Tipping, Part Cuatro!

I was sort of over the french themed numbers after Deux.... so on to Spanish!

So who are these lucky recipients of your generosity? We'll begin with the first person you may encounter and then walk through the rest of the day.

· Hair, Makeup & Nails: Whether you go to the salon or the pros come to you, you tip the hair stylist, makeup artist, and manicurist just as you would normally, about 15% to 20%. If the bridal party is paying for their own services, it's nice if you take care of the gratuities, but of course it's not necessary.

· Wedding Coordinator: I am alittle hesitant to essentially talk about tipping myself, but why not.... Maybe you have a full-fledged "Franc" planning every little detail. Or perhaps someone from the bridal shop helps you with some loose ends during the day. No matter how intricate or basic their jobs are, they usually won't be expecting a tip. If you'd like to show your appreciation, you can include a monetary thank-you in a note, or perhaps send them a little gift after the wedding. (I love the thank you note best!)

· Delivery People (from the florist, bakery, party rental): They load up the truck, find their way to your reception site, and then oftentimes have to dance around the other delivery people, or even the band setting up, lugging in cumbersome flower arrangements, delicate cakes, and stacks of chairs. Show how grateful you are for all of their labor by offering about $10 to each delivery person. (but it's totally optional!)

· Officiant: It may seem a bit odd to slip an envelope to the person officiating your ceremony, but it is the proper thing to do. It's tradition for the best man to hand over the tip, which should be between $100 and $200. If you're getting married in a church, they'll often expect you to donate a percentage of your total wedding cost -- so if your wedding is $20,000, a $2,000 donation is gratefully appreciated. However, if you don't belong to this church and you didn't have a lot of involvement with the officiant, you can choose to contribute a lower amount.

Thus ends our series on Gratuity - I'd love to hear what you think....