Wedding Wonderland!
- Benjamin Lerner
- 2 days ago
- 16 min read
A celebration of Vermont weddings in all seasons and the incredible venues, planners, and floral designers that make them possible
STORY BY BENJAMIN LERNER
A wedding in Vermont is never just an event—it’s an experience woven into the rhythm of the landscape. During the Holiday and Winter season, Vermont serves as an idyllic medium for unforgettable ceremonies, receptions, rehearsals, elopements, and gatherings. From the shimmer of snow on a mountain road to the warmth of candlelight flickering against old timber beams, every detail seems to echo the timeless romance of the Green Mountains. Here, love feels grounded in place. It’s rustic and refined, natural and elegant, built from the same artistry, authenticity, and care that define Vermont itself.
In all seasons, couples come to Vermont seeking much more than a picturesque backdrop. They come for a feeling that is eternal and transcendent—a sense of presence, craftsmanship, and intimacy that transforms every “I do” into a story of its own. Behind that magic lies a community of makers, planners, designers, and hosts who work quietly but passionately to bring those stories to life.
In Southern and Central Vermont, that creative ecosystem thrives. Venues, florists, planners, and artisans collaborate like musicians in an orchestra, with each playing their part to shape the celebration’s tone. From mountaintop resorts to tucked-away estates, century-old inns and brand-new boutique retreats, Vermont offers something for every couple seeking to bring their dream wedding to life.
Here are just a few ideas for your consideration, courtesy of VERMONT Magazine.
Mountain Top Resort
Chittenden, Vermont
Perched on 700 private acres in Chittenden, with sweeping views of the Green Mountains and the pristine Chittenden Reservoir, Mountain Top Resort offers couples a rare combination of grandeur and warmth. The Resort feels like a self-contained village. It’s a place where guests can feel as though they’ve discovered their own private corner of Vermont. Numerous lodge rooms, luxury cabins, and private guest homes accommodate parties of varying sizes, while the on-site restaurant and tavern, spa and salon, and a full roster of four-season activities transform wedding weekends into true Vermont getaways. In the winter and holiday months, that magic deepens. Snow softens the meadows, and The Barn glows like a lantern in the dusk—a perfect setting for storybook weddings.
Mountain Top’s Wedding and Event Planner, Miranda Link, leads their event planning department. She also leads couples through the process with kindness, calm, and meticulous attention to “feeling” as much as “form”. For Miranda, that question of feeling becomes the through line for every design choice, whether a couple imagines a candlelit dinner surrounded by evergreens, or a lively barn reception filled with music and movement. “Mountain Top is a one-stop shop,” she says. “It’s a one-stop shop for your lodging, for your food, for your wedding planner, for your florals, your design, your hair and makeup. It’s all here.” From rehearsal dinner to farewell brunch, every moment unfolds under one roof—or rather, under one snowy mountain sky.
Mountain Top’s winter weddings capture everything people dream of when they imagine a Vermont holiday. “There’s a romance to a holiday or winter wedding that you just can’t recreate in summer,” she says. “When guests walk into the barn and it’s already dark outside, you can do so much more with lighting. It creates a completely different mood.” She adds that handmade wreaths and garlands are woven on-site by the Resort’s gardener. “We make all of our own decorations,” Miranda says. “It’s personal. It’s Vermont.” The palette is warm and natural—greens, whites, golds, and wood tones—accented by the flicker of hundreds of candles. “It feels like you’ve stepped inside a snow globe,” she adds.
Couples who choose the resort’s Meadows Edge floral and design team work with the in-house designer to bring their visual concepts to life—from the color palette and florals to ceiling treatments, drapery, and specialty rentals. “It’s all about collaboration,” Miranda says. “We take the couple’s inspiration and elevate it. Maybe that means rugs and lanterns, maybe glassware and velvet runners. It’s their story—we just help tell it.”
Beyond décor, the resort offers curated experiences that feel cinematic in their seasonal scope. Brides and grooms often arrive or depart by horse-drawn sleigh, with bells jingling and snow swirling around them. “We can do a sleigh ride into the ceremony and then again as the couple leaves,” adds Miranda. “It gives them a quiet moment together and creates an amazing photograph.” She remembers one couple whose first look took place on ice skates, gliding across the resort’s frozen rink as guests watched from the edge. “It was so quintessentially Vermont. That’s what makes it unforgettable.”
Guests can fill their weekends with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or moonlit group tours guided by resort staff. “Sometimes couples plan a moonlight snowshoe the night before the wedding,” shares Miranda. “It’s something fun that brings everyone together before the big day.” Back inside, the tavern’s fireplaces, the on-site sauna, and the comfort of the lodge balance adventure with warmth.
