Veil and Vine: A labor of love and faith bringing couples together

While many lakes and lawns might not exactly show it yet, spring is here and not far behind will be wedding season. And as anyone who has had their wedding in the Mat-Su Valley can attest, there is a limited window in which to have an outdoor wedding and capture the beauty of Alaska. Veil and Vine is the newest venue to offer that beautiful backdrop for any couple preparing to get married.

Veil and Vine was born out of the many requests to host a wedding at Pyrah’s Pioneer Farm.

Located off Bodenburg Loop Road, many already know of Pyrah’s Pioneer Farm, a “U-Pick” vegetable farm, which has been around for over 40 years. Janet Dinwiddie’s family had been a part of the farm, and eventually took over the lease.

“We had the opportunity to buy the farm and we took it,” she said.

Over the years, the farm branched out to hosting tours, festivals, and eventually, weddings.

“As long as I can remember, we helped with catering, and as I got older, we started doing weddings, and it got bigger and bigger,” Dinwiddie said.

The weddings were held onsite, but they were catering off-site as well, offering a full-scale operation that included food, flowers, and decorations. The weddings weren’t necessarily advertised, but word of mouth spread, and the business grew. That was when Dinwiddie had her inspiration.

“We noticed that there are lovely venues for weddings, but couples weren’t able to get everything they were looking for in one location,” she recalls. “One day, we were out in the fields and realized we have a million-dollar view and that we should just do weddings here and have everything that people need when they’re getting married.”

Planning and design began in late 2019, but like many other businesses, Veil and Vine came to a halt with the COVID pandemic, forcing a ground stop on financing and planning.

“We were booked out for 2 years, and it broke our hearts to have to cancel,” Dinwiddie explains, “so we decided to break it into phases to offer brides an opportunity to still have their weddings.”

Veil and Vine will feature a three-building venue. An open-air “Founder’s Chapel,” an open-air Pavilion venue that allows guests to take in the view, and the main venue, called the “Grand Hall,” which will feature kitchens, bathrooms, a bridal suite, and a large ballroom.

The buildings that are planned will look close to the renderings available on their website, and Dinwiddie explains that the whitewash look to the buildings is done on purpose, not only offset the natural beauty of Pioneer Peak and the farm, but also keeping wedding styles in mind.

“This way, people can have their themes and decorations without worrying about the background,” she said.

Dinwiddie also explains that they will be able to offer a variety of packages from utilizing the venue all the way up to a full-service package that would include catering, decorations, and flowers.

The Pavilion is set to open in a few weeks, and the Grand Hall is expected to finish by the winter.

When asked if there was a meaning behind the name Veil and Vine, Dinwiddie says it represents the feeling they wanted to invoke. “Vine plays to the symbolism of the eternal nature, as well as meaning the farm, and growing things (food) and growing families. Veil is used so often historically for marriage and binding the families, but also both sides of heaven and earth. So when we put it together, it truly says what we feel.”

Veil and Vine will be available to host events other than weddings, such as family and school reunions and conferences.

“We are excited to see this vision come to fruition and we’re excited to share this with people.”