Lauren & Shawn Sparks

SANDLEWOOD MANOR OWNERS

Lauren and Shawn Sparks founded Sandlewood Manor in 2016 with a shared vision for a ministry based wedding venue. Shawn and Lauren’s individual success in marketing and business management makes them a powerful team. Their hardworking personalities, strong passion for marriage, and a desire to help others have merged to create one of Houston’s premier wedding venues. 

Tina & Darryl Kennedy

SANDLEWOOD MANOR VENUE OWNERS

Darryl and Tina Kennedy have had the opportunity to share in the vision of Sandlewood Manor, that was given to Lauren and Shawn Sparks years ago, by playing a strongly supportive role in the venue. After 35 years of marriage, Darryl and Tina have learned that sharing life together is a beautiful gift from God. “Learning to weather the difficulties of life together and having a partner to share in the joys is one of life’s greatest adventures and well worth the learning curve.” We feel blessed to have a small part in encouraging and supporting marriages in Houston through Sandlewood Manor’s Love for a Lifetime program. As co-owners and coworkers here at Sandlewood Manor, it is our desire to see excellence in every area of this business and we pray that God will use this magnificent property for his glory.”

Laura Coward

SANDLEWOOD MANOR VENUE CONCIERGE

Laura, a Certified Wedding & Event Planner (CWEP), wants all clients to know every event important to you is important to her and Sandlewood Manor, which is what makes this venue stand out above the rest. In 2007, Laura moved to America from the United Kingdom and Texas has stolen her heart. She then went on to graduate Cum Laude from Auburn University in three and a half years with a Bachelor of Science and minors in Business, Leadership and Psychology. In her time at Auburn she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and also an active member in the IHSA Equestrian Team. When back home she spent most of her college breaks working events at The Woodlands Country Club and loved her time spent there. Her passion in life is to make others happy, especially when it comes to their events. This is where her organizational skills, along with her attention to detail, come in very handy. 

Jordan Collins

SANDLEWOOD MANOR VENUE CONCIERGE

Jordan grew up in The Woodlands, Texas, and went to Sam Houston State University. She graduated with a BS in Family & Consumer Sciences while taking classes that were centered around event administration, design, and management in the hospitality industry. She has 5 years of venue coordination experience and has worked with over 300 couples on their wedding day. A true creative at heart, Jordan’s favorite part of working in the wedding industry is seeing how every couple brings their own unique style to each event. From your first tour at Sandlewood Manor to your grand exit on your wedding day, Jordan’s passion for events and love for her clients will be a huge asset to curating your perfect day.

Tina Kennedy

SANDLEWOOD MANOR CERTIFIED NUTRITIONIST

Tina Kennedy earned her BS in Health Science at L.S.U. and her certification in Nutritional Counseling (CNC) through The Trinity School of Natural Health. She is also certified as a First Line Therapist in Lifestyle Medicine through Metagenics. Tina is passionate about helping others to make choices that will enhance health and help prevent disease. As a nutritionist and holistic health educator, she uses diet and lifestyle therapies to support the body's natural miraculous ability to restore and heal itself when given the proper environment. Recognizing that every person's body is different, Tine enjoys meeting with clients one on one to create personalized diet and lifestyle programs suited to individual needs. Tina has many years of experience working specifically in high risk obesity and metabolic disease and is confident in her ability to assist others to succeed in reaching their weight management and fitness goals. 

Leah Claxton

SANDLEWOOD MANOR BALLROOM DIRECTOR

Leah Claxton loves to dance! She began her training at Progressions School of Dance and continued her studies through the Theatre Under the Stars' Humphreys School of Musical Theatre (HSMT). After being accepted into the Rocket Experience, she had the incredible opportunity to train with the Radio City Rockettes in New York City. Leah has competed as a professional ballroom dancer and has worked as a ballroom dance instructor and choreographer. She is also a certified Zumba and Piyo instructor. Currently, Leah is a member of the Magnify Dance Company and teaches ballroom, jazz and ballet classes for the Magnify School of Dance. Leah enjoys that art of choreography and is known for creating wedding dances that exemplify the personalities of the bride and groom. Leah has been noted as a "pioneer of the wedding dance trend." Check out Leah's own wedding dance (which she choreographed) that has touched nearly 4 million viewers from around the globe.