The Highlands Inn is the perfect place to celebrate and legalize your commitment! We are one of very few inns or resorts dedicated to serving the lesbian community, and we're located in a state where lesbian couples can be legally married. We held our first commitment ceremony in 1985. Since then, hundreds of couples have had civil union and commitment ceremonies at the Inn. And now that marriage is legal here, we're hosting several marriage ceremonies each month. Of course most couples stay on for their honeymoon!

We are uniquely prepared to help you have a perfect wedding!

 

Intimate Wedding Package

Many couples prefer the convenience of a Wedding Package. Our Intimate Wedding Package includes your room with private bath, the services of a Justice of the Peace or clergy member, an 8-inch cake, champagne with two commemorative champagne glasses, a fresh floral arrangement, a basket full of treats and surprises, and breakfast in your room one morning (not available in Farmhouse). Packages start at $730 for a 3-night stay in a double bed room. Longer or shorter stays are available.

Please note that the package does not include the $50 marriage license fee, payable directly to the NH town clerk when you apply for the license. 

To receive a copy of our NH Weddings info sheet, please click here to fill out our Contact Form and indicate that you would like to receive "Wedding info". You'll hear from us soon!

Our Wedding Planning Guide

In addition to the NH Weddings info sheet, we have a comprehensive Wedding Planning Guide to help you plan your wedding at The Highlands Inn. The guide includes descriptions of our services and facilities, several wedding packages suitable for events of different sizes, and sample menus if you choose to have a catered reception.

Click to DOWNLOAD the Wedding Planning Guide.

Note: You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. To download Acrobat Reader for free, click here.

Getting Married in New Hampshire

Getting married in New Hampshire is an easy process. You will need two things:  1) a marriage license and 2) a JP (Justice of the Peace) or clergy member to perform the ceremony. There is no requirement that you must be New Hampshire residents or that you plan to become NH residents, and there is no waiting period to receive your license. Also, you don't need witnesses.

We have all the contact info that you will need: town clerks, JPs, and clergy in our area, and we're ready to help in every way to make sure your wedding day is perfect. Our NH Weddings info sheet contains contact info for town clerks, JPs, clergy, and service providers in our area. To receive a copy, please click Contact Form and indicate that you would like to receive our "Wedding info". We'll help you find everything and everyone you'll need for a perfect ceremony - a florist, caterer, tent rental, musicians - you name it!

We recommend that you make arrangements for your New Hampshire wedding well in advance. Any NH city or town clerk can issue a license. However, many town clerks' offices are only open part-time, so check the town clerk's hours where you're planning to apply for your license. Also, you will need to make arrangements with a JP or clergy member to perform the ceremony, and you may want to spend some time talking with this person about what you would like your ceremony to include.

Obtaining your marriage license: Same-sex couples can apply for a marriage license at any New Hampshire town or city clerk's office. 

Both members of the couple must appear in person. You must bring photoIDs and proof of age. If either or both of you are divorced or widowed, you must also bring a copy of your final divorce decree and/or spouse's death record. When the application is complete, the clerk will prepare the license, which is valid for not more than 90 days.

The license fee is $50, payable to the town clerk when you apply for the license. A certified copy of the marriage certificate is an additional $15.

Planning your wedding ceremony: After obtaining the license, you will need to have the marriage certified in a ceremony performed by either a New Hampshire Justice of the Peace (JP) or clergy member.

We usually have two or three large ceremonies each year, when the entire Inn is rented for the occasion. However, most of our ceremonies simply involve the couple, sometimes with a few close friends or family.

Whether your ceremony is small or large, we are ready to help you plan the perfect event! Our supportive atmosphere, romantic guest rooms, gorgeous sunsets, and quiet moonlit nights provide an ideal setting for this very special time.

Get Married magazine is a new, glossy national wedding publication tagged as the "new shopping and trend guide for the savvy bride." A Highlands Inn wedding was featured in the fall 2010 issue of the magazine! Congratulations to the couple, Kasandra and Helen Kettenring Fox, and to their photographer Meg McGovern Hamilton of Rodeo and Co. photography.

 

FROM A FEW OF THE COUPLES ...

