Gratuity on a wedding package?

My fiance and I are getting married on July 5th, 2008. Yay! We're having our wedding at a wedding chapel downtown. It's a package, the chapel, reception ballroom, flowers and photography, decorations and a DJ. It's a set fee of roughly 6,000 dollars. We were impressed with the price and VERY impressed with the accomodations. So since it's a business with a set fee do we tip? We know to tip the caterer, cake bakery and any other vendors but we aren't sure if we tip the business. We've met with them 3 times so far and they haven't mentioned a tip and it's not in the contract anywhere. We're meeting with them again next week and I'm going to ask but I'm just curious.

Gratuity on a wedding package?
Check to see if gratuity is already included in your package or if it will be added at a later point. If not, you are not required to tip the business owners. If you are especially impressed with the service of the photographer or the DJ on the day of the wedding you can give them a cash tip in an envelope ($50-100 for the photographer and $20-50 for the DJ). But this is entirely optional and it should be based on the quality of service you receive the day of the wedding.
Reply:Unfortunately, if the tip is not included in the package (it would be written in the included services), you should expect a "gratuity charge" of 18-25% on your final bill.
Reply:At the venue, the day of you should be tipping the maitre'd and the bridal attendant they give you for that day. Ordinarily, when booking a venue they add taxes and gratuity--the gratuity included in your price goes towards the wait and bartending staff. However, the maitre'd and the bridal attendant tips are not included.





In addition, people usually tip their photographer and videographer and dj--these vendors do not include any kind of gratuity in their price.





If worse comes to worse, ask your venue who the gratuity that is included in your price goes to. This way, it gives you clear picture on who you need to shell out money to the day of.