7th on Lincoln

When I got engaged, I was on the fence about hiring a planner. I thought that I would be able to handle all of it on my own and I was worried that if I did hire a planner, they wouldn't be able to execute this obscure vision I had in my mind for what I wanted my wedding day to look like. Then I found Cara's website and her designs, pictures, and just overall vibe was everything I was looking for. When my now husband and I met with her and heard how she approaches wedding planning, we both immediately realized, yes, this wedding planner will be 100% worth it. I live in Chicago but my wedding was at the Felt Estate in Holland, MI (over 2 hours away from me). Thankfully I had Cara because she knew that area and was able to research vendors, rehearsal dinner venues, and everything in between. She would be the one to meet with my vendors and create tablescapes or floorplans for me, facetiming me and taking pictures so that I would be included in every step. My problem with planning has always been the decision making. I tend to second guess myself and be a bit wishy washy when it comes to what I like. This can cause trouble when it comes to the design aspect of a wedding. Again, thankfully, I had Cara. Cara's superpower was that she was always able to somehow read my mind and figure out exactly what I wanted before I even knew what I wanted. She would show me a couple options, take in my reactions, and then create a mock-up that was somehow exactly what I was envisioning but I would never have been able to execute myself. Yes, she has a talent for design, but she also has a talent for reading people. I truly don't know how she did it but it was amazing. Looking back at early engagement when I thought for a brief moment that I could handle planning a wedding while also working a full time job, I realize I was very much unaware of all the sneaky, tiny, pain in the butt, things that take up so much time and energy when you're planning a wedding. I do not think I would have been able to handle it all while also retaining my job and my sanity. I am beyond thankful Cara was there to handle the budgeting, the MILLIONS of emails, the floor plans, the etsy orders, and everything in between. She is so organized and on top of her work in a way that only a wedding planner can be. On the day of our wedding, all of her scheduling and planning paid off. While I was sipping champagne and having my pre-wedding jitters (okay, full blown freak outs), her and her lovely assistant were the ones working extremely hard (in 80 degree heat), handling all of the set up, vendors, and guests. The day was beyond perfect and I'll never forget taking in the sights and thinking about how 16 months of planning culminated to that moment. A month later, I am still getting compliments. And I'd love to take credit for it all but the flowers, the napkins, the flatware, the candles, the tiny details that I would never have even thought of- they were all a result of Cara's amazing talent mixed a with a little bit of my obscure vision. But more than anything, Cara became a great friend to my now husband and I and she was such a source of support and encouragement throughout our 16 months working together. If you're considering a planner, I promise you will not regret working with Cara.