Tipping
Oy vey! A sticky subject that has caused lots of contoversy on the board. Oh well, here goes:
Owners would not generally be tipped. Anyone working for someone else might expect something extra for working extra hard and giving more then just getting by (called incentive.) Percentages don't really work (at least for photography) because it doesn't really matter to the photographers what the package is. What to do, what to do. Basically, let your conscience be your guide. It depends on the kind of work they do, how responsible they are, how integral they are for a successful day, how hard they work, how many hours, etc., etc. I have a suggested guideline that I hand out to my customers. You might ask each individual vendor what the norm is. There are many factors. Working in Port Jeff (where I am) at one location is different than Manhattan at 4 locations.
8pm till midnight sounds like it could be after dinner for the musicians. I would think that cocktail hout MIGHT be enough. Then again they could miss the cocktail hour if they are working or setting up. Photographers and videographers are different because we start so much earlier and need to eat. I expect my photographers to be served a dinner because they might be working a 10 hour day. Another possibility is for those vendors (besides photographers, of course!) to get the extra meals of guests who don't show up (there are usually a few) since you've already paid for them.
Whew!
