Hidden within the undulating mountainscape of Cleveland, Georgia, sprawls more than 120 stunning acres of lush forests, gardens, ponds and breathtaking views. This mecca of natural beauty has been a premier choice as a wedding and reception venue for more than two decades. As a privately owned property, access to this serene setting has been limited primarily to wedding parties. Fortunately, for those in search of tranquility, Neverland Farms has expanded its mission and is now finding ways to cultivate intentional holistic opportunities to promote guests’ lasting vitality through yoga retreats, herbal wellness clinics and whole-food dining experiences.
Love of the Land
A love story from the beginning, the Neverland Farms property was purchased in 1990 by Suzy and Dan Tebor as a gift to each other on their 25th wedding anniversary. The couple, both busy with careers in Atlanta at the time, could not resist the call of this magnificent mountain valley.
“The property is indescribable,” Suzy explains. “The valley lies a couple of miles from blacktop, snuggled in the arms of woodland ridges on all sides and bordered by National Forest. The native hardwoods are massive and shelter indigenous rhododendron and mountain laurel. Underground springs seep from between the ridges. The property boundaries run to the east uphill and meet on top of Moon Mountain. The privacy, peacefulness and sacredness of the land is both overwhelming and comforting.”
As the first human inhabitants of this property, the Tebors vowed to be dedicated stewards of their Neverland, so named from a close friend’s description of the incredible landscape. The husband-and-wife duo spent the next decade reclaiming, planting and transforming their farm. “We built a horse barn, a workshop and studio office,” Suzy reminisces. “Neverland was our haven — our heart place.”
Sadly, Suzy lost Dan to cancer in 2000. Although bereft and grief-stricken, she said she knew with certainty that she “had to find a way to keep my land and my sanity.” With corporate events and years of event-planning experience, Suzy was more than prepared when a friend asked if Neverland could be used as the location for their daughter’s wedding.
“That was the beginning of the hundreds of love stories that Neverland has been a part of over the past 25 years,” Suzy shares. “I believe the sweet energy of all those fabulous people have seeped into the marrow of the farm.”
Likewise, the energy of Suzy’s families’ support and love further helped establish Neverland as an incredible outdoor wedding experience.
“With the generous help of friends, family and local artisans, we converted our facilities to support a magical, romantic and, surprisingly, uncommon place for husband and wife to begin their journey together,” Suzy says.
Guests rave about the meticulous attention their event received. “The service provided by the entire team was impeccable and, honestly, unheard of,” bride Giulia Tassius exclaims. “There wasn’t a single thing they missed, a single thing that wasn’t absolutely perfect.” Reviews such as this have prompted a widespread and growing demand for this quaint venue.
Farm to Table
Since that friend’s simple request for a wedding backdrop, Neverland Farms has grown much larger but still retains the down-on-the-farm charm with which it was born — with one tasty catch.
“Growing from seven weddings per year to more than 30 has been challenging and exciting all at once,” describes Suzy’s daughter-in-law, Nora Tebor, who is affectionately and appropriately known as the “director of all things Neverland.” “We knew our guests would share their experience of the beauty and uniqueness of Neverland, a place we know to be sacred. However, no one was prepared for the amount of attention our food service has received and how quickly this has garnered more and more interest in our farm as well as our table.”
Along with 15-year tenured chef Michael Ferrari, Nora describes Suzy and herself as “foodies” who are involved with Neverland’s food process from start to finish. Each item is cooked on the day of the wedding to ensure its quality and freshness.
“We use nothing but whole foods and only the freshest of ingredients,” Nora says. “We choose the best cuts of meat, and our guests love it. We are known for both the herb and peach butter as well as for our infamous ‘illegal mac and cheese,’ in which we use six kinds of delicious cheese. Our venue is amazing, but our food has made us distinct.”
Fit as a Fiddle
The whole-food fascination encouraged by Neverland has further enhanced Nora’s longing for ways to expand the opportunities of the farm. With a background rich in health and wellness, she has begun to incorporate weekend retreats that focus on healing with plants, yoga, massage and the overall reclamation of youthful vitality through the natural world.
“I wanted to get back to my wellness roots,” Nora says. “Providing a space in pursuit of health and wholeness is a way of achieving that goal.”
The incorporation of this kind of experience is a way to “share the property with more people as well as offer knowledge and awareness of very important concepts and philosophies,” Nora continues. “It is also a way to feature women who are very knowledgeable and skilled who live very close to Neverland.”
Local yogi and hypnotherapist Rah Howell leads yoga classes and sound bath sessions for wellness events. Herbalists Dionne Hanson and Rebecca Rosemary lead instruction in medicinal as well as consumptive use of local plants and herbs.
“Our retreats will provide opportunities to feature both our location and its people in powerful and life-changing ways,” Nora explains. “This is something I want to establish that will provide a way to expand as both an event center and a wellness retreat. This is the way to ensure Neverland remains a working farm that is intact and honored as long as possible.”
When describing her favorite places on the farm, Nora mentions the Ash Mountain and Moon Mountain peaks and their hypnotic qualities. It is the Big Pond, however, that has stolen her heart. “When I reach the Big Pond, it is always the same way I felt the first time I saw it,” she remembers. “The place welcomed me with assurance: ‘You have arrived. You are home.’”
Whether in search of wellness or wedding enchantment, guests’ experiences at Neverland will far exceed expectations. Visitors will be swept up into the elemental undercurrent that is felt upon entering the property. And Neverland Farms will continue to be a place that shapes dreams.
Neverland Farms will host a Yoga, Meditation and Qigong Retreat on May 2. Check out the web site for further details and upcoming events at neverlandfarms.com.
