About this vendor
The Notch House is a nine-bedroom inn, vacation rental, and wedding venue. The house, built in 1860, was the first vacation home on Lake Willoughby and is ideally perched on the south end hillside, centered between Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor, the two mountains that form the dramatic Willoughby Gap. In addition to the majestic house, the property includes a one-bedroom guest cottage, a large, timber-frame event barn and a private path that leads down to the beautiful, south end coves and beaches. The property, surrounded by over 7,000 acres of Willoughby State Forest, is completely private.
The Notch House is the ideal place to create and host your wedding, civil ceremony or celebration for up to 120 people. Raised in the Summer of 2021, The Lake Barn is the perfect combination of old and new - a 32’x60’ timber frame with salvage windows, stone patio and cathedral ceilings.
Sip evening cocktails, host a late am brunch or hold your ceremony under the Maple tree on the sprawling Great Lawn, framed by the Willoughby Gap. At night, sit under the stars by the bon fire. The Amphitheatre and The Gardens are two additional picturesque ceremony sites that face Lake Willoughby and are surrounded by 7,000 acres of lush Vermont forest. Set up chairs and an alter and make it your own.
THE LAKE BARN
The Lake Barn, raised in 2021, is a gorgeous 32’ x 60’ timber frame with a stained concrete main floor, massive arched wooden braces and large antique arched windows throughout. The Main floor, with cathedral ceilings and iron chandeliers, spills out the sliding barn doors onto a large stone patio. Have your bartender serve your favorite cocktails or showcase an elaborate hors d’oeuvre spread on the long L-shaped bar. Walk up the wide staircase or make a grand entry from the Notch House lawn and across the high drive ramp to the second floor mezzanine — perfect for an intimate wedding ceremony or back up rain location, cake cutting or late night dancing. It has thick barn board floors, antique balusters and hand carved newel posts and looks North to the Notch.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Invite your favorite people to stay with you. The property has accommodations for up to 34 guests in the Main House, Carriage House and four Forest Cabins (Coming in 2022). The Main House sleeps 16 guests and has historic gothic charm with luxury linens, antiques throughout, and a fieldstone fire place. The large chef’s kitchen is set up to cook for a crowd with industrial Garland stove, soapstone counters, large farmhouse sinks, and a copper top bar. The wrap-around porch, stone patio and 2 balconies are wonderful places to congregate, sip coffee or read a book. The Carriage House Suite sleeps 2 guests. A kitchenette and stone fireplace downstairs and King bed, full bath and private screened in porch upstairs. Coming in 2022, four Forest Cabins nestled in the woods with screened in porches, can sleep 2-4 guests each. At the Notch House, your celebration with your favorite people doesn’t ha
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Business Attributes
- LGBTQ+-owned Business
- Woman-owned Business
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
- Second Wedding
Settings
- Backyard
- Ballroom
- Barn
- Farm & Ranch
- Beach
- Waterfront
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Bar Rental
- Cakes & Desserts
- Cupcakes
- Other Desserts
- Destination Weddings
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.8
out of 5.017 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
The Notch House is in a stunning location…all of it, the historic house, the apartment, the cottage, all tucked by the shores of Lake Willoughby, the grounds, the details.... It wa...
s perfect for those of us staying onsite and for wedding guests. It was beautiful in the late fall and I can only imagine what it is like in full bloom. The photos don’t do it justice.
We had a blast! That dining room table is perfect - perfect for rehearsal dinner, perfect for arranging flowers, perfect for the bridal party to catch their breath…we had a fire every evening in the living room fieldstone fireplace and the kitchen had no problem handling the hungry hoards! The barn. Stunning. It sports all the bells & whistles needed for an event but looks & feels like an historic Vermont barn. There was everything you could ever want for from comfy beds to champagne flutes!
Immediately upon meeting Kelly (the manager), as parents of the bride, I knew we were in good hands! Her patience, common sense, her knowledge of the property (both the event space and housing) & logistics, her communication, her minute attention to detail, her bountiful energy... were magnificent! How many pairs of sneakers are needed during a wedding season Kelly?
