At a recent wedding, I witnessed the planner informing her bride that she had the amounts tallied for each vendor who was still due payment. This happened on the wedding day, the bride perched high upon a stylist’s chair, still in her bathrobe,  a mimosa in one hand, a cell phone in the other, waited patiently for the stylist to adhere her false lashes.

Somehow, the bride managed to hold the list of accounts handed to her in her pinky, her other fingers wrapped tightly around the stem of her champagne flute.

Just like that, the bride summoned her mother, who ran, checkbook in hand, to the side of her daughter. The planner produced the figures; mother and daughter concurred with the amounts; mother wrote the checks. And, everyone in the room felt awkward.

Even in the best circumstances, money is be the currency of emotion, especially on a wedding day. Elation. Relief. Reward of a battle well won. A generous gift with no strings attached. No matter what the emotion, there is no need for a bride, whose emotions may be tried already during her wedding preparation time, to be complicated by monetary transactions. It taints the experience, it’s not fun and it ruins the photos (as only a photographer could say). It’s uncomfortable, no matter how gracious the check writer. Most of all, it’s not necessary.

This system of checks and balances, provided by Las Vegas Wedding Concierge Tracey Kumer Moore, will help you steer clear of the scenario above.

Recommendation 1: Pre-pay all your vendors fully at least 15 days prior the wedding. That way, checks and credit card payments can clear their accounts prior to your wedding.

Recommendation 2: Calculate and distribute cash tips ahead of time for creative partners. Place cash tips in sealed envelopes with each recipient’s name clearly printed on the front. Give these envelopes to your planner or your maid of honor to distribute on your wedding day.

Recommendation 3: Confused about tipping? Creative partners who own the business should not be tipped. Their assistants and associates should be. If you would like to tip a creative partner who owns the business, send a gift and thank you note, post-wedding. Always include a personal testimonial sharing how much you appreciate what that person did for you.