Do we add a tip on to our wedding meal bill?

Oh, that's a difficult one, isn't it? When I read the title, I was going to reply 'no way, if your wedding is anything like ours, you'll already be paying the venue enough to provide food'... but then I read the post and see you're having your reception in a restaurant that are opening just for you (LOVE that idea by the way!) which changes things somewhat..... our venue 'bill', which includes food, drinks, 'hire', dressing the venue for us, ceremony, waiting staff, evening reception food etc etc is well over £8k... so I definitely will NOT be leaving a 10% tip!

If we were having our meal in a restaurant like you are, and if I felt the food/service were good value, then yes, I think I would add 10% to the bill as a tip- and I'd probably do the card and small gift too!

Thank you 2BMrsC.

I agree and think we should tip but hubby to be thinks that a private function is a bit different from a standard restaurant dinner (i assume he thinks this because we'll be paying for it ? )

Personally, I would ask what the tip policy is for the restaurant. If it goes to all staff and shared equally, then I wouldnt tip but if it goes to the people there that day, I would tip them if they make your day extra special and give excellent service. Tthe last private lunch I went to, they went above and beyond for everyone and even threw in an additional course of champagne and strawberry sorbet between starters and mains that they didnt charge for. If I was paying the bill for that I would have bunged them some more money.

I guess its courses for horses on this one

Personally I wouldn't tip - you're filling their restaurant when it would normally be quite quiet, so not like you're putting them out.

I'm not a big tipper anyway - only if someone has done an amazing job.

I'm probably a bit stingy...

Hello Soon-To-Be-Riley (or is this actually my husband to be. lol)

Your comments completely match!

He thinks that we are giving them business at a time where they wouldn't have any money coming in anyway.

Eeeek! Decisions, decision.

I agree with your h2b and the lady above because they wouldn't normally be making money at that time of day. Xx

I agree with your h2b and the lady above because they wouldn't normally be making money at that time of day. Xx

I'm going to go against the grain and disagree with the idea that you're doing them a favour by giving them your business. I've never worked in hospitality, but presumably either the staff would not be working at that time or would be doing other tasks such as prep work for the evening. The restaurant would have had to rearrange schedules/job responsibilities and really go out of their way to accommodate your wedding. I can't say whether or not you should tip the servers, as ultimately that depends on the service, but I do think they've already gone the extra mile simply by being willing to take a booking during a time when they would normally be closed. How much you've already paid and whether or not you agree with the price of the meal doesn't really come into it. My best advice would be to budget for the tip you would pay if you receive great service and then pay what you think is acceptable on the day.

Thank you for all of your opinions. ?

I see that the comments are split about 50/50.

Looks like me and the other half will have to have a duel! ?

I would tip. I feel that the comments about how the restaurant wouldn't be making money at that time otherwise etc apply to the business as a whole and I agree that the company obviously benefits from your custom but the waiting staff and kitchen staff aren't really gaining anything 'extra', so to speak, it's not different from any other shift; they will earn the same amount they would earn if they were serving you during normal opening hours in the restaurant (likely minimum wage or not much more).

When I get good service, I tip (partially because I appreciated tips SO much when I worked in hospitality myself) so I personally wouldn't treat this any differently because I don't see how it is any different to the frontline staff.

I would tip too. Especially if they have been really helpful and gone out of their way to accommodate your wedding x

I will remind everyone again I am quite stingy..

I don't really agree with the whole - the staff have to be there and they might not normally. Most people would be happy to get a few extra shifts and I know there is some flexibility with people who do work shifts.

At the end of the day, staff get paid - like we all do. I would love to get tips and bonus' in my job, but I don't and also work minimum wage.

I would maybe let them have some cake or something.

That being said - if you're a lovely and non-stingy person - then you may wish to tip staff for their brilliant work.

I booked a table for the 4 of us for a meal after my wedding. The restaurant was open and it was a meal like all the rest of the public who were there. I tipped. It's the done thing when you book a table and go out for a meal.

If I booked a whole venue for my wedding reception then I would take it to be an inclusive price and wouldn't tip. So if I booked a whole restaurant for my wedding reception then I wouldn't tip either.

I'm also tight soontoberiley! Lol.

Thank you for all of your comments, i really enjoyed reading them. ?

So, we have decided to meet in the middle and give a tip but not one as large as i initially suggested.

Win/win i think. ?