Elopements and small weddings aren’t a new way of getting married anymore in New England. Couples from all over the US have found that a small wedding feels more ‘them’. There are so many benefits to having an elopement or small wedding, and one of them is being able to still include your family and friends. While it is possible to find a public location to fit up to 20 guests, it can sometimes be easier logistically to still have it at a small wedding venue. Here in this blog post you’ll find all about the best Vermont elopement and small wedding venues, to make your planning easier.

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The Benefits of a Small Wedding Venue

While choosing a small wedding venue over a public location can cost more, it can be well worth the money. It also completely depends on the number of guests you plan to have. I recommend asking your wedding planner or photographer for recommendations based on your vision. Below are some of the benefits to choosing a small wedding venue over a public place.

1. Logistics: If you are worried about having people bounce around from location to location, then getting a small wedding venue could help with that concern. Generally, you can have your getting ready, ceremony and small reception party at one location. This makes the transitions of the day much more simple. Think of your day and ask yourselves “what do we want?”? If the answer is “no stress”, then this could be a great option for you.
2. Privacy: Are you hoping for a more private ceremony? Having your wedding at a small venue can ensure that no strangers will be around to witness it. Just make sure to check in with the wedding venue to make sure that is definitely the case!
3. Be in a place that is special to you: A lot of people want to elope in the outdoors because they feel it’s the only way to be in a place that is special to them. However, that’s not always the case. There are plenty of small wedding venues that can get you the same feel without the stress of a public location.
4. You are catered to: Having a venue can allow for additional vendors to cater to you for a stress-free day. These small venues are there to help make your day just as special as you are hoping it would be.

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The Best Small Wedding Venues in Vermont

Below are some of my absolute favorite small wedding venues in Vermont separated by the type of environment. Since I am an elopement and small wedding photographer who focuses in the outdoors, that’s also the type of wedding venues I will be sharing here. Remember that small wedding venues could be Bed and Breakfasts, Inns, Airbnbs, and true wedding venues that offer small wedding packages.

Wedding Venues in Southern Vermont

1. Weathersfield Inn. Tucked in the woods on 21 acres inside a historic 1792 house, The Inn at Weathersfield is a peaceful, private hideaway for couples with 12 unique guest rooms, all private baths, a full-service farm-to-table restaurant, outdoor wedding Chapel in the Woods, outdoor event space, freshly cooked breakfast every morning and more.
2. OQ Farm. This 500-acre legacy farm is conveniently located between Killington Mountain and the historic town of Woodstock. With eight different buildings to enjoy – you can rent just one or two or the whole property. They have animals, games, hiking trails, and more on-site for you to enjoy in all four seasons!
3. Hermitage Inn. Nestled in the serene foothills of Southern Vermont’s Green Mountains, The Hermitage Inn has unique brand of mountain elegance and inviting hospitality. Just imagine hosting your wedding at the historic property amidst the serene landscape!

Wedding Venues in Northern Vermont

1. Bliss Ridge Farm. Located near Lake Champlain, this rural venue has incredible views featuring the mountain ranges from Lincoln Peak to Camel’s Hump to Mount Mansfield and on to Hunger Mountain!
2. Squabetty Homestead. Tucked under Vermont’s tallest mountain, on several hundred acres, Squabetty has Farmhouse sleeps 18 and an 1800s barn available for use!
3. Camp Lanakila. Only 2.5 hours from Boston and 1.5 hours from Burlington, the Aloha Foundation is a unique and accessible venue for your New England wedding, special group occasion or retreat. Whether looking for sweeping vistas, sparkling lakes or lush forests, Aloha has it all.

Wedding Venues in Central Vermont

1. Mountain Top Resort. Whether your dream is an intimate moment for just the two of you, a days-long celebration with all of your family and friends – or something in between – the Mountain Top Resort is quite possibly the perfect choice.
2. Satoyama Farm. Located in Burlington, Vermont. This venue boasts of an epic barn and large house on 175 acres of fields and forests. Offering panoramic views of ponds, fields and mountains; this could be an amazing intimate wedding venue to consider!
3. Riverside Farm. Located in beautiful Pittsfield, this venue has everything you need to create your elegant Vermont Wedding. With six beautifully restored barns, over 700 acres, a working farm, you could host an intimate wedding or a large traditional wedding!

Best venues in the Green mountains

1. The Arlington Inn. This historic village estate includes 16 guest rooms within the Main House, Carriage House, and The Old Parsonage plus an antique barn for weddings and other events. They even have an elopement package in their wedding guide!
2. The Henry House. Whether you’re planning an intimate fireside ceremony or a lively celebration bash, the HH has multiple outdoor sites for you to choose from to help create the Vermont wedding of your dreams!
3. The Hubbel Homestead. Set in the farm country of southwestern Vermont with sweeping views of the Green Mountains, this charming venue is perfect for an intimate wedding!

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This is just a short list of the incredible wedding venues that adorn the beautiful state of Vermont! We are always happy to offer more recommendations in our consult calls. PLUS we have a list of epic Vermont Airbnbs you might want to consider for your intimate wedding/elopement as well! Whether you use them to stay the night, get ready, or have the entire celebration there. Renting a private property like an Airbnb or VRBO for your wedding or elopement can be a unique experience!

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Some additional advice

As you begin planning your elopement or small wedding, there are a few more topics we like to discuss with our couples before they go ahead and start planning.

Have best of both worlds: Just because you are having an intimate wedding with guests, doesn’t mean you can’t have best of both worlds! Several of our couples choose to elope with just them (or a few guests), then have an intimate wedding with their favorite people. It’s the best way to have a day for the two of you (or even just a morning), then you get to fully enjoy everyone your surrounded by later on.

Add in adventures: Although you are planning an intimate wedding day, you can still carve out time to adventure the two of you. You can start your morning with a small hike and vows, then do the intimate wedding thing later on. Or create a two day experience with one adventure day, then the next as an intimate wedding.

Timing: With venues, they will typically rent out the full weekend for weddings. Therefore, they have minimums for how much you will need to spend. If you can be flexible with your timing and try for a week day, there may be more options for you.

Event options: If a venue has a max capacity for an elopement or small wedding that you are over, think of other ways to celebrate with all your loved ones. You could always have a smaller group of people for the ceremony, then meet up with the rest of the guest list at a brewery you rent out!

Vermont Wedding and Elopement Photographer

Deciding Where to Elope in Vermont doesn’t have to be too hard! With our team of New England experts, we would LOVE to be able to come alongside you as your photographer/friend and help you plan the BEST Vermont elopement or intimate wedding!

The place you get married should be where you feel most at peace, most alive, and most present with your partner. For some, that may be by the water, and then for others, that might be in the town where they grew up, or in a bucket list location that is completely new to them! It is unique to each and every couple. And that’s why we love elopements. You can design a day completely unique to YOU as a couple.

Check out my guide on How to Elope in Vermont for more details, get in touch with us to start planning your dream elopement in Vermont, and follow us on Instagram for elopement location inspiration.