that I wanted to get married in my home state...Vermont. Vermont is an unique place, especially to get married. Vermont is known for it's beautiful, natural scenery, it's simple life feeling, and a rustic edge. It's known for barns, farms, cows, bad cell phone service, Ben & Jerry's, dirt roads and covered bridges. I think and know of it as home. Knowing that VT is quite different from like Boston....I knew my whole aura of my wedding would be different then the wedding I was envisioning in my head. Obviously I've always dreamed of the hugeee Catholic Cathedral with tons of history, built with stone and pillars, and a hugeeee elegant ballroom for my reception, with 
elegant chandeliers, fine china, and on the harbor with a view of skyline.After thinking about what I really wanted in my heart, and instead of my materialistic dreams, I knew I truly did want to get married in VT. VT just has this ring to it, this feeling, and I wanted that feel for my wedding. I didn't care about the elegant Ritz Carlton ballrooms and the hugee Cathedral in downtown Boston, I wanted a warm, elegant Vermont Wedding!
So our quest for the perfect venue began!
We knew that one thing that was really important to us, and to Jeff's family was that our guests had the option to stay at our venue. The Benders and my family have both been to a lot of weddings, and we agreed the ones that were the most fun were ones that you could just go have a blast at and then walk down the hall to your room and not have to worry about anything such as who is going to drive...! We both agreed that we wanted to make sure everyone had the best time ever and we wanted to keep our guests comfort and convenience in mind, especially since a majority of them will be traveling out of state to our wedding. With that being said, we knew that we had limited options in VT. VT doesn't have a ton of hotel chains or numerous options to stay at. They are know for inns and bed & breakfasts. However, one thing VT does have, is RESORTS. Since VT is also known for being a skiing state, there is numerous luxurious resorts. BINGO!
We started our journey on June 13th at the StoweFlake in Stowe, VT. We'
ve stayed at the StoweFlake before and my Dad has had functions/meetings there, so we kind of already knew what it was all about. The StoweFlake is known for it's spa and it's VT inn feel, it is definitely nice but maybe not what I was looking for in regards to my wedding. We decided to meet with the StoweFlake and take a venue tour, but this time with the frame of mind of not just staying there...but to have a wedding there...it didn't ring my bell I guess you could say. It had a corporate feel, meaning I felt like it would be more suitable for a business meeting then for a wedding. Their ballroom was underground, with minimal sunlight. I mean it didn't make sense to me...VT is gorgeous...so wouldn't you want a ballroom above ground?? I knew that I wanted a gorgeous view for my guests to enjoy...not the view of...nothing...So moving on...So our next appointment was later that day at TopNotch Spa & Resort, just up the road from StoweFlake. My parents had stayed there before and he had an amazing experience, so from the vibe my Mom was giving off I had a good feeling about this place. TopNotch has an exceptional reputation, aw
ards for its spa, and decent views. We arrived and met with Nick, their event coordinator. He was really nice and walked us all around the resort, I was quite impressed. They also had two options of where to have the reception. They had a ballroom....but like Stoweflake it was underground, and not impressive whatsoever, and they also had a tent site. At first I wasn't to sure about having a tented wedding in VT....in beginning of June...when there's potential of snow still being on the ground....but the site was nice, it was like a tennis court for the ground, a top of the line restroom outside, and a gorgeous tent and view of the mountains...hmm maybe this could work? I still wasn't 100% sold but I was toying with the idea in my head. We left TopNotch with a good feeling, but we still wanted to look around.
ards for its spa, and decent views. We arrived and met with Nick, their event coordinator. He was really nice and walked us all around the resort, I was quite impressed. They also had two options of where to have the reception. They had a ballroom....but like Stoweflake it was underground, and not impressive whatsoever, and they also had a tent site. At first I wasn't to sure about having a tented wedding in VT....in beginning of June...when there's potential of snow still being on the ground....but the site was nice, it was like a tennis court for the ground, a top of the line restroom outside, and a gorgeous tent and view of the mountains...hmm maybe this could work? I still wasn't 100% sold but I was toying with the idea in my head. We left TopNotch with a good feeling, but we still wanted to look around.The following Saturday (MY BIRTHDAY!!) I drove back up to Vermont and w
e took a tour of the Woodstock Inn. The Woodstock Inn is just down the road from us and I've been there numerous times for numerous reasons...not for a wedding though. I thought the Woodstock Inn might have potential because it is so elegant and nearby and I grew up going there...well...their ballroom was underground as well....and they didn't seem to offer a whole lot of what we were looking for...overall we didn't get a good vibe from their event coordinator, the whole environment, or anything.....so onwards!
e took a tour of the Woodstock Inn. The Woodstock Inn is just down the road from us and I've been there numerous times for numerous reasons...not for a wedding though. I thought the Woodstock Inn might have potential because it is so elegant and nearby and I grew up going there...well...their ballroom was underground as well....and they didn't seem to offer a whole lot of what we were looking for...overall we didn't get a good vibe from their event coordinator, the whole environment, or anything.....so onwards!About this time this is when we Hired Carrie our wedding planner (We should have started looking at venues AFTER we hired her). Carrie had suggested we go look at a place called the Stowe Mountain Lodge in Stowe, VT, up the road from both TopNotch and StoweFlake. Both of my parents had heard of this place, but never had been there because it was only a year or two old. We planned a meeting with Heidi, the SML event coordinator, for Friday, July 3rd. On July 3rd, both my parents and I, drove up to the SML and I was in awe. Right away we were valet parked, the doormen were so friendly and helpful, and since it was raining they had an umbrella waiting for us as we stepped outside the car. AWESOME first impression. We walk inside and the lobby was Magnificent! It was gorgeous. It was new, beautifully decorated, hugeee windows everywhere so you could look outside and see the view...and let me just say the view is to die forrr!!! Beautif
ul mountains and ski slops, it is gorgeous. Ok I had already fallen in love, even before we took the tour. Heidi came out, and she was cute and fun, and seemed like she would be awesome to work with, unlike the other bland, snobby venue event planners. She showed us around the venue, and every step I took I was more and more amazed. The guest rooms were TO DIE FOR. They are gorgeous, top of the line everythingggg, luxurious is what they were definitely going for. Their spa was immaculate and I wanted to spend all day...or even week there...AND THE BALLROOM....IT WAS ABOVE GROUND!! The ballroom was a typical ballroom, but had sooo sooo soo much potential, and the best thing about it is the views of the outside, it was BEYOND PERFECTTTT!!!!!!!!!!! The whole venue had this vibe and look and everything I was looking for. It is amazing and we all fell in love. It was perfectttt. So needless to say we left the SML with a sense of excitement and a really good feeling!
ul mountains and ski slops, it is gorgeous. Ok I had already fallen in love, even before we took the tour. Heidi came out, and she was cute and fun, and seemed like she would be awesome to work with, unlike the other bland, snobby venue event planners. She showed us around the venue, and every step I took I was more and more amazed. The guest rooms were TO DIE FOR. They are gorgeous, top of the line everythingggg, luxurious is what they were definitely going for. Their spa was immaculate and I wanted to spend all day...or even week there...AND THE BALLROOM....IT WAS ABOVE GROUND!! The ballroom was a typical ballroom, but had sooo sooo soo much potential, and the best thing about it is the views of the outside, it was BEYOND PERFECTTTT!!!!!!!!!!! The whole venue had this vibe and look and everything I was looking for. It is amazing and we all fell in love. It was perfectttt. So needless to say we left the SML with a sense of excitement and a really good feeling!So the decision seems obvious, right? Wrong. We had to talk first about logistics before we could actually set our heart on anything....stay tuned :)
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