Post # 1
Member
367 posts
Helper bee
We plan to cater our own wedding (mid afternoon). Nothing needs to be prepped, warmed, or anything like that. All I need is for someone to take the trays out of the fridge/kitchen area, take the plastic wrap off, and set the trays on the tables in the reception area. Then, during the reception, they will need to replace empty trays with new ready-to-go trays from the kitchen and buss tables. It will be a small wedding (about 50 people). The reception should last about 3 hours. I’m thinking about asking my bridesmaids who have family in the area to see if their cousins (college age) would want to do it. I’d want them to be there for the rehearsal on Friday (so I can show them the setup and where the food is) and then for 4 hours on Saturday (1 hours before to allow for running a little late and time for setup). As compensation, I would pay for two nights at a beachside hotel (our wedding block hotel that just so happens to be at a casino on the beach). The room sleeps up to 5, and I would leave it up to them if all 5 wanted to come to the wedding or just 2 or whatever number number as long as there are at least 2. If they did a decent job, I’d give them a nice tip, but otherwise their only compensation would be the hotel room. Does this sound fair?
Update: Ok more info. The wedding is located about 2 hours away from their hometown, so they wouldn’t need accomodations. Because I’m also using the hotel for my wedding block, I’m able to get a really great deal and the value of the hotel room for 2 nights would be much more than what they would make if I paid them outright. I thought they might enjoy the chance to take weekend trip that would normally be out of their budget to the beach with their friends. After reading some of the comments I think the best bet might be to offer them direct compensation and then also invite them to book a hotel room using the wedding block discount if they wanted.
Post # 2
Member
1296 posts
Bumble bee
No, you need to pay them. How is a hotel room in their hometown compensation for working?
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This reply was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by
beebee1983.
Post # 3
Member
1296 posts
Bumble bee
And if you are going to pay for a room, why wouldn’t you just give them that money? Unless you are somehow getting the room for free, in which case, don’t be cheap and pay your vendors.
Post # 4
Member
135 posts
Blushing bee
If you think that they are going to do a good enough job……the last thing you are going to want on your wedding day is to scramble behind them because they could care less about how important this is to you. When you hire a service you have a contract and thats their reputation on the line. Make sure they understand how it works and if they are really interested. Just my thoughts on it.
Post # 5
Member
3324 posts
Sugar bee
No, I don’t think that sounds fair. Unless you are offering them each their OWN hotel room, I don’t think it’s fair to expect multiple people who may/may not know each other to share a room.
Did you get your wedding block free or something? Why would you not just pay them whatever the cost of the room would be?
Post # 6
Member
2502 posts
Sugar bee
lizstarlight22: if you’re requiring them to be out of town for two nights (which would necessitate accommodations), then paying for the hotel is NOT compensation. Any other vendor that you would hire for the same job (and make the same demands of) would require BOTH payment and that their accommodations are covered, if they’re from out of town.
if they’re not from out of town, and don’t require accommodations, then why get them the hotel room at all? just pay them instead, which i’m sure they’d prefer.
either you’re not paying them (not cool), or you’re spending their money for them (not cool).
Post # 7
Member
367 posts
Helper bee
beebee1983: It’s techinically a destination wedding. Their hometown is about 2 hours away, and the hotel is very nice and right on the beach.
Post # 8
Member
367 posts
Helper bee
scissorgirl: I get a discount for the rooms, and they do know each other. They are all close friends. I thought it seemed like something I would have liked as a college student.
Post # 9
Member
551 posts
Busy bee
Can you not just sit everything out at the same time and avoid the need to have trays replenished? Seems like a possibility with a small wedding.
And no, I honestly don’t think it’s a fair deal. They have to drive 2 hours to a wedding for someone they dont know, replenish the food throughout the night, and they only get a hotel stay for free? I’d think you should pay them something ($0.55 a mile at least plus minimum wage per hour they are working) AND put them up in the hotel for both nights. That’s how you would have to do it for a vendor. Plus, I can’t really think of a college student who would want to spend their weekend doing this without making it worth their while.
:/
Post # 10
Member
9320 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
lizstarlight22: I don’t think it’s a great deal, and I personally wouldn’t have accepted a job like that even in college, but honestly there is no harm in asking! Worst case scenario is they turn you down and you find someone else.
Post # 11
Member
584 posts
Busy bee
I think you just need to hire professional caterers. I wouldn’t travel 2 hours (gas money) just for free hotel on the Beach and no compensation.
Post # 12
Member
1285 posts
Bumble bee
“here’s the deal, drive 2 hours and work Friday and Saturday but hey, you get to sleep at a hotel”
Post # 13
Member
9076 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
I would want money over a hotel room.
Would you be content, right now at this point in your life, to accept a hotel room as payment for work?
Post # 14
Member
11373 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
I don’t understand the world sometimes.
I mean, if these were your kids or something, maybe? But you’re asking people to work for two days and drive four hours. It’s not like they can really enjoy the hotel if they actually do the work you want done.
I don’t see what you think is in this for them.
Post # 15
Member
7581 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
A hotel room they didn’t want, on a weekend you choose, at a destination you also chose, doesn’t sound like the right compensation to attract people who will actually do a good job. You can get a couple of college kids for $15-25/hour. Try your local culinary school.