Wedding-Related Question: What would you pay...

SBS0628

Hey ladies,

I have sort of a two-part question (actually more like two-part question sets...). Here's part one:

If you used a D.O.C., what did you pay? What services did they provide for you?

And here's part two:

Whether or not you used, a D.O.C., what do you think would be a reasonable/good price for the following: delivering day of checks to vendors, coordinating all set-up, providing some decor pieces (non-floral), creating and maintaining a day-of timeline, coordinating all clean-up, providing consultations on design elements the months leading up to the wedding?

I should note -- I am NOT trying to start a business or become a vendor. I know someone (we'll call her K) who has done a LOT of special event coordination for her job and she's been asked by a friend-of-a-friend (A) to help with what's listed above. A is willing to pay, but K has no idea what she should charge (she has a salaried position elsewhere, so this "a la carte" planning is new to her). I know it's going to vary based on area, and K will probably give A a pretty big discount off of what's "normal," but I told K I would try to get feedback from you all so she can give A a ballpark on services and "rentals."

Thanks for your help!

Leigha12

My DOC didn't do nearly as much as what you mentioned above, and I think I paid her like $400 or so. I definitely feel like for what I ended up getting, it was too much.  Given your list above, somewhere in the $300-$400 range is what I'd pay: lower end if it is just K, higher end if she has someone helping her.

hawkilady

I didnt hire a DOC but my sister did and she paid $200... included a meeting to go through details/decor 2 weeks prior to the wedding and arriving at 12 day of the wedding (when we were able to start decorating).  She helped set up tables/linens/decor items with us for the first 2 hours and then finished all the leftover stuff when we left at 2.  She met caterers, cake delivery, DJ, etc and got everyone set up in the right places.  She was supposed to be done at 6 (when the wedding started) but she stayed to tell everyone when to walk down the aisle and direct the couple people who showed up late to the back and pour and deliver drinks for the wedding party right after the ceremony. 

She was a friend of a friend and just getting started in the business so she was really cheap compared to the other estimates my sister got.

luckycooky

Mine charges $500 for everything you listed. She is a very good friend of mine so she did mine for free but I would say she is worth it. She was on top of every detail and was a step ahead of me on everything.

LarkNow

We hired a planner, who sort of functioned as a D.O.C. but I hated her. When they sold our venue and sent back our deposit six months before the wedding, we hired her because I felt lost and didn't know what to do.  She was supposed to help us find vendors, but my mom ended up finding both the venue and the caterer (who negotiated the contract with the rentals company).  The planner did help us find the florist (who turned out to be crazy).  I had already booked the DJ, the photographer, the videographer and the fireworks guy through the previous venue and they all agreed to stay on at the new place.

She was good about making phone calls on my behalf, making sure people got back to me when they were dodging my calls.  That was probably the best thing she did.  On the actual day of the wedding she showed up at noon, with an assistant, and they set everything up according to my instructions.  I also had written the timeline, so they sort of helped make sure the vendors followed that until they left at 10 that night (the wedding ended at 12).  She didn't do anything else you mention, though--hand out checks, provide decor, consult on elements, or even clean up.  The owner of the inn did that (who, in retrospect, was the real D.O.C.  Unfortunately I was already in a contract with the planner and couldn't drop her).

For that, we paid $1500.

And then, unauthorized, she used a photo of me in an advertisement for her business.  My sister happened to spot it in a local magazine. 

stephriz

We paid $400 in rural MS for a woman who has been doing DOC for 10+ years and was a great resource.  In addition to everything on your list, she also ran the rehearsal for us so I didn't have to make any decisions the day before the wedding.

My sister paid $500 for a lady in DC who is trying to get a wedding coordinator business off the ground (you know, "she loved her own wedding so much, she now wants to make it her career.")  She was worthless and was no where when the photographer was late and everything went tohell. 

ooooo--make sure the DOC brings a supplies pack.  My sister's crinoline got messed up as we were getting sister dressed and we really needed a pair of tweezers.  Crappy DOC couldn't help with that either.

mamie329

Errr, so, most of you are my FB friends anyway and may have gathered what I do as a side gig (KB, don't ban me!). I charge $500 for day-of, which includes acting as point person for all the vendors, creating and distributing the timeline, two face-to-face pre-wedding meetings, review of inspiration collages and ideas, gather and load items at end of the night, greet guests and direct them to the venues, coordinate entrances down aisle and into reception, executive special requests on behalf of B&G, handle mishaps and situations as they arise, and coordinate the rehearsal.  I also have on me a big bag full of emergency kit items.