THE FARMHOUSE INN AT ROBINSON FARM

We held our ceremony and reception at the Farmhouse Inn and it was an amazing and memorable event. We booked the venue in the height of the pandemic (summer 2020) for a September 2021 date. Tory and Barry were very clear about how the wedding deposit would not be refundable but that they would be willing to move the wedding date if needed due to the pandemic. We understood those rules of engagement from the beginning. While the pandemic ensued, by the time our wedding date came around, restrictions had relaxed and we were able to have an event without a mask mandate (Although we did require people to only attend if vaccinated and/or with a negative COVID-19 test. ) The venue is fabulous. We wanted a rustic Vermont wedding and this was the first and only venue we looked at. We just knew, walking the grounds and viewing the barns, that this was the perfect place to hold our wedding. The Farmhouse Inn does not offer catering or other wedding related services, Tory & Barry's fees are for the use of the venue and the bed and breakfast for the weekend. That was fine with us, we wanted to bring in our own catering, cake, florals, etc.... Tory was very helpful in providing recommendations and tips during the planning process. When you are planning your own wedding, that is a huge help! She recommended our wedding coordinator, Maricela Ehmann of Ehmann Events, who was outstanding! All of the wedding guests were blown away by the wedding, and commented that the venue was just perfect. The red barn is a majestic in its stature and it's setting within rolling hills and greenery/foliage was stunning. We will cherish the pictures and memories we have of that day for a lifetime. My husband, his kids, parents, brother and my maid of honor all stayed at the Inn which has seven lovely rooms that are full of Vermont charm. Tory makes a delicious breakfast. The bed and breakfast is quiet through, with a curfew and requests to keep noise down. It's not a venue to party in until all hours of the night. Our group was not planning on doing that, we just wanted to sleep after the event was over, but if you are looking to host drinks, play music, etc.... this is not the place for that. The venue does have quite a few rules, and it's difficult to keep track of them all. I am not in the bed and breakfast or wedding venue business, so I hesitate to make this a criticism of Tory and Barry's business. However, my advice to anyone hosting a wedding at this venue is that it's best to make sure that you have wedding cleanup sorted well in advance of the actual event. (i.e. who will take down the flowers, table settings, etc...). When you are counting down the hours to when you say "I do" you have so many things running around in your head, it's easy to not remember whos doing what, etc.... Having not organized any other weddings in my life, I don't have anything to compare my experience to, so I really can't say if Tory is less flexible that other venue hosts. I do think hosts need to have boundaries and that there are some guests that may take advantage if the boundaries are not there. All in all, it was an amazing wedding weekend and I do highly recommend the Farmhouse Inn!

