Topnotch Resort Reviews

We had the absolute best wedding at Topnotch with Liz and her entire team. The grounds and tent are absolutely stunning and it was a perfect weekend getaway for guests with so much to do in the area. The event team, from welcome party through the farewell brunch, was so accommodating. For such an efficient and well organized event team, I had never expected how kind and genuine the entire staff was - totally opposite of “wedding factory vibe”. I believe the chef, Dustin, is relatively new to Topnotch but comes with so much experience. His creations were DELICIOUS and he was super accommodating during the planning process.

This is a long overdue review but still so deserved. We got married at Topnotch back in September and it was incredible. We have Liz Hagwood to credit for that - her professionalism, recommendations, timeliness, etc. was all topnotch (pun intended), but more importantly, she was truly a friend by the end of the whole experience - she went above and beyond to help us feel comfortable, think through decisions (which was important because we were both lost sheep during the whole process!), and executed everything expertly (even when unforeseen things were thrown our way - thank you hurricane dorian :)) - I can go on and on about Liz, but will spare you the novel. In addition to Liz, the service/food was INCREDIBLE, the rest of the staff was absolutely a joy to work with, and the setting was breathtaking - we've always loved topnotch so much for it's luxurious, but still casual atmosphere that truly showcases the surrounding nature of life in Stowe, and that's what ultimately makes this venue so special. Thank you liz and topnotch team for everything!

We chose Topnotch because of the beautiful modern resort, views of the mountains, and the amazing food. We wanted a whole weekend affair and Liz helped make it all happen. We threw a party at The Roost for our guests Friday and a brunch there Sunday as well. It was mid-October and instead of a tent, we did the ceremony and cocktails on the lawn then moved downstairs for reception. The fire pits were a big hit, and so was the resort! Everyone raved about the food, I can't say enough about how memorable it was. We're still getting calls about it! While it's on the pricier side, it was worth every penny. Liz took care of so much especially with it being a destination wedding for us. We didn't have to worry about a thing and everything came out perfectly.

We had the pleasure of having our entire wedding weekend at the Topnotch Resort. This included a welcome reception, wedding ceremony and reception, after party, and a farewell brunch. We were lucky to have Liz as our wedding coordinator. We were very particular and specific about the details within our wedding. Liz was great at managing all our expectations during the planning process. There are so many aspects that go into planning a wedding, and since we had every event at Topnotch we had to work with Liz to plan every part of the weekend. When it came to the wedding weekend she did a wonderful job executing on all off the details we discussed.
Every aspect about our wedding weekend was truly beautiful. The wedding tent is gorgeous and is surrounded by such beautiful scenery. Our guests truly appreciated our venue and the details within the wedding. The food at every event was great. Our guests loved our reception entrees which included the skirt steak and the halibut. We were very excited about the after party where we had late night bites…the mini sliders were delicious and huge hit. We were very surprised at how good the brunch spread was. Breakfast in general can be a pretty average meal, so we didn’t have many expectations when we were planning that portion, but we were more than pleased with the breakfast spread.
It was a stressful year planning the wedding since we cared so much about how everything would turn out, but it turned out to be the best weekend of our lives. We were lucky to celebrate our marriage with family and friends at the Topnotch Resort.

My husband and I got married at Topnotch Resort in June 2018. Our experience with the whole team at Topnotch was amazing! When we had our initial meeting to get a tour of the venue, we felt instantly comfortable with the staff and everyone made sure to let us know that they were there to make us happy! We felt welcomed and like family. The resort itself is absolutely stunning and we knew it was where we wanted to get married. Our coordinator was Liz and she was so great at staying in communication with us through the whole process. She was very responsive with emails and also set up phone calls to go over more information. We had a little trouble at the beginning with some mix ups on our room blocks for the wedding but Westin and the reservation team made sure everything was in order before the wedding day. Adam, the chef at the resort, did an AMAZING tasting for us to choose our menu. I have a bunch of food allergies and Adam made sure that everything for our wedding was gluten free and even had our cake made in a dedicated gluten free facility. Not to mention, all of the food at our wedding was delicious! Our guests are still talking about the dinner! The best thing about having our wedding at Topnotch is the care and love that every member of the team put into our wedding. I felt like they genuinely wanted to make sure we had the best day. Plus, they make it known that once you get married there, you are in for life! They want you, your parents, your children, to come back for years to come and enjoy the resort. And we are TOTALLY going to! I would highly recommend getting married at Topnotch Resort. They certainly live up to their name :)

