If my caterer has built in a $450 18% gratutidy do I still have to tip?

It is common for a catering company to automatically add 18% to your bill for gratuity. However, what isn't fair is that the company usually just takes that money - in most cases they don't give the servers any share of the gratuity since servers are usually paid hourly for events like weddings (the pay is decent but not great, $8-10 per hour when I did it several years ago). When I was a server, I always was SO appreciative when the mother or father or the bride would hand out tips to all of the servers at the end of the night. It was a real treat!

So, to answer your question, you definitely don't need to give the catering company anything extra. However, if you were willing to hand out $10 or $20 bills to each server (depending on how many servers there are), they'd love you! But definitely, this is your choice. You wouldn't be considered cheap if you didn't give an additional tip.

In the service business, when gratuity is included, you are not obligated to give extra tips. However, depending on the caterer, sometimes the gratuity is only divided to the cooks and management.

Those who serve the food to the tables (waiters) may not get portion of it. In this case, you would prepare spares of $5 bills for the waiters. Dont feel bad too if you needed to ask if the waiters get the split.

Congrats!

I hate built in tips. If someone adds that, that is all they get from me.

And a caterer getting a tip? That makes no sense to me. Or are there going to be waitstaff and this is for them?

Only if you feel they provided exceptional service, but since they are already adding the tip to the bill, I personally would not tip any extra (18% is not cheap.)

No. Thats a pretty big tip. I don't think I would appreciate them deciding on what their tip is going to be. I hope they informed you of this before you agreed to the catering.

Generally, you don't have to unless the service was so good, you feel an extra bonus wouldn't hurt. But they include gratuity for a reason, and that's so they don't get stiffed. If I were you, I wouldn't tip extra. Weddings are expensive enough as it is.

Only if you want to. Personally with what you're paying I would find it a little insulting that they would add in a $450 tip without your consent.

when there is 18% gratutidy already on your bill that is the tip, unlesss you like extra tipping then go for it!! I sure as hell cant pay it. lol

Since the gratuity is included, it is not expected that you tip.

However - if they provided you with such exceptional service - tip more if you feel it warrants it.

If it's already figured in, you don't have to put in anything else unless you just want to.