[nmtait]

My fiancee and myself are trying to find a location in the new england area either near mountains or a lake that have both beautiful scenery and have cabins for friends and family to stay at together. I love the idea of a two day event with big groups of people able to be in different cabins. If anyone has any suggestions or experiences please let me know. Thanks to all.

[quickdraw]

Originally Posted by nmtait

My fiancee and myself are trying to find a location in the new england area either near mountains or a lake that have both beautiful scenery and have cabins for friends and family to stay at together. I love the idea of a two day event with big groups of people able to be in different cabins. If anyone has any suggestions or experiences please let me know. Thanks to all.

Will you be doing this in May or June? Our black fly season?

[vter]

As mustmove mentioned, what time of year are you thinking?

Try the Basin Harbor Club on Lake Champlain near Vergennes, VT. Welcome - Basin Harbor Club On Lake Champlain, Vermont

Ski resorts are another idea...while you won't have cabins, there will be condos for everyone to rent/stay in.

[ThinkingThinking]

As someone who went recently to a "destination Wedding" (which is what this is) please please please please please please please be considerate of your guests monetary expense. While it is a beautiful location and a sounds like fun thing to do, and it's trendy and a nice consideration to have family go "on vacation", not everyone can afford to spend a few days on vacation or even be away from work, in addition to travel and other expenses. If everyone invited is able to afford such a thing, or you are footing the bill, ignore my advice, but please think twice about who you are inviting and whether or not a two day soirée is affordable for everyone involved.

My own husband had to miss his only brother's wedding because it was a destination and he couldn't get away from his job for as long as was required to attend, even for a day.

[NYLIER]

Check out Mountain Top Inn in Chittenden. They have a website Mountain Top Inn and Resort - Vermont Ski Lodges, Vermont Vacations, Nordic Skiing, Killington Hotels, Vermont Weddings, Killington Ski Resort or you can go to Vermont Lodging Dining Inns Hotel BnB Ski Vacations Resorts Weather Lottery Classified and check out the resorts section. It looked like the Mountain Top Inn has a lodge that that will accommodate 18 people. It is quite pretty up there.

[mustmove]

If you live local there is one of those wedding shows Jan. 4 at the Fireside Inn in W. Lebanon. I only know as my brother is getting hitched soon.

[LisaMc46]

It's a beautiful town a gorgeous natural setting. It doesn't have a public lake, but many of the inns and resorts have large ponds and rivers and streams on where you could take wedding photos if you want water in the background.

There are plenty of places with stunning mountain views (the ones from Trapp Family Lodge are particularly stellar) and there aren't any rustic-style cabins there are plenty of nice places for your guests to stay.

You can find out more on gostowe.com, the town's official tourism Web site.

I would echo ThinkingThinking's concerns, though. Last year I was invited to a wedding in Hawaii and had to decline because I just couldn't afford the trip. A destination wedding can easily set guests back several thousand dollars, plus the cost of the wedding gift, plus vacation time at work.

Before you decide to have a wedding here I would make sure that the friends and relatives you care about most would be able to afford it. Otherwise, you might want to consider having a small destination wedding and a larger reception closer to home for people who can't afford the trip.

[ThinkingThinking]

Yes my husband was crushed and his brother just did not understand the reason behind him not being able to attend. He had vacation time but due to his contract, and the fact that his company had nobody who could come out and replace him for the weekend, he could not drive the 10 hours to the wedding and then home. It caused some family drama, and I had to borrow money from the inlaws just to drive myself and the kids there.

Considering both sides of the family were local, they could have had the wedding locally at one of a thousand beautiful locations but were so set on the destination wedding idea that it really soured the experience for a lot of people who could not attend.

So in short, yes, your wedding is about you. But the wedding wouldn't be a wedding if nobody you cared about could come and enjoy themselves. Please consider your guests needs before planning something outlandish. I had much more fun at my sisters small intimate local gathering than I did at the huge destination wedding bash, which i spent more time driving to and from than I did actually attending.

[GypsySoul22]

I know they do a lot of weddings here in the Upper Valley. The problem is if you have it in one of the local villages they have very limited and very expensive lodgings so anyone who wants to stay over is stuck paying inflated prices or driving to 'motel alley' in White River Junction.

[nmtait]

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with Bates Mansion at Brook Farm in Proctorsville?