Timberwolf Creek B&B and Luxury Cabins
Maggie Valley, North Carolina
in
the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains
Creekside Ambiance - each room
has a private deck by the stream
The flower girls today were daughters of the bride and groom. He came all the way from Sarasota, she came all the way from Thailand! The two daughters are the same age and were just exquisite little wood sprites that decorated the garden. They danced from flower to flower like butterflies! It was beautiful to watch.
<snooty>Ahem. It was my distinct pleasure to dine with granddaughter of Maggie Mae Setzer, after whom our fair town was named. Sniff.<end snooty>
Reality? Dee Dee got in touch with me, hoping for a repeat of our first encounter. She was not disappointed, nor was I.
One of the first people to cross my threshold at Timberwolf Creek was Patty Kosier. Patty is Maggie’s daughter -THE Maggie of “Maggie Valley”. I was scared to death and Patty and her husband Claude couldn’t have been kinder and more genuine. By the time they left, we were fast friends. They came every year -and then Claude passed away. Patty got in touch with me from Texas, where she lives, and told me that she wanted to come stay with me for her annual visit to Maggie Valley, but she was nervous about traveling without Claude. Her niece would come with her, just to get her settled in. Enter niece Dee Dee.
Patty arrived, with Dee Dee and her friend, Michelle. It didn’t take too long to do the math, and figure out that if Dee Dee was Patty’s niece… and Dee Dee’s mother was Patty’s sister… that Dee Dee’s grandmother was none other than Maggie herself. Wow! But that wasn’t where the similarity ended. Dee Dee was just as much fun as her aunt had been that very first day. Patty checked in at 3:00. I walked her group over to the little guest cottage… and at 7:00, Larry had to come find me.
There we were, laughing until we cried, cutting up and telling stories, words falling over each other, lots of, “Yes! Yes! That happened to me the same way!” It was one of those Ya-Ya Sisters afternoons, when the fountain of friendship just bubbles over. We all knew we were sharing something special. Nice chemistry, and good feelings all around.
When Dee Dee and Michelle planned another trip out here this summer, it was with real delight that I made plans to meet with them. We decided to meet for lunch up at the Mountaineer, where you can have a glass of wine on the screened porch -very much a ’summer camp’ kind of place.
Lunch time. Right. Larry just rolled his eyes and smiled when I headed out the door for ‘lunch’. I got back at almost six. Happy, glowing, wide smiles, effervescent with stories and shared laughs -what a wonderful time!
So here it is, evidence of my brush with celebrity: me and Maggie’s granddaughter. Hoo-ah.
Maggie's Granddaughter and Me
I was surprised to find new reviews on my expired listing at the bedandbreakfast.com directory. (I declined to renew when the price for a listing jumped exponentially, doubtless the result of being bought out by a big conglomerate. $75/month just didn’t float my boat!) Frankly, I don’t agree with having reviews on a paid listing. Here’s my soapbox: if I’m paying for advertising space, I get to write the ad copy. The only guest-written copy appropriate on a paid advertisement is testimonials. Reviews belong on review sites, like TripAdvisor. (End soapbox.)
Mind you, we’ve never gotten anything but glowing reviews at bedandbreakast, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Yahoo, Google, or any other review sites. It sure makes my ego difficult to manage! ;) Anyway, here are the ones I found on that old listing. Five stars from everybody! I do love a happy ending.
We stayed in the Streamsong Room in the Black Bear Cottage on our wedding night, and could not have been happier with our stay. The cottage is a quaint and cozy place full of personal touches from the owners and previous guests. The location is perfect; it is right along a stream and you feel tucked away in the mountains; even though Maggie Valley is just a couple minutes away. The owners went way above and beyond to work with us and helped me plan the stay several weeks in advance. When we arrived, they had even thrown in extras at no cost to us. The breakfast was great, and everything was perfect. I just wish we could have stayed longer. I highly recommend Timberwolf Creek, especially for couples wanting a romantic occasion. |
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My husband and I live in Florida and were looking for a nice personal mountain wedding. We both LOVE Western North Carolina and have spent many vacations there. It was only normal to want to have our wedding there. We had both been married before so we wanted something extremely simple but very special none the less. I did a lot of research on the internet trying to find our perfect place. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. Right off the bat innkeeper Sandee was wonderful to work with. Immediately you are a bride and groom and not just another “guest”. Everything is customized the way YOU want it and you certainly never feel like you’re putting her out. She really wants your day to be as special as it can be. I never felt like I was just another wedding on site – I felt like I owned the place for the weekend and I called the shots. |
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My husband and I got married in November at Timberwolf Creek. This was without a doubt the most welcoming and warm place we have ever visited (and we travel ALOT). Romance looms in the air and Sandee, Larry and Nick are the finest innkeepers around. From the moment you arrive to the minute you leave, you feel like you are family. Nick is an excellent chef who will wow you with his breakfasts! Sandee performed the most romantic and wonderful wedding ceremony by their beautiful streamside cabin. Larry is absolutely the best photographer around! And our stay in Timberwolf Retreat was heaven on earth as the stream lulled us to sleep at night.. We love everything about this place and will return as often as possible. If you are engaged and looking for a destination wedding, please let Sandee marry you as she is the most wonderful wedding planner and officiant you will ever find as her delightful husband catches the intricate moments of the best day of your life on camera.. |
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Thanks to Sandee, Larry and Nick for a wonderful wedding and lovely stay at Timberwolf. Sandee is such a detail person that everything was very meaningful and memorable. The setting was serene and the suite was beautiful. Nick’s expertise and imagination in the kitchen along with engaging conversation made breakfast quite a treat. Thanks to Larry for his help (and patience) with the wedding and pictures. All together it was exactly as we hoped, special in every sense! |
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My brides. Y’all know who you are.
