CARISTIA


Service levels: Full-service planning

Team size: 1 – 3


About CARISTIA

Cara S.

Owner/Principal Planner

Every wedding we plan is shaped by your story, your traditions, your style, and the people who matter most, resulting in a day that feels effortless, intentional, and entirely your own. We proudly welcome couples of all backgrounds, cultures, and identities, including LGBTQ+ couples, and bring the same thoughtful, personalized approach to every celebration. Our experience also includes South Asian, multicultural, and fusion weddings, giving us an understanding of the traditions, family considerations, and logistical details that can come with bringing cultures and customs together. Whatever your wedding looks like, our focus is always on creating a celebration that feels authentic to you.

With nearly two decades of experience in the events & hospitality industry, including years spent on the venue side of weddings, Cara brings an insider understanding of how wedding days truly operate. Together, Cara and her team use that experience to anticipate needs, navigate challenges, and bring all of the moving pieces together seamlessly. Cara and her team lead with calm confidence, think quickly on their feet, and bring warmth, kindness, and composure to every wedding they plan. They believe couples should feel supported throughout the planning process and fully present when their wedding day arrives.

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

7 reviews

  • AR

    Ashley R.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Oct 6

    Best of the best!

    I highly recommend Cara and her team! Although we had many of my vendors booked, Cara was there every step of the way and helped us deal with quite a few emergencies the week of the wedding. Day of, the team seamlessly dealt with the rain and other issues that came up. We are forever grateful!

  • KH

    Kasandra H.

    Rating: 5
    •Zola
    •Sep 14, 2026

    A First-Rate Study in Celebration

    Cara and her team are first-rate. They took the stress out of planning and pulling off a day to be remembered. Thought of everything and left not stone unturned. Cara's an absolute delight to work with and wonderful person. Would highly highly recommend.

  • 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!


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.