The Van Dusen Mansion Tipping Guide

An incredible team of people work together to make your special day run smoothly. Tipping is never required but always appreciated. To better understand who is involved in our operations, please reference this guide.

V E N U E    S T A F F 

Most Commonly Seen Gratuity:

Venue Coordinator | Staff Members: 1

- Recommendation: $50-$200, your coordinator is happy to divide up any tips to the Venue Assistants and Night Lead if you prefer one sum to all venue staff.

Venue Assistants | Staff Members: 1-2 

- Recommendation: $15 - $50 per attendant

Night Coordinator | Staff Members: 1

- Recommendation: $50-200

 

C A T E R I N G    S T A F F 

Catering Captain | Staff Members: 1

- Recommendation: $50-$150, your captain is happy to divide up any tips to the serving staff if you prefer one sum to all venue staff

Servers | Staff Members: 50-100 guests = 2-3, 100-200 guests = 3-6, 200-300 guests =6-10, 300+ guests = 10+

- Recommendation: $10-$20 per person

Bartenders | Staff Members: 2-3

- Recommendation: You have the option for tip jars to be out for bartenders or a good rule of thumb is up to 15% of the pre-tax bar bill

Chefs | Staff Members: 3-4

- Recommendation: $10-$20 per person

 

O U T S I D E    V E N D O R S 

DJ / Band / Ceremony Musician 

Recommendation: $15–$30 per musician; $50–$200 for DJ’s

Photographer / Videographer

Recommendation: $50–$200 per vendor

Florist

Recommendation: $50 to $100, or a small gift

Officiant

Recommendation: Donate $100–$500 to the church or synagogue, and for the officiant, a tip of $50-$100

Hair / Makeup

Recommendation: 15-25%, depending on the quality of service

Transportation

Recommendation: 15-20% of the total bill

Decor / Rentals

Recommendation: $5–$20 per person, depending on the complexity of the setup.

Planner

Recommendation: 10–20 percent, up to $500, or a nice gift

 

As most of the staff at our events are part-time, we recommend having tips ready the day of your event to ensure they make it to the appropriate parties in a timely manner (cash in labeled envelopes is best!)