When it comes to your big day, how should you show your gratitude?

There are several support teams and individuals who play an important role on your wedding day, so how do you know who to thank with a monetary reward and who to thank with just a simple, "Thank you"? Many brides have asked me for advice on tipping vendors on their wedding day and the simple answer is: it is up to you and whom you want to tip, and how much. However, after doing some research on the subject, let's see who makes the cut. If you need more wedding planning advice and tips, just let me know!

Let's start with: which vendors should I tip?

The most commonly tipped wedding professionals are:

• Hair Stylist
• Makeup Artist
• Wedding Officiant
• Musicians (Quartet, Mariachis, Harpist, Pianist, Guitarist, Flautist) 
• Banquet Servers
• Bartenders
• Band or DJ
• Limo Driver
• Parking Valet

Now that you know the whom, how much should you tip each vendor?

• Hair Stylist - 15-20%
• Makeup Artist - 15-20%
• Wedding Officiant - $75-$100 or a donation to the church
• Musicians - $25-$50 per member
• Banquet Servers - $20-$50 per server
• Bartenders - 15-20%. If it is a cash bar, most guests will tip them, but it is nice to ask them if they have been taken care of.
• The Band - $25 per member
• DJ - 15-20%
• Limo Driver - 15-20%
• Parking Valet - $1-$2 per car

What about those other guys?

If there's anyone I forgot, here are a few vendors that do not generally fall into the tipping category, but who can still be included on your list if you feel that they have given you exceptional service.

• Florist - 15%
• Photographer - 15%
• Videographer - 15%
• Wedding Planner - 10-20%

One last thing...

Remember that when it comes to tipping, there is no concrete formula. Ultimately it is up to you to tip your vendors based on what kind of services they provided and how well they provided them. There are also vendors you do not need to tip. If they are the owner of the company, they are making 100% of what you're paying them, so gratuity is not required. Before you tip, carefully read through your contract to make sure a gratuity is not automatically added to your final invoice. Most venues add a service charge which is not always divided among the staff and is taxable. It is okay to ask if the service charge goes to the servers.

And lastly, a tip is way to say 'thank you' for a job well done, but money is not the only way to show your appreciation. For many of your vendors, a nice thank you note is appreciated. Better yet, writing a glowing review on a wedding website like WeddingWire, The Knot, Here Comes the Guide, or Yelp will not only show your vendors how much you value them, but it will continue to bring value to them down the road. It also doesn't hurt to refer them when the time comes to pass the bouquet.