Here at Polka Dot Bride, we do love our wedding planners. With an eye for elegance, what looks good and pulling together a cohesive look, wedding planners seem to have an innate sense of style. Put organisation into the mix and you have a recipe for a relatively fuss free wedding planning journey. Caitlyn of Cait Elizabeth Wedding & Event Planning does what her motto says she does – “We Plan, We Style, We Create”. There is no doubt that a wedding planner can save you stress, worry and above all money. Caitlyn knows the best professionals to work with, holds your hand when there are tough decisions to be made, offers creative solutions and creativity, and exudes a calming influence on the wedding day, ensuring that all the little details are covered and you don’t have to worry about anything one little bit. When you put your trust in someone who is passionate about their profession, you know that you’re in safe hands. Here’s Caitlyn’s story.

Have you always been passionate about weddings and events?

Absolutely, even as a child I can remember always demanding that I needed to take charge and arrange any function we had coming up! As I got older, I’d find myself styling fake events (mainly weddings), cutting up bridal magazines and pasting them into my scrap book.

Image by Brent Lukey Photography

How did you get into the wedding industry?

My very first job as a 15-year-old was working as a waitress at a wedding reception venue. I worked my way up the ranks and ended up spending about 7 years there. I haven’t looked back since.

How long have you been in your own business?

We began in February 2016. So just on 2 incredible years.

Why should we hire a wedding planner?

As with any industry professional, we have the experience and knowledge that an engaged couple may not have. Common thought is that hiring a Wedding Planner is a waste of money, or not a necessity.

In short – we are here to save you time, stress, money and guarantee you quality suppliers. We spend a lot of time behind the scenes developing strong relationships with suppliers across the industry (i.e. florists, venues, photographers) to provide our clients with the best. We remove all the stress from what should be the most enjoyable time in a couple’s lives! Up to 200 hours can go into planning a wedding, which can become quite daunting and exhausting for a couple – not knowing who you are truly hiring, will they turn up, will they do a good job? We are here to relieve that pressure from them and make it a night to remember!

Image by Jessica Atkins Photo Art & Studio

Do you have a trusted group of wedding vendors you work with?

I do, and they are an incredibly talented bunch who have become dear friends. I do also love working with new vendors and meeting new people in the industry though.

Are weddings your favorite event to plan?

Yes, by far! I love planning all types of events, but weddings just make my heart happy – it never seems like work. Anything love related and I am down for the challenge!

Image by Jessica Atkins Photo Art & Studio , Image by Brent Lukey Photography

What is it that you love about weddings?

I love love! It is as simple as that. I love knowing that I have played a small (or large) role in bringing together a couples dream day – turning their wildest dreams into a reality. You’ll definitely see me shedding a tear in the corner of the room when the bride heads down the aisle. My eyes are always locked on the groom in this moment, their faces are always so full of emotion – its my favorite moment of the whole wedding process.

Image by Sherryn Leigh

What is the most important element as far as your role as a wedding planner goes? (

As much as I’d like to say that the most important element is timing on the day and making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be, I know that my most important role is to keep everything together and maintain a calm and happy space for my couples. Weddings can become exceptionally overwhelming on the day, and couples can get quite frazzled. I’ve been told I have an extremely calming nature, and I like to make sure my couples are soaking in their big day and taking a big deep breath instead of letting the stress and overwhelming feelings get to them. I am always there to hold their hand (literally, on many occasions), pass them tissues and make sure my bride’s dress is sitting perfectly for her entrance down the aisle. I was told by an old boss of mine “it’s all of the 1 percenters that you consider and take action on – that’s what makes a person irreplaceable and unique” and I really try to live by that.

How long should couples allow for planning their wedding?

Between 12 and 18 months is the standard timeframe. Booking in the bigger vendors (venue, photographer, celebrant, florist etc.) is time critical as most open their diaries for bookings 2 years in advance.

Image by Jessica Atkins Photo Art & Studio

How do you go about planning a wedding with a client?

I always start with a free consultation, and let my clients do all the speaking. I love to get a vibe for what they are drawn to – food, décor, colours, textures and flowers. We then work through their absolute “must haves” and “don’t go there” lists, as well as what their dream wedding looks like to them. From here we discuss budgets and guest numbers.

