The Essex Resort & Spa

ion. From start to finish, every single person we worked with was incredible—professional, knowledgeable, and kind, and genuinely invested in making our day perfect. One of the best parts was how easy it was to host all of our wedding events in one place. We were able to have our welcome party, rehearsal dinner, wedding, and farewell brunch all on site, which made everything feel seamless and stress-free. So many of our guests stayed at the resort and had a wonderful experience. Our out-of-town guests especially loved exploring the property—and seeing the goats was a huge hit! The staff went above and beyond, the food was excellent, and everything was beautifully done. We have only positive things to say about The Essex and the people who make it so special. We loved it so much and would choose it again in a heartbeat. Highly recommend.

veryone was helpful answering our questions, accommodating or helping provide solutions where they could. The Farmhouse was absolutely stunning, and all of our guests complimented just the ease of accessibility with staying right on site, too. We had the best wedding wedding, and we can’t wait to return!

iful the resort is. Book your wedding here if you want a stress free event!

ays available to answer questions and concerns. The day of coordination, food, and cake were all on point. It’s a one stop shop for a wonderful day. We would highly recommend The Essex for your wedding.

nating our vendors, their food was amazing (and all our guests told us so), and the team was very professional and supportive. Would highly recommend to anybody.

nted signs to match our other signage to direct people where to go. Everyone raved about the space, the food, and the service, and loved the touch of receiving a voucher for a drink at check-in. Our only complaint was the cost, such as being charged $15 for renting the extension cord for the DJ. We spent a lot of money with them; it would have been nice to have small items like that included.

us. Starting with the Grand Tasting thru the ceremony, nothing could have been smoother. The food was great, venue, bar, dance floor, etc. Would definitely recommend to anyone, especially if you get Colleen your wedding will go off perfect. I’m sure all the other coordinators are great too!

up to the event, and during the weekend of. She promptly answered any questions or concerns we had. The day of went off without a hitch and we owe a lot of that to Monique's coordination! We did our rehearsal dinner and wedding at the Essex and the food at both was fantastic! For the rehearsal dinner we enjoyed the backyard BBQ menu and on our wedding day the lamb was everyone's favorite! Our wedding cake was also made by the Essex - it was gorgeous (exactly like the pictures I had shown for inspiration) and tasted amazing. We ended the night with some late night snacks which was a huge hit - the chicken sliders were bomb! On top of the food being delicious the service was also excellent. We had our ceremony outside on the green and the reception in the atrium. Both were lovely. The atrium is so beautiful that it hardly needs much for extra decor. Our rehearsal dinner was held in the ballroom (a last minute decision because the weather was slightly cold) but they still set up the lawn games and a bon-fire with smores materials for our guests. We are so happy we chose the Essex! It was the perfect place to host our wedding weekend!

rty" in their tavern on Saturday, and a breakfast on Sunday. The highlight of our Essex experience was Bekah. She was our venue coordinator and is a true rockstar. We cannot sing her praises enough! The Essex team is truly lucky to have her onboard. The food was AMAZING!!! Better than we could have expected!! Order the beef en croute (mini beef wellingtons) for passed apps - we have guests who still talk about them! Most of our guests stayed onsite at The Essex and it was overall extremely positive. There were a few comments made to us about the front desk staff not being up to the "luxury" advertised calibre, and we experienced this ourselves with some confusion over our welcome gift bags. We also experienced a theft from The Ponds venue. My sister's wallet as well as all the remaining favors + a few other items were stolen from the table we were told was safe to leave items for a pickup on Sunday morning. We were highly disappointed in The Essex's response and conflict resolution to this, but as we were their last wedding at The Ponds, we imagine it won't be an issue for future couples so we are not letting it impact the total star review. Overall, we would choose The Essex again.

e food (which is the secondary reason why we booked the essex) was INSANE. Everyone has told us how amazing their meals were and how it was the best food they'd ever had at a wedding. We still talk about how our only fault was eating too much on our wedding day. The accommodations were perfect as well as the amenities! We will continue to visit the essex and enjoy ourselves just as we did on our wedding weekend.

of every last detail. We'd highly recommend The Essex to anyone looking to get married in the VT area!

rful, accommodating, and organized. We couldn't have asked for a better venue and event manager. We highly recommend this venue to any couple considering The Essex. Our guests loved the venue and hotel as well!

