Riverwood Mansion Vendor Spotlight - Meet Megan Sanders! (Nashville Dog Photographer)

September 15, 2016 mandy whitley

Today we have an interview with the fabulous, Megan Sanders, who works as a planner and coordinator with Riverwood Mansion. Megan not only helped us plan our Riverwood Mansion styled shoot, but she, her family, and her pup, Oreo, modeled for us! I hope you enjoy this interview with Megan, and some pictures of her and her pup from our styled shoot! And make sure to check out Riverwood Mansion if you're looking for a wedding venue. It is such an amazing location!

~ Mandy

Where is your favorite place to go with your pup & family?

We love to hike and visit the hills of East Tennessee, where I'm from, there's plenty of room to run around and be silly there.

What breed/age is your pup and where did you get him?

Oreo is a mixed breed, from best we can tell, but most people think he's a new designer pup cause he's so handsome. He found us a couple of years ago at the Nashville Humane Association and wasted no time letting us know we're his family and he was ready to go home.

How did you get started working with weddings, and why do you love it?

Well, growing up I never imagined I would have a career as a wedding planner. I don't like to plan and had never thought about getting married. I graduated from MTSU with a degree in Radio/TV Business and promptly went to work for the Nashville Scene in advertising, and that's where I met my husband Casey. We moved to Inglewood in 2006 and that's when I first visited Riverwood Mansion at an open house. I was awe struck by it's grandeur and hospitality that poured out of it's 200 year old front doors. Just so happened, they were looking for some help coordinating weddings on the weekend, so I took the part-time position and never left. Now, hundreds of gorgeous couples, planning meetings, and amazing weddings later, I consider myself blessed to be a part of each couples most special day and Riverwood's legacy.

What would be your #1 piece of advice to give brides?

Be yourself. In the age of staggering pinterest trends, meaningful traditions and unique characteristics that express who you are as a couple are what stands apart.

What is your favorite part of the wedding day?

The farewell. No, all jokes aside, wedding planning is a journey you take with a couple from beginning to end, with the end goal being the best night of both of their lives. It's a lot of pressure and the reward is the big smiles and hugs you receive when seeing them off to their new lives together.

Contact a Wedding Photographer in Nashville, TN!

Mandy Whitley Photography is Nashville's premiere pet photographer. Mandy Whitley creates fun and playful photographs with pets and their people. She photographs portrait sessions, family sessions, couple portraits, and weddings - as well as just pets! To inquire about booking a photo session, contact Mandy!

The Nashville Wedding Planners Group {Tennessee Wedding Photographer}

April 23, 2012 Mandy2

I was so excited to be a part of the Nashville Wedding Planners Group monthly meeting! Such a fun group of ladies, and we had a great time at The Bride Room! Everyone involved in the event was wonderful. We had some beautiful centerpieces by Brocade Design, really delicious treats by B. Jackson's Bakery and some festive drinks provided by Hamilton Bartending Services.

Phyllis Sparks impressed and entertained us with her harp and Classic Party Rentals provided beautiful furniture for the evening. And the photobooth company, Picture This ended the evening with some fun filled photos for all the planners.

Thanks for inviting me to be a part of such a fun evening! Here are a few of my favorite images from the night!

~ Mandy

Nashville Wedding Planners Group | Nashville Wedding Photographer

Contact a Premiere Wedding Photographer in Nashville

Vendor Spotlight: Simply Stunning Events {Nashville Wedding Photographer}

June 22, 2011 Mandy2

One of the most important parts of a successful wedding day is having the right vendors working with you. One of the most important parts of having a successful (and happy) wedding planning process is having the right wedding planner working with you.

We had the help of a wedding planner during our wedding and I firmly believe it was one of the best things we could have done. So today, I want to introduce you to Kristin Kaplan, owner of Simply Stunning Events. Kristin is such a sweet person and loves what she does. She and her team will absolutely help you put together the wedding you've been dreaming about!

The lovely Kristin:

Kristin took some time to answer a few questions about her business and gave some great tips for your wedding planning!

How did you get started doing wedding and event planning? Why do you love it?

I first got started working in weddings while I was living in Los Angeles and working in television. I was intrigued with the idea of wedding planning so I met up with a local planner and offered to help her in anyway I could. I love that working in weddings allows me to use both sides of my brain with the organization, logistics, and detail but also with the creativity and emotional aspect of the job. In the summer of 2007 my husband was offered a job in Nashville and after we moved I figured it was the perfect time to launch my own business!

How would you describe your style to brides?

My planning style is very much a combination of being a straight-shooter and honest but also relaxed as I want the process to be stress-free and fun for my couples. My couples can always count on me to tell them what they need to hear even when it might not be what they want to hear. I always want them to love their wedding day, but not at the expense of blowing their budget.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced while helping a bride plan their wedding?

The biggest challenge I often face while helping a bride to plan her wedding is lining up the budget with the expectations. Often brides have big dreams and grand ideas of what they want, especially after they see many styled shoots on wedding blogs, but don’t realize what those grand ideas will cost. The hardest part of my job is making sure each bride has the beautiful wedding she envisions but also within her budget.

What advice would you give brides on how to choose a wedding planner?

In choosing a wedding planner, brides should definitely consider the personality of the planner as well as how much experience and credibility the planner has. You want to be sure the planner has many weddings under his or her belt and is well connected and well liked in the wedding industry where you live. Read any reviews you can find and ask to check references. But most importantly you have to be comfortable and enjoy your time with him or her! You’ll be spending a lot of time with your planner both prior to the wedding and on the wedding day so make sure you have fun and get along great!

If you could give our brides one piece of advice for their wedding what would it be?

My one piece of advice to brides would be to soak it all in on the wedding day. It’s going to fly by and you’ll only get one chance to enjoy it so be sure to take time throughout the day to step back, breath, and take it all in. It’s so amazing to see both of your families and friends all together celebrating with you.

What is one thing that brides often overlook during the wedding planning process?

The one thing I feel brides often overlook in the planning process is taking the time up front to research the wedding planning industry where you’ll be getting married. Really take an honest look at what the average vendor costs are in your area before creating a budget as it will save you may headaches in the future.

What is one thing that brides spend too much time worrying about during the wedding planning process?

The one thing brides spend too much time worrying about during the wedding planning process is most often the tiny details. Many brides worry that they will miss something or some small detail will fall through the cracks. This is why it’s important to have a complete to-do list that outlines everything that needs to be taken care of and when. It will help you feel confident that everything is coming together as it should and that you won’t forget anything!

And just for fun, what is your ideal vacation destination and why?

My ideal vacation destination is actually a little lakeside cabin in upstate New York that my family owns. It’s tiny, there’s no insulation, we have to drink bottled water because all the running water comes straight from the lake, it’s by no means luxurious but it doesn’t even matter to me. I’ve been going every summer since I was born and for some reason it’s the most relaxing place for me. I can truly unwind, shut out the world, and just spend my days swimming, laying by the lake, doing water sports, reading, and spending time with my family. It’s my little piece of heaven!

Here are a few images from Simply Stunning Events!

Thanks Kristin for taking the time to tell us more about you and your business! Please visit her website at www.simplystunningnashville.com to learn more.

~ Mandy

Mandy Whitley Photography is Nashville's premiere pet photographer. Mandy Whitley creates fun and playful photographs with pets and their people. She photographs portrait sessions, family sessions, couple portraits, and weddings - as well as just pets! To inquire about booking a photo session, contact Mandy!