Some Enchanted Evening

A look back at 30 years from the first Nfocus bride, Trevania Dudley Henderson

As we celebrate 30 years of Nfocus, we have asked our friends in the community — many who have been with us since the beginning, to tell their story in their own words. Throughout the year, readers will hear from those who have graced our pages and supported our stories.

This month, we reached out to our very first Nfocus bride, Trevania Henderson. Trevania is the daughter of Guilford Dudley Jr. and Jane Dudley, and her wedding to her husband John was covered by Nfocus in November 1993. We asked Trevania to fill us in on how life has been for the last 30 years:

John and I met on October 23, 1992, at a house party in Savannah, Georgia, and I’m not sure we spoke to anyone else the entire weekend, though we did dance a lot. A year to the day later, we married in a service at Christ Church Cathedral with a reception at my parent’s home. My wedding memories are a typical bridal blur — but I do remember how handsome John looked waiting for me at the altar, how much fun we had dancing and how famished we were because we’d neglected to eat dinner. A fair amount of rice found its way into our suitcases, and we were still finding it in our clothes a year later.

After our honeymoon, I moved to Boston, John’s hometown. That winter, there was a blizzard seemingly every Wednesday and Friday, resulting in the most snowfall in their recorded history. John spent a lot of time begging me not to move home to Nashville, but I never considered it. Thirty years later, I have actually come to enjoy shoveling — it’s great exercise, and you feel you’ve accomplished something significant.

In 1998, our son Cole was born. We have loved taking him on adventures around the world (although much to Cole’s horror, John and I tend to dance everywhere there is music). We celebrated his 10th birthday on a mountaintop in northeast India with candles and soggy French fries in lieu of cake. Such are the exigencies of remote travel.

John and I have had the good fortune to explore many places before they were “discovered” — notably, we were virtually alone at Angkor Wat and able to climb the ruins unencumbered. But Nashville remains my favorite destination. Given half an excuse, I am on the next plane headed south. We come for Steeplechase, Swan Ball, birthday parties — or to just take a hike in Warner Park. The real lure? Spending time with the people I love. Nothing compares.

Many thanks to the Henderson family and to each of the beautiful weddings we’ve been honored to feature and celebrate over the past 30 years. Here’s to many more!