Inside a Luxury Weekend Built for Rest, Connection, and Zero Stress

In September of 2024, Catherine and her team heard from a husband looking to celebrate his wife’s 38th birthday. Ten of her closest friends were flying in from out of town to celebrate, and he was hoping to elevate the day with a special birthday lunch.

What started as a sweet afternoon turned into a full weekend of rest and connection — all designed around what his wife loves most.

The ask

Amy’s husband reached out to Catherine four months before his wife’s birthday. She’s the kind of woman who gives a lot to others, and for her birthday, he wanted to give something back.

His initial idea was a thoughtful one: a nice lunch with close friends. But when Catherine heard that guests were flying in from out of state, she offered a different perspective.

“If you’re already making the effort, why not make it unforgettable?”

As they brainstormed together, the vision started to grow from a lunch, to an overnight, and finally to a full weekend of curated experiences. With R&R as the priority, Catherine painted a picture of what the experience could feel like:

“You walk in and you’re handed a glass of champagne. You kick off your boots and slip into fuzzy slippers. There’s a fire roaring, snacks laid out, and you know you’re about to have the best time with your favorite people.”

He was sold — this was the perfect vision for his wife’s birthday celebration.

Building the luxury weekend in Middleburg

Every CatRad event works off a simple, but powerful, framework: “Think, Feel, Do.” It’s a tool Catherine brought with her from her days as a corporate instructional designer — and one she now uses to shape deeply personal, emotionally resonant experiences. 

For this birthday weekend, she used what she knew about Amy and her guests to build a clear vision of how the experience should land.

When the weekend was over, she wanted her guests to:

• Think:
  “That was just lovely. I had the best time with my friends.”
• Feel:
  Relaxed, cared for, and not asked to lift a finger.
• Do:
  Leave recharged — and start planning something like this for themselves.

Every decision, from the activities selected to the flow of the day, was rooted in this intention. 

Inside the weekend

Catherine didn’t just plan a weekend. She curated a space where ten women — most of them busy moms — could finally exhale.

“Decision fatigue is so real,” Catherine said. “I didn’t want them to think about where to go or what was next. I wanted them to show up, put on slippers, and melt into the weekend.”

Friday: Gentle landing

The experience began the moment guests arrived at the estate. Snacks were out, wine glasses were full, and welcome baskets with face masks and chocolate were waiting by the door. Catherine knew many of these women were used to being the ones taking care of things, so she made sure every detail was covered.

After an afternoon of rest, the first event of the weekend began: an in-house dumpling-making class with Chef Sophia Linn Kanno of The Spicy Grasshopper. It was playful, hands-on, and completely low pressure.

“If you wanted to make dumplings, great. If you wanted to sip wine and eat charcuterie in the corner, also great.”

That’s a key part of the CatRad approach: no forced fun. Just thoughtful opportunities to connect and unwind.

Then, the evening wrapped with blankets, soft lighting, and hours of laughter by the fire.

Saturday: A little structure with a heavy dose of comfort

The next day started slowly. With coffees in hand, guests could hang out at the craft station — a DIY hat bar where they could decorate cozy beanies with fun patches. 

Then, they left the estate to grab a fabulous lunch at a nearby resort. When they returned, they were met with what became the emotional core of the weekend: a candle-making workshop led by TyyRita’s Aromas.

TyyRita is a spoken word artist and intuitive guide who helped the women infuse their candles with personal intention. What followed was laughter, reflection, and, of course, tears.

The CatRad team selected TyyRita not just for her skills, but for her energy. The candle-making session quickly became the memory everyone talked about after the weekend was done. 

Sunday: A quiet goodbye

The final morning included one last surprise: a hand-bound scrapbook filled with letters of affirmation from each guest to Amy. It was her husband’s idea, and CatRad brought it to life — prompting the women throughout the weekend, collecting their notes, and arranging them into a beautiful keepsake.

“It was emotional,” she said. “They wanted her to feel what she had meant to them — and she did.”

Small touch feature

The weekend was full of rich moments for the women to enjoy — but Catherine is a believer that even the smallest details make a difference. Some of the little touches included:

• Printed daily schedules so no one had to ask what was next.

• Self-serve stations keeping drinks and food full.

• An on-site team to fluff pillows, coordinated transportation, and manage surprises (like a power outage that struck on Friday night).

• Custom details like hat patches specially made with each guest’s first initial.

• All vendors were small, women-owned businesses.

The ripple effect

Guests went home beaming, grateful for the chance to connect with their friends without having to worry about a thing.

“That was the first time I really relaxed in months,” one guest told Catherine. The care, the joy, and the relief of being taken care of lingered long after the weekend ended.

And yes — Amy’s husband was thrilled. He wanted to do something meaningful, and CatRad helped him bring it to life.

“I make husbands look really good,” Catherine joked. At this point, it might as well be CatRad’s tagline.

This luxury weekend format is now one of CatRad’s signature offers. Whether you’re planning something for someone you love or dreaming up your own weekend retreat, CatRad Creative is here to help you do it beautifully, intentionally, and without an ounce of stress.

Schedule a time to chat with the CatRad team today.