INTRODUCING: River Valley Wedding Venue

After hosting their daughters' weddings on their property, the Stang family realized that they had a passion for providing their community with a beautiful, rustic option for couples to truly have the best day of their lives. “We’ve always loved hosting, from small family gatherings all the way up to large church campouts.” reminisces Darrell, founder and designer of River Valley Wedding Venue, a passion project that only recently started hosting events in July 2022.

Dreamt up around their family dinner table, husband and wife Darrell and Sue Stang, along with two of their daughters Tamara and Nicole, the venue has been an exciting adventure for the family from day one. Sue, the first person that couples are in contact with and manager of all things ‘business’, said “It’s always nerve-wracking to start something new, but the end result has been so worth it.”

The Stang’s built River Valley Wedding Venue from the ground up in a labor of love that has resulted in a truly breathtaking space that they know couples will never forget. “It’s a pretty special thing to be able to say that we built almost all of it by hand!” Says Nicole, who manages the company’s social media aspect. “When we started it seemed so daunting, but now that it’s finished, we see that it was worth every minute.” The family started planning for the venue in late 2020, and when they began everyone quickly fell into their roles. “When we first started out, we were a little worried because there are so many beautiful wedding venues in central Alberta, but we found that the wedding and event community was so incredibly welcoming to us!” This comes from Tamara, the team’s organizer and detail planner. “It’s pretty exciting to see such an amazing response, especially when we can use these connections with other local businesses to provide exactly what the couples are looking for.”

Styled as a rustic barn complete with giant swinging doors facing out on a picturesque tropical-blue pond, the interior is where the true magic is. With high ceilings, rough cut timber pillars and a central space that can hold all your friends and family, the building is the perfect space for any event. But that’s just the basics; what makes River Valley really shine is the Stang family’s attention to detail. Darrell has provided a truly one-of-a-kind space for guests to gather and get refreshed; an authentic country saloon. With real swinging doors, timeless western antiques adorning the walls and a patio just steps away make this a feature piece that everyone will be talking about.

However, upstairs sits one of the Stang families’ favourite features. “When we started designing this venue, we knew that we wanted to give brides a special space to really enjoy the morning of the wedding.” Says Sue, “Being with your friends and family, sharing laughs and getting ready to look your best for such an important day is truly special, so we designed our bridal suite with space and comfort in mind.” This gorgeous side room, with its quartz counters, clean white walls and large windows to let in plenty of natural light is the perfect space for the bride and her bridesmaids to get ready. While these are the major details, there is so much more to discover in the rest of the venue. A full prep kitchen, a beautiful green space for kids and adults alike to run and enjoy, a wide-open dance floor and more awaits guests when they book with River Valley. “We’re pretty lucky to be able to share in couple’s perfect day,” says Darrell, “and we wanted to make a space for them to have a once in a lifetime wedding that they and all of their guests will never forget.”

The Venue is conveniently located only 10 minutes west of Blackfalds, easily accessible from the Aspelund Road. The Stang’s are excited to meet all the couples interested in looking at their space and can be easily reached for more information or to book a tour at [email protected].?

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