Reasonable fees for a local wedding coordinator?

[BlueMoonGirl]

My fiance and I would like to hire a local wedding coordinator. We're getting proposals from various individuals or companies. We're estimating that we'll have about 50 guests for the wedding and reception. What are reasonable fees for the pre-wedding coordination and day of wedding? We don't want to simply pick the cheapest proposal, but want to know what is considered reasonable for Jamaica. Thanks for any help.

[catererbride]

Hi BlueMoonGirl,

 

I have contacted almost everyone so I would be very interested to hear what prices & feedback you have got so far. I am planning our wedding for Sept for 50 guests also and the prices I have received are crazy. Crazy crazy crazy. Generally it seems that WPs charge approx 10% - which I think is fair enough depending on the amount of work that they do on your behalf...it's the rest of the costs that blow my mind.

 

Good luck! 

[BlueMoonGirl]

Hi CatererBride,

I received quotes of about 10% too, but also one quote of $800 total flat fee and another quote for $15 per person. The wedding coordinator's services include all pre-wedding coordination (coordinate with hotel and vendors, research best pricing, pay vendor deposits, coordinate ceremony and reception, legal paperwork, rehearsal planning) and day of wedding coordination. You're right, the other wedding costs are really high. My fiance and I agreed to budget limit, and we are so determined to cut costs if necessary to stay under budget! Good luck to you too!

[catererbride]

Hi again, do you know who you are going to use and how long have you got to go?

 

We have 6 months to go and not too much confirmed as yet  

[BlueMoonGirl]

Hi CaterBride: I sent you an email...

[holly_d]

We used Helen G Events extensively and I have been very impressed. Our wedding is in 3 weeks and I can tell you she is amazingly organized and reasonably priced.

If anyone wants to know more details let me know.

 

[soon2beMrsG]

I'm (hopefully) meeting with Helen when my Fiance and I go to visit Jamaica next week.  Any reviews would be great.  So far she's been the most recommended and I've been doing HOURS of research but would still like to hear more.

 

All my best!
 

Originally Posted by holly_d 

We used Helen G Events extensively and I have been very impressed. Our wedding is in 3 weeks and I can tell you she is amazingly organized and reasonably priced.

If anyone wants to know more details let me know.

 

 

[redginger]

Soon2beMrsG,

What range of fees are you getting from the various wedding coordinators? Also, there's another post in this vendor forum about vendors posing as brides....so be aware about reviews from individuals with very few posts!

[catererbride]

Hello all,

 

My experience with wedding co-ordinators has been highly frustrating and I cannot seem to get any of them to understand what it is that I am asking for and I obviously belive myself to be very clear!

 

Prices have been around the 10% range but one planner charged a flat fee of $2000 which I thought was extortionate. Some are cheap and cheerful and if you are having a standard resort wedding package and just want to have someone along for the ride to make sure things run smoothly, then go for it. We, on the other hand are having a private villa wedding and hence there are loads of additional factors to deal with from glass rental to transportation of food and so on.

 

As a catering manager myself, I have always asked clients to put everything in writing via email as opposed to over the phone to avoid any misunderstanding...I have done this and still yet mistakes are being made. You pay someone to lessen the stress right?

 

We have now ended things with our second planner and are now going to take one out with us and just try and work everything out ourselves.

 

Unfortunately, with a lot of destination planners, we brides are just another number and another wedding...they may have 2,3,4,5 other weddings that week if they are good, so how much focus should we expect really?

 

Plus, my fiance, being Jamaican is a bit livid about some of their fees to us foreigners in relation to say...a very good monthly salary out there and some of these vendors are asking for waaaaaay more than that for one night.

 

Yes, the planners do check out this site, so I certainly won't be bad mouthing anyone and have been incontact with pretty much all of them. I will be factual though and Helen G, for example, is expensive, whether she is worth it or not, I couldn't say. I have seen on this site where she posted a reply to someone else saying that, so before I get one too.......yes I know I am asking for a lot!

 

You go girls....4 months to go and counting!  

 

 

 

 

[soon2beMrsG]

 

 

Originally Posted by redginger 

 

Soon2beMrsG,

What range of fees are you getting from the various wedding coordinators? Also, there's another post in this vendor forum about vendors posing as brides....so be aware about reviews from individuals with very few posts!

 

Oh my gosh are you serious? That's disturbing! Thanks so much redginger.  So far Island Bride has sent me package details with regard to consultation meet ($300USD initial) and etc.  Helen G keeps coming up in a bunch of different forums so I'm not really that wary of that one and out of all the inquiry emails I sent she was the one who responded promptly (meaning same day) the others answered me a day later.  Norma Ellison hasn't given me prices yet but I am still doing a meet with her because I did like her web site.  Will definitely keep you posted though.

 

All my best,

Soon2bMrsG