While Mountain Top is known for its large barn weddings, it’s equally suited for smaller, more intimate celebrations. In 2025, the resort introduced micro-wedding packages designed for gatherings of 25 or fewer. The new Bergamot five-bedroom guest home is a prime location for these gatherings. “It’s big enough to sleep most of the guests, and it’s absolutely beautiful,” says Miranda. “Our catering team comes in, takes over the kitchen, and creates a private restaurant experience. It’s all right there.”
For larger parties, The Barn hosts up to 200 guests, but the approach stays personalized. Miranda and Mountain Top’s other event planners build timelines around each couple’s priorities. “Some couples want everyone to be dancing all night. Others want a long dinner and conversation. It’s never one-size-fits-all.” Mountain Top’s culinary team crafts menus that reflect both Vermont’s flavors and each couple’s heritage. “We can do anything—farm-to-table, regional, or international menus,” Miranda says. “We’ve had couples request Indian, Lebanese, or Eastern European dishes. Our chefs love that.”
For smaller celebrations, the resort also offers several Intimate Reception Sites, each tailored to different moods and guest counts. “We can host intimate weddings in a number of locations within the resort,” Miranda explains. “Formal dining rooms, oversized great rooms that open onto decks with mountain views, private lawns that back onto the woods and gardens, even poolside soirées—it all depends on the couple’s vision.”
Regardless of the season, the setting defines Mountain Top Resort’s enduring appeal. “We have the view that people come to Vermont for, but it’s more than that,” says Link. “It’s the feeling. Guests come in from the cold, there’s music and laughter, and it just feels like home.” She smiles. “One of our mottos here is ‘Come for the view, stay for the experience.’” And for winter weddings at Mountain Top, that feeling is pure storybook Vermont—snowflakes falling outside, candlelight spilling through the windows, and the quiet joy of knowing that, for one perfect weekend, the whole world has come together on top of a mountain.
The Inn at Manchester
Manchester, Vermont
In the heart of Manchester Village, couples and visitors will find a warm welcome at The Inn at Manchester. It’s the kind of inn that radiates timeless allure, with an inviting and stately atmosphere that welcomes you before you’ve even stepped through the entrance. Built in 1889 and lovingly preserved for over a century, the inn’s history mirrors that of the town itself. Once a private residence and later a boarding house, it became a true Vermont inn in the 1970s. It has since evolved into a centerpiece of Manchester’s hospitality landscape.
Today, under the stewardship of owners Brian Maggiotto and Gabriela Torres, the inn has found its perfect rhythm, where Vermont’s heritage meets modern comfort, and where every wedding, gathering, or holiday celebration feels like coming home. “We open the doors every day with one goal,” says Maggiotto: “Make people feel at home and welcome everyone to be a part of the story.”
Brian, Gabriela, and the Inn at Manchester team proudly welcome guests as though hosting them in their own residence. That familial spirit radiates through the property’s twenty-one guest rooms and suites, spread across the Main Inn, the historic Carriage House, and the striking Celebration Barn Lodging Suites. Each space has its own personality. Some have fireplaces and sitting rooms. Others boast picturesque views of Mount Equinox—but they all share the same overarching atmospheric palette and sense of intimacy. The Inn can accommodate up to 45 overnight guests, making it an ideal anchor for multi-day wedding celebrations where friends and family stay, gather, and reconnect.
Behind the Inn stands its crown jewel: The Celebration Barn. From the outside, its red façade gleams against the snow like something out of a postcard. “The Barn is a celebration of Vermont,” Brian says. “It pairs the iconic look of a traditional barn with the amenities today’s couples need—full climate control, a professional catering kitchen, and the flexibility to host weddings year-round.”
That year-round availability is part of what makes the property so special, particularly in the Holiday and Winter months. As the days shorten and the mountains turn white, the Barn transforms into a wonderland of its own. “We deck the halls,” shares Maggiotto, “and we do it with joy. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s, there’s this glow about the property. Guests wake up to the smell of hot coffee and cinnamon, walk across the snowy grounds, and feel like they’ve stepped into a classic Vermont holiday movie.”
