Best of 2022: Reception Details

Posted on January 19, 2023

Pour yourself a beverage and settling in for some incredible inspiration! These couples included beautiful, inspiring, and downright fun reception details for their 2022 Vermont weddings. (You’ll want to steal these ideas for your Pinterest board for sure.)

Below are the editorial picks the best reception details; give them a look and scroll to see your (two!) favorites in our Readers Choice Awards below!

The Sit Down Stunner

We would love to pull up a seat and admire this tablescape Jaclyn Watson Events helped design for this stunning Topnotch Resort wedding. It’s full of color, depth and gorgeous details.

Photo: Rodeo & Co

The Love Language

This is one of the cutest, most unique dinner menus I’ve seen! The cheeky message “Food is our Love Language” adds a fun element on this elegant tablescape at Farm Road Estate.

Photo: Jenna Brisson Photography

Chopped (Readers Choice Awards Winner)

Want to give your guests a unique experience? How about an axe-throwing competition?! That’s exactly what this couple did for their Mansfield Barn wedding!

Photo: Juniper Studios

Ring Ring (Readers Choice Awards Winner)

This couple greeted their guests will an interactive drink wall; guests rang one of the bells and a server’s gloved hand popped through a frame with a personal glass of bubbly! This is such a fun twist on a champagne welcome that Sara Judith Events helped to bring to life.

Photo: Adam Michaels

The Foodies

This couple had a delicious, farm to table BBQ dinner for their Silhouette Hill reception, and even got involved themselves! Yum!

Photo: Sasha Israel

Bouncing for Joy

The matching heart sunglasses … the white bounce house… everything about this reception screams FUN! A bounce house is an unexpected, fun reception addition that will be enjoyed by guests of all ages!

Photo: Jess Rene Photos

Leave a Message

In lieu of a tradition guestbook, this couple opted for a voicemail guestbook. This is such a fun interactive idea for guests, and allows you to capture personal audio from your loved ones!

Photo: Hannah Photography

Love You Stowe Much

This punny neon sign is just one of the many thoughtful details from this Stowe wedding planned by NJOY Weddings & Events. This would be such a fun detail to take pictures with during the reception, and to decorate with at home post-wedding bliss!

Photo: Amy Bennett Photography

Marvelous Mushrooms

This couple played off the natural beauty of Lareau Farm Inn with these unique handmade mushroom table details, wild flowers, and mismatched vases. The overall effect is earthy, boho and beautiful!

Photo: Madison Anne Studio

Botanical Beauty

This seating chart by Blossoming Bough is truly stunning! We love the mix of botanical prints, wildflowers, antique library trays, and seed favors. Absolutely gorgeous!

Photo: Abigail Grey Photography

Under the Lights

We would love to be on outdoor dance floor at Lake Bomoseen Lodge, and by the looks of it, so did the guests! Destinations Found helped create a dreamy dance oasis under the trees with a canopy of lights for this lovely reception.

Photo: Sixpence Studios

Love Won

This couple included a bold, rainbow colored Love Wins sign for their wedding reception, which made for a perfect, super fun photo backdrop! Based on their smiles, we think it’s clear: love has won these two over!

Photo: GarrenTee Photography

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BEST OF 2021: COMMUNITY

Posted on December 28, 2021

The best part of weddings in 2021? Hands down: the community moments. While the people are always the true highlight of celebrations, 2021 weddings were even sweeter after months of social distancing. Long awaited hugs and overwhelming joy to be together again…that’s what stands out the most across Vermont weddings in 2021.

As we close out our Best of 2021 series, we hope you enjoy these moments of community, and that it inspires gratitude for your own family and friends.

Besties & Bubbles

A bottle of bubbly and your best pals by your side… the best way to kick off your magical wedding day, planned by NJOY Weddings & Events at Hildene.

(Photo: Corinne Parker Photography)

Just Married

In this painting, wedding painter Hope Sharp captures that “just married” magic of twirling down the aisle as a married couple at The Essex Resort and Spa.

