A Dynamic Best Friend Duo

Meeting new friends at the Charlotte Book Fair

Back in February of this year, my best friend came to Nashville to attend a fantasy book ball with me. We have always been massive fantasy buffs, but neither of us had ever been to anything like this event before. Our shared love of epic romance, enchanted worlds, and all things whimsical had us jumping at the occasion. 

To say it blew our minds would be an absolute understatement. 

We were swept off our feet by the sense of camaraderie, immersive atmosphere, stunning visuals, and fantastic performances. The night was pure magic and it ignited a creative spark in both of us. On Courtney’s flight home to Charlotte the next day, “Booked and Bewitched” was born. 

Courtney and I first met twenty three years ago running for our high school cross country team and have stayed best friends through all of life’s adventures - college years, moving across the country, getting married, having children, and everything in between. To be known and loved on such a deep level through so many versions of yourself is an incredible gift - and one that neither of us takes for granted.

When Courtney told me she wanted to create her own local bookish community, my immediate reaction was, “YES! YOU WILL BE AMAZING!” It literally felt like all of her life experiences were steering her straight toward this passion project. 

For those who don’t have the privilege of knowing Courtney, I’m about to be her shameless hype-girl (because that’s what besties do, of course!). Simply put, she is one of the most wildly talented people you’ll ever meet. She is a high-stakes communications director, a legitimate WIZARD at anything tech-related, a loving mother, an incredible photographer and designer with many years in the event industry, a gifted writer and artist, and a human whose grace and light truly know no bounds. Naturally, when she asked me to join her team as her Guest Experience Manager, my answer was a resounding, “OF COURSE!” We hit the ground running planning our inaugural event, “Persephone’s Grove: A Midwinter Fantasy Ball,” which will take place at the breathtaking Crowe Mansion in Lincolnton, NC on January 31st of next year. 

A couple weeks ago I was able to catch a flight to do some in-person planning with Courtney. My youngest came along for the ride and we had an exciting weekend visiting our immaculate venue, networking at the Charlotte Book Fair, and cranking out some late night brainstorming sessions. It was wonderful to also have some family time - cooking dinners at home together, watching our children play, and shopping for decor and costumes. When you no longer live near your close friends, those simple moments together become incredibly precious. 

While the majority of my time is spent wrangling my two adorable kiddos and working on my debut novel, the time I’ve been able to assist Courtney with this event over the past several months has brought me an incredible amount of joy. I truly believe there is something so special about a dynamic best friend duo who cares so deeply about creating a thoughtful, inclusive, and magical space for the bookish community.

Early on in the planning process, we realized that our different backgrounds and personalities complimented each other surprisingly well. While Courtney is the creative mastermind, my contributions are more geared towards logistics. I am the person who instinctually tries to think of every possible way something could go wrong before the fact, and Courtney’s eye for beauty and connection drives the story forward in a meaningful direction. Combining these two very different skillsets has enabled us to plan the fantasy event of our dreams.

While our event is still five months away, we are hard at work creating, organizing, marketing, and engaging with our newfound community. We recently announced our “Booked and Bewitched Society” - a club for the bookish at heart. Through this platform, we will be offering an inside look at the event planning process with blog posts that showcase behind-the-scenes content from our team, exclusive merchandise, and more. We want these meaningful interviews and articles to make our guests feel like they are a part of the family. 

In a season that has been marked by intense personal growth, the lesson I’ve been reminded of time and time again has been this:

Embrace the childlike joy of creating what only you were destined to. 

While we never know exactly what the future holds, I know one thing for certain - our mission at "Booked and Bewitched" is for any event we host to be a truly magical experience for everyone involved. So wear the tiara. Buy the dress. (Yes, THAT dress that you’ve been dying to wear forever!) Dance the night away surrounded by friends, new and old, in a dazzling ballroom. 

Be empowered to be the main character in your own epic story…and settle for nothing less.