For those who prefer intimacy, the Inn’s “We Do” Elopement Package includes a justice of the peace, bouquet and boutonniere, Prosecco toast, wedding cake, and a romantic overnight. Like many of the region’s venues, the Inn’s success rests on collaboration. Some of its recommended event partners include B + W Catering, Haystack Catering, Mother Myrick’s, Anna’s Blooms, Nancy Bishop Floral Design, Rain or Shine, and Celebration Rentals, among many others. “It’s all about synergy,” Brian says. “Everyone here understands the rhythm of Vermont weddings. When couples choose the Inn, they’re also choosing this entire community of talented people who care deeply about what they do.”
During the holidays, the Inn feels less like a venue and more like a living home. Guests gather for cocoa after a day of skiing at Stratton, Bromley, or Magic; families curl up by the fire; newlyweds steal quiet moments beneath the snow-draped pines. Each New Year’s Eve, the Inn hosts a performance by Taconic Music in the Celebration Barn, followed by a night on the town. And—if the snow allows—a midnight flurry of snow angels on the lawn. “It’s tradition,” Brian says. “A little bit of joy and a lot of laughter to start the year right.”
The Cobble House
Stockbridge, Vermont
Set on a terraced hillside overlooking the White River, The Cobble House is one of Vermont’s most exciting and newest wedding venues, where 19th-century grace meets worldly and contemporary aesthetics. After officially opening in Spring 2025, this lovingly restored 1864 Victorian home has quickly become a destination for couples seeking a setting that is as refined as it is welcoming: A house that feels like home, yet carries the quiet, romantic grandeur of a country estate. With indoor and outdoor spaces that can host weddings with up to 60 guests and luxe accommodations that can sleep 10, it’s a marvelous addition to the Vermont wedding landscape.
For owner Kevin Travis, the connection to the property runs deep. “I’ve known The Cobble House for 20 years,” he says. “I live nearby, and I’ve used the house several times in the past, including during Hurricane Irene, when I put up some guests there. It’s one of those places that always stood out. When the chance came to buy it, I already knew its potential.”
Long before its rebirth as an event venue, The Cobble House held a rich legacy in Vermont’s hospitality history. “It was actually a restaurant starting around 1985,” Travis explains. “People around Woodstock and this area still remember going there for dinner in the early 1990s. Later, it became a bed and breakfast until about 2016.” When the property fell quiet, he felt
compelled to bring it back to life while honoring its roots. “I didn’t want to renovate it in a way that erased its character,” he says. “The goal was to let the house speak for itself—to simplify, clean it up, and bring it back to what it had always wanted to be.”
Travis describes the restoration as a careful balance between preservation and vision.
“We didn’t touch the bones,” he explains. “But the interior had collected layers of wallpaper, colors, and different eras of incompatible décor over time. We took all of that away so that the architecture could breathe again.” What emerged is a house that feels at once historical and modern. Victorian details, such as the paneling and the original plaster walls were lovingly restored, while a fresh, design-forward sensibility now defines each space.
To achieve that balance, Kevin enlisted designer Pauline Yablonski and a network of Vermont-based craftspeople. “Upstairs, we kept most of the original Victorian antiques—beds, dressers, sideboards—that had likely been there for decades,” he says. “Downstairs, we mixed in new furniture and pieces from around Vermont. We bought at estate sales, and we filled the rooms with lamps, decorative pieces, and glassware from Simon Pearce and Andrew Pearce. We even have stonework by Spencer Lewis, who’s both a local mason and a musician. Everything has a story.”
The result is a home that glows with authenticity. Walls finished in soft Farrow & Ball paint hues catch the natural light; floors are adorned in rugs handwoven in Eswatini; and the windows were left unobstructed. “We wanted the light to be part of the design,” Kevin notes. “When you’re in the house, no matter where you stand, you’re surrounded by trees, mountains, and sky. The outdoors is always present.”
The Cobble House’s charm lies in its duality. It’s both elegant and approachable. “It’s large, but it feels intimate,” Kevin says. “You can have dozens of people here and it still feels like a gathering of family and friends.” The Music Room, which connects to the Veranda, is the largest function room at The Cobble House, and it can host up to 60 seated guests. The home also features five ensuite bedrooms, including a spacious junior suite, and multiple common areas that flow naturally—the Dining Room, Sitting Room, Club Room, and Reading Room—opening onto the wraparound Veranda and Bluestone Terrace.
“It’s the kind of house made for milling around,” Kevin says. “You can have cocktails in the Club Room, dinner in the Dining Room, dancing in the Music Room, and people wandering through with a drink in hand, talking in little corners. It’s beautiful, but it’s also comfortable.” That philosophy extends to the weddings themselves. For elopements and small ceremonies, The Cobble House offers exclusive packages that include the full home for the weekend, with meals and amenities tailored to the couple’s wishes. “All of our weddings include the whole house for two nights,” Kevin explains. ““We like to partner with local chefs and caterers, such as Jason Schmidtke of No Reservations Vermont for smaller weddings and elopements. We like to create wedding dinners that feel like something you’d have at home, but elevated. And we work with Vermont Farms Catering for larger events.”
