The Notch House

The gardens were immaculate, the rooms clean, and the communication thorough. Kelly, Polly, and Jamie were all a pleasure to work with. We spent three nights at the Notch House in October and had a magical time. Guests loved the buildings and the setting, along with the antique furniture, art, and quirky charm of a real Vermont home. There was plenty to do together: walks by and around the lake, a family-style rehearsal dinner in the dining room, relaxing at the secluded cabins, a garden ceremony, and a lively party in the barn. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to get married.

Kelly seemed to have every little thing covered. Guests were parked, candles lit, and cookies tucked into the folded linens. She quietly straightened our bride’s train before she walked out, and signature cocktails appeared for the wedding party. The schedule kept moving without anyone feeling rushed. The barn went from graph paper to our bride’s vision with help from Kelly and a lot of generous helpers. We didn’t need to solve any problems ourselves, though I’m sure Kelly could handle a snag or misunderstanding. As the bride’s parents, we felt in good hands as soon as we met Kelly. She knows the property and its logistics inside out, communicates well, notices every detail, and brings so much energy. Her sidekick Michelle was just as good. We’re incredibly thankful for their kindness and dedication to their work and The Notch House. The location is stunning, with the historic house, apartment, cottage, grounds, and Lake Willoughby all tucked together by the shore. It was beautiful in late fall, and I can only imagine how it looks in full bloom. The photos don’t do it justice. The place worked beautifully for both the guests staying there and the wedding crowd. We had a fire each evening in the living room’s fieldstone fireplace, and the kitchen kept up with all the hungry people. The dining table was handy for the rehearsal dinner, arranging flowers, and giving the bridal party a place to catch its breath. The barn was stunning too, with the features needed for an event while still feeling like a historic Vermont barn. There was everything from comfy beds to champagne flutes.

The property is breathtaking, from the main house and cozy cabins to the barn, with a lovely path down to the lake. Having close friends and family stay with us made the weekend feel like a real wedding retreat, and there was plenty of space for our roughly 85 guests. Rain meant moving the ceremony upstairs in the barn, but it turned out intimate, cozy, and beautiful. Everyone fit comfortably downstairs for the reception. The bridesmaids got ready in the spacious main-house dining room, and we held the rehearsal dinner outside on the barn patio, then enjoyed the firepits with family and friends the night before. Kelly was phenomenal as venue coordinator and day-of coordinator. She was responsive and thoughtful throughout planning, helped us shift the whole plan indoors when it poured, ran the ceremony smoothly, and came up with creative ideas we hadn’t considered. Polly, the owner, was flexible, easy to communicate with, and lovely to work with too. We’d choose The Notch House again in a heartbeat. It gave us a magical weekend with the people we love, and the property needs very little decor to shine. It’s a genuinely DIY venue, so plan to set up and take down the tables, chairs, and furniture, put everything back where it started, and handle trash and recycling. You’ll need your own linens and tablecloths as well. None of that was a dealbreaker for us, but having family or friends help would be useful. Read the contract carefully too, since we had some confusion about the charge for extra guests beyond those staying on site. Great fit for a DIY couple.

Polly was helpful and communicative from the very beginning and stayed that way throughout. The buildings are older, so you need to appreciate that charm. There’s loads of room, which meant nobody felt crowded, but we could still spend time together. Our wedding weekend at The Notch House was stunning and magical. We highly recommend it :)