CARISTIA

Service levels: Full-service planning

Team size: 1 – 3

About CARISTIA

Cara S.

Owner/Principal Planner

At Caristia, we believe a wedding is more than a moment. It is a reflection of everything that led you here. As a Pittsburgh-based wedding planner, we design celebrations that are deeply personal, thoughtfully composed, and rooted in meaning. Every wedding we plan is shaped by your story — your traditions, your style, and the people who matter most — resulting in a celebration that feels effortless, intentional, and entirely your own. We proudly work with couples of all backgrounds, cultures, and identities, creating space for every kind of love to be honored with care and authenticity.

Cara's insider understanding of how venues and vendors operate ensures that every detail clicks seamlessly into place. Cara will guide you in crafting a celebration as unique as the journey that brought you here. She leads with calm confidence, thinks quickly on her feet, and always brings warmth, kindness, and composure - even when the unexpected happens. Most of all, Cara truly loves what she does. She pours her heart into every celebration, championing your day with genuine joy and unwavering dedication.

In three words: Calm, Efficient, Supportive

Best of Zola 2026

Services by planning level

Full-service planning

Pricing starts at $7,500

Partial planning

Pricing starts at $2,500

Day-of coordination / wedding management

Pricing starts at $850

Destination wedding

Pricing starts at $5,000

Elopement / microwedding

Pricing starts at $1,500

A la carte

Pricing starts at $135

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

5 reviews

  • AH

    Ashley H.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Jul 7, 2026

    Hire the Wedding Planner or Day Of Coordinator!

    Working with Cara was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. From the very beginning, she thought of absolutely everything; even the little details we never would have considered. Her planning style is truly tailored to each couple, and she took the time to understand what was important to us instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach. Cara is incredibly thorough, organized, and flexible. No matter what questions or last-minute changes came up, she handled everything with professionalism and kindness, making the entire planning process feel so much less stressful. The biggest gift Cara gave us was peace of mind on our wedding day. I didn't have to worry about a single thing because she had already communicated with every vendor, our families, and the wedding party. Everything flowed seamlessly, allowing us to be fully present and enjoy every moment. If you're looking for someone who genuinely cares about your day as much as you do, Cara is the person you want by your side. She went above and beyond, and we are so grateful for everything she did to make our wedding absolutely perfect. We can't recommend Caristia Events highly enough!

  • LA

    Lauryn A.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Jul 7, 2026

    5/5(or 10/5!)

    If I could give Cara more than five stars, I would. We actually hired a different wedding planner at first, but after realizing she wasn't the right fit, we made the decision to let her go and hired Cara instead. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions we made during our entire wedding planning process. From the very beginning, Cara was organized, responsive, and genuinely invested in making our wedding day everything we envisioned. She quickly became more than just our planner—she became someone I truly looked forward to talking with throughout the planning process. On our wedding day, she handled every detail seamlessly, allowing my husband and me to be fully present and enjoy the day without worrying about logistics. When we unexpectedly ran out of what should have been enough Grey Goose and Basil Hayden during cocktail hour, Cara immediately jumped into action, went out herself to purchase more, and had everything back in time for the reception. Our guests never even knew there had been an issue. She also went above and beyond in so many ways that weren't even part of her job. At the end of the night, she carried all of the décor and personal items that we had brought ourselves up to my parents' room at The Pennsylvanian so we didn't have to worry about it after such a long day. Cara is kind, calm under pressure, incredibly hardworking, and truly cares about her couples. If you're looking for someone who will treat your wedding as if it were her own, I cannot recommend her enough. We are so grateful we found her, and I honestly can't imagine our wedding without her.

  • BW

    Bri W.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Oct 16, 2025

    Wedding Coordinator that brings so much Kindness!

    Cara did an amazing job at allowing us to have the most enjoyable and relaxing wedding day. Cara stepped in to help a fellow wedding coordinator who was originally booked for my wedding who had a family emergency. That already was such a kind thing to do. We met the day before the wedding and Cara treated my wedding like I had been her own client all along. The venue coordinators were really unimpressive the day of the wedding and if Cara weren’t there the day would certainly not have gone the way it did. She stayed all the way until the end of the night and did not stop all day! I think she felt how much we really needed her and completely stepped up to it. I’m so grateful that I booked a day-of coordinator! Throughout the whole day she simultaneously assisted with the immediate needs of myself, my husband, and our parents while also catering to all of the tasks I had asked of her ahead of time. It was the most beautiful wedding i could imagine and my family and I give a lot of the credit to Cara for that!

  • EM

    Emily M.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Oct 15, 2025

    Couldn’t recommend Cara enough :)

    Cara & her team are absolutely amazing. I couldn’t recommend Caristia Events enough. From the early stages in the planning process to the day of details and timeline, Cara made sure our entire planning experience went without a hitch. Our wedding was truly the best day of our lives - all thanks to Cara’s seamless execution! Thank you!

  • L

    Lydia

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Oct 14, 2025

    Bride

    We were so thrilled to have Cara’s guidance leading up to our wedding day! Cara brings a great deal of knowledge and experience alongside a true intuition for event planning and day of coordination. Her skill set coupled with her calm, caring demeanor made our day truly unforgettable. Cara was always available to answer questions and to calm my nerves during the planning process. She is also extremely knowledgeable regarding vendors in the southwestern PA area. Cara’s presence on our wedding day allowed us to relax and enjoy ourselves. We highly recommend her for wedding and event coordination!

Caristia approaches each celebration as something to be thoughtfully composed rather than replicated. With nearly two decades of experience in weddings, hospitality, and venue management, we pair creative vision with meticulous organization to create celebrations that feel personal, polished, and entirely your own.
Earlier is always wonderful, but there is no single right time. Full-service clients often begin working with us a year or more before their celebration, while partial-planning and coordination clients may join us later in the process. If you are unsure which level of support makes sense, we are happy to help you determine the best fit.
We don't have a signature "look" that we impose on our couples. Instead, we believe the most beautiful celebrations are a reflection of the people at the center of them. Our role is to help refine your ideas, thoughtfully curate the details, and create a cohesive guest experience that feels elevated, intentional, and unmistakably yours.
Absolutely. We are happy to step into the planning process at any stage and collaborate with the vendor team you've already assembled. Our role is to create a cohesive experience and ensure everyone is working toward the same vision.
Yes! You don't need to have everything figured out before reaching out. In fact, that's often exactly when a planner can be most helpful. We'll talk through where you are, what's already been accomplished, and where you could use support before recommending the level of service that makes the most sense.
To us, curation means knowing what to include, and what to leave out. Rather than adding details simply for the sake of having them, we help our couples make thoughtful choices that tell a cohesive story and create an experience that feels intentional from beginning to end.

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