Born on one coast of the United States but raised on the other, Lauren Steinmetz joined our team as an Event Specialist a little over a year ago after dreaming of moving to Nashville since she was 10 years old.

While Lauren was new to the industry when she became part of the Dream Team, she says she has loved every second of it while learning more than she ever imagined!

When she’s not at work, you might find her at her favorite coffee shop, Red Bicycle, eating a breakfast burrito or over at Jack Brown’s for what she calls “the best burgers ever.”

Read on to learn more about Lauren’s journey into the hospitality industry!

Where are you from? If not Nashville, how did you decide to move here? 

I am from all over it seems! Born just outside of Seattle, grew up outside of Oklahoma City, but lived in Orlando the majority of my life. It has been my dream to move to Nashville since I was 10. I have family here and visited all the time and always knew this was meant to be my home— from the weather, to the people, to all the different towns, to all aspects of nature, how could you not love it?!

How long have you been in the event industry? 

The same amount of time I’ve been with Dream! This is a brand new industry for me and I cannot wait to continue building my career in it.

What got you into event planning? 

The COVID pandemic actually. I was out of work for 3 months, trying to find ways to keep myself busy and not go crazy. My alma mater, FAU, sent out that they were doing a free hospitality & tourism course, so I signed up, LOVED it, and then thought now what? My amazing cousin then connected me with a career coach that helped me find my way to event planning!

Where do you draw inspiration from? 

Everywhere! People at Dream, Pinterest, [and] stalking people in the industry and what they create on Instagram. Sometimes experiments and happy accidents are what give me the best results!

What are some of your favorite current trends in the industry? 

The elegance and simplicity of just whites, creams, and LOTS of greenery. And the cool, funky new china!

How do you stay on top of everything? Any organizational tips or tricks? 

I am a Google Calendar and spreadsheet-loving fanatic! Every event has its own folder with everything I could ever need at my digital fingertips. I don’t even use paper anymore; everything lives on my computer!

What is one of your favorite memories from one of your events? 

The first marketing event I did with one of my peers at Dream! We had full creative freedom over the entire setup and my director walked in and cried when she saw the spread we put together. That’s when I knew I made it!

If you could give one piece of advice to couples planning a wedding what would it be? 

Every couple has non-negotiables they want on their day, so focus on that! The little stuff will fall into place behind them and are often not even remembered, so don’t stress about it.

What’s your favorite part about your job and why? 

Getting to make client’s dreams come true! From just a little vision, to fully executing it and seeing how happy they get, melts my heart every time.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

I love to bake! It’s like therapy to me, but I may have a little too much love for vanilla extract. I also love going to Cyclebar classes every week, spending time with my friends, family and new dog Poppy, and getting outdoors and exploring all the different neighborhoods in Nashville.

Photos by Danielle Christine Photography and Sabrina Englehart.