Catrina Gardner
- Sep 8, 2018
- 4 min read

10 Reasons to Have Your Intimate Wedding at a Bed & Breakfast

My Husband and I got married May 26th, 2018 at the Darby Field Inn; a charming Bed & Breakfast nestled into the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

When we got engaged, it took us a while to figure out what type of wedding we wanted to have. We considered all possibilities, and they all had their benefits. From going to City Hall, destination elopement, a 250 guest backyard wedding, and everything in between. We both have very large families, and wanted to include everyone dearly, but didn’t love the idea of a big wedding, or the price tag.

We knew that buying a house was very important to us. So we made that a financial priority. After much debate, we finally settled on a 50 person guest list, which felt was the perfect “happy medium” from all of our options.

Once we determined the number of guests, it was time to pick a venue. I searched high and low for the perfect venue. I wanted something that would fit our limited budget, but I also wanted the venue to be able to provide an “all inclusive” type of experience. Between house hunting, and starting a new job, I didn’t want to have to be my own wedding planner. Finding caterers, renting table linens, ect. I wanted our venue to be able to provide those details on location. This was a bit of a tall order based on our budget, but our small guest list helped. I found myself doing google searches for “intimate wedding packages” in the area. A lot of these had a max of 10 or 30, but some went up to 50, and that’s how I came across the Darby Field Inn.

Located in Albany, NH, The Darby Field Inn markets itself as a romantic getaway tucked into the White Mountains. Albany is minutes from Conway, a very popular tourist destination in New Hampshire. The Inn has 13 guest rooms, a dining room, a full service bar, a pool, and several picturesque areas on the grounds. It ended up being exactly what we wanted.

A lot of our guests told us how much they loved having the wedding at the inn, and that it was such a unique experience. I decided to make a list for future brides to show you all the ways that a Bed & Breakfast Wedding can be perfect for you too!

10 Reasons to Have your Intimate Wedding at a Bed and Breakfast:

1. Renting the entire inn is fun and convenient for guests.

2. On-site drinks, food, & catering will keep costs down.

3. The entire wedding can take place on site.

4. Breakfast with all of your guests the next morning is so fun and relaxed.

5. The atmosphere is completely different from a hotel or banquet hall. It feels quite cozy.

6. The staff will be super attentive and accommodating.

7. For a destination wedding, the inn can continue to serve you throughout the honeymoon.

8. The Inn can provide fun activities or recommendations for guests.

9. An inn has the perfect blend of being somewhere in between a rustic barn wedding, and a more traditional hotel wedding.

10. A Bed and Breakfast has unique charm that guests will remember.

An example of unique memories, one of my favorite moments from our wedding weekend was completely unexpected! We did a welcome dinner, Friday, the night before the wedding at MOAT Mountain Brewery, which was tons of fun! The food was delicious and there was SO MUCH! It was a great opportunity to relax and have fun with everyone in a casual environment. One of my fondest memories of the weekend happened after dinner at MOAT. Those of us staying at the Inn came back to find it had lost power! There had been an issue with the telephone pole on the Kancamagus Highway. The innkeeper, Marc, greeted us with oil lanterns to bring back to our rooms! It was such a hoot! My sister and I kept saying we felt like we were in Little Women! Since there was no power, everyone just hung out together in the dark bar area of the inn laughing and chatting. Marc graciously stayed up with us and refilled drinks as we chatted the night away. The power come back on relatively shortly but we were having so much fun we just kept hanging out!

Another favorite memory: breakfast the day after the wedding. We invited all of our guests back to The Darby Field for breakfast, which was absolutely incredible. I have not stopped thinking about the caramelized French toast casserole, and it’s been three months now! It was another casual gathering where we got to relive the day before and make a few last minute memories before everyone headed home.

Now don’t think I’m forgetting about the actual wedding day! That was perfect! Even when things weren’t going perfectly! For example, our JP texted us the morning of… to let us know she was sick and couldn’t make it! AHH! But, she is such a pro, and had a replacement ready instantly. And Jean Lee did such an amazing job, ESPECIALLY since it was last minute for her! And it was drizzling on the day, but I still thought the whole thing ended up being simply incredible.

And aside from our JP and the weather, everything else on our wedding day was spectacular! I had a great time getting ready with my ladies. Jesse and I had a blast with our photographers during our first look. The ceremony was sweetly short, filled with laughs and tears, and more laughs. Cocktail hour was amazing (and I actually got to enjoy it, thanks to the small size of our wedding and doing a first look). And the reception was outstanding: we danced for hours and hours!