Again, we suggest our guests visit the Chester Vermont Innkeeper's Association website to find a local, affordable Bed & Breakfast. The local B&Bs are often cheaper than the only hotel in town, the Holiday Inn Express, and most are in lovely, historic homes.

Yet, we do have a block of rooms reserved at the Holiday Inn under the Warren/Donaghy wedding. Please let us know if you'd like assistance as you search for lodging.

Please let them know if you require one queen bed or two twin beds, any additional roll-away cots, room upgrades, or military discount. The Holiday Inn Express is the most affordable quality hotel in the immediate area, a short twenty minute drive from our ceremony site. The Holiday Inn has wi-fi, a swimming pool, and a fitness center.

These rooms are at an adjusted “wedding rate,” but you may be able to get a lower rate using AAA, a military discount, or savvy online searching.

If you decide to stay in The Hartness House Inn—our reception site—we encourage you to stay in their Victorian Main House, and not in their addition. The Hartness House has breakfast included, and a small museum to explore.

There are many other delightful Bed & Breakfasts in the area, most notable the Chester House Inn, the Stone Hearth Inn, and the Park Light Inn. These accommodations are in downtown Chester, a very short drive (or walk!) from our ceremony site.

The Stone Hearth Inn is the site of our Rehearsal Dinner, and it is quite nice. They have a pub on-site, a family style restaurant, a game room (with pool table and fireplace), and nicely appointed rooms.

We encourage you to make your reservations during the summer. The fall is "Foliage Season" in New England, and many out-of-state tourists visit to "leaf peek" and enjoy nature. Rooms books quickly. Yet, this is a beautiful season for a wedding!

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Even though the slopes will not be open in late September, there is still plenty to do in Vermont!

You can play a round of golf at the Crown Point Country Club in Springfield, or pick a bushel of apples at Springfield’s Wellwood Orchards.

You can explore the craft shops near Chester’s historical Stone Villiage, or stop by Springfield’s Art Gallery at the VAULT to peruse hundreds of gifts crafted by local and regional artists.

The Toonerville Trail is a three mile biking/walking path along the Black River, just a quick walk from downtown Springfield. If adventurous, you could hike and explore the 1,000+ acres surrounding North Springfield Lake.

A short drive away in Charlestown, NH, The Fort at No. 4 offers a Living History Museum inside a reconstructed 1740 settlement. They have authentic hearth cooking demonstrations, military drills, and promise an ‘authentic’ peek into 18^th century life.

For the curious,

(Photo credit: Snippet & Ink, a fabulous wedding inspiration and DIY blog!)

We are having a white and gold wedding.
Perhaps hints of pool blue.

The goal: a classic and clean aesthetic with loads of whimsy.
And comics.

We’ve chosen the First Unitarian Church of Chester, the historic "Old Stone Church," for our wedding ceremony.

The 1845 building is located in Chester's notable "Old Stone Village," and on the National Register of Historic Places.


From the official Chester Town website:
"Chester is a quaint New England town with a population of 3,044...Chester offers opportunities for bicyclists, boating enthusiasts, great restaurants, comfortable B& Bs, interesting shops, including many antique stores, lovely art galleries, and a tranquil atmosphere for those who are looking for a quiet respite."

The delightful Rev. Telos Whitfield is the Minister of this warm Unitarian Universalist congregation, and she will be officiating our ceremony. She will be meeting with us four times before the wedding to craft our ceremony.

Chris and I were embraced by the small parish, and we've been making the trip to Chester most weekends to attend service. They are a kind, expressive congregation and I thoroughly enjoy their company.

In addition, the church is quite lovely! Carefully crafted stained glass windows line the walls of the sanctuary. A small wooden spiral staircase descends into the cozy parish hall. And, it already feels like home. I feel blessed that we can have our ceremony in a place we enjoy so much.

We’ve chosen the Hartness House Inn, a restored 1904 country mansion in Springfield, VT, for our wedding reception. We will be married on September 27^th, 2009.

Springfield, Vermont may be known best for two things: The Simpson’s Movie world premiere, and that the town was #7 on Hitler’s list of “Cities to Bomb” due to the contribution of the Precision Valley to the Allied efforts during WWII.

We had several criteria as we searched for reception sites:

1) A meaningful location in Vermont, preferably in the Upper Valley Vermont area.
2) Affordable vegetarian-friendly cuisine
3) Quirky aesthetic, whimsical decor

The Hartness House is located less than a mile from Christopher's childhood home. (check!)

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hartness House is the 35 acre estate of former Vermont governor and inventor James Hartness. Converted to a Bed and Breakfast, the Hartness House also is the site of the first Equatorial Turret (Tracking) Telescope. Gov. Hartness was an amateur astronomer, and constructed an elaborate astronomy observatory on his property.

From the Hartness House website (italics are my own):

“This country inn is unique in that it features its own museum, astronomy observatory and antique telescope with a unique equatorial drive system. More unusual is the secret tunnel system built by Hartness to access the observatory, museum and his secret workshop.

Guests of the Hartness House Inn have an opportunity to tour the secret tunnel, view the private workshop of Mr. Hartness, and see the observatory and telescope.”

How neat is that? There are over 400 feet of underground tunnel, including a secondary secret exit onto Common Street.

An underground tunnel AND a ballroom! (check!)

We’re planning an intimate reception to be held in the Governor’s Ballroom. The room features quirky Art Nouveau chandeliers, warm wood tones, and many bright windows. We’re anticipating oodles of merriment, dancing, and (mostly) vegetarian cuisine.

We sampled their tasty, tasty food during our overnight stay. They had numerous vegetarian offerings, and their garlic gnocchi were scrumptious! Christopher even called them "tasty," and he is SO picky.

Our Cocktail Hour will be held in the Parlor. The room is handsomely appointed with Victorian furniture, and photos from the glory days of the “Precision Valley” evoke an historic atmosphere. An enormous bay window frames the space.