e was fantastic to work with and made everything easy and stress free. Monique, Emily, and all the Essex staff were so friendly and accommodating. Our wedding guests had so many great things to stay about the hotel and the food! It ended up raining the day of our wedding so we had to move the ceremony inside, but it still ended up so beautiful and there was no stress about turning it quickly into a reception space. I loved my wedding here and would recommend the Essex to anyone looking to get married in the area!

were great venues. The staff was very accommodating, and when there was rain on Friday causing the welcome dinner to be inside, they were quick to come up with alternatives, and went the extra mile by having some staff set-up a space outside for once the rain had cleared. We had our reception off site at the Ponds location, and it is an absolutely gorgeous late summer venue. The space is some distance from the hotel and you need to arrange your own transportation, but it is well worth it for the spectacular views and scenery. Our wedding coordinator, Bekah, deserves a special shout out. Prior to the weekend she was willing to meet with us whenever we needed clarification on questions, both in person and remotely. During the weekend, she stayed in constant communication and coordinated both with our vendors and us to make sure everything was perfect and running smoothly. She was essential in making it feel like our special weekend. Overall we were very happy with our experience getting married at the Essex, and we would definitely recommend.

Would highly recommend The Essex to anyone!

and mimosas, it was all perfectly executed with the help of Bekah, our Essex event planner. The food was delicious and the various settings were beautiful! We were thrilled and can’t wait to get our professional photos back to relive every magical moment!

ess with their event manager Emily. As I got closer to the wedding, I started working with the day of coordinator (Monique) who guided me every step of the way. She made sure that no detail was overlooked and made me feel confident going into my wedding day. On Friday 8/5 we had our rehearsal and Monique did amazing dealing with our rowdy bridal party. Monique was patient and gave us enough practice rounds to make sure everyone knew what they should be doing. Monique didn’t miss any detail from how the bridal party was positioned, down to making sure all the guys had their hands the same way. After rehearsal we had our rehearsal dinner in their backyard area. Out of all their options for rehearsal dinner packages, this turned out the best in my opinion. We had a buffet style dinner outside. They set up a bar outside just for our party. We opted to purchase drink tickets for our guests and then cash bar afterwards. The entire dinner was very relaxed and enjoyable. After dinner we could enjoy the backyard games, fire pit and goats. On the actual wedding day.. minutes before the ceremony started, Monique came to me and let me know that rain was expected. I made the decision to move the ceremony inside. I’m glad we did, because it started down pouring minutes later. The staff at The Essex were SO quick in making the transition from outside to inside. My guests were amazed at how quick they were able to pull it off (like 5 minutes). As the bride, it was a little disappointing to not have the ceremony outside, but Monique and her staff made it a seamless transition that I didn’t feel one ounce of stress. The ceremony took place in the Atrium (where my reception was) and it was just as beautiful. They even brought in the arbor! After the ceremony, The Essex staff had my entire reception area back to the way it was in another 5 minutes. By time I got back from family photos (which were quick btw), all of my guests were sitting and enjoying the cocktail hour. The reception itself was flawlessly executed. I luckily picked vendors that have worked with The Essex and so the communication between everyone was on point. I also felt supported and never felt the need to watch the clock to make sure everything was happening when it should (I’m a project manager with a type A personality.. so that’s saying a lot). For the food - we picked steak, salmon and a mushroom ravioli. We were able to taste all of the food during a private tasting months before our wedding. The chef brought in each entry separately followed by different cake options that we were able to mix and match. It was such a fun experience that my spouse and I were able to enjoy with our moms. We left the food tasting very full and excited to serve our guest the food on our wedding day. Overall it was an amazing weekend! About 80% of our guests were from out of state, so it was nice that everyone could stay at the venue with us. Photo/Video: Todd Stoilov - Still In Motion DJ/Photobooth Top Hat Entertainment (DJ Darren) Flowers: Flowers by Nicole (Nicole Nappi) My Hair/Makeup: I worked through Amanda Hopcroft. The artist who did my hair/makeup was Sarah Crowley from Finishing Touch VT. bridal party hair/makeup - Jodi Anthes and Rheanna Gaudette Table cloths - The Linen Company

deposit down. Bekah, our day-of coordinator was literally unbelievable, and we would not have had as great of a day without her expertise. The food was so good, and we were so happy that we chose this venue.

