The business in one offer
Who it serves
Couples who enjoy planning and have booked a venue and vendors, but realize they cannot run the day themselves without pulling a parent or friend away from the celebration. Many have weddings of 60 to 150 guests at venues without an on-site coordinator.
What to sell first
A month-of coordination package: a kickoff meeting five weeks out, review of all vendor contracts, a detailed timeline sent to every vendor, one venue walk-through, running the rehearsal, and up to ten hours of wedding-day coordination with one assistant. Excluded: vendor booking, design, décor setup beyond placing provided items, and cleanup after the venue's end time.
A fixed start window keeps the work compact and lets you take more weddings per season than full planners. Every package follows the same checklist and timeline template, so pricing is simple and your preparation becomes faster with each wedding.
What could it cost to start?
This is an original example budget for the limited pilot described above. It is not a researched market average or a complete quote for every location.
| Item to price | Example allowance |
|---|---|
| Wedding day emergency kit and steamer | $180.00 |
| Contract, invoicing and timeline tools, three months | $120.00 |
| Liability insurance allowance | $550.00 |
| Assistant pay for two pilot weddings | $400.00 |
| Simple website and portfolio page | $150.00 |
| Two-way radios or headset set | $120.00 |
| Example total | $1,520.00 |
What this assumes—and excludes
Assumes you are organized under pressure, own a reliable car and can stand for long days. Excludes travel beyond your local area, owner pay, paid listings and local license fees. Coordinator insurance and assistant rates vary by market, so get quotes and confirm venue requirements.
Collect actual supplier, insurance and local-authority information. Add a reserve for delays and unexpected costs; the example total is not a funding recommendation.
How the unit economics work
At an assumed $1,400.00 per wedding and $260.00 in direct costs, contribution is $1,140.00 before monthly fixed costs, owner pay and taxes. With 24 all-in working hours per unit, that is $47.50 per delivery hour before those deductions. These inputs illustrate the arithmetic; they do not establish a market price or expected earnings.
The example also allows $110.00 in monthly fixed costs. Include unpaid acquisition and administrative time when deciding whether the offer is worthwhile.
Try your own numbers
These are editable planning assumptions, not prices we have verified. Calculations stay in your browser.
Operating result = (price − direct cost) × units − monthly fixed costs. Before owner pay, taxes, financing and startup recovery. At these inputs, delivery requires 240 hours per month, plus any work not included in your per-unit estimate. Sales volume is a scenario, not a forecast.
How to find the first customers
Test a small offer before scaling traffic. Record the source of each enquiry, whether it fits the offer, and whether the buyer pays.
- Ask venues without in-house coordinators whether they share a list of independent coordinators with couples, and give them your checklist and insurance details.
- Volunteer to assist an experienced planner on a few weddings to learn how timelines break, and ask whether they refer overflow couples to you later.
- Share a sample timeline template on your site and in local wedding groups where allowed, inviting couples to request a consultation.
- After each wedding, ask vendors whether they would recommend you to couples, and thank them by sending accurate timelines early.
What to validate before spending more
- Shadow or assist at two weddings before charging full price, and time every task from kickoff to final cleanup.
- Ask several venues what they require from outside coordinators, such as insurance certificates, load-in rules and end times.
- Build a contract that states start date, hours on the day, assistant inclusion, overtime rate and what you cannot fix if a vendor fails.
- Pilot your vendor confirmation emails and see how quickly vendors respond. Adjust the timing of your outreach if many reply late.
The operational catch
Couples sometimes leave gaps you discover only weeks before the date, such as no one booked to set up chairs or no plan for décor removal. If you quietly fill those gaps yourself, the day becomes unmanageable. List every gap in writing at kickoff and offer paid add-ons or vendor suggestions instead of absorbing the work.
A practical way to fund the first step
Take a deposit at booking and the balance about two weeks before the wedding, which covers assistant pay and gear. Start with a small emergency kit and borrowed radios, upgrading only after several weddings.
Separate cash already available from money still to earn. Count only proceeds after direct expenses, and do not spend customer funds needed to fulfill their existing orders.
Questions before you start
Why not offer true day-of coordination with no prep?
Without time to read contracts and confirm vendors, you are guessing on the day. A few weeks of prep lets you catch problems and build a timeline everyone follows, which is the real value.
Do I need an assistant?
For most weddings, yes. One person cannot be with the couple, the vendors and the ceremony setup at once. Budget assistant pay into the price from the start.
Can I do décor setup too?
You can offer it as an add-on, but it takes time away from coordination. Keep basic placement of provided items included, and price full setup separately or refer it to a décor vendor.
What if a vendor does not show up?
Have a backup plan for common gaps, such as a list of local vendors and an emergency kit. Make clear in your contract that you will help solve problems but cannot replace a missing vendor.
Source-backed checks
These references support the specific checks below. They do not endorse this business idea or substantiate the example prices, costs or demand.
The IRS lists standard mileage rates for business driving that can be used to calculate deductible vehicle costs. Internal Revenue Service: Standard mileage rates.
OSHA explains that working in hot environments, indoors or outdoors, can lead to heat-related illness. OSHA: Heat: Working in outdoor and indoor heat environments.
- Standard mileage ratesInternal Revenue Service · Reference checked September 8, 2026
- Heat: Working in outdoor and indoor heat environmentsOSHA · Reference checked September 8, 2026
Turn this into your own plan.
Start with this offer, then add your actual budget, skills, weekly hours and location. Your generated plan starts private.
Plan this business →