My husband and I had our wedding at Topnotch in June and have nothing but wonderful things to say about it. From the planning process through to the reception, the staff were helpful, welcoming, and made us feel at home. It was important to us to have a wedding venue where our guests could come stay the weekend - stay, hang out, eat/drink all in one place and Topnotch fit the bill perfectly. Our guests hung out by the pool, played lawn games while having a few drinks, and got treatments at the spa. For the wedding, Topnotch was flexible and worked with us to accommodate an amazing family style dinner with craft beer & a unique specialty cocktail. Even with a timing snafu a few days before the event, our wedding planner Liz Hagwood (who was BEYOND wonderful to work with) ensured that everything went off without a hitch. Topnotch will always be a special place for us and we look forward to visiting for many years to come.

We had a dream come true Vermont wedding at Topnotch! From the beautiful setting, service, food, and accommodations, everything was perfect. Liz helped me from the beginning of the process of selecting the perfect spot for our wedding, to selecting vendors, and worked with us through ALL of the details. She was incredibly responsive and made us feel very relaxed and that we were in great hands. She was available to meet us multiple times in person but overall, we were able to easily coordinate everything virtually. On the day of, Liz and her team were AMAZING. We had a smaller, family elopement and Liz took full control over the set-up for the entire day. I couldn't imagine it looking anymore beautiful. We were able to have our entire day outside overlooking the hills (although they had great back-up options for rain). We even ended the evening perfectly with s'mores by the fire. Our family spent the weekend at Topnotch and enjoyed all that Topnotch, Stowe and Burlington have to offer. Thank you Liz and team! You are the best.

The topnotch staff made my wedding incredibly special. My coordinator Liz was amazing so responsive and patient with all of the details. Guests are still raving about their experience at the hotel. It was truly a special wedding, I wish I could do it again!

Planning a wedding is no small task. Jenna and the team at Topnotch were hands down the most responsive, helpful, caring, and genuine vendor we dealt with throughout the entire process. All of our questions, concerns, inquiries, were handled with the utmost professionalism. This venue is worth every penny. After doing a lot of research in Stowe, with a lot of competition, I am certain Topnotch was the best choice. Jenna made sure everything went off without a hitch, remembered our every request, and is exactly what you need when planning such a large, crazy event! The food was outstanding, the views are spectacular (the horses in the nearby meadow even came out during our vows - everyone thought we staged it!). I felt taken care of during all the hoopla of the event, and most importantly my family and friends had the time of their lives. Thank you Jenna and Topnotch for giving us more than we had hoped for. I would do it all over again!

superior stafe, amazing service, spectacular setting, superior spa, splendid and declious food and ambiance Jenna wonderful wedding planner and Carol continues to be the most accommodating concierge!

Working with Jenna has been an absolutely wonderful experience. Topnotch resort has always held a very special place in our hearts. Throughout our entire wedding planning process there this year, they've made us feel like family and, as always, have been beyond accommodating in every aspect of planning and executing our perfect day. Jenna has every detail under control, and is such a sweet, personable and reliable person to work with. She's been calm, decisive, communicative and informative every step of the way. We can't recommend any place or group of people higher. Thanks for giving us our dream wedding weekend!

Jenna and the staff at Topnotch were amazing! They made our special day easy, fun and so beautiful. I highly recommend Topnotch Resort & Spa for your wedding day/weekend!

We planned our wedding with Topnotch for over a year, and they were responsive, warm, approachable, professional, informative and so kind every step of the way. Jenna went above and beyond to ensure all of our guests enjoyed themselves, we were stress free and everything went off without a hitch. I think they even controlled the weather for us! I felt like I was planning with friends and family with how comfortable every single person made me feel and how genuinely excited each person was to be a part of our day. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding day, location, food, drinks, staff....everything. Thank you Topnotch for the memories you made for us. Not a day, or place, we will ever forget.

