Every so often a guest asks us for something beyond a place to stay, and this was one of those times. A guest reached out during his stay at Wild Woods Retreat & Farm and told us his plan: he wanted to re-propose to his wife, right there on the property, and he asked if we could help him pull it off.

We said yes immediately, and then we got a little carried away.

We put solar lights along the path through the woods, leading to one of the benches in our Sit Spot Network, the string of 42 simple benches scattered through the property for guests to sit, slow down, and notice where they are. We picked zinnias and wildflowers growing on the farm, gathered them into a jar, and tied it with a ribbon in her favorite color. And we hand-painted a rock with the exact words he asked us to write: "Every path leads to you."

He set the scene. She walked the lit path to the bench, found the flowers and the rock waiting, and he asked again. She said yes.

We didn't build any of this to be repeatable or brandable. It came together because a guest told us what he wanted and we said yes to helping, the same way we would for a friend. That's closer to what Wild Woods is actually for: not a set of amenities, but a place where something like this can happen because there's room, quiet, and people willing to help make it real.

If you're planning something at Wild Woods, whatever size, we want to hear about it. Tell us what you're picturing when you book, and we'll figure out together what we can do to help.

Book your stay at wildwoodsretreat.com.