Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin.
Hi Caitlin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started my career in live sports production at the University of Oregon, which was fast-paced, unpredictable, and probably the best possible training for what I do now. After graduating, I moved to the Bay Area and began producing weddings at a luxury villa, which gave me a unique lends into deeply details and organized events. I completely fell in love with it! The energy of a wedding day, the relationships, the design, and the opportunity to create an experience people would remember forever was something – and is still something – that my heart holds really dearly.
After around four years in the Bay, I knew it was time to come home to Oregon. I was ready to marry my husband, be closer to family, and begin building a life here. When I moved back, I decided to take everything I had learned and started Caitlin McDonald Events after the job I moved for just wasn’t the right fit for me. I’m thankful for it though, because it gave me the courage and motivation to take the leap! I didn’t know exactly what the business would become, I just knew I loved this work and wanted to work for myself and that’s exactly what I did!
Since then, the company has grown alongside my own life and family. I now have two little girls, an amazing team and the opportunity to design weddings throughout the whole West Coast. It has taken a tremendous amount of work, long weekends and lots of travel but I still feel incredibly lucky that something I fell in love with all those years ago became the life and career I’ve built today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not! While I had intimate venue experience (and through the height of covid!!) there was still so much to learn once I stepped onto the planning side. I had to teach myself nearly everything, from managing guest lists and reading vendor bids to understanding proposals and learning how to clearly communicate all of that information to my clients.
At the same time, I wasn’t only learning how to be a wedding planner; I was learning how to be a business owner. Financial forecasting, paying and managing a team, advertising, making sales, supporting clients, and being responsible for every part of a growing company requires an incredible amount of time, passion, and commitment.
The biggest challenge for me has been time management and figuring out how to juggle all of those roles, especially while raising a family. There is always something that needs my attention, and learning what to prioritize, what to delegate and when to step away is something I continue to work on. Still, my small company has come such a long way over the last four years. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve built, honored by every couple who has trusted us and excited by the realization that we are still only at the beginning of what Caitlin McDonald Events can become.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Caitlin McDonald Events?
Our approach is rooted first and foremost in hospitality. Creating celebrations that feel warm, inviting, thoughtful, and deeply personal from the moment guests arrive is the number one priority.
We specialize in full-service planning and design, with a particular love for designing layered, textural events that feel collected or lived in rather than overly styled. We’re perhaps best known for our use of linens, color, pattern, and unexpected details to create spaces that invite guests not only to take a seat, but to stay awhile. Every design decision is made with the guest experience in mind — how a room flows, how a table feels, how people gather and how the entire celebration unfolds throughout the day.
What sets CME apart is the balance between beautiful design and genuine hospitality. We never want an event to feel precious or untouchable. We want it to feel alive. A beautifully set table should still make you want to pull up a chair, order another glass of wine, and linger with the people you love.
Brand-wise, we’re most proud that our work feels recognizable without ever feeling repetitive. We aren’t committed to one specific aesthetic; instead, we take the personality, story, location, and priorities of each client and translate them into an experience that feels entirely their own. Whether that means saturated color and playful pattern, rich velvet and candlelight, or something softer and more understated, the common thread is always warmth, intentionality, and a sense of welcome.
Ultimately, Caitlin McDonald Events is about creating beautiful celebrations that are visually memorable, impeccably considered, and, above all, incredibly good places to be.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
That’s a tough one! I have so many. I have always been a social butterfly though and I think my favorite childhood memory centers around the true time that I had with friends. As I’ve gotten older, and especially with running a business and being a mother now, time is precious and not as available as it once was! I would probably say my favorite childhood memory is summertime – mostly because our summers are now dedicated to wedding season 😉
Pricing:
- Coordination Packages: $5,000++
- Design-Focused Partial Planning: $7,000++
- Full-Service Planning and Design: $10,000++
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.caitlinmcdonaldevents.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitlinmcdonaldevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caitlinmcdonaldevents/