I worked with Saunie Sirch for my wedding before she moved to Top Notch. While I can't speak for my personal experience at Top Notch, I can speak for the service that Saunie provided for me. From the moment we stepped in the door to our venue, Saunie greeted us with a warm smile and open arms. She was eager to work with our budget and make all of my Pinterest dreams come true. She was full of recommendations for vendors and day-of coordination, the majority of which we used and were beyond pleased with. Since we traveled to Vermont for our wedding from Connecticut, Saunie was always available and in touch with us to update our budget or put more details in place. When it absolutely poured on our way to the rehearsal and Saunie realized that we had not planned for travel, she quickly arranged our (very large) bridal party and headed a caravan down to the church for our rehearsal. When our plans to board our dog fell through, she was immediately on the phone arranging for him to be taken care of. On the day of my wedding when all of my weather nightmares came true, Saunie was there with a Plan B already in action that exceeded even my original expectations - and a glass of champagne. She was by my side when I needed her and shuffling guests, family members and vendors around when I started to get stressed. She was by far the best thing that I needed on my wedding day and it wouldn't have been the most memorable day that it was had she not been there. You've got the best coordinator in New England, Top Notch!

From our first meeting, I knew that Topnotch was for us. The Resort is breathtaking with the most incredible views. The personal attention we received at our first meeting until walking with Kim leaving the reception was beyond my expectations. She promised us that the amazing, delicious food we tried at our tasting would be the same hot, tasty food for 175--and that was the case. The entrees and appetizers were beautiful. From beginning to end it was perfect. Our friends and family couldn't say enough about Topnotch. If you want to have your hand held and feel like the only customer in the world-go to Topnotch and they will make it happen. My daughter and her new husband had the wedding of their dreams, Thanks to Kim and the whole team at Topnotch.

My husband and I got hitched at Topnotch Resort this past weekend. We wanted to create a real "Weekend Getaway" experience for our family & friends, and thanks to Jenna & Tim and the whole Topnotch staff, we absolutely did! The entire staff served well above and beyond all expectations. We hosted a taco bar welcome reception on Friday night. Jenna helped us curate local beer & great wine, and decorated the place for us absolutely perfectly. Tim was on hand to help make last minute decisions based on weather, keeping us informed every step of the way. Saturday was our wedding day, which was hosted at the Tent Pavilion. It was the most BEAUTIFUL location with horses running free in the background, the most incredible sunset over the fresh and lush mountains, and wild flowers everywhere! Jeff and I could not be happier with how it all turned out. We really feel like we had the most incredible experience. Working with topnotch is great, we will call out that the many vendors involved do add up -- so it's definitely not an inexpensive option. Between the Tent Company extra charges for twinkle lights, nicer chairs & a rain day back up tent, the food add ons from Topnotch and the Premium bar package, it's a costly wedding, but well worth it if you can swing it!

Choose Topnotch if you are looking for an all-included wedding with little stress and logistical planning on your end.

For any couple considering Topnotch Resort, we give our highest recommendations! In the last year (2016), the team has undergone some management and staffing changes which has resulted in an all star cast of characters to make the wedding planning process seamless, and fun. Everything from assistance in making rain-calls down to the napkin folding was spot on for our late-September 2016 wedding. The team does an incredible job listening to your vision and bringing all the little important details to fruition for the big day. They are constantly available to calm your bridal fears and answer your pesky parents' questions. My husband and I could not have been happier with this accommodating and supportive team. The journey was enjoyable and our wedding day was nothing short of dream-like.

Topnotch has beautiful views, excellent accommodations, professional staff, and great food. Would definitely have our wedding there again. The true MVP, though, is their wedding coordinator, Liz. Liz is extremely detail-oriented. She knew exactly what questions to ask us to guide us to make sure our day went smoothly. She gently corraled us and our families to keep us on track all weekend long. Her planning really allowed us and all our guests to just enjoy the weekend. She is calm under pressure and laid back, which made us feel relaxed during what can be a stressful time. We had great vibes all night long and I really attribute that to the thoughtful planning from Liz. Did I mention how great she is?

The outdoor ceremony venue is stunning and the tented reception venue is gorgeous and family friendly. There is lots of room for children to run and play outside of the dinner/dance area. The waitstaff and kitchen staff were exceptional and the food was delicious.