Kevin is quick to credit the local artisans who helped bring his vision to life. “Everybody who had a hand in the restoration was local or hyper-local,” he says. “Hermit Woods Trail Builders built our river trails and decks. Spencer Lewis did our stonework. We’ve continued to buy from local artisans—pottery, woodwork, linens, lighting—you name it.”
That ethos extends to the guest experience. Welcome baskets at The Cobble House include Fable Farm Fermentory Cider, Domaine La Garagista wine, Plymouth Cheese, and preserves from On the Edge Farmstand. “We wanted every detail to feel of this place,” Kevin says. “From the moment you walk in, you’re surrounded by Vermont.”
In winter, The Cobble House becomes a private, snow-covered haven. The White River, visible from the grounds, flows quietly below, and the glow from the tall windows spills across the terrace. “It’s magical,” Kevin says. “It’s not just the setting—it’s how the house feels when it’s full of people. There’s laughter coming from every room, warm light in the Club Room, and music drifting through the halls. It’s beautiful and it’s alive.”
A large part of The Cobble House’s magic lies in its location. “We like to say that we’re off the beaten path, but close to everything,” Kevin says. “We’re slightly more rural, a little quieter, but we have the mountains and the river right here—and all of Vermont’s best destinations nearby.” That setting makes The Cobble House a natural wedding base camp—perfect for rehearsal dinners, morning-after brunches, and cozy evenings by the fire pit between adventures. “It’s a place that invites people to slow down,” Kevin says. “You can explore the trails, wander down to the river, or just sit on the terrace with a glass of wine and listen to the quiet.” The Cobble House is just twenty minutes from Killington and Pico, within easy reach of Woodstock, Quechee, and Bethel, and surrounded by trails, slopes, and some of the state’s best fly fishing. “It’s not quite in town, but it’s very accessible,” he adds. “You’re right in the middle of everything that makes Vermont special.”
Tara Pollio Events
Manchester, Vermont
Tara Pollio Events has become a name synonymous with artistry, grace, and effortless sophistication in Vermont’s wedding world. Based in Manchester, Pollio has spent nearly three decades transforming Vermont estates into one-of-a-kind celebration venues, balancing beauty with heartfelt significance. Her weddings feel distinctly Vermont—natural yet elevated, grounded yet radiant—because they are built on authenticity.
Pollio’s career began at Stratton Mountain Resort in the 1990s, where a single successful floral assignment opened the door to a life’s work of planning, design, and creative direction. By 1998, she had founded Tara Pollio Floral Design (now Tara Pollio Events), blending her eye for aesthetics with an instinct for flow and atmosphere. Over the years, her business evolved into one of New England’s most respected event-production firms, known for its refined and remarkable style. Today, she limits herself to only a few weddings each season, focusing her energy on bespoke, deeply personal events where she can immerse herself fully in the details.
Glowing client testimonials describe Pollio’s process as intuitive and grounding. She begins each collaboration by listening—not just to ideas about colors and flowers, but to the rhythm of the couple’s life together. “Every wedding should encapsulate who they are as a couple,” she says. “I do not do cookie cutter. I want to know who they are, what they love, what matters most to them. From there, we build something that feels alive.”
Her weddings range from organically elegant ceremonies to more modern affairs. She has organized events at River Road Farm, styled artful receptions at the Marble House Project, and brought glowing installations to Southern Vermont Arts Center. What unites them is her signature blend of warmth and restraint: soft light, textural fabrics, and designs that highlight the beauty of the space rather than overwhelm it. Her longstanding relationships with Vermont-based vendors are integral to her success. “There’s so much talent here,” she says. “I’ve worked with the same core team—caterers, florists, tent companies—for more than twenty-five years. We trust each other completely. Everyone shows up ready, and we take care of one another.”
Though she has designed weddings in every season, Pollio has a special affection for the Holidays and Winter months. “Winter is my favorite season,” she admits. “It is intimate by nature. The light is softer, the air is crisp, and everyone seems more present. It is not a peak time to have a wedding, so you will not be competing to book the choice vendors of venues.” She loves leaning into the textur es and tones of the season—linens, flickering candlelight, evergreens, and bare branches against warm wood.
