Emily & Landon's Summertime Wedding at The Grafton Inn in Grafton, VT

Grafton, VT is a town so small one could blink on their drive through and miss it. At its center is the historic Grafton Inn, a building whose construction dates back to the early 1800s and is one of the oldest continually operating hotels in the country. The rest of the town sprawls out along the nearby Saxtons River, a collection of small homes and businesses that feel suspended in time and lovingly up-kept. Emily and Landon chose Grafton for their wedding for a number of reasons, but near the top of their list was that getting married and bringing all of their people there essentially amounts to a small-town-takeover. They wanted to be able to ease into the space, kick their feet up for more than an evening, and have the opportunity to spend quality time with their loved ones in a space so beautiful it almost doesn’t feel real.

We arrived last Friday to find Emily and Landon and all of their friends and family congregating less than a mile outside of Grafton at an outdoors center for their welcome party. We got to say hello to everyone, enjoy the smell of the bonfire and melting chocolate, and have the opportunity to take in that cool Vermont air as the sun dipped below the horizon. The next day started as casually we hoped it would; Emily was getting her hair and makeup finished as Landon was drying off from a dip in the local swimming pond. Later in the afternoon guests began to emerge from every corner of town, making their way on foot to the ceremony site across from the inn and taking their seats in the shade.

Emily and Landon both seemed incredibly relaxed and at home in this environment throughout the entire day. After the ceremony the four of us kicked our shoes off and marched into the creek together, sinking our toes into the sandy bottom and cooling off for a bit. Emily remarked how glad she was to just be in the woods for a moment during her wedding day, and in that moment we knew these were our people. Back up at the inn toasts outside were followed by a cozy candlelit dinner and after roaming down main street to take in golden hour, Emily and Landon and their guests packed into the barn for a raging dance party. All in all this was one of our favorite weddings we’ve photographed in Vermont. There’s definitely something to be said about having an entire town to explore with your favorite people on earth, and it cultivates a certain communal experience that’s sure to be remembered by all in attendance.

Venue/Coordination/Catering: The Grafton Inn
Florals: Full Moon Blooms
Dress: Chosen by KYHA / Hinterland Bridal
Hair/Makeup: Vermont Bridal Beauty
Music: Evan LeCompte
Menswear: Men’s Wearhouse
Rings: Perrywinkle’s
Film/Processing: Kodak Portra 400 & Kerry’s Warwick Photo