Southern Vermont Wedding at the Grafton Inn

As of 2026 I feel lucky to say, that making the drive down to the town of Grafton has become a bit of an annual occurrence for me. Of the myriad of new venues, highways, and backroads I find myself exploring each season, I always look forward to returning to this sleepy Vermont village. Photographing Mal & Tessa’s Grafton Inn wedding this past October felt like a homecoming in the best way.

Despite its comparative proximity to more populous areas such as Massachusetts, Connecticut, and NYC, the woods of southern Vermont feel deeper and stiller than many of their northern counterparts. When driving into the quaint village of Grafton, it feels as if you’ve stepped outside the ring of time and into a place free of forward motion entirely. The streets are quiet and consist of a post office, general store, and rows of beautiful old New England homes. At the center of town lies the Grafton Inn.

Featuring 42 uniquely decorated rooms, delicious local cuisine, and a nearly endless web of close by hiking trails, streams, and swimming holes, the Grafton Inn makes for the quintessential Vermont weekend away. While constructed in 1801, stepping inside any of the inn’s structures makes it hard to say where one would place them in time. Laden with tastefully curated antique furnishings and historic artwork, the spaces also possess modern amenities and are endowed with a timeless sense of warmth and comfort. It’s in this meeting place of time, worlds past and present that the Grafton Inn shines, making it a perfect location for a southern Vermont wedding.

In our initial calls and during the engagement session, (we had a blast roaming around central park), Mal & Tessa expressed wanting the focus of their wedding day to be spending time with loved ones and each other. This desire is pretty common among couples who reach out to me, and while wedding days are often a balance of more intentional portraiture and organic moments, I love when couples lean into prioritizing experience above all. Perhaps ironically, I think this approach of focusing on time well spent leads to the best images.

A great photograph doesn’t require you to pause and step outside yourself. Great photographs are born out of what simply is. As the years pass, I think this kind of honest documentation becomes more and more valuable. Decades from now, I want you to be able to view your photographs and recognize yourself and your loved ones at that precise moment in time.

While I’m used to bringing this sensibility to any wedding I photograph, the Grafton Inn, with its multitude of highly visual historic spaces, makes the documentary practice a delight. From the wedding party’s colorful getting-ready suite, to the shaded field where Mal & Tessa held their ceremony. From the three adjoining candlelit dining rooms Tavern, Pine, and Garden, to the Phelps Barn where an open dance floor waited. There was no shortage of engaging and dynamic spaces throughout the day.

For those seeking a quiet retreat in a historic nook of Vermont’s southern forests, off the beaten path but close to larger hubs like Brattleboro, planning a Grafton Inn wedding could be the perfect choice.

Venue: Grafton Inn

HMU: Vermont Bridal Beauty

Florals: Fast Pony Flowers

DJ: Peak Entertainment