Southern Wedding Professional's Podcast

Megan is our CEO. She graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2016 with a BA in Dance and got married to the love of her life six months later! She lives in Lilburn with her husband and two dogs. While working at a popular North Georgia Wedding Venue for two years along with helping all our Marmaros Couples, Megan planned and executed over 100 weddings. She still works part-time at her childhood dance studio as a Technical & Marketing Manager, as well as teaches. Weddings are her favorite way to spend her weekends!

Lauren has been at Park Tavern since graduating from UGA (many years ago!). She started as a Sales Associate and moved into the Director of Sales role three year later. After planning thousands of weddings and events, Lauren has a meticulous eye for detail and understanding of logistics. During even the busiest and most chaotic moments of an event day, Lauren prides herself on providing a sense of calmness.

Favorite Part of the Wedding Day: I love the First Look and the First Look between the Bride and her father. These are two moments that aren’t seen by the whole crowd and you get to see the genuine excitement and surprise in the groom’s and dad’s eyes when they see their gorgeous girl!

Other Favorites: Her two babies Thomas and Blair, Workouts at Pure Barre, Ice Cream, Park Tavern’s Good Afternoon cocktail.

Built in 1928, the Piedmont Room was first the home of the clubhouse for the golf course that resided within Piedmont Park. Now, it hosts some of Atlanta’s most memorable occasions. The original Stone Mountain granite walls and ivy-covered windows remain in the foyer while the main room features a modern feel with soaring windows, dark bamboo hardwoods and 15+’ ceilings.

Rental of the venue includes ivory table linens, gold chavari chairs with ivory cushions, votive candles, up-lighting, and complimentary self-parking for event guests. The Piedmont Room is ideal for parties of 50-200+ guests.

The Angsten couple spent 12 years compiling folders and notebooks full to the brim with magazine clippings, images, hand-drawn sketches, and pages and pages of wildly scrawled notes– details of their clear-as-day vision for an outdoor wedding venue and cottage. “We knew Oakleaf was the place the moment we came up the drive,” they mused. “But it looked nothing like anything in our folders. It was better than that.” The Angstens wasted no time rolling up their sleeves, and got right to work transforming the cottage and surrounding spaces bit by bit. After renovating the cottage, they set to work updating the barn, and they’ve hardly stopped to breathe since. This hardworking couple has done most of the work on Oakleaf with their own hands– innumerable shovelfuls of dirt and rock, late nights and countless details, and sweet moments together actively making their dreams a reality one project at a time. They often joke about the Oakleaf Fitness Program, as this undertaking has been physically demanding, to say the least. “Our mountainous terrain offers unspeakable beauty, and also challenges,” Cris said. “It’s hard work, but we like hard work. We’ve had to learn how to best work with this mountain site, while keeping that small private feeling– a venue that feels like a haven, with fabulous spaces for any kind of party.” Cris and Dave share a passion for building and designing spaces together, and the progression of the Oakleaf property has truly been a labor of love. Whether their hands are in the dirt or wielding power tools, their heads are always buzzing with dreams of creating– and Oakleaf Cottage is a remarkable creation they want to share. Everyone is welcome at Oakleaf, and she waits on her rocky, wooded mountainside to greet you when you arrive.

Meet Matt Mitchell, Owner and Lead Planner of Mitchell Event Planning. Matt is a native Alabamian and graduate of The University of Alabama with a Bachelors of Science in Commerce and Business Administration. He holds his Certified Wedding Planner (CWP) designation through The Bridal Society and The Association of Bridal Consultants. He has went through even more extensive training, and also holds the designation of Master Certificed Wedding Planner (MCWP) through The Bridal Society. Matt created Mitchell Event Planning, not only to provide professional assistance to Atlanta couples, but also to embrace inclusion and deliver the best customer service around.

Lauren is passionate about the beauty of true love and showing that special love in weddings.  As the creator and partner of numerous events-based and bridal initiatives, Lauren has been planning weddings since 2009 and is the founder of brands GetWedForLess.comⓇ (a resource site for affordable weddings) and Atlanta Wedding and Event Professionals (an events industry production and networking organization) and the creator of The WeddinatorⓇ mobile wedding planning app.

The farm has been around since 1939 and features a fully restored barn designed for weddings and events. Through the stained glass windows original to 1870’s England, you can see the rolling hills of the farm and the picturesque pond on property.

-Neil Goodman, Owner

Sarah Morrison is the owner and lead photographer for Sara Grace Photography. Sarah has over 16 years of experience photographing weddings, portraits and events.

In her own words...

I am passionate for my community as an army wife and mother. Serving others is one of the cornerstones of my business. The Sara Grace team was the lead/ feature photographer for the CBS Triumph Games at West Point serving our wounded warriors. We have won Best of Weddings with the Knot 2018-2020. Light is what inspires me and Love is what moves me. To capture both is the joy of my life. More than anything, I want to tell your love story. I want to have fun and create peaceful moments so you can be present. Please trust me to capture the magic of your life we will have an adventure you won't forget!

Instagram: @saragracephoto

Website: www.saragracephotography.com

In her own words...

I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC but have deep roots in the Lowcountry. Charleston was always a primary vacation destination for my family and so my love affair with this city started from childhood. The history, focus on hospitality and gentility of Charleston always spoke to my soul, so after graduating from Elon University with a degree in Corporate Communications, I decided to put down roots in the city I love.

As co-founder of Sweetgrass Social, my passion for wedding planning is echoed throughout the elegant and dramatic design details I contribute to each event. While I honor tradition and love a classic design, I also love to add a touch of glamour to all my events and inject them with my client’s personal style. I always love new friends and can’t wait to meet you to help plan your big day!

Madison Moseley Events was born in 2013 after I planned a wedding during my sophomore year of college. Somewhere between the phone calls to florists, the cake tastings and the hundreds of hours spent huddled over my computer at 2am- I fell in love.

My passion for weddings started when I was twelve and began doodling wedding dresses in the corners of my schoolwork and only intensified when I met my now husband, Preston, when I was thirteen. We, well I, daydreamed about and planned our future wedding over Sonic hotdogs and by the time I was a freshman in college it was planned from “I do” to “we did”.

I am an avid organizer, a firm believer in the color wheel and have a bachelor’s degree in marketing. My name is Madison Moseley, and I want to create the wedding of your dreams.