I fall in love with my wedding couples -it’s as simple as that. It is intensely personal, to play a role in someone’s wedding day. Time condenses and a bond is created. That’s one of my favorite things about performing weddings. Now, the very first time, I was sure a big lightning bolt with my name on it was going to fall from the sky with a booming Who Dost Thou Think Thy Art. But it didn’t happen like that. Instead, I was encompassed in such a spiritual peace and sense of rightness, that I knew I’d found my calling. And more: it wasn’t about me at all. No, not at all. But it was surely a gift for me. And that’s the way it is every time.
The folks who’ve been married here hold a dear place in my heart. And I do try to keep in touch with all my brides. So, when I got this message today, it just meant the world to me: “The hostess of my baby shower is sending out fabric to out of town friends to fill in special messages. The fabric will be made into a quilt. I’d like to have one from you.”
Oh My Goodness, and I got all misty-eyed. To continue to be a part of this couple -now this family- makes me all proud and humble at the same time! I’m sure there is a word for that. Well, HAPPY surely qualifies. What a tremendous honor, to be included in such a special way. I am so grateful.
Making the magic happen…
And here’s the magic!
This one’s destined to become a favorite of mine -
Our little outdoor wedding chapel in the Smoky Mountains,
complete with a Just Married couple!
Maggie Valley outdoor wedding chapel in the Smokies
Why have a Destination Wedding? (Article by The Knot)
The folks at The Knot took the time to compose a thoughtful article about Destination Weddings I thought you might enjoy. We just celebrated a beautiful destination wedding with an English family, here at Timberwolf Creek. Lots of fun and love-filled houses make for a meaningful wedding and a great vacation, rolled into one!
For me, of course, the fun part was listening to Kerraleigh describe asking, in her small and very proper British accent, “Martin, fancy getting married in America?” I’m so very glad he said yes! The entire family is delightful, every single one, and I wish they all lived next door to me. Of course, I’m developing quite a list of folks I wish lived next door to me, and am going to need an entire resort just to accommdate them, before long!
Hey. Life is good.
The following is a letter I wrote to Nashoba Winery, in Massachussets. Nashoba makes orchard wines, among other things, and we like to visit when we’re up in the Boston area to see our daughter’s family. Our favorite thing from Nashoba is a fortified spiced cranberry wine, called Foggy Bog. Too sweet for me to enjoy on its own, we use it anyplace you might find Chambourd, Grand Marnier, or… well… cranberry juice. (I know, we’re so bad!) But if you like sangria, you may want to consider finding yourself some cranberry brandy, too!
Ok. Letter to Nashoba Winery:
Hi, folks!
I wrote to you sometime back (ok, YEARS ago) when I started making “Foggy Bog Martinis”. A Foggy Bog martini is essentially a cosmopolitan, without that pesky fruit juice. It is: 2 shots vodka, 1 shot Foggy Bog, ½ shot Grand Marnier. Shaken with ice. Fabulous, and makes a regular appearance here in the Smoky Mountains, at least on my back porch. Our eldest lives in Natick and makes regular trips to Nashoba, and occasionally sends me care packages of Foggy Bog.
Enter cocktail sensation #2: the perfect Summer Sangria. Hubby and I were traveling to St Augustine, Florida, and went to lunch at the ubiquitous Columbia restaurant. It’s wonderfully Cuban and a must-do whenever possible. This time, though, instead of ordering a beer with my Cuban sandwich and black bean soup, I spotted the Sangria List. (No kidding: they have a wine list and a whole separate list for sangria.) Never a particular fan of sangria, I almost missed the one called Sangria de Cava. Now, I *am* a fan of bubbly. I don’t care if it’s champagne from France (or California, for that matter) or Spanish cava, or Italian prosecco – I just like the bubbly stuff. So I figured, when in…. Florida… Anyway, we ordered our pitcher.
It was wonderful. Their recipe is online, but in short, it is simple syrup, soda water, oranges, limes, brandy, orange liqueur, and a split of cava.
I went home and tweaked the recipe until I hit on this, the *best* of all sangrias, featuring – naturally – Foggy Bog.
Darned good thing I have six more bottles of the stuff in my ‘cellar’ because it’s going to be a long summer!
Attached for your perusal, my facebook post:
And I thank you for your time, and for a fine product.
Sign me,
“Foggy Bog Fan”
The raw materials…
And the goodie box…
The cruelest cut! For his boutonniere…
Pull the wire through the base of the rose for stability and wrap the stem.
Keep it long enough for the ‘curl’…
So, the groom had a whole section of the vows that he was going to recite
to his new almost-four-year-old stepdaughter.
He gave her a little ring.
Then he got down on one knee to make his promises.
“I promise to always to treat you
with love and respect.
I promise to foster
my relationship with you
and always be there for you
in any way I can.
I promise to support you
in your relationship
with both your mother and father
and I promise always to listen.
I also promise always
to treat your mom with love and respect
and model for you
a healthy, loving and supportive relationship
with the belief that one day
you too will find
such happiness in love.”
So you know, I’m fine with all that. Except that, as soon
as he got down on one knee, she gave him a kiss
and then threw her arms around his neck
…and stayed there!
He read the whole thing with her giving him a big hug.
Just about the sweetest thing ever. It was all I could do
to ‘feed’ him his lines without crying.
Sandee
Overall
Rooms
My husband and I couldn’t have asked for a better place. I would highly recommend Maggie Valley Weddings to anyone looking for a Carolina Mountain Wedding. You will NOT be disappointed!