BEAUTIFUL VENUE: The Red Barn at Robinson Farm is an idyllic location for a Vermont wedding reception. Barry and Tory are a hardworking couple. They sent us honey from their bees for the holidays! The were incredibly gracious in letting us reschedule our wedding from August 2020 to July 2021. Tory expertly coordinated with the venue's preferred vendors. They consolidated our flowers and decorations after the wedding to expedite the take-down process. We are grateful for their help executing our wedding. MISCOMMUNICATIONS: Yet working with Tory sapped some of the joy out of the wedding planning process, mostly due to poor communication. This is a hard review to write as someone's livelihood is on the line (we'd much rather write a glowing review), yet we feel compelled to share our experience to help other couples make an informed choice about whether this is the right location to host their wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime happy occasion. The biggest miscommunication was around the venue's decision to repaint the barn in the week before our wedding date. We arrived on Friday to set up the barn only to find the front of the barn had been scraped but not painted, making it look like a worn-down, poorly maintained Vermont barn (authentic for sure, but not what we thought we were paying for), rather than a nice wedding venue. When asked, we were told there were supply chain issues regarding getting the primer. The problem with this scenario is that we had to ask about why the barn wasn't its eponymous red the day before our wedding. Upfront communication about the barn not being repainted in time would have been appreciated and appropriate, given the rental rates. No other couple will encounter this exact problem, but it is illustrative of a pattern of poor, defensive communication from the venue. FOLLOW THE RULES: Like all venues, the Red Barn has lots of rules to navigate. New rules were added after the contract was signed. However, when asked, Tory and Barry were occasionally willing to entertain exceptions to their rules, which was kind, but we felt uncomfortable having to seek exceptions to rules and doing so added complexity and stress to the planning process. Try not to run afoul of the rules. Guests and family members were scolded for parking in the wrong spot. We got an overly aggressive email from the venue after we mistakenly took a box of cleaning supplies (there were many hands on deck loading up cars on Sunday morning). We returned it right away. We did our best to comply with the rules of the venue and accommodate the needs of our guests, but we fell short. We don’t know what we did wrong, but somewhere along the line, Tory turned cold on us as if everything we were doing was annoying her. We suspect we did something wrong, but were not given a chance to apologize or make things right. HIDDEN AND ADDITIONAL EXPENSES: If you are a budget-conscious couple, be wary of added and hidden expenses. For example, the Farmhouse Inn, which you must rent out in full for an additional $3,300, charges $33 a night for infants (an unlisted fee and the same as an extra adult). Charging for children to stay at the inn because they consume breakfast makes sense, but we do not understand charging for infants who do not eat solid food. A lot of happy memories were made for my husband and I and our families at the Red Barn! It is a beautiful venue run by kind humans who, like all of us, are coming out of a long and tough year.

We stayed at the Farmhouse Inn four years ago when they were just starting to do weddings, and knew immediately it would be where we got married. In addition to a beautiful venue, it was also important to us that it was near a town so our guests could make a trip out of it and Woodstock had it all. Hiking, beautiful scenery, farmers markets, cafes, and boutiques in a quaint small town. When looking for the right venue for our wedding we wanted something that felt authentic rather than a barn built and designed for weddings and events. The Farmhouse Inn at Robinson Farm is historic, full of character at every turn and was everything we wanted for our wedding, allowing us to share an authentic Vermont experience with our guests. The rolling hills around the venue set a perfect scene and the multiple barns and open fields allow for a ton of flexibility in designing the ceremony and reception we wanted. We received so many compliments from our guests on the property and stunning five story red barn. The piece that really sets this venue apart from others are the owners, Tory and Barry. From Day 1 they were extremely helpful answering any and all questions we had about the venue before we decided to book it. From there, their dedication only increased and they felt like true partners throughout the wedding experience. They are genuine, friendly and exceptionally hospitable. It was such a relief having them coordinate all of the rentals and deliveries, making sure that everything came together the way we wanted and their support continued throughout the entire wedding weekend. They are there every step of the way making sure things go smoothly and helping with everything from tying ribbon on our bouquets before we walk out the door, to setting up the ceremony seating and making sure catering rentals were put away at the end of the night. It’s like having an extra set of parents in the best way possible! They welcomed us like family and were extremely supportive and accommodating with all of our layout requests. They are extremely dedicated to maintaining the farm and sharing its story. We had so many friends and families tell us that the venue was one of the most gorgeous they had seen and that they were blown away by the level of service that was provided. We would highly recommend the Farmhouse Inn at Robinson Farm to anyone looking for their wedding venue or even as a place to stay a couple nights for a trip to Woodstock. From the chickens roaming around the property, the beautiful horse Yuma, friendly dog Ben, and the nicest cat we have ever met Tilly, to the cozy and charming farmhouse, fresh coffee, tea and biscotti, homemade soaps, delicious farm fresh breakfasts and warm company, it is a remarkable place that we feel grateful to have found. Each time we visit Tory is experimenting with a new treat, like pumpkin donuts, morning buns and fresh pressed apple cider from the tree in their yard. These are just a few things that make this place so special, and we were thrilled to share the experience with our friends and family!