MEET THE TEAM
Megan Knatz,
Owner
Megan is the Founder and Owner of Ashton Hill Farm wedding venues in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Galena, Illinois. With a passion for creating extraordinary events, Megan has developed two of the Midwest’s leading wedding and event spaces.
A small-town Iowa native, Megan has become a leader in the event space creation, podcaster, commercial construction consultant, speaker and educator in the world of events and venues. She leads a team of experienced wedding planning consultants and Co-Owns Anne & Ellis Events which has a wedding and business themed podcast and provides consultant and management services to other wedding venues and event spaces. Her passions for the event industry started with a dessert company, Take the Cake, in 2010 and has branched into her other endeavors –her success is driven by the thought that anything is possible - truly. She came into this industry with an idea, not experience, and wasn’t afraid to try. Her story is one of learning to listen to your gut, understanding how failure is just part of the deal, and getting back up again and again. She loves sharing her story to help others feel empowered to go after what speaks to their heart, to realize balance is a myth, to remind them there is nothing more important than being authentic and true to who you are and not take yourself too seriously. She believes putting good energy out into the world comes back to you and she’s got a positive vibe that’s contagious. Being an Enneagram 7, she’s always excited and ready for adventure. When she’s not working in the world of events you’ll find her volunteering at her local animal shelter and advocating for animal rescue, flipping houses, and enjoying the outdoors – give this girl water (ocean, river, lake, pool – whatever) and sunshine all day long! You can connect with Megan on social media on IG @meganknatz and via email at meganknatz1@gmail.com.
Nicole Studt
Assistant to the Owner
Melissa Mullane
Client & Vendor Experience Director
Megan (MJ) Colby
Director Of Event Operations, Venue Manager & Lead Day of Coordinator
Ashley McPeek
Venue Manager, Day of Coordinator
Maddie Wegner
Venue Manager, Day of Coordinator
Dave Kendall
Bar Manager & Mixologist
Mackenzie Buck
Venue Manager & Day Of Coordinator
emily rigopoulos
Venue Manager & Day Of Coordinator