"We could not have been happier having our wedding, reception and honeymoon at the Highlands Inn.  Maria was our Justice of the Peace and put together the most beautiful ceremony. Grace and staff provided us with an amazing reception with delicious food and drinks. Everything was done to perfection.  Everyone at the Inn, including other guests, knew we were getting married and offered their well wishes and congratulations all week long. We felt very special! We will be telling all of our friends about this amazing place and hope to return in the very near future." Kim & Laurie, Tampa, Florida

"Our experience at The Highlands Inn was above and beyond what we expected. Your place is both elegant and rustic, a very rare combination to find. Walking the grounds was peaceful as well as aesthetically pleasing. Maria, our wedding deeply touched our hearts ... and Grace you made sure all our needs were met and as a photographer you excelled! We want to thank both of you as well as your staff for touching our lives and hearts in this way. We will recommend The Highlands Inn to all of our friends and acquaintances. We are deeply grateful for all that you have done for us and hope to return in the future." Kathy & Jayne, North Carolina

"We wanted to thank you and your staff for such a memorable and amazing Valentine's Day weekend. The four days we spent there were the most magical, the most breathtaking, days of our lives. Already we are planning our return trip, and it can't be soon enough! The entire place was just beautiful! Also, it was such a pleasure to get married at such a romantic place... the ceremony was everything I ever dreamed it would be. Thank you for giving us memories to last a lifetime! We look forward to seeing y'all again in the future. Thanks again!" Belinda & Veronica, Texas

"The evening was just perfect and absolutely one we'll never forget! The details were touching and amazing; from the chilled champagne upon our arrival, to the friendly staff and guests we had never met coming up and congratulating us at the party, the nervousness creeping in as we counted down to midnight, and then being whisked over to the fireplace, complete with fresh flowers, for our Civil Union. We especially loved the very personal and meaningful double-ring ceremony Maria, our JP, prepared for us. It was so emotional after sixteen years together, knowing that our relationship was finally validated and legally recognized by the State of New Hampshire. We also felt the true meaning of "family" with everyone from the party joining around us to witness history, and were honored that we could be a part of it. Grace even surprised us after the ceremony with a big cake and more champagne!  We can't say enough about our hosts Grace and Maria, all the guests at the Inn, and the DJ for providing such a welcoming and joyous atmosphere. Thank you so much and we look forward to the time when we can come back to the Inn to celebrate when our relationships become recognized nationwide!" Carrie & Lucie, New Hampshire

"Nothing could have been more perfect! Having our ceremony at the Highlands allowed our guests (and us) to stay right on site and relax all weekend. We got to spend over two days with our loved ones at this very important time in our lives. Everyone raved about the beauty of the setting, the pool, the guest rooms, and the uniqueness of our ceremony. Looking back we would not have done anything differently! Grace and her staff were incredible. From referrals to logistics, they really helped us create our wedding." Barbara & Heidi, Washington, DC

"A special thanks to you from us for all of your help and support. It's so nice to have such wonderful people to work with, especially when your wedding is 300 miles from home!" Kelli & Joan, Connecticut

"The Highlands Inn was the perfect spot for our ceremony. The setting was beautiful! It provided us with a rare opportunity to bring the many people of our lives together in one place to help us celebrate this special occasion. It felt like a true community of friends and family gathered together to celebrate with us." Mandy & Wendy, New Hampshire

 

Honeymoons

The Highlands Inn is the perfect place to spend your honeymoon! We have two fabulous honeymoon packages.

Our Special Honeymoon Package includes your room with private bath, a fresh floral arrangement, a basket full of treats and surprises, breakfast in your room one morning (not available in Farmhouse), and champagne with two commemorative champagne glasses!

The Deluxe Honeymoon Package includes everything in the Special Package PLUS ONE HOUR OF MASSAGE.

Three-night Special Packages start at $430 per couple for a standard double bed room; four-night Deluxe Packages start at $650 for a double bed room. Rates are higher for rooms with a queen or king-size bed. Longer stays are available for both packages.

Add a gourmet cake to your celebration! With either of our honeymoon packages, we'll order you a festive cake made especially for you by one of our local gourmet bakers. Cakes start at $25.

For more information about weddings and honeymoons, please phone Grace at 603-869-3978.