Common Ground Center is a rustic venue space located in Starksboro, Vermont. Situated just 30 minutes from Burlington, Vermont and open from mid-May to mid-October, this venue space is perfect for those looking to celebrate their wedding or special event in the beautiful Vermont countryside. With accommodations, an on-site commercial kitchen, and a team of dedicated staff, the impressiveness of Common Ground Center speaks for itself.
Facilities and Capacity
Common Ground Center (CGC) is located on 700 acres of gorgeous Vermont wilderness and is home to hiking trails, a two-acre swimming pond, a campfire pit, a wetland site, a creek, and two tennis courts. Guests can choose from three unique venue spaces. For those looking to celebrate their marriage under the stars, the open fields at Common Ground Center can be transformed into a whimsical wedding space. Alternatively, if you’re looking for something more classic, the cathedral-like Hay Barn is the perfect locale for stunning indoor ceremonies. Lastly, the Dining Hall makes for a great reception space, thanks to the bamboo dance floor and large screened-in porch. Common Ground Center permits a capacity of up to 200 of your friends and family. As well as beautiful venue spaces, CGC also offers 20 unique cabins to choose from, which can sleep up to 86 people, as well as a lodge that can sleep 31.
Services Offered
The staff at Common Ground Center have experience in serving bridal showers, engagement parties, ceremonies, and receptions. They also have plenty of event items for your event, including chairs, furniture, china, flatware, dance floors, and tables. The venue also has a modern commercial kitchen, which provides couples the opportunity to create a wide variety of event menus. You can hire your own caterer, who can take full advantage of this expansive kitchen-space. Some of the other services the venue offers include:
Accommodations
Event rentals
Parking
Wheelchair access
History
Common Ground Center was opened in 1994 by Peg Kamens and Jim Mendell, who wanted to spend their vacations doing creative activities and organizing events for those looking to celebrate in the beautiful Vermont countryside. Since their start, they have hosted hundreds of guests from across 29 states and over 11 different countries.
Kiss by the waterCommon Ground CenterNewlyweds on a benchOutdoor wedding ceremonyOutdoor wedding setupNewlyweds and their guestsOn the wooden swingHay Barn at nightNewlyweds in the woodsDining hall lit up at nightThe Hay BarnDining hall exteriorStroll around the venue groundsNewlyweds and their guestsLooking at their future spouseTable centerpieceDining hallScreen porchOutdoor ceremony spaceOutdoor location2 acre pondCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterCommon Ground CenterKiss by the waterCommon Ground CenterNewlyweds on a bench
Booking Common Ground Center as our wedding weekend venue was among the easiest and best of our wedding-related decisions. Everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - exceeded our expectations, from the grounds/facilities to the staff communication to the surrounding location. I could wax poetic all day, but I particularly want to point out two things. First, CGC has it all. Over the weekend, we took full advantage of the available facilities and hosted: a campfire & hotdog roast; a square dance with a local caller; a family-led yoga session; hiking, kickball, tetherball; impromptu outdoor jam sessions; a wood-fired pizza session; and, oh yeah, an amazing wedding ceremony and reception. We completely lucked out with the weather and were able to hold our ceremony outside, but I can't tell you how much peace of mind it gave us that the hay barn would have made a stunning protected venue. Second important point: since we housed & fed nearly all of our guests on campus all weekend, we charged room/board, which made this venue financially achievable -- and, FAR less expensive than regular hotel/food for our guests! I mention this because if the price is a little above budget at first glance, it's worth considering this as a financial win-win for both you and your guests. I acknowledge that this type of venue isn't for everyone, but if it strikes a chord with you as it did for us, I can promise you your only wish at the end will be that you could stay longer.
Sent on 11/07/2019
Kati
· Married on 08/26/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Beautiful, relaxed, community-oriented
My partner and I decided to have a camp wedding to have all of our friends and family in one place that allowed us to actually relax during the wedding weekend and have fun together - Common Ground was the perfect option for us. The staff was super responsive and accommodating, and the venue itself is just so incredibly beautiful and relaxing. It has a variation of facilities, activities, and options for entertaining guests and having weather back up plans, making it easy to not have to worry about planning out every minute of the time we spent there. We also loved that you're supporting the great work of a socially and environmentally-minded non-profit organization!
Sent on 09/13/2019
Andy
· Married on 09/02/2018
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Magical weekend
Not only did we have what we wanted (a classy but relaxed wedding venue), our friends and family (and their kids) loved the venue and the atmosphere it cultivated. Many folks later told us it was one of the most incredible wedding experiences they had, especially getting to stay on site for several days with family and friends.
