This gorgeous wedding inspiration was richly warm, luxuriously rustic and an inviting celebration incorporating the colors, materials and textures found in a mountain lodge. Plush furs, traditional tartans, rich leather, antlers and hardwoods complemented this simple color palette perfectly to round out this masculine wintry wedding at the gorgeous Coleman Hall & Chapel in Charleston, SC.
Read MoreWhich Vendors to Tip at Your Wedding | Ask a Wedding Planner | Charleston, Atlanta, Philly Nontraditional Wedding Planner
Which vendors should I tip at my wedding?
Today we're talking about the yucky stuff...money. Usually our blogs are about the funsies and picking out the pretty stuff or yummy cakes, but today is all about the moolah. Most of our clients are usually pretty in the dark about who to tip at the wedding and thus end up asking us. So we figured it was about time to get a blog up on that subject! Keep in mind tips are always optional but several vendors will expect them. Make sure you give the envelopes to the planner or the best man before the event to be given out at the end of the night and/or service performed.
Firstly let's talk about tipping your planner, and no, this is NOT a plug for us to get more money out of you!
Sure, a tip is AMAZING and always very appreciated, but something a bit more personal for the gal (or gent) you've spent tons of time planning this special day with is probably in order. I'd suggest getting her a generous gift card for a restaurant you know she loves or a gift card for a pair of Tieks (anyone who spends hours on their feet should totally own a pair...or four!) or a gift basket filled with her favorite wines and cheeses would be divine! Whatever you do get her, make sure it's personal and well thought out and you'll certainly make her feel loved! Side note, I would suggest tipping her staff individually. $50-100 per person is perfect.
Should I tip the wedding photographer?
Photographers don't expect to be tipped if they own the company, but if they only work for the company we suggest tipping them anywhere from $50-200 per person. Same rule applies to their second shooters, we suggest tipping them as well. As for a nice thank you for the photographer, try to send them something well thought out and personal.
Should I tip the wedding hair and makeup artist?
Hair and makeup artists are definitely expecting to be tipped. We usually suggest 15-25% of the total at the end of the appointment.
Should I tip the officant?
Officiants usually expect to be tipped as well but it's a bit of a gray area as to how much. Some people feel that if they're charging you to officiate then that's good enough, but we usually suggest tipping them 10-15% of the total, and if you're only asked to make a donation it should be at least $200.
Which other vendors should we tip?
Ceremony musicians
If you've used a larger choir for the service and they haven't charged you a large fee, we'd recommend making a donation to their church for a small amount (around $100 is good) and giving them some cupcakes or cookies when the ceremony ends.
Definitely plan to tip anyone playing an instrument for the ceremony. Whether they're playing as a group or a soloist, we suggest between $50-100 per person.
Catering
Check directly with the caterer when it comes to tipping the catering staff. They typically have their gratuity and/or service fees built into the contract so ask them if that goes to the staff. If the gratuity isn't given right to the staff, we recommend tipping each of them. We suggest 2-5% of the total bill, and have your wedding planner give it to the banquet captain or catering manager at the end of the night.
Bartenders should be tipped if they didn't have a tip jar out for the guests to tip them. We suggest $150-200 each.
Transportation
Another person that will expect a tip is the transportation driver. We suggest 15-20% of the total.
Reception musicians and/or DJ
The band or DJ are technically optional tips, but usually recommended. If they've done an especially good job and really kept the party on its feet, we suggest $50-100 per musician and at least $200 for a great DJ.
Rental staff
We always suggest tipping the rental delivery/set up staff. Usually about $20-30+ per person is perfect for them. They don't expect it, but if they're delivering a ton of stuff, moving things multiple times or coming back for a super late pick-up it's a very nice touch.
Miscellaneous vendors
We suggest generously tipping anyone who falls into one of the more specialized categories below:
- Cake or specialty dessert vendor
- Photo booth operators
- Live wedding painters
- Henna artists
- Performers
We hope this helped clear up the great tipping questions we're sure you all have!
Navy & Citron Nautical Wedding at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina | Charleston, Atlanta & New York Wedding Planner
Preppy nautical weddings abound in the Lowcountry but Scarlet Plan & Design and The Click Chick Photography rocked the boat with this wedding coastal inspiration!