he day of the wedding, was very helpful and attentive to all the details of the day. About 80% of our guests were from out of town, and they all stayed at The Essex. We had a bonfire with s'mores the night before the wedding behind The Tavern which our guests loved (also, we talked to ~70% of our guests during the bonfire, so there was less pressure to see everyone during the actual reception!), and a welcome brunch the morning of the wedding that was delicious and so fun. The only issue we had was the communication leading up to the wedding. We booked The Essex about a year before our wedding date, and during that time we had a series of four "main contact" people that seemed to change without reason. The constant changes meant having to re-explain and express our plans over and over, which was frustrating and time consuming. Overall, it was a great venue and our guests enjoyed it!

ple!), we could not wait to celebrate with family and friends at this beautiful location. We worked with the Essex Resort for our small COVID wedding last year, so already knew how BEAUTIFUL the resort is and how accommodating all of the staff are. Michele (our wedding coordinator) was a ray of light over the last two years, helping us coordinate everything and execute our two weddings over the last two years with multiple food allergies and special requests. The food is phenomenal (and could accommodate all allergies expertly), the bar staff and servers are friendly (shout out to Dan the bartender, who was with us for rehearsal dinner and bonfire as well!), and everyone at the Essex is a pleasure to work with (including Alan in reservations who helped with a million room block questions, and all of the front desk staff who welcomed our guests all weekend!) Our Ponds wedding had 128 guests but could have easily fit 175 or more (which was our original guest count). The backdrop was a guest favorite, from the deck view to the ceremony arch. One of our favorite parts was being able to include our 5-year-old black lab (Gary) in all of the celebrations; he walked down the aisle and was able to stay through cocktail hour. Gary is a BIG FAN of the Ponds. We are so grateful for all of the amazing memories we have because of the Ponds, the Essex, and the entire wedding team at the venue.

nge and making the whole weekend perfect. Our coordinator Julia is an actual angel, and worked with the staff to make sure us and our guests had a great time, while remaining safe and adhering to guidelines. Every event, from the Rehearsal Dinner on Saturday, to the Wedding on Sunday, and the Farewell Brunch on Monday, was meticulously planned and went by without a hitch, thanks to the team there. Us and our guests stayed at The Essex for the whole weekend, and the staff made sure we were taken care of the entire time. Julia and Amanda were at each event making sure things ran smoothly. Chef Dante led a super fun private cooking class for our wedding party. We rented out Junction and Chef Nicole made a world class dinner our guests are still talking about months later. And Aleksa, the hardest working waitress I’ve ever met, helped make sure our needs were always met, including helping the bridesmaids plan room service for a surprise bachelorette brunch. If I wrote about every single incredible thing the team at The Essex did, this review would be pages long. They took away all the stress of planning a wedding during a pandemic, and I cannot thank them enough for that. Needless to say, I wholeheartedly recommend having your wedding there.

am wedding!

work with. Any time we asked for advice or had a question, we had a response in less than 2 days. They made wedding planning 100% stress free and fun! When the final months before our wedding finally rolled around, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Even with all of the uncertainty & changes we had to roll with, the staff (shoutout to Julia!) was extremely understanding & honest and made the time leading up to our wedding a breeze. Our day was a dream come true. The venue is an absolutely stunning indoor/outdoor cabin with tons of scenery and privacy. We had no surprises - the food was phenomenal and they worked hard to make sure we were well taken care of. We didn't want to leave. All we want to do is go back to our wedding day and relive it over and over again! We cannot recommend The Ponds enough! Thank you to everyone who had a hand in our special day! Love, Cait & Chris

a dream and everything was perfect and beautiful. The entire staff at The Essex made sure our day went smoothly and they all provided such warm, genuine service.

al and really easy to work with. The Venue: Atrium- so pretty, had more than enough space and looks amazing in photos. The Resort- Great service, great amenities and wonderful people. So many of our guest were so appreciative of everything from check in to check out.

ears in advance to ensure all of our guests had plenty of notice since everyone would be traveling from out of town, with many flying into Burlington's airport. We initially worked with one coordinator who gave us the on-site tour and was one of the main reasons we chose the Ponds. Unfortunately, about a year before our wedding we found out she had moved on. I realize it happens. We were assigned to another coordinator who was on time with her communication and kept things moving. However, 4 days before our wedding, we got a call from the Essex that said coordinator was no longer working with the Essex. I was distraught, worried that details would get lost in the last minute change but Emily and Julia who were assigned to our wedding went above and beyond to make sure our wedding was everything we envisioned! Everyone said it was the best wedding they had been to and the food was superb! Thank you Essex for making sure our special day went smoothly!

