $150 – $300 and the second/third shooter(s) is tipped from $50 – $150 each.
Hair & Make Up
Hair and make-up stylists are usually tipped like you would tip your stylist at the salon – 20% or so.
Photo Booth Attendant
We usually see tipping around $25 per photo booth attendant.
Event Planner
We usually see tips as a percentage, from 10%+ of our total, or a non percentage amount of $150 – $300.
Other Vendors
If you have a vendor for your wedding that’s not listed here, please post here and I can comment on what we normally see.
Some Notes On Tipping
I can’t say enough, please feel free to tip as you see fit. These are my suggestions, solely based on what I normally see vendors getting tipped in this area.
Cash in USD or pesos is the preferred method of tipping. Checks are not a good idea and venmo is not a thing in Mexico.
If you would like to tip in cash I recommend placing each vendor’s tip in a separate envelope and give them out to each vendor on the wedding day.
There is no right or wrong way to do this. Everyone just does it in the way that works best for them.
