Photo courtesy Twin Farms, Barnard Vermont
When couples say they want a country wedding, they’re usually talking about an authentic back-to-the-land kind of party with flowers in mason jars, family-style food, and maybe a bluegrass band. And that’s charming, no question. But what if you want a dose of glamour along with your antique linens and pie buffet? We’ve brought together five outstanding US resorts that combine romantically rural settings with big-deal dining, full-out spas, and the best views in the neighborhood.
Glamping tent at The Resort at Paws Up
The Resort at Paws Up
Greenough, Montana
Why it’s country: The 37,000-acre Resort at Paws Up, in the middle of Montana wilderness, has a dozen or two vacation homes scattered about, but if you really want a wedding in the woods there are the glamping villages – five private and self-contained camps of a half-dozen luxury tents. Why it’s deluxe: How many tent camps do you know that come with a private chef and butler? Each camp has its own dining pavilion, and some of the tents, laid out to please just-married couples, have king beds and copper bathtubs. And all the tents — but don’t let this get out, if you want to impress the folks back home with your ruggedness – have air-conditioining.
They love their horses at The Inn at Dos Brisas, and their fine dining
The Inn at Dos Brisas
Washington, Texas
Why it’s country: Once upon a time a cutting horse ranch, The Inn at Dos Brisas is the real deal, with trail rides, carriage tours, and the second largest privately owned indoor riding arena in Texas. And of course there is a western sky that will have you peering through the resort’s telescope — or singing cowboy songs. Why it’s deluxe: A Relais & Chateaux property, The Inn at Dos Brisas’ seed-to-table restaurant is the only Forbes Five-Star eatery in Texas. And the service is as polished as the silverware.
A ceremony venue beneath the stars at Solage Calistoga
Solage Calistoga
Calistoga, California
Why it’s country: At the northern edge of Napa, Solage Calistoga is a bike ride from hot springs and mud baths, and features timber-framed cottages, fire pits, and a welcoming attitude that will encourage your guests to bring the whole gang. Why it’s deluxe: The resort’s restaurant, Solbar, is Michelin-starred and it’s spa was voted #1 in the America’s and Caribbean by Conde Nast Traveller magainze.
In the southeast U.S., you’d be hard pressed to find a wedding location more isolated, or beautiful, than Primland
Primland
Meadows of Dan, Virginia
Why it’s country: A destination wedding resort in the Southeastern U.S. doesn’t get more out of the way than Primland. Its 12,000 wooded acres allow your guests to experience Blue Ridge wilderness activities such as hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, fly fishing, shooting clays, and stargazing through a powerful telescope, probably all without ever hearing a car. Why it’s deluxe: This is no scattering of re-purposed barns and bunkhouses, but an architectural statement that re-imagines contemporary country life. And what you wouldn’t expect to find at a little country inn – from sophisticated cuisine to a full-service spa — you will find here.
Twin Farms is as eclectic as it is luxurious
Twin Farms
Barnard Vermont
Why it’s country: A two-hour drive from Boston and 15 minutes from Woodstock, Twin Farms is the kind of place you’d expect to appear in a pastoral novel, although a former owner, novelist Sinclair Lewis, apparently didn’t write it. With its meadows, mountains, and forests, it is pure Vermont, and pure heaven. Why it’s deluxe: The art collection alone, with works by Roy Lichenstein, David Hockney, and Jasper Johns, to name a few, tells you that money has been spent. And just about everything else – from the work of an architect whose other clients include Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, to the Simon Pearce stemware — tells you that you’d better have money to spend.
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Want to know more about planning destination wedding travel to any of these properties or anywhere else in the world? Our travel partners at Coastline Travel Advisors, a Virtuoso agency, are ready to help.
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