excited that all of our guests could stay in one place and make a whole weekend experience and it is conveniently located just outside of Burlington given that the majority of our guests were flying in. People could easily explore all that Vermont has to offer in the peak Fall season. Given that it was a destination wedding, we relied heavily on communication with the day of coordinator that we were assigned as part of our package. We were able to do an in person walk through at a visit prior to the wedding and the coordinator appeared organized and eager to meet our needs. However, email communication leading up to our wedding day was poor. We would have large lapses in communication, details were missed, and multiple times our banquet bill had errors. Had we not been reviewing it thoroughly, we would have been overpaid. Despite their ongoing errors regarding financials, we found that the Essex seemed to nickel and dime us for just about everything. For example, if you need something hung that would require a ladder, they would require an Essex staff member to be involved and would charge $150/hour. The pricing reflected on the Knot is inaccurate and I would highly recommend reviewing a contract thoroughly. Our coordinator stopped communicating altogether and a week prior to our wedding we learned from management that there was a new coordinator that would be with us the day of our wedding. This didn’t exactly put us at ease since there were was poor communication with our second coordinator and further mistakes being made. We choose to host a welcome bonfire the day before our wedding and it was a wonderful way to greet people as they arrived and this was very unique to our guests coming from big cities. Our guests were able to enjoy the grounds of the Essex which are for the most part beautifully maintained. The bonfire area, however, is quite dark and was not really suitable for our elderly guests. Blankets are an extra charge and no one maintained the fire for the $250 fee. Overall, the serving staff was wonderful and the Atrium did look beautiful. We did get compliments on the food and our guests enjoyed themselves. We were disappointed that one of our vendors did not receive the meal that we paid for. Given the hotel rates during peak season, we would have hoped for more upscale finishes throughout the hotel and more welcoming, friendly, and professional staff. Given the investment to host a wedding, we did not feel that our guests or we received extraordinary service.

xtra cost on countless details throughout the planning process as well as the wedding weekend itself! It feels like your wedding is most important event of the year and all our guests had an amazing time!

, but the thing that stuck out to us with the Ponds was that everything was included there, from a wedding coordinator and team, to the food prepared on site, etc. It seemed more stress free and that is what we needed. I knew as soon as we pulled into the driveway that this would be the place I fell in love with. Our wedding coordinator, Arienne, was lovely. Emily, the other manager, was also great too, and both answered countless questions (the same ones over and over at times! ) and always got back to us in a timely manner. We had several meetings with them and I felt confident to be in such good hands. We had a menu tasting before the wedding and the chefs were open to a couple of our suggestions and listened to our requests perfectly. Everyone repeatedly told us how beautiful everything was and how awesome the food was, which we agree with 100%! When we asked to have a brownie sundae bar instead of a cake for everyone, they worked with us to provide the brownies and nice cream if we provided the toppings, so this was very accommodating and worked for everyone. They ended up throwing in a cutting cake for us, free of charge and that was gorgeous as well. The day of the wedding I could just relax in the bridal suite and get ready, while also being on site to see my vision come to life, which was awesome. Arienne served us mimosas and truly made my wedding vision come to life before my very eyes and it was exactly as I had imagined it and wished for it. It was an amazing day, and everything went so smoothly with Arienne there to run everything and guide us throughout the day and night. She was calm and collected and so positive, which helped my stress and nerves as well. If you're looking for a rustic but elegant venue, The Ponds at Bolton Valley is the perfect spot. You won't regret it! Words can't express how happy we were with our special day!

s. The venue was beautiful and perfect for what we wanted: a picturesque, outdoor ceremony/cocktail hour and a large indoor reception space with plenty of natural light. The Ponds is a good combination of a Vermonty, rustic feel and a formal space fit for a wedding celebration. Our coordinator was responsive and so helpful throughout the planning process and everything went seamlessly on the day of. We used The Essex for a welcome party on Friday, which they set up outside by the firepit. We also used their spa services for hair which we loved and moved seamlessly on the day of. I chose not to do my makeup there due to their selection of brands, however they have revamped their selection since my wedding. Lastly, we wanted to provide a casual breakfast for wedding guests the day after the wedding. The Essex set us up with vouchers to the Tavern which created a fun, informal way to say goodbye to guests. Overall, our guests loved the hotel and it felt like a "treat" to stay there.

