Mountaintop makes for special wedding venue
When Randy and Wendy Ryals built their cabin home high atop a bluff above historic Springville, overlooking a picturesque valley below, they counted themselves lucky. When their oldest daughter wanted to get married there, they already knew it was a blessing, not realizing it would spark a brand new business for the couple and their family.
But once the daughter posted her wedding photos on social media, the response was immediate. “Where is that venue?,” people asked. The answer soon turned from “Mom and Dad’s home” to an idea that grew into Weddings at Cabin Bluff.
When the next daughter was to be married, she wanted a barn wedding. So, they built a red barn in October 2016, and it and the field overlooking the valley have been the setting for dozens upon dozens of weddings and events ever since.
“It just took off,” Wendy Ryals said.
With 30 years of experience in the medical meetings industry, the couple translated their experience as meeting planners to planning weddings. “We transitioned from doctors to brides,” she said.
From all-inclusive packages to a-la-carte services, Weddings at Cabin Bluff caters to the makings of an unforgettable day for wedding celebrations, larger corporate and “milestone” events with stunning, panoramic views from the Red Barn to the expansive field with room for hundreds of guests. From the bluff, you can see for 50 miles.
While the business has grown exponentially, family remains as its centerpiece. “We still treat it like our family. It’s basically our daughters and their husbands. It’s very much a family affair,” and their clients get that sense as well. “They get to know us,” she said.
Along the way, these Springville natives have many a story to tell about memorable events held there. One was a couple who lived in London, who came to Springville to say ‘I do,’ bringing 50-60 Londoners with her. The wedding party and guests were staying in Birmingham, and it was noted that in London, they don’t have school buses.
For a slice of Americana, the guests arrived by big yellow school bus. British traditions were incorporated as well, the U.S. flag and the flag of Great Britain flying high out front. “It felt like a royal wedding,” Wendy said.
There have been carriage rides, conventional arrivals and departures and even a performance with fire since this venture began, she said, and the memories made there have been special. “We’ve met so many great families through this process and look forward to meeting many more in the future.”
And she looks forward to the comment she hears most often: ‘This wedding is the most beautiful wedding I have ever attended.’
Her reply is always the same, “I know, it really is.” Until the next weekend, of course.