Great things to say about Jenna Emrich the event planner at Topnotch. She was responsive, calming, well organized and well informed. She really made us feel special and added very nice touches to our wedding weekend. The food was fantastic and the drinks were very easy to personalize. We took off one star for responsiveness due to the reservations manager for hotel rooms and town homes not being overly organized and not responding to emails promptly. Overall, the location you can't beat, and the tent for the reception was absolutely gorgeous. Very convenient having the spa and salon on premise for myself and bridal party, however, the makeup selection was slightly limited. Even so, the spa manager was amazingly helpful, well organized, and responded in a very timely fashion.

They were wonderful, but while my hair was being finished I told them I wanted to have more relaxed curls, they assured me that my hair would relax before the ceremony and it never happened, so my hair wasn't how I wanted it on my wedding day, not even by the end of the day had they loosened up... Other than that, everything was perfect!

After searching high and low throughout New England, we stumbled on Topnotch Resort for our wedding venue. We loved the vibe of the whole resort. It felt much more boutique than the other major venues in Stowe. We worked with Lacy to book, and ended up booking the Meadowlark Lawn for our ceremony, with the adjacent Mansfield Overlook for the reception. This is not their typical location for larger weddings--most are held down the hill in their main tent and field. We liked that everything would be close to the main building, especially for having some handicap guests in attendance.

We worked with Liz throughout the planning process, and she helped us customize everything from the menu to the tent. We envisioned a clear top tent in the open grassy area, and it worked out even better than I imagined. We envisioned cocktail style for the food, and it came out even more delicious than we could have imagined. She was there for the rehearsal, made sure we all knew where we needed to be, and was on site for the entire day of the event. She helped put out all the items we brought (which was A LOT), as well as pack them up at the end of the night.

There were some challenges with the hotel room block, but the reservations team were willing to work with us to get it all ironed out.

The tasting was incredible--the chef came out for each course to describe the work that went into making what we were eating. He even did this for items as simple as sliders! Our menu was a-typical for a wedding: we had a sliders station with pulled pork and beef sliders. We had a taco station with grilled skirt steak and chicken tinga tacos. We had a "fall" station with mushroom ravioli, butternut squash soup, and crab cakes. All of it was fork friendly. For cocktail hour we did passed hors d'oeuvres, and they were even willing to experiment with our idea of doing passed short rib bites, which came out amazing. Everyone raved about the food. Everyone raved about the venue in general--the hotel, the pools, the ceremony space, all of it was perfect. If we could do it all over again we would choose everything exactly the same! (photo creds to Savannah Brown Photography)

Jenna, the event planner at Topnotch was amazing to work with! Very professional and extremely helpful. The entire hotel staff was great! Overall we were very happy with our wedding! and the venue is beyond beautiful!

No doubt about it - Topnotch is extremely beautiful and that's what my husband and I fell for when we first visited. We loved that it had a view of the mountains and multiple options for ceremony and cocktail hour locations. And the resort itself is just amazing. If you're coming to stay for a fun weekend, Topnotch is great. But as far as planning a wedding there, we were not very impressed and frankly kind of disappointed, especially considering the price tag. I will say, the food was delicious. But here were our main issues:

Attention to detail: our names were spelled incorrectly and the actual wedding date was wrong on much of the paperwork, even after pointing it out. We had to keep pointing it out, which was awkward.

Responsiveness: It was not always easy to get in touch with Kim. I often found myself sending follow up emails and double checking that certain things were confirmed. If you hire a planner, make sure you know who you should be emailing about certain things - I found myself getting confused, not knowing if I should be emailing my designer or Kim.

Actual wedding planning/tent design: We were under the impression that we would be able to work with Topnotch directly on things like tent design but we ended up having to hire someone. That was something we had not accounted for in our budget. If you book here, make sure you either account for that in your budget or be prepared to do everything yourself. You can work with rental companies like Vermont Tent Co. to rent things like lighting and lounge furniture. And they're super easy to work with. If we could go back with may have just worked with them directly instead of hiring a designer.

Day of timeline: there should've been more communication between our photographer and Topnotch. We missed some key photographs I think in part because of this.