Tips

I know this has been asked before but I couldn't find any recent threads. Any recent brides have advice on tipping for the wedding (who and how much)?Thanks!

I know this has been asked before but I couldn't find any recent threads. Any recent brides have advice on tipping for the wedding (who and how much)?Thanks!

I had multiple envelopes labeled with cash inside - photographer, videographer (which wound up being the same person as the photographer so he got both), officiant, coordinators, officiant, bar/wait staff, DJ. Inside the envelopes for DJ, officiant, photographer, and videographer I put $20 each since I knew that envelope would go to that single person. For the coordinators I put $80 inside (I wasn't sure how many coordinators I'd have - I wound up with 3 - 1 onboard coordinator and 2 from TWE). In the envelope for the bar/wait staff I put $200 - I knew there would be multiple people. I also had envelopes with $10 each in the them and after the ceremony I went around and tipped the bar/wait/chefs that were in the room an additional $10 each because they did such an amazing job.

1. Book your wedding ASAP. I booked my wedding 8 1/2 months before the date and couldnt get the date I wanted (time to celebrate big is the most popular)

2. Ask for an inspection date of the ship before your date. I didnt know this was an option and it really came in handy when it came to mapping out the procession

3. Don't waste alot of money on wedding decorations! The ship is so beautiful that no one will notice all the effort you put into your crepe paper, banners, and table centerpieces

4. Tell your guests to arrive at least a half hour before the actual time, so that no one's late

5. Plan out your "getting ready time" in advance and prepare for the worst! During our inspection, the wedding party didnt get on the ship until almost 12:30, leaving the brides very little time to get ready

6. Bring a copy of your guest list with you!! Carnival can make mistakes (I've seen and heard about it happening) and if you don't have proof some of your guests won't be allowed on the ship

7.Stay organized; don't try to take care of everything yourself on the day of the wedding. Designate people you trust to take care of it for you. For example have MOB set up favors. Give coordinator cake decorations and a picture so she has an idea of setup. Have groomsmen assist older guests.

8. Really enjoy the moment the whole ordeal is so fast that of you sweat every detail you'll miss your own wedding day!

I was wondering about the tipping as well. I don't know why I would tip the officiate, TWE people or the coordinator on the ship. It already feels like we are being nickel and dimed by TWE. The packages aren't exactly cheap yet you still have to pay for things like chairs. I also think it's crazy that they try to charge you $180 for a $25 aisle runner. I don't know. It just seems like it's too much, but that's just my opinion. :)