Yeah, it's easier than you think. A rear wheel is a bit trickier, but the main thing is to know the half- dozen or so critical pointers, and then you can just use patience to make up for lack of experience.
In fact, I think its quite possible for someone building their first wheel to do a better job than an experienced builder, since you most likely won't be paying for more than an hour's work; he'll get it to 95% good and call that good enough, while you can keep tweaking away till it's 98% or better. Good idea to have some spare nipples on hand, though.