When Mackenzie, THE Click Chick, and I first started talking about doing a shoot together we knew it had to be nautical and it had to be at Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina (aka CHRM). We're both obsessed with all things coastal so it was a natural fit and the perfect venue for our Nautical South Shoot.
We started with the very nautical navy and white as our base colors in the palette and used a fun citron green and a deeper emerald green as an unexpected pop of color throughout the entire shoot. After the color choices were made we started assembling a team of awesome, creative vendors perfect for pulling off the incredible shoot we're about to share with you!
Catering and mixology was done on site and was mouth watering to say the least! With the stunning Kristen Cook (AKA the real Miss Charleston!) as our bride and Citadel alum Ben Hebel as our handsome groom and professional ballet dancer Crystal Wellman as our Maid of Honor, our fake wedding party was ready to go! Can you believe how gorgeous they all look together?
My biggest piece of advice given to all my couples is to look into your own lives for inspiration and to stay true to yourselves to create a memorable and unique wedding that is completely YOU!
as always, happy planning my loves!
xoxo, Sara
Vendor List:
Shoot Design & Coordination :: Sara Skinner with Regis Byrd of Scarlet Plan & Design | Photographer :: The Click Chick Photography | Venue :: Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina | Accessories :: Simply Southern Wedding | Accessories & Home Decor :: C. Wonder (now closed) | Cake :: Delicious Desserts | Boat :: The OM Sailing Charter | Bridal Attire :: designed by Sara Skinner of Scarlet Plan & Design, (skirt) Gown Boutique of Charleston, (top) Target | Bridesmaid's Attire :: LulaKate | Catering :: On site by CHRM | Customized Dockers :: Sperry Topsiders | Florist :: On A Limb Floral Design | Groom's Attire :: (jacket) Charleston Tuxedo | Linens :: Ultrapom | Makeup :: Hana Mohalo | Hair :: Hair by Takeshia | Live Sketch Artist :: C. Ellis Designs | Oyster Knives :: Custom Coastal Knives | Rentals :: Snyder Events | Stationery :: The Silver Starfish | Styling & Jewelry Curating :: Alden deHart for Scarlet Plan & Design | Vintage Trunk :: 428 Main | Welcome Bag :: A Signature Welcome
click on any image to enlarge
Custom made oyster knives make the perfect bride & groom gifts for the nautical couple!
Custom designed invitations sporting real compasses were absolutely perfect for helping guests find their way to the wedding!
We opted to skip the traditional flower boutonniere and use a nautical knot instead. Believe it or knot (see what I did there? ha!) that gold anchor is an earring!
The gals at A Signature Welcome worked with us to craft a welcome bag we'd LOVE to give our own guests! They used our color palette paired with perfectly curated gifts sure to make your guests feel welcomed and at ease during their weekend in the sun with you at your wedding!
The morning of your wedding don't forget to bring one of your fiance's button down shirts to wear while you're getting your hair and makeup done and for all those sweet "getting ready" shots with your ladies!
Ah, the details...the stunning engagement ring with the citron stone was on loan from a private collection and is unavailable for purchase at this time (insert sad face here!), but everything else seen here can be yours! All jewelry was curated by Bridal Stylist Alden deHart for our shoot and can be yours simply by booking her services! See our Styling page for more info.
I wanted to do something completely off the wall but still wearable for the bride's gown so I paired a huge tulle ball-gown skirt from Gown Boutique of Charleston with a navy and white striped top from Target! When we started getting Kristen dressed we realized that we needed a belt around her waist so Alden used a fabulous pearl necklace wrapped in a grosgrain navy and white striped ribbon and it was perfect! And don't even get me started on how much I adore that rope necklace!
In sticking with our nontraditional wedding attire, we had Ben rock dark washed jeans paired with a pale blue button-down and a crisp white tuxedo jacket. It was the perfect choice for our seafaring couple!
This is probably one of my favorite images from the entire shoot. All 3 of the models wore custom navy and white Sperrys and they could not have been more perfect! I mean, boat shoes for a nautical wedding?! Obvi! And wouldn't they make the perfect gifts for your wedding party?
A live sketch artist to capture your wedding day and provide a little entertainment for the guests is one way to go when you want to stray from the expected at your wedding!
