Event Planning Help Needed

[Maxicat]

Not sure if this goes here or in careers.

I need some advice from an event planner or event coordinator. I have called several in my area and have not heard back yet.
I have an event for 100-130 people and I need to know how much a planner would charge to put it all together. I need help on printing and mailing the invitations, deciding the venue, menu and making sure all runs smoothly. I do not need a caterer.
I am putting together my budget/proposal and am running out of time.
Help!

[PG-rated]

I know when I priced day-of coordinators for my wedding, I got a HUGE range of prices - as in $450 to $2000. So I don't think there's any kind of standard range you can assume, unfortunately. I'd just wait to see who calls you back with quotes.

[ShelbyMay]

If I remember correctly, my wedding planner charged 10% of the wedding budget.

[rileyandfredsmom]

I have an event for 100-130 people and I need to know how much a planner would charge to put it all together. I need help on printing and mailing the invitations, deciding the venue, menu and making sure all runs smoothly. I do not need a caterer.


The cost will really depend on exactly what you are doing...


printing and mailing the invitations

Are the invitations four-color or two-color? Will the planner be handwriting the envelopes or putting a label on them? Will the printing be done on a home computer or will they be working with a print house requiring them to go to the printer to deliver invite, proof it prior to full run and then pick up the invites? Will there be any assembly of the invitations required for the planner - if so, how many pieces and how intricate is the assembly?


deciding the venue

Have you already looked at venues or are you asking the planner to do all of the research and present you with ideas and cost estimates for it? Do you have a clear idea of the type of venue you are looking for or do you need the planner to assist you with the concepts and plans? Will the planner be responsible for the contract negotiations or will you be handling that?


menu....I do not need a caterer

once the venue is selected, the menu will generally be dictated by it....or at least the options will be narrowed for you by the selection of the venue. So, basically, you are asking the planner to locate a venue that will allow you to bring in your own food....that is alot to ask for, heck, I would say nearly impossible to find a venue that would allow this. If you would like to cater the event yourself, you may want to look at public venues such as parks...

If I were going to hire a planner for something like this, I would expect to pay anywhere from $25 - $35/hour....for all of the time spent on the event, not just the day-of services. Party Planners do not come cheap, at least good ones don't. Although it may seem like a fairly fun and easy job, when done correctly it is time consuming and takes a lot of attention to detail....and if not done properly, your event will show it!

[Maxicat]

Thank you for the responses. I guess I need to clarify a little. I do not need a caterer because I would like whatever restaurant or venue we decide on to provide the food.
I have some venues in mind but I don't have a ton of time to do the research and take care of the communications. I am looking for someone who handles this.
I need someone to design the invitations and have them printed either by computer or thru a print shop.
There were 7 companies I called for qoutes and only one called me back and said it would take her a week to get me a quote. I did not realize it would be so difficult. I work in an industry where if I don't get back to someone in a couple of hours they have moved on.
I guess I will use 10% of the budget for right now.