5 Tips For Planning The Perfect Vermont Destination Wedding

Whether you’re from here or not, it’s totally understandable that you’d want to come here to get married. 

Due in large part to its friendly local charm, absolutely breathtaking scenery, and small-town atmosphere, this state is always in high demand. 

And a Vermont destination wedding is obviously something many couples want. 

Don’t rush in, though. 

Not all of those couples go about planning it in the right way, and they end up encountering unexpected hiccups along the way. 

Sometimes it’s because of miscalculated finances, and other times it’s because of a failure to account for the weather or something else. 

But the point is that, every year, we see some couples making easily avoidable mistakes. 

And with this helpful little guide, you can tactfully evade the same mishaps and confusion! 

Just follow the tips we’re about to lay out here, and your Vermont destination wedding will be sure to go off without any major hitch.

Side Note: If you want to really do things the Vermonter way (and you should), remember to make your wedding as clean and sustainable as possible.

1. Choose a Natural Feature

Vermont is actually about 15% larger than Israel. 

That’s a whole country! 

Even we don’t often realize just how big our home state is. 

So, we’ve got a lot of space here with all kinds of natural features and landmarks that you can choose to be near. 

And that’s what we’d recommend you start your planning process with. 

Do you want to host your wedding at the foothills (or the summit) of a particular mountain, on the placid shores of Lake Champlain, or somewhere deep within CC Putnam State Forest? 

Or maybe, you’d like to experience a proper rural barn wedding like the ones we’re so famous for up here. 

Oh, and by the way, it’s worth keeping in mind that you can choose a venue that’s near some place you’d like to visit or stay after the wedding.

Note: Pssst… We happen to run a barn wedding venue 30 minutes from Montpelier. 😉

2. Decide How Close You Want to Be

To other people. 

How close do you want to be to other people? 

It’s no secret that Vermont, despite its large territory, has fewer than 1 million inhabitants. 

It’s a pretty big place, but there aren’t that many people here, and we don’t have any big cities. 

However, we do still have several towns, and those 1 million people are still around here somewhere. 

So, which town do you want to be in or near? 

Or do you want to be as far from any significant human settlement as possible? 

Are you doing it townie-style, or going partial-Kaszynski and retreating as far into the wilderness as you can go?

Disclaimer 

While going partial-Kaszynski and secluding yourself amidst the trees and squirrels is normal here, please do not go full-Kaszynski and start mailing mysterious wooden contraptions to people. 

Regular human contact is vital for mental health, and we at the Round Barn discourage both visitors and residents from going full-Kaszynski.

3. Select a Season

Each season has its distinct draws and drawbacks. 

To be fair, though, they’re all fantastic, and none of them are bad. 

Every day is a wonderful day to have a Vermont destination wedding. 

In fact, we’d say that even if it rained, as long as you’ve got a plan to move everything inside if that happens. 

Dress Appropriately

As we said, this isn’t a place that gets a lot of hurricanes, heat waves, or anything like that. 

There are no bad seasons here. 

However, there are cold months, and it does snow here. 

So, whether you’re coming in spring or winter, you’ll want to ensure that your attire is appropriate for the seasons and the weather. 

You don’t want to sweat your butt off in the middle of summer because you decided to wear three layers, and you don’t want to freeze because you don’t have a coat in December.

4. Confirm Availability

It wouldn’t make much sense to plan a whole event, hire catering, and get your heart set on a place only to find out that it’s not available on your wedding day. 

That’s why you need to make sure you’ve got your chosen venue reserved for your preferred day before you reserve, sign, or pay for anything else. 

Don’t go spending your time or burning your money without first confirming your venue reservation. 

Oh, and speaking of your money, …

5. Get An Itemized List of Costs & Prices

While most venues are not out to get one over on you, it’s easy for people to miscommunicate or misunderstand prices and expenses, even by accident. 

So, when you’re choosing your venue and planning your Vermont destination wedding, you’ll want to get a complete itemized list of all costs and expenses, as well as non-adjustable final prices. 

What you don’t want is to have any ambiguity or uncertainty about any of the things you’re going to be charged and billed for. 

Putting on a wedding will inevitably cost some amount of money, but you should already know how much money you’ll be spending before you start spending it. 

Bonus: Get Insurance

So many people forget this one because, in most cases, you probably won’t need it. 

But as with health insurance and car insurance, it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. 

Take basic precautions in case someone at your wedding is slightly intoxicated or slightly 4 years old and accidentally damages or breaks something. 

This world is a crazy, chaotic place, and in life, you just never really know.

Oh, And Get It In Writing

Again, this isn’t LA, and most people here aren’t trying to trick you or pull a fast one on you. 

But you and everyone you work with, from your venue to your caterer and wedding planner, will benefit from a written agreement. 

Such a thing makes organizing a Vermont destination wedding so much simpler by clarifying everyone’s responsibilities and expectations. 

And like with the relationship between you and your soon-to-be spouse, clarity and transparency are your friends. 

Help them help you, and help yourself to a much lower level of stress. 

After all, on at least some level, you’re coming here to relax and get away from it all, aren’t you? 

So, create the opportunity to unwind by ensuring that you’ve completed these steps—planned and organized effectively before you even get here. 

Also, don’t worry too much, most of us Vermonters are pretty nice, and you’ll be fine. 🙂