Karen Kaforey, owner of the Nashville-based event planning company Signature Events and bridal boutique B. Hughes, shares her expertise with Nashville Lifestyles and brides-to-be. Kaforey and her team see the entire wedding process from start to finish, “I’m the first to get to the event in the morning and the last to leave that night,” she says.

For your big day, it’s wise to hire a professional, Kaforey says. “It’s like having your house painted. I wouldn’t paint my own house. I may know what I want and have a vision, but I’ll still leave it to a professional to do a better job.”

First and foremost, how important is it for a bride to walk into your office with a plan for what she wants? A bride should have a clear expectation for what she envisions the wedding day being like. That could be broad strokes, but knowing whether she wants an elegant, Southern wedding or an afternoon English-style garden affair is critical, because those receptions are quite different. It’s important for her to already know the essence of what her big day will feel like and whether its consistent with her personal style.

Of course, I explain to brides that during the process, there may some alterations to the vision—“this is where we are today and where this could go”—but overall, it’s about executing the event within the bride’s vision.

What are your favorite venues for a wedding? Can you think of some off-the-beaten path locations? On December 31, the Schermerhorn Symphony Center is re-opening and that venue has a true Nashville feel to it. Alternatively, some brides want modern venues and an industrial space to take and transform into their own—the Cannery Ballroom is great for that.

My company, Signature Events, actually rents a property exclusively, located in Leipers Fork. It’s just exquisite, and it’s set in the countryside. The property also has a heated barn. The great part about having an open space is that you can bring in your own catering, tent, etc. and have this gorgeous, picturesque backdrop. Those pieces of property are really hard to find these days, but luckily, we’ve secured this particular location.

As a bridal boutique owner and wedding planner, you see the planning process from start to finish. Where do you see brides making mistakes when planning their wedding? Speaking from a planner’s perspective, couples make the mistake of getting contractually into agreements before bringing a planner onboard. For example, couples may choose a band or venue early on and sign the contract without knowing what the contract should look like or what they should be paying. The benefit of having a wedding planner is that he or she is a professional and knows what you can get and for how much. No couple wants to be taken advantage of and committed to that band or venue. Most people don’t realize, but hiring a professional wedding planner will save you money—planners know the business and can pair the bride with caterers, bands and all the rest within their set budget, and are also consistent with the vision for the wedding, at the outset of the process.

If you could only give one piece of advice to a bride when planning her wedding, what would it be? My advice? During the reception, stay with your husband. Hold hands and make a point of spending the evening together so that all of your memories from the party are shared. Look, there’s plenty of time to see everybody, but the day is about you as a couple so you don’t want to experience it separately.

A couple just came back to me and said that it was the best piece of advice they got. After the wedding, they were able to look back on shared memories—not the bride entertaining her family alone and groom entertaining his.

What’s the most difficult wedding dilemma you’ve dealt with? Oh boy ... that’s tough. Well, one time, the company sent the wrong linens—wrong color, texture, everything. I was at the venue making final touches before the reception started, and I had to send someone to the airport to pick-up the correct ones. I mean, I had that person at the loading dock waiting for those linens. I stalled guests for 10 minutes and no one knew—not even the bride. It’s my priority for the details to be right on the big day—after all, presentation is everything!

For more information about planning your big day with Karen Kaforey, visit signatureeventsnashville.com