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Vendor Spotlight – Weddings & Events by Raina

Last updated on August 1, 2023

Weddings & Events by Raina is a Nashville based boutique event and wedding planning firm that has prided itself for the past 26 years on creating bespoke stylish and memorable events in the greater Nashville area. Our team has planned and been a part of nearly 2,000 events. The quality of which can be reflected in the countless reviews from happy clients and their families.

Our clients hire us for the concierge level of customer service we provide them, their loved ones and their event guests. We treat every client like they are family. Every event and client is unique and we believe in getting to know each person to more accurately design an event that reflects them and enlist a team of vendors that ideally match their style, budget and personality. We offer a range of planning packages to fit what you need and where you are in the planning process. Luxury planning, full event planning, month of planning and day of coordination. We are ready to help you plan your unforgettable Middle Tennessee celebration.

Our owner, Raina, is a licensed Tennessee Wedding Officiant. She has presided over more than 450 joyful couples weddings, elopements, and vow renewals. We welcome all couples and support equality. In addition to planning and officiating, we also provide business consulting specializing in helping venue owners grow their wedding & event venues.

Tell us about the unique services you offer:

We offer packages for all size events and budgets. Everything from micro-wedding planning to all inclusive luxury planning where literally everything, right down to writing your thank you notes, has been taken care of for you. All 18 planners on the Weddings & Events by Raina team are planners in their own right, so whether they are assisting at an event or leading the charge, any of our team members are well equipped to take care of anything that comes your way. After all, saying YES to less stress is our specialty! Don’t just take our word for it. Check out our 100 five star reviews on Google, Wedding Wire and The Knot!

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What inspired you to start your business?

I had a rather unusual start to my business. My parents were event decor designers, so I was literally born into the event field. Growing up, I have worked for caterers, florist, balloon artists, cake artist…you name it giving me a unique understanding of fellow vendors, their needs and what is truly important to them. When I was 15 the lack of organization with one of the events my parent’s company was decorating was making me nuts so I just took control and whipped it into shape. Even got the bridal party down the aisle and stayed to make sure everything was executed in a timely manner. By the end of that event two of the bridesmaids hired me to plan their weddings! My parents then added “in-house planner” to their list of offerings. After college I left my parents company and started Weddings & Events by Raina!

What do you enjoy most about working in the event planning industry?

Being able to relieve my clients of any stress or anxiety that they may be dealing with. There is a reason that my company’s tagline is “Say YES to Less Stress!” We make ourselves available to our clients with unlimited phone calls and emails regardless of whether they have only booked us for day-of, month-of, full plan or our luxury package. We want to be sure that you can enjoy this special time in your lives.

One of my favorite success stories would be how a client came to us completely freaking out over the fact that their wedding planner just disappeared into thin air…nothing was planned, booked or taken care of and their LARGE Hindu wedding was in two and a half weeks. Not only did my team and I pull it all together, the couple were actually able to relax, breathe easy and enjoy that time prior to their wedding day. We love a good challenge!!

What advice would you give to someone planning an event?

It is never too early or too late to hire a professional wedding planner. While it may seem like a luxury so you may be thinking “do I really need this?,” trust me, you do. We can not only save you time and sanity but with all our vendor connections we can save you money, too! Just be sure to hire a professional wedding planner with experience. We’ve seen it all…nothing you throw our way will phase us!

How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations in your industry?

We read endless blogs, follow top trending tags on Instagram and talk to others in our field all over the world. We network, network, network not only with other planners but other vendors in all different fields to be sure that there isn’t anything we haven’t educated ourselves on.