Toronto woman goes wedding dress shopping. Then she ‘says yes to the dress’—and is asked to tip 20% on top of the hefty price tag: ‘Tip would be $800’
Weddings are expensive in general, and it often starts with one of the biggest clothing purchases many people will ever make: the dress.
According to a survey by The Knot, the average wedding dress costs around $2,000, though many brides end up spending anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 for higher-end options.
On top of that, some brides say they’re now being asked to tip their bridal stylists by percentage. That’s what one Toronto woman reports happened during a recent appointment.
Bride Stunned By Request At Wedding Dress Checkout
TikTok creator Amelia (@ameliamulligan) shared the story in a video that has gotten over 146,400 views.
“I did not know that tipping on a wedding dress was a thing until last week. So let’s chat about it,” she says.
She explains that she first visited the boutique for a paid appointment, where she tried on several dresses and found one she loved.
“The stylist I was working with was so sweet,” she says, adding that the dress became her top choice.
When she returned for a second appointment with her mom, she says she booked a “say yes” experience and expected a more celebratory setup.
“I was under the impression that we were getting prosecco… but I didn’t know you only get prosecco once you’ve said yes,” she says.
Regardless, after trying on a few options, she decided to go with the original dress.
“Then the weird part was… I get a sheet of paper basically asking for a tip percentage on top of the price of the full dress,” she says.
She breaks down what that would mean. “To put it in perspective, if you’re buying a $4,000 dress, a 20% tip would be $800,” she says.
She adds that the moment felt uncomfortable. “I literally was blank staring at the sheet being like, what am I supposed to do with this?” she says.
She ultimately chose not to tip.
“I left the sheet blank… and it was the first time in my life I’ve ever no tipped,” she says.
Viewers Say The Request Was Unusual
In the comments, many viewers said they were surprised by the idea of tipping on a wedding dress purchase.
“i was shocked when that tip screen came up on mine. i smashed the ‘NO TIP’ button so fast with no …regrets,” one person wrote.
Others questioned the overall experience.
“Prosecco is 12.99 per bottle why are they being cheap,” another said.
Some felt tipping didn’t make sense at that price point.
“No way I’m tipping for a dress…..a $4000 dress! This entire tipping ‘rule’ has gone way over board,” a third wrote.
Others said they hadn’t encountered it at all.
“No that’s def not a thing, I have bought 3 dresses for my wedding weekend so far and have never even had the chance to give a tip,” another added. “I’m sorry you had that experience but congrats on finding your dress!! That’s what’s most important.”
Do Bridal Stylists Expect Tips?
It appears to be a relatively new or inconsistent practice.
In some discussions online, many brides said they had never heard of tipping bridal consultants.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone tipping after buying their dress,” one Reddit user wrote.
“I have never once heard of this…I would be really frustrated and also felt so on the spot!” another said.
From a stylist’s side, the pay structure may explain the expectation.
“I make $13 an hour, 2% commission. That’s it, unless someone tips,” one bridal stylist wrote in a forum.
They describe the work as time-intensive, often spending hours helping a bride try on dresses, narrowing options, and finalizing orders.
“It’s actually a lot of work… but the pay is really not rewarding in the slightest,” they added.
@ameliamulligan I truly need to know how many brides are tipping on their wedding dress ?♀️ #weddingdress ♬ original sound – Amelia
The Mary Sue has reached out to Amelia via email for comment.
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