The barn morphed from graph paper to our brides vision with the help of bountiful helpers & Kelly's insight; guests were parked, candles were magically lit, I saw her quietly straighten our bride's train before she walked out, cookies were tucked into folded linens, signature cocktails appeared for the wedding party, timelines were adhered to without feeling pressured, it just happened. So many tasks just happened. Thank you! There wasn't a need for problem solving nor adaptability, but I have no doubt she could handle any bump or misunderstandings.
Her side kick, Michelle, was just as good! We are so incredibly thankful. Your lovely kindness and dedication to your craft and the Notch House is a gift. ❤️
We spent 2 years debating how and where we wanted to get married. The first time we visited The Notch House, we were so excited by it but not quite ready to commit, however, we con...
tinued our search for another year until we realized that we would never find anything comparable. We are so happy we did because there is absolutely no doubt in our minds that The Notch House was the perfect place to create our dream wedding weekend.
The accommodations were ideal for our extended family and wedding party - we had 18 people stay onsite comfortably but the spaces can fit even more. Being able to keep our closest loved ones on-site for the entire celebration, made the whole weekend feel intimate and relaxed.
The wedding barn is GORGEOUS and has many carefully considered touches and well-crafted finishes that make it more elevated and less rustic that most other barn venues you'll find in Vermont. It is very much a DIY space but it can lean in any direction depending on the theme and decor you go with. There are also many resources provided to couples by the venue during the planning process which really helped with planning from a distance.
The outdoor spaces also allow for so many wonderful photo opportunities on the wedding day and multiple areas to hang out and relax on the days before and after the wedding. We lucked out with 60 degree weather in mid-October (along with some leaves on the trees) which made the experience extra magical.
Finally, the people of The Notch House really solidified the choice for us. Polly was communicative and patient with our many questions and offered lots of helpful information early on. We ended up working with Kelly as our day-of coordinator and are so happy we did! Her intimate knowledge of the property, previous food and beverage experience, and experience with prior events at The Notch House made her an invaluable resource during our wedding planning process. She also patiently answered our many question leading up to the wedding and was incredibly helpful with the set up and day of the wedding as well. We truly couldn't have pulled it off without Kelly and Polly.
If you want a fairy-tale experience for your wedding day, look no further than the Notch House!
Photos by Hannah Natalya Photography (also amazing!)
We got married at the Notch House a few weeks ago and we had the best experience. The venue itself is beautiful. The owners did a great job with the interior design in all of the b...
uildings as well as the garden design. It was so special to be able to have friends and family stay on site and celebrate with us for the entire weekend. Having our dog at our wedding was also really special. We loved to be able to walk down to the water and spent a good amount of time down there relaxing the day after our wedding. Kelly and Polly were both very communicative and great to work with. It was a magical weekend and we hope to return in the future!
The perfect wedding venue.
We couldn't have asked for a better place to get married! We stayed at the Notch House for 3 nights in October and we had the most magical time! All of...
our guests were blown away with the buildings and the location.
Lots of walks down, and around, the lake. We hosted a lovely family style rehearsal dinner in the dining room. Relaxed by the secluded cabins. Experienced a beautiful ceremony in the garden. And partied hard in the barn!
Guests in the house were blown away by the antique furniture, wonderful art, and all the quirky charm you'd expect from a REAL Vermont home.
Kelly, Polly, and Jamie were all a pleasure to work with! The rooms were clean. The gardens were immaculate.
And the communication was thorough.
The Notch House was an absolute dream venue for our September 2025 wedding. We had around 85 guests and there was plenty of room for everyone throughout the weekend. One of the bes...
t parts was being able to have our close family and friends stay on the property with us, which made it feel like a true wedding retreat. The property itself is breathtaking—from the charming main house to the cozy cabins to the beautiful barn—and there’s even a lovely path down to the lake.
Because of rain, we held our ceremony upstairs in the barn, and it turned out to be absolutely gorgeous—intimate, cozy, and full of charm. For the reception, all of our guests fit comfortably in the downstairs of the barn, and it worked out perfectly. The bridesmaids got ready in the main house dining room, which was spacious and worked so well for hair and makeup. We also loved that we could host our rehearsal dinner outside on the barn patio (a beautiful setting) and enjoy the firepits with friends and family the night before the wedding.