Flying High

This couple is quite literally being lifted by their community, and by the looks on their faces, they are soaking in every celebratory moment! (Photo: Ben Hudson Photography)

Epic First Dance

This couple’s first dance on the marble court at the Wilburton Inn looks amazing – check out that lift and twirl. And the looks on their wedding party’s faces… priceless! (Photo: Jesse Schloff Photography)

The Quiet Family Moment

We love this special, intimate moment soaking in the excitement of the day as a family before rejoining the party. (Photo: Jess Driver Photography)

The Tear Jerker

This couple postponed their wedding over a year, so they and their community was VERY ready to celebrate their wedding. From their emotional vows to their family’s toasts, the entire day was filled with love. (Video: Beyond Bliss Films)

Epic Champagne Toast

When The Old Lantern Inn’s owners’ daughter tied the knot this year, the celebration was epic. One standout moment? The groom, father of the bride, and father of the groom all sabered champagne bottles and poured a toast to the union of the families. (Photo: Andy Duback)

The Glow Up

The glow sticks are super fun, but the real glow comes from the couple in love who know their community is always there to lift them up. (Photo: Kelsey Regan Photography)

Confetti Toss

This theatrical wedding planned by Destinations Found included an epic, colorful confetti drop that is sure to be a standout moment for these wedding-goers for years to come! (Photo: GarrenTee Photography)

Parachute Party

Who remembers these parachutes from elementary school?! This couple busted one out during their reception at Topnotch Resort to the delight of guests. What a fun idea! (Photo: Henry Cotton)

A Sparkling Beginning

The end of your wedding day is the start of your next chapter as a married couple. If this couple’s sparkler exit is any indication, we’d say they have a very bright future ahead! (Photo: Juniper Studios)

The Childhood Reading

The bride had asked her nephew to read Shel Silverstein’s “The Romance” during their wedding at The Inn at Weathersfield. During dinner, he worked up the courage and delivered a memorable performance. (Photo: Kelsey Regan Photography)

A Royal Send Off

Talk about a fairytale ending to a romantic wedding day! (Photo: Keith MacDonald Photography)

That’s a wrap! Thank you to everyone who submitted for the Best of 2021 series. This was truly an incredible year.

The Full Best of Vermont Weddings 202 Series:

Read Now: Best of Engagements
Read Now: Best of Style
Read Now: Best of Flowers
Read Now: Best of Party Animals
Read Now: Best of Design & Details
Read Now: Best of Elopements
Read Now: Best of Location
TODAY – Best of Community

Don’t forget to pop over to Instagram to see even more community moments, and the “semi finalists” for each of the other categories.

We’re excited for another year of memorable weddings ahead!

BEST OF 2021: FLOWERS

Posted on December 9, 2021

Wedding florals – whether a bouquet, centerpiece, or installation – add a huge amount of style to your day. Here are a few of our favorite designs from 2021. Learn more about these incredible florists in the vendor guide!

Love these looks? We’re sharing our “semi finalist” picks on Instagram. Go check it out for even more inspiration!

A Pop of Personality

This bright, colorful arrangement by A Clover and One Bee is absolutely stunning and makes us happy just to see it – we can only imagine how the bride felt carrying it! (Photo: Margaret Michael Photography)

Crisp & Classic

This bouquet of bright whites and soft pastels by Blossoming Bough Flowers was the perfect accent for this couple’s romantic, intimate wedding at the Inn at Weathersfield. (Photo: Kelsey Regan Photography)

Wild Wonder

Tipsy Tulip Designs created this knockout bouquet that’s unique and bold, but still feminine and oh so pretty. (Photo: Jenna Brisson Photography)

Bold & Beautiful

Bold colors and textures throughout the bouquets and arrangements created by Flower Power VT add to this wedding’s gorgeous boho design. (Photo: Kelsey Converse Photography)

Grand Greenery

A grand tent at Topnotch Resort calls for a special touch, so A Schoolhouse Garden created these stunning greenery-forward table runners and installations. Together with the ratan lanterns, the entire vibe is casual elegance at its finest. (Photo: Andy Madea)

Thank you to everyone who submitted for the Best of 2021 series! Don’t forget to check out our “semi finalists” on Instagram, and sign up for our newsletter to get each Best of post emailed to you weekly this month!

