READING TIME: 2 min 39 sec
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/16/2025
UPDATED: 10/16/2025
“Here I was, a caterer in the nation’s capital—I got to touch it all, produce it all—and yet the brides kept calling to me with their siren song,” Calder recalls. That constant calling, that excitement, and “their willingness to let me daydream” drew her into the world of wedding planning and design.
Over time, she found the medium where her talents and heart aligned. As a caterer, she had already developed a sensibility for aesthetics, timing, service, and taste—but weddings alone allowed her to delve into storytelling in its finest form—and Calder took that seriously.
No project is ever the same, which is what keeps us absolutely thriving.
The variety, she says, keeps her wheels spinning. “The constant influx of exciting new properties and far-flung travel makes for refreshing output; we are always revinventing the wheel.” From grand homes tucked into wooded hills to ultra-luxury resort properties, each venue brings its own rhythm, challenges, and poetry. Calder thrives in that flux, treating every location as a new canvas on which to paint exceptional parties.
When asked about her planning process, Calder describes it as “thorough, thoughtful, and bite-sized.” The goal, she says, is to reduce overwhelm. She refuses to let couples drown in decisions or to turn planning into stress.
Her method is to compartmentalize: break big visions into smaller, manageable steps. She stewards her clients gently, making room for delight. (And when the day arrives, she waits for her favorite moment: “watching my clients’ faces at their reception reveal.”)
With more than a quarter-century in the wedding world, Calder has seen every permutation of joy, challenge, and surprise. One of the most consistent hurdles she encounters is “analysis paralysis”—when couples get mired in choices.
Her antidote? Leadership, trust, and clarity. She guides decisively when needed, encourages confidence, and reminds clients: “You don’t know what you don’t know, and that’s perfectly okay; but we do.”
On contracts, she offers practical advice: “Let us review them and negotiate them first.” On weather planning: “If you don’t plan properly your plan B, and fund it, the inclement weather will come.”
And on budget? Her perspective is grounded in hospitality, not extravagance: “Remember: no one knows what you were going to do; it’s all hospitality and excitement to your guests.”
When it comes to the timeline, she leans into collaboration: “We ask our photo + video team FIRST; they help us back into our timing so that we are always getting the best light.” That synergy ensures each moment feels intentional, beautifully-lit, and fully celebrated.
“I started by listening—to brides, to spaces, to light, to possibility,” Calder reflects.
I believe weddings should feel effortless—not because they are simple, but because they’re planned with intention, clarity, and a deep respect for the people at the heart of them.
She sees her role not as a dictator of design but as a translator of dreams. She honors trust, gives voice to vision, and treats every wedding as something sacred and singular.
When brides lured her out of the whirlwind of food and beverage with their siren song, she knew something profound was calling. Today, she answers that call with joy, precision, and love—crafting weddings that are never the same but always feel deeply, unmistakably inimitable.