Y'all, that's a real working cannon from the 1800's that my sweet hubby's buddy let us borrow. That little thing must weigh about 70 freaking pounds! Thanks for helping us get that out there, Snyder! And thanks for letting us borrow it, Chris!
See that beautiful catamaran in the background? We shot our next (and final) scene aboard her and you're going to love the unique Grand Exit "vehicle" we chose for this faux wedding!
For our Grand Exit aboard the OM catamaran we took Kristen out of the boatnecked 3/4 sleeved shirt and rope necklace and put her in a fun white and blue tank top and a more casual anchor necklace. We changed Ben's solid blue shirt to a fun floral printed shirt from Banana Republic. Captain Banff Luther sailed us out around the peninsula, around the harbor and all over Charleston treating us to a KILLER sunset and unparalleled views of the Battery and all the way up to Fort Sumter. I'd highly recommend booking a cruise on his cat with your friends ASAP!
What boat trip would be complete without someone pretending to be King of the World?
Could these two be any more gorgeous together?!
I spy the Charleston Battery in the background!
Indian Summer Bollywood meets Birmingham Wedding Inspiration at Middleton Place | Charleston Wedding Planner
Bollywood met Birmingham at Middleton Place for Revolution Wedding Tour's Charleston Mega Tour. Our Indian Summer design was jam-packed with vibrant colors, exotic accents, luxurious South Asian touches and filled with tons of inspiration for the perfect fusion wedding. Talk about a dream come true!
Read MoreCharleston Bohemian Beach Wedding Inspiration at Citadel Beach Club for A Lowcountry Wedding Magazine | Charleston, Atlanta, Savannah Nontraditional Wedding and Event Planners
OMG, y'all when I say I'm behind on blogging I'm not even close to kidding! This gorgeous bohemian beach wedding shoot we did for A Lowcountry Wedding Magazine & Blog has been patiently waiting for me to get it together for like a year! Ooops!
At Scarlet Plan & Design we're always drawn to the more challenging events and adore the nontraditional, so Charleston Boho Beach Wedding Styled Shoot was right up our alley! But that afternoon, Mother Nature decided to give us a run for our money... Freak thunderstorms, relentless unyielding winds on the beach, traffic drama, and timing snafus threatened to shut us down, but we pulled it off and it was both creative and stunning! What do you do when your beach shoot can't be shot on a beach? Move the entire thing inside a vintage bus! And luckily we were able to get back together a few days later at Boneyard Beach to grab a few shots actually on the beach! Enjoy!
Last September, we made our way to the Isle of Palms for a gorgeous, Bohemian Beach Inspired afternoon at the Citadel Beach House where we created a whimsical atmosphere with a color palette of rich cranberry, ocean blues, pale peach and soft creams. We designed a killer tablescape highlighted by a mesmerizing teal sofa from CRUSH Event Rentals. A luscious floral arrangement from Forage + Fleur by Rebekah Clark Moody anchored the table while one-of-a-kind pieces from Vintage English Teacup were meticulously scattered amongst the charming table settings from Polished! Sablée whipped up an array of sweets, a dazzling four-tier, hand-painted cake and, our personal favorite, vibrant purple macaroons. - from A Lowcountry Wedding Blog & Magazine
Planning & Design: Scarlet Plan & Design // Photography: Dana Cubbage Weddings // Florist:Forage + Fleur by Rebekah Clark Moody // Hair & Makeup: Pink Dot Beauty Bar // Stationery: Jankun Creative // Furniture Rentals & Lighting: CRUSH Event Rentals // Table Settings: Polished! // Videography:Before Your Eyes Cinematography // Catering: Coastal Crust Food Truck // Bar: FLÛTE Charleston // Cake, Sweets & Cheese Wheels: Sablée // Transportation:Lowcountry Valet & Shuttle Co. // Favors & Goodies:Simply Southern Wedding Décor // Music: Charleston Virtuosi // Gowns: Fabulous Frocks and Ivory + Beau // Menswear: Kenneth Beatrice & The Modern Gent // Rentals: Vintage English Teacup // Styling: Sara Skinner & Alden deHart // Models: Anna Baginski & Chelsie Ravenell// Flower Crown, Arm Band: Anna Bella Florals
And here are a few from our sunset shoot at Boneyard Beach on Folly.