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Quick recap: what is Vermont Weddings Best of 2021 Series?

A little backstory if you’re unfamiliar: we started the Best of series last year (2020) to highlight some of the amazing work by the talented teams in the Vermont wedding industry. It’s an opportunity to both celebrate a year’s worth of weddings and inspire couples who are planning a future Vermont wedding. (A quick note on the word “best”: the intention isn’t to make this a competition between weddings, but to share a small, but representative, sample of the weddings in Vermont this year. To that end, please know that we love each and every wedding that was submitted, and the final picks are carefully chosen based on a variety of factors to create a compelling series.)

Here’s what you can expect:

All December, we’ll be rolling out inspiring stories in various categories:

Read Now: Best of Engagements
Read Now: Best of Style
Best of Florals
Best of Party Animals
Best of Design & Details
Best of Elopements
Best of Location
Best of Community

Plus, because the submissions were just THAT good, we’re sharing our “semi finalist” picks for each category on Instagram. That means you’ll want to follow us to see even more highlights, and come back to the blog each week to see the “best” picks in each category.

We recommend signing up for our newsletter – we’ll send you an email each week with the highlights so you won’t miss a thing. (Going forward we only send 1 – 2 emails a month.)

A CLOVER AND ONE BEE

MARGARET MICHAEL PHOTOGRAPHY

THE INN AT WEATHERSFIEL

KELSEY REGAN PHOTOGRAPHY

TIPSY TULIP DESIGNS

JENNA BRISSON PHOTOGRAPHY

FLOWER POWER VT

A SCHOOLHOUSE GARDEN

TOPNOTCH RESORT

BLACK TIE STOWE WEDDING FILLED WITH HAPPY TEARS

Posted on August 3, 2021

Elegant and joyful – those were the two words that came to mind when I saw Olivia and Jake’s wedding gallery. The UVM sweethearts tied the knot at Topnotch Resort in Stowe with an elegant, black tie, tent wedding this summer.

The details of their day are gorgeous. From Olivia’s beaded-back wedding dress (with pockets!), to classic black wedding party attire, to the lush florals and exquisite decor throughout the reception tent, their style is so elegant. The couple also wove countless meaningful details into their decor, including their Chuppah, which was built by Olivia’s family from trees from where she grew up!

The couple’s excitement is also palpable. “There were many happy tears!” says photographer Danielle Allendorf. The joy radiating from this couple is what truly stands out in their gallery, and makes it such a fun one to share.

More Real Vermont Wedding Inspiration

Be sure to check out more posts of our real Vermont wedding posts here.

Photographer: DANIELLE ALLENDORF | Wedding Venue: TOPNOTCH RESORT | Floral Design: BLOSSOMING BOUGH

A SPECTACULAR LUXE TENT WEDDING BY JACLYN WATSON EVENTS AT TOPNOTCH RESORT

Posted on April 13, 2021

When Hilary and Adam tied the knot, the ski-loving Texans wanted to provide guests with a weekend-long celebration in Vermont. The couple enlisted the expertise of Jaclyn Watson Events to bring their dreams to life, resulting in a truly spectacular wedding at the Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont.

“The design element of the event took many months to plan, says Jaclyn. The team handpicked each piece to create the special style of elegance that reflected the couple. “Everything from the heavy greenery floral design to the custom stationery elevated the event and wowed the guests and couple alike!” Check out their gallery, captured by Savannah Brown, below.

More Real Vermont Wedding Inspiration

Be sure to check out more posts of our real Vermont wedding posts here.

Wedding Planner: JACLYN WATSON EVENTS | Wedding Venue: TOPNOTCH RESORT | Specialty Rentals: CHICKADEE HILL | Photographer: SAVANNAH BROWN