We are showcasing the fabulous Caitlin Gray of Gray Weddings & Events this month. Caitlin was certified through WPIC Inc. in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2016. We are so proud of your growth in the wedding industry and adore your kind and beautiful soul.
Gray Weddings & Events is a boutique wedding planning and coordination company based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, planning unique, heartfelt celebrations that are sure to leave lasting impressions for all. From helping find the perfect venue, to developing a minute-by-minute timeline, to ensuring everything is in place until the last dance of the evening, we help make sure everything is taken care of and every detail is accounted for. Led by founder, Caitlin Gray, Gray Weddings has been operating since 2016 and has planned and executed over 80 weddings in Nova Scotia, offering both full service and “month of” planning and coordination.
Photo: Dave and Pring Photography
Journey & Business:
I want to start off by saying that I feel so fortunate to not only be surrounded by such talented and kind wedding vendors in Nova Scotia but incredible planners. Knowing that we have each other’s backs and how we are always raising each other up is so comforting. I would say that my ability to connect with not only the couples but with their family, wedding party and vendors is something I pride myself on. I truly feel like part of a couple’s family following the wedding and have remained close with most of my couples, even chatting with a bride’s mother about what her baby shower will look like down the road when we plan it together! I also am 150% committed to the plan and I think my persistence and motivation to deliver on what the couple is dreaming of is something else that stands out. I will move tables in and out of a tent twice to try and achieve the “al fresco” dining experience the couple dreamed of based on the weather radar! I also make sure I see each event through and am still connecting with the couple and vendors in the week following the wedding to ensure everything is properly wrapped up (and to get honeymoon pictures from the couple haha). I truly am so proud of where I started and where I am now, and often have to pinch myself sometimes that I get to do this.
Jaclyn Doyle Photography From Caitlyn: “My mom and I -she often helps as my assistant” π
Industry Insights & Trends:
We’ve always been so lucky not just in Halifax but in Nova Scotia to have such a tight-knit and supportive wedding community. We all support and recommend each other’s services and have become great friends – how cool is that?! We are like each other’s co-workers! We often have vendor evenings at venues to scope out new spots and service offerings and holiday dinners to catch up and check in with each other. I’ve also seen it grow SO much since I started out in 2016! The amount of planners, coordinators, dress shops, photographers and videographers has grown and we saw the addition of content creators as well which is such a fun addition to wedding days. More than ever, people here on the East Coast are looking to have a planner and/or coordinator to help ensure their day is seamless. I see that continuing to trend upwards as our wedding industry grows and evolves as well as our ever-growing city that now boasts so many diverse and gorgeous venues to choose from.
Dave and Pring Photography
Client & Vendor Relationships:
I love this question! Building relationships has always been a strength of mine as well as building connections. As much as I love group get togethers with my fellow wedding vendors, one on one coffee chats are my favourite. I try my best to keep in touch with all vendors I’ve worked with even if a season goes by where you don’t have the chance to work with them. Coffee chats I find are usually half business chat and half catching up on life in general. I’m always invigorated afterwards! The more connected you are, the more confident you are in recommending vendors to your clients that will be the best match and also being aware of their processes and how to best work with them. I’m also a big believer in sending “thank you” notes after a great wedding working together or thoughtful cards during the holidays! Relationships are truly everything in this business.
Julie Cameron Photography
Personal & Professional Growth:
Staying on top of trends is key but also tricky as they’re changing often! I keep close relationships with my decor and rental vendor partners to stay in the loop on new products and design ideas and of course social media is full of endless inspiration. I also try to regularly keep tabs on bridal magazines and of course lean into the WPIC blog and newsletter as resources! I think the main reason I stay motivated and inspired is through meeting and hearing the different and always special love stories of each couple I get to work with. Runsheets may look similar sometimes but what I love the most is how each couple has not only their own special story but their own unique vision and it’s truly the best getting to help them bring that to life. I have a genuine love of meeting new people and getting to know them and their families and what they’re all about so I truly feel like I’m in the perfect “job” for that.
Fun & Personal Touch:
Oooh! This is a tough one as I’m such an open book. Maybe that even now I still get nervous butterflies the night before every wedding. People often mention how I seem “cool as a cucumber” on wedding days, which is part of the job of a planner, but I’ve definitely had many moments of panic that I’ve been able to hide. The commitment of a planner to make sure everything is as perfect as humanly possible for the couple is so real! The honour of playing a part in such a special day will never be lost on me!
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