This month, we’re highlighting one of our talented event specialists, Mary Morrow! Mary moved from South Carolina to Nashville in the midst of the pandemic to pursue her dream of working in the event industry. Now, she’s been working with us since April 2022, and we couldn’t be more happy to have her on the Dream Team.

Keep reading to learn more about Mary and how she realized event planning was her passion!

How long have you been in the event industry? 

I have been in the event industry for as long as I have been with Dream, and I look forward to continuing to grow as an event professional. No role or responsibility is too small!

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

Seeing a client’s vision come to life and being a part of creating a unique, meaningful, and fun experience for all their guests! Also, at Dream we do all kinds of events, and I really like the variety in the events I have an opportunity to work.

What got you into event planning?  

I realized my passion for event planning several years ago. I was working as a second grade teacher and given the task of creating an End of the Year Awards Ceremony. The sheer thought of planning this event lit me up! I spent hours searching Pinterest for the perfect theme, and suddenly it came to me: The Oscars, with a red carpet remix! Visions of decor were racing through my head, as well as ideas of how to keep it budget friendly. My heart was racing as I pitched the idea to my principal and waited for her response: “It’s perfect, but we need to do this for all our students, not just our second graders.” Awards Day arrived and the school gymnasium was filled with students dressed in suits and fancy dresses posing for flashing cameras. When the second grader’s awards show started, you could have heard a pin drop, but every time an award was announced, the audience rose in thunderous applause, and the winner strode down the long red carpet grinning ear to ear. There I was with a front row seat, watching the vision for this event come alive, and that was when I asked myself for the first time, “How do I make a living creating fun, memorable, unique experiences like this for others?” 

Where do you draw inspiration from? 

So many people and places! My teammates, chefs at Dream, Pinterest, Instagram, other planners, being a guest at events, amazing hosts, conversations with friends, and my clients. One of my favorite desserts to recommend to clients when asked came from looking up different recipes with a teammate, and her finding one that has become a huge hit at every event it’s been served. It’s inspiring to see others create such beautifully unique events!

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

One of my favorite current trends is colored glassware and mix and match china. It’s amazing what a little pop of color can do!

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

My workflow breaks down the planning process for each of my events into smaller tasks. This keeps me from feeling overwhelmed, and it also makes it super easy to keep my clients and the Dream team updated on deadlines and the progress of tasks. I also keep an ongoing to-do list, and most recently, I end my day prioritizing the next day’s tasks. To become more organized, I have begun creating folders for every event, so everything needed for that event is in one place and is easily accessible. 

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

One of my favorite memories is from this year’s BMI CMA Awards dinner, experiencing the teamwork that an event of that size with so many moving parts takes. I’ll never forget the team bonding and laughter that happened as the Event Specialist team rallied and all worked together to get the After Party grazing table broken down. That was the last thing we did together as a team that evening, and I left that evening with feelings of joy and accomplishment!

What are some of the challenges you face when planning an event, and how do you overcome them? 

Underestimating the complexity of an event and all of the details to consider and meeting, if not exceeding, the clients expectations. Learning how to seamlessly and successfully execute a unique event and bringing a client’s vision to life is what I love, though! Advance planning, reaching out to my team for help through the planning process, and making sure I ask the client all the right questions including knowing their goals for the event, have been the most helpful tools for overcoming these obstacles.

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

Trust yourselves! The day is about you and your partner, and you should have the wedding you all want. This applies to vendors and budgets, too. If your inner voice is saying something about a vendor, there is probably one out there that will get you and your vision! Trust yourselves with your budget, too. Spend on what is important to you. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

When I’m not working, I love spending time with friends and line dancing (Shivers by Ed Sheeran is currently my favorite), hosting or going to game nights, traveling (I love exploring new places), watching live music in a friend’s backyard, or going to a concert together. I enjoy being involved with the women’s ministry at my church, working out, running, and volunteering where I get to spend time with kids. My favorite opportunity here to date in Nashville was the January 2023: Night to Shine event. Best night ever! Also, my favorite role is being an Aunt to three nieces and a nephew!

Photos by Sabrina Englehart, Jen Creed Creative, Glenai Gilbert Photography, and Danielle Christine Photography.