Three Scenic Wedding Venues in the Monadnock Region
With its quaint small towns, vast woodlands, and mountain views, this rural New Hampshire retreat has charm to spare.
Photograph by Lindsay Hackney
MOUNTAINSIDE ROMANCE
The Gardens at Uncanoonuc Mountain
Head Count Up to 150 seated
Price Starting at $2,900, plus food and drink
Encompassing 15 acres of land in Goffstown, the Gardens at Uncanoonuc Mountain offers numerous options for celebrating your nuptials en plein air. A white-fenced rose garden, home to an arbor dripping with vibrant roses and clematis, forms a scenic—and fragrant—ceremony site, as does the shady pine grove nearby. Guests can sip cocktails while they explore the property’s verdant vignettes, including the endless expanse of daylilies, peonies, and grasses in the Field of Flowers; the meandering paths of the Display Garden; and the sheltered seclusion of the Woodland Shade Garden. A Sperry sailcloth tent hosts larger receptions, while a small cedar-shake cottage with a succulent-filled plant wall makes for a cozy bridal suite, a cocktail-hour venue, or a locale for more-intimate weddings (should you choose to move the party indoors).
Photograph by Annie Holt
EARTHY ELEGANCE
Stonewall Farm
Head Count Up to 150 seated
Price Starting at $3,750, plus food and drink
Meadows, marshes, and a gently bubbling brook set the scene at Stonewall Farm, a sprawling vegetable grower and organic dairy in Keene. Swap vows in one of three main ceremony sites: the open-sided wooden carriage barn; the lush, green knoll surrounded by maple and birch trees; or the garden featuring a raised stone dais. Your reception awaits inside the farm’s post-and-beam event space, where a spiral staircase and a 30-foot-tall fieldstone fireplace create just the right ambiance for an evening of dinner and dancing. Need a break from the excitement? Just off the barn, a roomy patio ensures that you and your guests have a festive place to escape for fresh air—and views of the bucolic grounds. Couples can crank up the pastoral charm even higher with a horse-drawn carriage ride to the ceremony, a hayride for guests, and tasty signature cocktails like the Black Butterfly, crafted in-house with homemade blackberry brandy, lemonade, and a splash of cranberry juice.
Photograph by Lindsay Hackney
OLD-SCHOOL GLAMOUR
Aldworth Manor
Head Count Up to 200 seated
Price Starting at $9,900, plus food and drink
Atop a mile-long driveway that stretches up a wooded hill lies Harrisville’s Aldworth Manor, a Neo-Renaissance-style villa perched at the zenith of a 170-acre expanse of rolling hills and woodlands. Currently in the midst of a multi-year renovation, the historical estate impresses with stone walls and columns, a covered pavilion, and tiered gardens. Opt for an elegant tented reception on the lawn overlooking Mount Monadnock, or—starting this November—plan an indoor fete on the mansion’s first floor. At the end of the evening, you and your crew won’t have to venture far for lodging: With a cluster of bedrooms located in other buildings on the grounds, the property can accommodate up to 34 overnight guests.
CHECKLIST
Prewedding Adventure
Take a morning hike up to Mount Monadnock’s 3,165-foot peak (most folks make the roundtrip trek in about four hours) before recharging with a private wine tasting and tour at Walpole Mountain View Winery.
Rehearsal Dinner
Celebrate a successful wedding run-through at the historical Bellows Walpole Inn, a remodeled 18th-century mansion where your nearest and dearest can dine on entrées such as house-smoked salmon and prime rib.
Guest Digs
Nestled in the foothills of Vermont’s Green Mountains, Chesterfield Inn offers cozy rooms (most with gas fireplaces) and a stacked roster of amenities including in-room massages, a 50-seat restaurant, and a bluestone terrace overlooking a meadow of wildflowers.
Unique Vendor
MasterPieces Cake Art’s new “Sweet Scapes” dessert tables combine mini pies, tarts, and other custom treats with fresh flowers and creative displays. Case in point: The Stoddard-based company recently whipped up a golf-themed spread featuring white chocolate “golf ball” truffles on a putting green.
For more venue inspiration, take a peek at our guide to New England’s top celebration spots.
