The Lilac Inn

food was to die for! In planning the event, Shelly and Ashley went above and beyond. They customized their schedule with what would work best for our bridal party. We were able to have the entire bridal party and our parents stay at the Inn with us for the weekend and our families and friends were within walking distance. We went to the spa Friday morning, came to setup at the Inn afterwards. It wasn't hard to do because the Inn offers a historical charm that doesn't need to be covered or changed. Shelly and Ashley did help us move things around or offered suggestions if we needed assistance. We then went to the local brewery/winery at Foley Brothers which is on the edge of a golf course to socialize with our guests. They loved it! We headed back to the Inn for a rehearsal and Shelly had our BBQ dinner waiting. The ribs fell off the bone! I love BBQ so this was icing on the cake, and it wasn't even the big day yet. After the rehearsal, the bridal party joined guests at the Center Street Pub which is a walk away. On Saturday, my makeup and hair stylist came to the Inn to find a large Honeymoon Suite/Bridal Chambers big enough for everyone in the party to sit back, relax and get ready. The groomsmen got ready in another equally as large room called the Fireplace Room. Breakfast was ready both mornings and cooked to order with pastries and fruit laid out. I'd highly recommend the omelets. Our first look photos were in the gardens with our bridal party photos afterwards in the front of the Inn and in the gardens. Everything went very smooth seeing as we were all in one place. The bridal party was able to gather before the ceremony to celebrate, and then we got married! Walking down the stairs, through the courtyard to the gazebo was a magical moment in time! It was perfect and everything I wanted. But, it didn't stop there. We had a cocktail hour with yard games, and then the reception started with the same amazing food and impeccable timing from the staff. We ended the night with a cookie station where we ate our cookie, dancing and smores. A full moon rose over our occasion that evening to make it the best weekend ever with family and friends all there to celebrate. I'd highly recommend the Lilac Inn!

ties on the property. Shelly, Betsy, and the rest of the team were so committed to helping us realize our vision of a full weekend of events and fall fun with our family and friends. The Lilac Inn could go from a casual venue for a bonfire with friends to a decked out, beautiful and classy venue for a formal wedding within hours. The gardens were absolutely gorgeous for our ceremony, and the food was delicious and felt homemade, even for 150 people. The bridal suite was a dream, and our dog could enjoy it with us! We were able to make decisions about the most minute of details, and Shelly was so flexible both about finding the food, drinks, and decor that we wanted and allowing us to bring in our own food, drinks, and decor when that made more sense for us. We really felt like it was our inn for the weekend, and many of our guests said the same thing! The inn itself is in a great location, a quarter-mile from downtown Brandon with all its small-town Vermont charm and additional lodging, and it is full of charm and unique details. Shelly was also super transparent about all costs at every step of the way, even at the last minute, when we needed to rent a heater to counter the cold front that came through on the day of our wedding. As a small inn with a small staff, the wedding planning process was not as streamlined and structured as it might have been if we chose a bigger and more corporate venue. Additionally, our wedding day schedule was looser than many other weddings we have attended, as a small staff was attending to and feeding 150 people, and everyone is doing multiple jobs at all times. This worked for us, because we wanted the flexibility and the non-corporate vibes, but it might not be for everyone. We really can't say enough about how perfect the Lilan Inn was for us, and how kind and committed Shelly, Betsy, and the whole team are. We will be going back to relive our perfect weekend for a long time to come!

n, meticulously managed and loved by Shelley and her wonderful staff, and that spirit fills the rooms & the grounds & everything they pour into making their establishment feel like home to all those who stay there. You don't feel like a hotel guest here. You feel like you're staying with an old friend. Shelley accommodated every twist and turn of our 22 month engagement and wedding planning process, helping us execute on and even exceed our own vision for what our wedding day (wedding weekend, really) could be. I could go on, but you get the picture. Vermont. Laid back. Beautiful. Comfortable. This establishment is a crown jewel. We will be back for anniversaries. Thank you Shelley!

iding us with a complete spreadsheet of costs which helped us manage the expenses more easily. Finally, the inn is a beautiful, quirky place with a lovely ballroom where we had our first dance, and the breakfast for our wedding party and family was delightful!

oth indoor and outdoor options. We had our ceremony outside in front of the gazebo and it was so beautiful. There are lodging options near the inn, which was great for out of town visitors. The decor matched what we envisioned on our special day. All expenses and expectations were clear. We would highly recommend this venue as your southern VT wedding.