What really made the experience special were the people. Kelly, the venue coordinator, was phenomenal—thorough, thoughtful, and an absolute joy to work with. She was so responsive leading up to the wedding, and we are beyond glad we hired her as our day-of coordinator. When it poured on our wedding day, she helped us pivot our entire plan indoors with ease, ran our ceremony seamlessly, and came up with creative ideas we hadn’t even thought of. I can’t imagine our day without her. Polly, the owner, was also wonderful—extremely flexible, easy to communicate with, and a pleasure to work with throughout the process.
That said, couples should know that The Notch House is a truly DIY venue. You are responsible for setting up and breaking down all tables, chairs, and furniture, returning everything to its original place, and taking out all trash and recycling. You’ll also need to provide your own linens and tablecloths. None of this was a dealbreaker for us, but it’s important to plan ahead (and ideally have a team to help). I’d also recommend reading the fine print of the contract carefully—we did have some confusion around the cost of additional guests beyond those staying onsite.
Honestly, The Notch House is perfect for a DIY couple. You truly don’t need much décor because the property itself is stunning. It gave us the most magical weekend with the people we love, and we would choose The Notch House again in a heartbeat. If you’re considering it—do it! You won’t regret it.
We had our dream wedding weekend at The Notch House in August 2024. The property was absolutely beautiful and so great to work with. So many of our guests asked how we found such a...
n amazing gem of a venue. The property was extremely well maintained and very clean, our guests really enjoyed it.
The manger Kelly and owner Polly were extremely helpful and great communicators. They had great vendor recommendations and were quick to answer any questions leading up to the weekend. They worked to ensure we had the perfect wedding weekend.
The property was a beautiful backdrop for our ceremony and the Barn provided an excellent location for our reception. There was plenty of space for our guests to spread out both indoors and outdoors. It was like having our own piece of NEK heaven for the weekend.
We got married in August 2024 at the Notch House. We had the entire property with guests staying in the main house, apartment, and cabins, while we enjoyed the cozy and private Car...
riage House.
Simply put, we had an amazing experience at the Notch House. From the first email we sent to Polly, to accommodating us touring the property a second time, to Kelly greeting us upon our arrival, we always felt so welcome and at home at the Notch House.
We also held our rehearsal dinner in the Lake Barn. We had initially planned for dinner outside on the lawn, but the weather had much different plans. First, it was comforting to have such a natural contingency plan for dinner on property. There ended up being quite a storm, and we lost power right as some speeches were about to begin. Without Kelly on site that evening, we would have been dead in the water! There was a short delay of maybe 45 seconds in which Kelly had managed to shut off a loud alarm and get the property transferred to generator power.
Dinner had mostly been served, but we also had other guests arriving later that evening for our welcome reception! We were delighted to discover that the loss of power was really a minor blip in our weekend - the generator was able to power all structures, living quarters, etc.
Power was back on around noon the following morning, and it was like it never even happened. We are truly grateful to Kelly and the Notch House’s infrastructure for keeping our event humming along and, in the end, perfect.
The grounds and gardens were immaculate. A wonderful feature of this venue is that it speaks for itself - you can take it easy on the florals. Every bedroom is charming and unique. The cabins were a huge hit with our guests, and people placed elsewhere were jealous.
We will miss congregating in the kitchen of the Main House, croquet on the lawn, getting our feet muddy on a walk down to the lake, and taking a midnight dip under the stars.
You are truly able to disconnect at the Notch House. There is wifi, but you are at the mercy of the cloud coverage. We found that while there was some cell service, all of us clustered together on the property were competing for service. This was a feature and not a bug for us. Take advantage of being able to have your devices be useless. You might have to go for a drive up the road to find out what’s going on.
There are some rules to follow that the Notch House will provide you with in advance of check-in. We wouldn’t say they are any more or less overbearing than a typical vacation rental. They were not hard to follow, and we found them helpful in keeping this place the way it is.
We had an amazing wedding and experience at the Notch House. We can’t thank Kelly and Polly enough for their hospitality, flexibility, and professionalism. We will be back!
The Notch House was absolutely perfect for our wedding day/weekend! We wanted to be able to enjoy time with friends and family in one of our favorite places and it allowed us to do...
that. The owners and property manager were awesome, very professional, personable and attended to all of our needs. The Notch House is so special and represents the beauty and history of the NEK!
