Weddingbee Blog

My best friend of more than 5 years got down on one knee, and while confessing his endless love, asked me to be his wife! It was a magical moment that I will never forget; a place in time with so much meaning; a surprise with so much thought; and a story that will live on forever.

This weekend we revisited the special place where it all went down, the small town of Jonesborough, Tennessee where I was first introduced to the wonderful world of storytelling at the National Storytelling Festival, an event where thousands flock to keep spoken word alive.

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It’s a magical place that only those who go can understand! Like I mentioned, Mr. B and his family have been attending the festival for more than 20 years. On the first family trip, Mr. B was just 10 years old. He is now, ahem, 29!

Every year they’ve lodged at the Hawley Bed and Breakfast, which has quite a history of its own. It’s Tennessee’s oldest building in Tennessee’s oldest town, circa 1783! It’s also prime location for story goers, because it’s just one block away from all the action.

The Inn Keeper, Marcy, has become one of the family’s very best friends. She is one of the sweetest women I’ve ever met! She was so honored that the proposal happened there at her dining room table and I’m going to love seeing her (and eating her delicious breakfast) every year! She’s always very welcoming, you can tell she loves what she does, and she’s good at it! Marcy takes the saying Southern Hospitality to a whole new level.

Meeting Marcy and experiencing the festival was really rewarding for me. The community among the storytellers and listeners, townspeople and visitors, and the bond between Mr. B’s family and Marcy is pretty amazing.

I’ve always loved Tennessee, though. Those Southern accents are not at all new to me! My grandmother was born in Kingsport and my Dad grew up there. I was a University of Tennessee cheerleader pretty much every halloween and I went to basketball camp hosted by Pat Summit.

Needless to say, Tennessee holds a special place in both our hearts and we have a really good excuse to continue visiting there as often as we can! Not to mention, the very special place we can always count on staying…

See, Mr. B had no doubt I would love Tennessee, the Hawley House, the storytelling, and Marcy, but even more than all of that, he knew I would just die over a little place called “The Butterfly Cottage.”

The cottage is situated behind the Hawley B&B and it was just built. He stayed there for the first time with his family in 2008, which was the year before his proposal. Apparently, he talked the entire time about how I just had to see it; how much I would love it; how it was the perfect place to pop the big question…and it was!

With butterfly touches throughout, an antique, and Southern charm, the cottage is a place my heart will never leave…

As excited as I was last year (my first time at the Butterfly Cottage), I was ten times more excited this year realizing the lifetime ahead of early autumn trips to Tennessee with Mr. B. It warms my heart to know that he took everything I love: stories, butterflies, the South, and wrapped it up pretty just for me. He made this wonderful place and these amazing traditions a part of the rest of my life.

I’m truly thankful for such an amazing mate. Not just any ol’ guy, but someone so thoughtful and so full of culture. A man with a wonderful family, a big heart, and best of all, a willingness to share it. I am blessed to be a part of this legacy; this friendship between Marcy and Mr. B’s family; and this cherished home away from home.

Sigh.

Blessed that every year we have a place to go and relish in the inception of our marriage and share our “story,” among the millions celebrated at the Festival.

There is just so much more I want to tell you about our weekend, but there aren’t enough words for all the fun we had and love we felt! Just to name a few highlights, we were really lucky to snag a custom painted picture of the festival from last year, and have it personalized by the artist; we started week one of our pre-marital counseling and spent three hours hanging out in the cottage writing in our workbooks; we met some amazing storytellers; ate more of Marcy’s marvelous breakfast (recipes on the way!); listened to ghost stories under a willow tree; shopped for Christmas decorations; and fell in love all over again.

Isn’t it amazing how many stories develop from just one weekend?

How did you and your fiance celebrate your proposal anniversary?

Read more about the history and significance of the National Storytelling Festival here.