ternate plans of where we stay and get ready. The Resort and staff did not meet our expectations. Outside of the Atrium for the reception itself I was not treated like a bride. I did not feel special. My bridal suite that had been booked 8 months in advance for my bridesmaids and I the night prior to the wedding was given away and we were stuck in an outdated suite with terrible lighting. We had to take photographs in another guest’s room because the lighting was so bad! Have every detail in writing because management was not helpful to us because some of the agreements and decisions made were verbal.

g, wedding coordinator, equipment (i.e. tables, chairs, linens), much of the usual stress of planning a wedding was alleviated and everything ran so smoothly. In terms of the venue, the lawn and atrium are gorgeous spaces for the ceremony and reception, respectively. Our guests were largely from out of town and it was so convenient for all of them to be able to stay at the resort (which also provides courtesy transportation from the Burlington airport). Our wedding coordinator, Arienne, was incredibly responsive and helpful with inquiries and was organized, calm and flexible throughout the entire planning process and on the wedding day. The food and cake were so delicious and we had many guests with dietary restrictions for whom the chefs made several special plates. All of our guests were very complimentary of venue, food, and services provided. I cannot say enough positive things about the Essex and highly recommend for a wonderful wedding experience.

s promptly and with great care, oftentimes answering the same questions multiple times. On the day of, Arienne made something that could have been quite stressful quite easy and could not have been more helpful. Every piece of our event turned out exactly as I had imagined it. The food was phenomenal, the cake beautiful and delicious, the staff superb. When we entered the Atrium on the way to the east lawn to begin the ceremony I was blown away by what it had been transformed into. It was simply gorgeous. Thank you to everyone at The Essex for helping us to make lasting memories in a beautiful setting.

orehand. When I met Emily at the Essex and she brought me to the Ponds I knew we had found our venue. Emily is incredibly professional, responsive, and willing to offer suggestions. I really appreciated her input throughout our wedding planning process, she was not pushy but did let me know if she did not think something would work. She also had suggestions for vendors, all of our vendors were from her suggestions list and they exceeded our expectations. The wedding day went perfect, Emily was there every step of the way, but again not overbearing. The venue was put together beautifully, Emily put out a lot of the decorations we brought and made the space look great. The food at our wedding was so delicious too. We did have feed back for the chefs during our menu tasting, they clearly listened because the food was beyond delicious. The Essex has made the Ponds into a stunning venue space, prepares incredible food, and Emily was a great wedding coordinator to work with. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for their wedding venue!

ed with exceptional service and care. Emily, our Wedding Coordinator at The Essex was there for us every step of the way and was always quick to answer my (many) questions! My parents also thoroughly enjoyed working with her. The staff during the wedding were amazing and incredibly professional. The food was amazing and many told me it was the best food they have had at a wedding, ever! The Ponds is one of the most beautiful venues in Vermont with outstanding views. Emily truly made this the best day of our lives at our dream venue!!

everything was absolutely amazing. The Ponds is the most stunning wedding venue in the state of VT :) .. the staff from The Essex is amazing, kind, courteous. We highly recommend getting married here. It was truly a weekend we will never forget and our friends and family said the same. The Essex truly showed folks who have never been to VT an amazing, weekend away. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Amazing- <3 Alexa & Pete

above and beyond from the set-up and decor, driving our older guests to the front door from the parking lot, fixing my broken bustle, and helping with so many other details during our before, during, and after our reception. I don't know what we would have done without her! She is truly a problem solver and helps you feel so confident that everything will work out perfectly! The entire staff was very friendly and attentive - they made us feel so taken care of. It was really hot the day we were married and the staff made sure they brought us aplenty of water during our photos when we were out by the pond. The food was the best! Almost every single guest commented on how delicious the food was (especially the mushroom ravioli) and people are still talking it over a month later! Thank you for everything!!

what was predicted. Our planner Shana was so organized, calm and accommodating throughout the whole process and an absolute pleasure to work with. You will not find a more beautiful setting for a wedding nor more pleasant people to plan with.

it our styles, and the woodsy but modern feel we were going for. The resort itself is super family friendly as well with goats, bonfires, and pools! I cannot speak higher of the service we got from the salon, to the kitchen, to my personal highlight, Emily! Emily was there every step of the way and was always on top of everything.