Three Luxe Wedding Venues in Lake Champlain
A weekend of waterfront R & R—and outdoor wedding festivities—await in Vermont.
Grand Isle Lake House / Michael Tallman Photography
From the serenity of the water to the distant Green Mountain vistas, a wedding in Vermont’s Lake Champlain region is nothing short of a sensory experience. So says planner Jerica Dziki, owner of Burlington’s Et Cetera Event Company.“People are coming to Vermont because they want the tailored experience and attention to detail that you find in Boston, but with that homemade hospitality feel,” she adds.
That’s just what you’ll discover at the idyllic Grand Isle Lake House, nestled right on the shores of Lake Champlain. Built in 1903 as a hotel and now functioning exclusively as an event space, the property enchants with its wraparound porch and waterfront lawn—prime real estate for an outdoor ceremony or a little cocktail-hour cornhole.
For dinner with a different kind of view, host your celebration at the Ponds at Bolton Valley, part of the nearby Essex Resort & Spa. Exchange vows by the water before moving into the great room for your reception: You’ll still have full sight of the surrounding peaks and woodlands from inside.
Have your heart set on something a bit more rustic? Plan a bucolic fete at Richmond’s West Monitor Barn, set among the fields of a working produce farm. More than a century old, the restored timber-framed event space dazzles when set up with long farm tables and strings of lights. The barn also boasts a large outdoor deck perfect for pre-dinner drinks—or a brief moment alone to take in the splendor of your special day.
GRAND ISLE LAKE HOUSE
Head Count: Up to 250 seated
Price: Starting at $1,900, plus food and drink
THE PONDS AT BOLTON VALLEY
Head Count: Up to 250 seated
Price: Starting at $7,500, plus food and drink
WEST MONITOR BARN
Head Count: Up to 221 seated
Price: Starting at $5,500, plus food and drink
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“The little towns of the Lake Champlain region remind me of villages you might see in Europe. Everything is very local, genuine, and honest.”
—Jerica Dziki, Et Cetera Event Company
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Hotel Vermont / Courtesy photo
GUEST DIGS
Located in downtown Burlington, the trendy Hotel Vermont pampers visitors with a full-service yoga studio, locally made Lunaroma bath products, and a bedtime room-service menu promising everything from hot toddies to Vermont Flannel Company PJs. Yes, please.
PREWEDDING ADVENTURE
Rally the troops for an afternoon of exploration with Island Passages Kayak Tours, which offers guided paddles around the history-rich isles of Lake Champlain.
Waterworks Food + Drink / Photograph by Ali Kaukas
REHEARSAL DINNER
Wooden beams and exposed brick form the backdrop for festive meals (and full-fledged wedding celebrations) at Waterworks Food + Drink, housed in a former textile mill on the banks of the Winooski River. Treat your bridal party to panoramic water views—and dishes such as pan-roasted scallops—in the semi-private solarium, outfitted with floor-to-ceiling windows.
UNIQUE VENDOR
Blessed with the gift of beautiful handwriting, Letterally Speaking owner Jenn Adams lends her calligraphy skills to welcome signs, escort cards, table numbers, and more, customizing each piece to match your wedding’s theme or style.
LOCAL FLAVOR
Keep the party going long after last call with bottles of Honeycrisp ice cider from Champlain Orchards, which grows, presses, and ferments more than 100 apple varieties on its Shoreham fruit farm.
Basin Harbor / Courtesy photo
CONSIDER THE MINI-MOON
Tucked away in Vergennes, the Basin Harbor resort boasts all the trappings of a newlywed hideaway: private cottages with Lake Champlain views, a spa for soothing massages, and a bevy of outdoor activities. For an excursion beyond resort grounds, drive north to Colchester’s Niquette Bay State Park, where you can hike, swim, and fish amid 584 acres of greenery and limestone cliffs. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, head into Burlington, home to the recently opened Honey Road. Helmed by chefs Cara Chigazola-Tobin (formerly of Oleana) and Allison Gibson, the buzzy spot serves up Mediterranean small plates like fried-green-tomato shawarma and eggplant fatteh—dishes so good, you and your beloved will be grateful you’re not sharing with anyone else.
For more venue inspiration, take a peek at our guide to New England’s top celebration spots.
