The Taconic Hotel will undoubtedly become one of the top venues for a Vermont Wedding. My husband and I got married at the Taconic this past fall and had an incredible experience.... We are local to the area (met in high school in Manchester) and knew we wanted to get married in our hometown. We not only had limited time to plan a wedding, but were also on a budget. We contacted the then newly opened Taconic only 6 months prior to our wedding and in retrospect, we were so lucky to have found them! Sarah Protester, the hotel’s wedding coordinator, responded immediately to our inquiry and within a week, she established a proposal that gave us exactly what we wanted and was within our budget (which we did not think would be possible!).
Sarah and the hotel accommodated our wishes to create a perfect event that fit our style. We wanted to combine rustic charm with elegance while also maintaining a casual vibe (i.e, fall cocktails prior to ceremony, an extended cocktail hour w/ live jazz, buffet dining but with up-scale food, signature cocktails w/ beer and wine instead of an open bar). The hotel provides full wedding planning services, access to the event space for the entire weekend (no other bridal party), ability to do both ceremony and reception on site, flexibility in bar and food options, table linens (can customize color scheme) and tableware, set-up/clean-up services, option for rehearsal dinner/after-party/brunch at hotel restaurant or ballroom space, and very competitive group room rates with an included complimentary night-of bridal suite.
Our photographer met us early at the hotel to capture the bridesmaids getting ready. These photos were stunning and I recommend just doing all of your photos at the hotel (ie; first look, bridal party, family photos – they will come out great). Our ceremony was at 5pm outside on their green space and the view of the mountains made it special. We planned to have cocktail hour outside on the gorgeous terrace, but it started raining so it was quickly moved into the ‘backup’ space of the Solarium (essentially a delightfully oversized hallway outside of the ballroom) and this worked out fine. Our reception was in the ballroom with a dance floor in the center. The only real ‘problems’ we encountered during the event were things that will most likely be a non-issue in the future, as we were one of their first weddings (ie; small details missed - bar wasn’t fully stocked w/ glassware, forgot to announce things like dessert (which was on tables outside of the ballroom), some table #’s were switched around, etc). The food was exceptional, the coordination of everything impressive (Sarah does a fine job!), and the hotel amenities at the level of a 5-star hotel. We felt special the entire weekend, needs were met, and the bridal suite was so thoughtfully prepared. We recommend requesting a corner room - has fireplace, large bathroom w/ walk-in shower & stunning tub (good for getting ready pics!).
Overall, the hotel is awesome and will make visitors to Manchester question staying anywhere else. Our guests absolutely loved it (most of whom are very well-traveled). We also love the Kimpton brand and this hotel does not disappoint - no nickel & diming – bicycles to just borrow, yoga gear in rooms, free wifi, complimentary cocktail hours, etc. Our wedding was beyond anything we could have imagined. We wish we could re-live it over and over again.