My husband and I got married at The Notch House on August 24, 2024. This venue is just something you need to experience yourself. It is magical, beautiful, and the most peaceful pl...
ace to stay. The entire property is extremely clean, orderly, and managed by an amazing woman. We live 4 hours away and I would not have been able to pull this destination wedding off without the help of Polly and Kelly. I HIGHLY recommend The Notch House as your next destination in VT, and most importantly for any future weddings. The photos may be beautiful but I can promise the vision in real life is incredible. We cannot thank The Notch House enough for making our wedding dreams come true. We are already planning on returning with our future family and we cannot wait!!
The SweetBeats Band had an absolute blast performing at a wedding at The Notch House this past August! Nestled in the heart of Vermont’s scenic landscape, the venue offers not only...
a breathtaking, intimate atmosphere but also stunning views of the surrounding nature. The tranquil beauty of the mountains and the serene lakeside setting truly make The Notch House a perfect backdrop for any wedding.
What really stood out to us, beyond the natural splendor, was the incredible team behind it all. The staff was not only friendly but also highly professional, ensuring everything ran smoothly from start to finish.
A special shoutout to Kelly Minery-Hamdan, the wedding manager and coordinator at The Notch House, for her exceptional work. We've been performing at weddings since 2007 and have had the pleasure of working at hundreds of venues across New England, but The Notch House truly stands out in every regard. It’s a place where attention to detail, warmth, and professionalism come together to create something truly special.
We can't recommend The Notch House enough to couples looking for a memorable and seamless wedding experience!
We loved staying at the notch house! Polly was very responsive to all our question's leading up to the day. The photos we got with the beautiful barn, and rustic house, and of cour...
se the easy access to the most beautiful lake. We couldn't be happier with how everything turned out!
I had my wedding here this September and it was the perfect place for it! The house itself was great for my wedding party to stay in and I love the decor of the rooms. We used the ...
master bedroom and its balcony for getting ready photos with the bridal party, and we used the living room with fireplace for the groomsmen getting ready photos. Both of those locations worked perfectly. There is a private cottage which myself and husband stayed in. The expansive lawns were great for yard games. It's a short walk to the lake, or a 30s drive to the parking lot. We elected to use the nearby end of the path to the lake for our first look, and then drive to the lake for golden hour photos. Be aware that that part of the lake goes to a nude beach, however, not a concern by the photo taking hour.
The highlight was the barn. As soon as I saw the barn on my first tour I knew it was perfect! With 100 guests it felt perfectly sized - full and cozy without being cramped. The details of the barn like the staircase, built in bar, and wooden details all look lovely. I got many compliments from my guests on the location and barn! Also, they have plenty of nice tables and chairs which we used (one less thing to rent!)
I'm so happy that we chose the Notch House because it created a truly magical weekend for us. I highly recommend.
Although we loved the venue, the wedding barn, the yard, the house was severely infested with mice! Because the kitchen cabinets were poorly constructed, the mice could get in to t...
he drawers! We found mice poop among cutlery and they went in to bread drawer! Polly came told us, it was common to have mice as we were in mountains. Washed the cutlery and placed them back in the same drawers where the mice could freely roam!! She apparently has no sense of hygiene. On 3rd day after we requested she brought a trap and we caught a giant, well fed mouse! I am sure there still a big family living there.I would rent the barn but would stay away from the house if don‘t want to get hantavirus.
The Notch House was a beautiful venue for our wedding. They can conveniently host over 30 guests onsite, the gardens are amazing, the event barn is perfect for your ceremony and/o...
r reception, and the proximity to beautiful Lake Willoughby is unbeatable.
We had our wedding on 6/24/23 and it was absolutely perfect in every way, thanks in large part to the Notch House and their team. It is a cozy, intimate venue that has the features...
you need to execute a well-coordinated event. Our wedding party stayed on-site in the house for the wedding weekend and they all loved the rooms, which have been thoughtfully arranged to suit this historic building. Overall, we owe the Notch House, Polly, and Kelly our huge thanks! This was the happiest and most unforgettable days of our lives!
Amazing venue - truly one of a kind! We had our wedding ceremony in the garden and reception in the red barn. The whole property is crafted with love and care, you can see it in al...
l the details. Polly was excellent to work with, very responsive and transparent. We will definitely be coming back for family reunions, etc.
We loved The Notch House. It was a beautiful setting for a wedding.
Contact
5768 Vermont Rte 5A, Westmore, VT
The Notch House