Once a client chooses to proceed with booking us, our first duty is to find them a venue (if they haven’t already). From there, we draft up an in-depth styling proposal outlining each aspect of the wedding including colours, textures, linen choices, table décor, floral arrangements, costings and so on.

After this we proceed with gathering quotes, locking in vendors and countdown the days until their big day! We have a lot of communication with clients throughout the whole process, and never leave them in the dark with anything. In the weeks leading up to the wedding we put the finer details together, create timelines for the day and reconfirm timing with all vendors.

Image by Jessica Atkins Photo Art & Studio

What do you consider in your initial interview with the bridal couple?

Budgets are the most important aspect to consider initially. We can’t begin the planning or styling process without a budget set in stone. We also need to make sure we have a connection, I need to be able to get inside a couple’s head to be able to produce a spectacular setting for them. I need to figure out what their vision is (which is sometimes hard for them to explain) and then improve on it. Without the connection and trust, it makes my job a lot more difficult.

Image by Sherryn Leigh

How do you ensure your ideas are fresh and different for each wedding?

I spend a lot of time online checking out the latest trends in fashion, interior design, gardening, music festivals etc. and figuring out how to incorporate this into an event. I also enjoy traveling to different places, even just seeing a brightly colored painting can get my creative juices flowing!

You also assist with wedding styling. What skills and qualities do you bring to this aspect of the wedding day?

I have a crazy eye for detail and am not frightened of a challenge. I’m very passionate about what I do, and always wanting to improve on the last event.

Image by Brent Lukey Photography, Image by The White Tree

What do you enjoy about bringing the styling element into planning the wedding day? Does this ensure that everything looks cohesive?

I love the flow that completing both elements together brings. For example; capturing certain colours/patterns/textures from invitations, then utilizing these right through to the stationery on the day of the wedding. I think I use the word “flow” on a day to day basis more than any other word in the dictionary. I also love taking on the task of completing both aspects because I can sit back and rationalize each decision and make sure that it looks cohesive. It is quite common for brides and grooms to get booking happy and especially décor happy and buy little bits and pieces that once put together, don’t actually work.

Image by Brent Lukey Photography,

To help you style a wedding perfectly what five things do you need to know?

Their “must haves” – the absolute essentials that they can’t go without

Their “must not haves!” – items, colours, textures, foods etc. that they definitely do not want at their wedding

Their budget

How big and extravagant can we go with this?! Or do they want a minimalist approach to décor?

And finally, how much involvement do they want throughout this process and how much do they want me to take on.

What wedding packages do you offer?

We are actually in the middle of revamping our packages at the moment. We found that having set packages was not benefiting anyone – we realise that there are so many variables involved. Therefore, we have decided to go for a more “bespoke” range of packages where we will customize each package to suit each individual’s needs.

Image by Jessica Atkins Photo Art & Studio

Are clients able to upgrade at any time if they find that the package they’ve chosen is not offering enough for their needs?

Most definitely, we are in constant contact with our couples throughout the entire process and if they are needing more of the workload handled by us at any time we are more than happy to cater for this.

You also offer equipment hire. What items do you have for hire?

We have a small, but ever-growing range including; beautiful timber backdrops, a sound system, mason jars, lanterns, festoon lighting, wishing wells and more!

Is this part of your wedding packages, or can bridal couples hire from you even if they haven’t booked your services?

Any couple can hire our equipment, but we do offer big discounts to those that have already booked a planning and/or styling package with us.

Image by Chris Clinnick Photography

What do you like to do in your spare time?

My spare time usually involves my husband, our fur children (one puppy and four cats!), Netflix and a really good hot chocolate! I am always on the go, so we love our down time. I am a competitive horse rider as well – 6 days a week I am in the saddle, training with my horse Ilkaram. I also spend as much time as possible with my parents and siblings (and brand-new baby niece!) on their farm – we are all pretty attached at the hip.

Any good books you’re reading at the moment?

I have actually just picked up, for the third time, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. An old one, but such a brilliant story!

Thank you Caitlyn for sharing your story. Do you really want to spend up to 200 hours planning your wedding or hand over the best money you’ve ever spent so that your wedding will be a day to remember with pleasure? To find out more about Cait Elizabeth Wedding & Event Planning visit the website.

Headshot courtesy of Cait Elizabeth Wedding & Event Planning