Some of the best parts of building a women’s fantasy retreat don’t happen at the retreat itself… they happen in the moments leading up to it. This week, Jackie and I are heading to Metrocon in Tampa to take photos, soak in the fandom energy, and to meet some of you in person before The Starlight Gathering: House of Stories retreat even begins in March.
If you’re one of the incredible women who has already signed up for this retreat, we cannot wait to see you at Metrocon. And if you’re still deciding whether a women’s only retreat is right for you, this post is a little window into why we believe community should start long before anyone ever steps into that private house together.
Why We’re Heading to Metrocon Before the Retreat
Metrocon might seem like an unusual stop on the road to launching a women’s retreat, but it makes more sense than you might think. Metrocon is Florida’s largest anime convention, taking over the Tampa Convention Center this weekend (three days packed with cosplay, gaming, and the kind of creative, imaginative energy that feels right at home with everything we’re building.)
The Starlight Gathering – House of Stories retreat was built on the idea of fantasy, imagination, and permission to play. The same energy that fills a convention floor full of cosplay, storytelling, and creative expression. Jackie and I aren’t just going to take photos for fun (although we absolutely will be doing that too). We’re going because this is exactly the kind of space where the spirit of the retreat already lives.
And most importantly, some of you, our future Starlight Gathering guests, will be there too! That makes this all that more special to us.
A Sneak Peek Before the Retreat
There’s something special about meeting someone in person before an intimate retreat experience. It softens the nerves. It turns “the woman I signed up to attend a retreat with” into “the woman I already hugged at Metrocon and can’t wait to see again in March.”
If we cross paths with you at Metrocon, we want you to know: this is not a coincidence we’re taking lightly. It’s a preview of the kind of closeness and comfort we want every guest to feel walking into The Starlight Gathering: House of Stories.
I know that Jackie has met a lot of you before, but for me it will be our first introduction and I am so excited to meet each of you!
What The Starlight Gathering Is All About
For those who are newer to this journey, The Starlight Gathering is a private, women’s only retreat happening in March 2027. Completely built around fantasy, storytelling, rest, play, and real community.
This isn’t your typical retreat. It’s designed intentionally around a few key experiences Jackie and I have created together:
1. A Private House, Just for Us
The retreat takes place in a private house. Not a shared resort, not a public venue. This is intentional. Women’s only retreats thrive when there’s true privacy, where guests can let their guard down completely without the noise or self-consciousness that comes with a public setting.
2. Fantasy and Storytelling at the Core
“House of Stories” isn’t just a pretty name, it’s the heartbeat of the retreat. Every activity is designed to help guests step into imagination, whimsy, and a version of themselves that doesn’t get much room to breathe in daily life. Think fantasy-themed activities, immersive storytelling elements, and space to simply play.
3. Professional Photoshoots by Jackie and Shannon
Every guest will have the opportunity for a professional photoshoot retreat experience, captured by Jackie and Shannon. The same creative eyes behind so much of the fantasy and convention photography you’ve seen from us. These aren’t stiff, posed photos. They’re meant to capture joy, freedom, and the fantasy energy of the retreat itself.
4. All-Inclusive, Zero-Stress Planning
From meals to activities to lodging, The Starlight Gathering is fully all-inclusive. Guests don’t need to worry about logistics. Just show up ready to rest, play, and connect.
5. Real Community, Not Performative Networking
This is not a retreat about networking or forced small talk. It’s about real community: women supporting women, encouraging one another, and building genuine friendships in a space designed for exactly that.
Why Community Should Start Before the Retreat, Not At It
There’s a common misconception that community-building for a retreat starts the moment guests arrive. In our experience, that’s backwards.
The best retreat experiences happen when guests already feel a thread of connection before they even walk through the door. That’s part of why this Metrocon trip matters so much to us. If even a few of you are there, and we get to hug you, laugh with you, or just exist in the same space before March. That’s community already forming.
This is the same philosophy we bring to every part of planning The Starlight Gathering:
- We want guests to feel like they already know each other before day one of the retreat.
- We want the excitement to build gradually, not just show up all at once in March.
- We want every touchpoint: Metrocon, social media, this blog – to feel like part of the same story, not separate marketing moments.
What This Means If You’re Attending in March
If you’ve already signed up for The Starlight Gathering: House of Stories, here’s what we hope you take from this:
- If you’re at Metrocon, come find us. Seriously, we would love nothing more than to meet you in person before March.
- Watch for updates between now and the retreat. We’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes moments, activity previews, and community spotlights as we get closer.
- Start connecting with other attendees now if you can. The more familiar faces you have going in, the more comfortable and open the whole experience becomes.
What This Means If You’re Still Deciding
If you’re on the fence about whether The Starlight Gathering is right for you, let this be part of your answer: this isn’t a retreat that starts and ends in March. It’s a community that’s already forming: one convention, one blog post, one shared moment at a time.
Spots are limited for this women’s fantasy retreat, and the experience is designed to stay intimate rather than overcrowded. If any part of this (the fantasy, the privacy, the professional photography, the real community) has been calling to you, then this is your sign to say yes to yourself!
A Few Practical Tips If You’re Attending Metrocon Too
If you’re one of our future retreat guests and you’re also headed to Metrocon this week, here are a few easy ways to connect with us in person:
- Follow our social media for real-time updates on where we’ll be throughout the con @treasuredbyshannon and @tight_photography.
- Don’t be shy about saying hello! If you’ve signed up for The Starlight Gathering, we already consider you part of this community, convention badge or not.
- Bring a costume or just bring yourself: either way, we’d love a photo together before March.
- Ask us questions in person. If you have anything you’re wondering about the retreat, Metrocon is a great low-pressure place to ask.
Bringing It Full Circle
Community isn’t something that switches on the moment a retreat begins, it’s something built in the small moments leading up to it. This week, that looks like Jackie and me wandering a convention floor in Tampa, camera in hand, hoping to run into a few of the incredible women who will be joining us this March for The Starlight Gathering: House of Stories.
If you’re one of them, we cannot wait to see you! Whether that’s at Metrocon this week or walking through the doors of our private house together this March. Either way, this story is already being written, one connection at a time.
Curious about joining us for The Starlight Gathering: House of Stories this March? Spots are limited for this intimate, women’s only fantasy retreat. Reach out to learn more or sign up now and come be a part of the story!