released. The food was amazing. The place was beautiful we look forward to going back some time for a weekend getaway.

also very resourceful with helping us sort out last minute mishaps (extra tables and vases for flowers, dinner options for out of towners, to-go breakfast for early travelers, forgotten suitcases and returning rentals to vendors). They really helped to ensure that we had a relaxing and enjoyable time with what could easily have been a very stressful event. Booking the Lilac was one of the best wedding decisions we made.

ur dream wedding. When you book the Inn, you get the opportunity to use the grounds for the entire weekend while Shelly coordinated all of the catering, tent rental, and staffing. I still keep dreaming about the butternut squash ravioli we had as one of our food options, it was out of this world! Our 140 guest wedding felt intimate and our guests enjoyed exploring the beautiful gardens and taking advantage of the ballroom for dancing and the fire pit for relaxing. We chose to have the ceremony in the garden and I'm so glad that we did. Brandon is a beautiful example of small town Vermont and your guests will love the hospitality and all the area has to offer.

ave requested that). The dinner was delicious and everyone had an amazing time. Despite our reception being washed out, we were able to fit guests in the bar, library, porch, and ball room. There is enough space to spread out and not feel claustrophobic. The inn offers breakfast to individuals who were staying. Breakfast is certainly memorable! You are offered fruit pastry, made to order eggs, and sweet made to order breakfast option, home fries, and side of meat. The only thing that was a negative is that I had to remind the staff which guest ordered which meal, despite me making a list of guest names for each table with their order on small cards for wait staff. I also had to remind the servers to remove a table after dinner. The staff also began taking drinks that were half enjoyed. Despite the wait staff taking drinks, Shelly quickly fixed the issue and provided new drinks. Bar tender also refused to serve people that were inline for drinks prior to 10 pm as soon as 10pm hit. I still give it 5 stars despite some issues because Shelly worked to make everything right and the inn is beautiful.

farm tables. We also had no meat at our wedding, and the staff was very accommodating. We got tons of compliments on the food and atmosphere. It was a great wedding. I'd recommend this inn to anyone.

ble contact person/planner, delightful spots for photos and an overall magical appeal, and a location that your guests will feel quite comfortable in. The Lilac Inn in Brandon had all of these tangible and intangible qualities, and more. I’d need to write pages in order to capture all of the wonderful things about having your Special Day here; I can’t do that so will settle for three reasons. First, Shelly is a wonderful partner in planning your wedding. The owner of the inn, she is thoughtful, patient and imminently flexible; she considered each of my many requests and delivered nearly every one of them to a tee, and she has plenty of her own helpful ideas and suggestions to offer. We credit her for making the wedding of our dreams come true. Second, the Lilac Inn truly is magical. From the gardens to the entry to the ballroom, it is a beautiful place without being ostentatious. And, it is one in which your guests will feel comfortable. I recommend renting the inn for your entire wedding weekend: the bridal suite is a perfect home base for your time there and the breakfasts in the morning are just as yummy as dinners. Third, the food is delicious: our guests enjoyed it and there were many choices. And finally, there are incredibly talented vendors for your other needs (photographer, wedding cake, florist) nearby. Shelly has suggestions. My husband and I strongly recommend having your wedding at the Lilac Inn!

he amount of $(5000about) i dont feel like i got it. also the professionalism from the innkeepers was that there no contract to hold them to either. But the handyman/chef saved the day with his help of the removal of x mas decor.

other places for us to have the ceremony which we actually didn't need, but knowing that she was planning for another place in the inn kept my nerves at ease. They are so laid back, but not to a fault. Knowing that the wedding was going to go off without a hitch because of their confidence kept me completely at ease the entire time. The food and service was amazing and I also really liked that they let you do pretty much whatever you want in terms of decorating. My guests and my husband and I had a wonderful time. It really was the wedding of our dreams!

ted our guests exceptionally well. The place was absolutely gorgeous and we were all so comfortable there. THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT! All of our guests want to come and visit the inn again. We had the perfect day and we're thrilled that we had our wedding at the Lilac Inn.

d not always on top of answering phone calls and emails. Also, since we had our wedding on a Sunday, I was concerned that her other guests would "crash." There was no need to worry in the end...the food was delicious, service excellent, and we saw not a single one of her other guests.