BESTR MARKETING
Love has the power to grow beyond our wildest dreams, and for Seth and Tori Bolt, their love story grew all the way to the mountaintops — literally.
When Seth, member of the band Needtobreathe, met his now-wife Tori, he was in the process of building a treehouse with the help of his father in South Carolina as a place to rest and recharge. But that vision shifted as his and Tori’s love story began, and suddenly he was building and designing the treehouse to be a place for their honeymoon. Once completed, the magic was undeniable, and the couple realized this creation was something that other couples could enjoy and benefit from just as much as they did.
Together, they founded Bolt Farm Treehouse in Whitwell, Tennessee, just a two-hour drive from Nashville. The adults-only mountaintop wellness retreat promises a luxurious stay immersed in nature where couples can truly connect with themselves, with nature, and with each other. Luxe accommodations include the famous treehouses as well as mirror cabins and domes, all lovingly designed with couple’s needs in mind. Whether you’re honeymooning, planning a proposal, celebrating a milestone, or just looking to connect with one another, Bolt Farm Treehouse offers a tranquil escape for the ultimate getaway. We chatted with Tori to learn more about her and Seth’s fairytale love story and how their treehouses are now playing a part in the love stories of couples across the country.
BOLT FARM TREEHOUSE
The Love Story: How we met feels like a modern fairytale. I was working in broadcast news at the time, and interviewed Seth’s band, Needtobreathe, before their concert in Houston, Texas. It was a great interview! I had a boyfriend at the time, and he was a huge Needtobreathe fan, so the whole reason I set up the interview was so he could tag along and meet his favorite band... oops. After the interview, I invited the guys to join us for drinks after the show at a bar down the street. My boyfriend talked me out of it saying they’d never go, but I later found out that Seth went, and I stood him up! About six months later, Needtobreathe was playing in town again. I was now single and went to the show with my friends. Seth saw me in the crowd and DM’d me on Instagram. Within a week of talking, I flew out to South Carolina to see him, and the rest is history! Our love has deeply grown since we got married in 2016. They say when you run a business together, it’s like you’re married in dog years, so for us that’d be 56 and sometimes it feels like it. We love having common goals and common obstacles. Working through them together makes us closer. We became parents in August 2023 and that has expanded our capacity for love in a whole new way.
Building the Dream: Growing up in rural South Carolina, Seth had always wanted a treehouse but that wasn’t in the cards for him. He spent the last two decades touring the world with his band, which comes with spending most of his time in cities. His spirit longed to be back in nature, so he decided to build a respite where he could rest and recharge when off tour. He met me in the process of building the treehouse with his dad and, inspired by love, decided to make it worthy of his wedding day. He took the designs to the next level, making it luxurious, romantic, and centered around connection for couples. We did our wedding first look at the treehouse and honeymooned there. I was in awe! I didn’t see it or stay there until our wedding day. Seth wanted it to be a surprise and it truly took my breath away. The antique windows, the record player, the grandiose bed, these are all things you don’t experience in your everyday life, and it reminds you that you’re somewhere special. It was magic and the few days we spent together there set us on the trajectory that we are now on today.
BOLT FARM TREEHOUSE
Growing a Business: The few days we spent together there on our honeymoon made us realize the importance of environment. [Bolt Farm Treehouse] was inspired by our honeymoon! It’s designed with romance, reconnection, and love at the center. It allows you to unplug from the busyness of life and be with your person. On a practical level, our VIP Concierge will help you craft the perfect honeymoon custom-tailored to your needs. We obsess over every little detail to ensure a magical experience for our guests. We stay in each villa before opening it to the public to refine and sharpen each detail, making sure it’s everything (and more) we’d want when we’re on vacation. Another thing we prioritize is togetherness. We ensure all spaces, both inside and out, are conducive to couples. To give a few examples, each place to sit has seating for two, the showers are for two people, the hot tub is positioned so a couple can sit cozied up together and soak in the view.
Honeymoon Swoon: America fell in love with our Honeymoon Treehouse after seeing it on Netflix’s The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals. We’ve since designed more, including our guests’ feedback for additional luxury amenities. These new treehouses (open in November 2024) have heated marble floors, electric shades, custom stone hot tubs, outdoor cedar barrel showers, and a hand- hammered copper tub for two, among many other unique features and amenities. Our Treehouse Spa opened this past spring, where we offer world-class massages, facials, hydrafacials, and other signature couples experiences. Our Wellness Haven, opening December 2024, complements our spa, offering guests an array of relaxing amenities including cold plunges, hot springs, a sauna, steam room, IV drop lounge and more. The Wellness Haven exists on a multi-acre spa facility on top of a mountain, surrounded by waterfalls.
More than any one amenity, couples constantly talk about the way the environment encourages them to put their phones down and be present with one another. The magic we baked into the experience helps couples rediscover their best friend as they forget about the worries of life and focus on the beauty of the present moment. Our hope is that Bolt Farm Treehouse continues to be the place where couples go to reconnect. This applies to couples who are embarking on their relationship with a proposal, honeymoon, or anniversary, as well as those who haven’t reconnected in some time. We sometimes host couples whose relationships are on the rocks, and we are the last-ditch effort to save it. We’ve heard miraculous stories that leave me in tears, hearing about how a few days here saved someone’s marriage. We want to be the place couples go to reconnect or as their go-to anniversary or quarterly getaway destination because they know they’ll leave with a stronger, more connected relationship.