“Lighting is the single most important part of any event” she says. “It will make or break the atmosphere. You can create a feeling of war mth even in the coldest months with the right glow.” In her hands, a winter palette becomes sophisticated and sensory rather than festive or heavy. Her weddings often read like love letters to the state she calls home. “Vermont itself is the canvas,” she explains. “Our job as design ers and planners is just to enhance it.”
As she looks toward the future, Pollio is refining her brand to reflect her evolution—still rooted in Vermont, but with a broader design sensibility shaped by years of experience. “I’m ready for the next chapter, focusing one-of-a-kind events (‘Glamping,’ weddings, the big build outs, and the unique challenges) – but I’m also drawn to simpler things that are done exceptionally well.”
That balance of luxury and authenticity—refined but real—has become her signature. And nowhere does it shine more brightly than in Vermont’s winter months, when candlelight bounces off snowdrifts and the air hums with quiet magic. “Don’t underestimate Vermont in December,” says Pollio, “when the snow falls and the mountains go still and the whole world feels intimate. You can’t buy that–but you can come experience it.”
Anna’s Blooms
East Dorset, Vermont
In East Dorset, Anna Johansen captures the visual poetry of connection and shared personal experience through her distinct and compelling floral arrangements. Her studio, Anna’s Blooms, sits on the same hillside where she grew up—a place of evocative natural splendor that embodies the spirit of every arrangement she creates. Her work serves as a narrative encapsulation of love, memory, and seasonal spirit, translated into vivid floral textures and colors.
Anna believes that flowers tell incredible stories. She adds: “They can reflect a moment in time, a mood, or a feeling.” For her, floral design isn’t about trends or templates. It’s about distilling the essence of a couple’s story. Anna’s path towards her career as a floral designer began in the hills and valleys of Southern Vermont. She grew up surrounded by flowers, and she found herself captivated by how they could transform a space or a mood. After studying Landscape Architecture and Visual Studies at Cornell University, she spent several years working for landscape architecture firms in Boston and Central Vermont. “It was rewarding,” she recalls, “but I missed working with my hands and being close to the earth.”
In 2007, she came home to Vermont and founded Anna’s Blooms, merging her design training with her love of horticulture. The studio began as a small flower-growing operation before evolving into a full-service floral design business specializing in weddings and events. Today, Anna’s work is celebrated for its naturalistic, gorgeous style. It’s lush but never overworked; refined, yet organic. Every bloom is placed with an intuitive, yet bold and creative sensibility.
Anna still grows and forages some of her materials herself, but as her business has expanded, she now sources additional blooms from a network of local and outside farms. “I like to know where things come from,” she says. Anna sources as much as possible from local farms when in season, and she also works with eco-responsible farmers in California and South America. She sources farm-direct whenever possible, and also works with Green Mountain Floral Supply in Burlington. Anna adds: “When I use a flower that was grown a few miles away, it feels honest. It belongs to this landscape.”
That authenticity extends to her creative process. Anna begins each commission by getting to know the couples that she works with on a personal level. She listens to their stories, their sensibilities, and the ways they imagine their day unfolding. “I want to know how they live,” she explains. “Do they spend their weekends hiking? Cooking? Traveling? What do they notice in nature? Those details find their way into the arrangements.” Sometimes that means echoing a favorite landscape, such as a ceremony surrounded by ferns and moss for a couple who met on a mountain trail, or weaving in sentimental blooms, like a single rose in memory of a grandmother. Her designs emphasize movement and balance rather than formality, and she avoids rigid symmetry in favor of compositions that feel alive. Anna recalls that one of her favorite arrangements was for a recent summer wedding in 2024. “There was a Greek bride marrying a Dorset Groom. I incorporated olive branches and artichokes with citrus toned dahlias, Vermont ferns, and sunflowers. It was so unique and fun!”
For Anna, Vermont’s winter months are equally inspiring. Her Holiday and Winter wedding designs often center on texture and tone rather than abundance: silvery garden roses, lavender-tinged anemones, or Queen Anne’s lace that evokes snowflakes. A favorite wintertime commission transformed the Kimpton Taconic Hotel ballroom (in Manchester, Vermont) into an enchanted woodland, with living evergreens, soft blooms, and snowfall at the windows. The Southern Vermont community remains central to her work. Many of the farms and artisans she collaborates with were early supporters when she returned home to start her business. Her husband, a builder, sometimes helps construct installations, and her children have grown up watching her turn flowers into art. When asked what she loves most about Vermont weddings, she emphasizes the importance of natural authenticity: “Couples who are drawn to Vermont want warmth, not just spectacle. They want something real.”