Honeymoon: No Airport Required

Howthese nearby luxe post-wedding destinations usher in the era of min i-moons. You heard us, mini-moons.

By Julia Woodbury

As someone with many friends of getting-hitched age, there’s one complaint I hear a lot—like, a lot, a lot: “Why are weddings so expensive?” Not only are couples these days spending tens of thousands of dollars on their big day—they’re then supposed to drop another large sum on the vacation of their lives immediately a erward.

Today, some to-be-weds are rejecting societal pressures to have a big, fancy wedding and opting for a “micro wedding” or elopement. Meanwhile attitudes toward extravagant honeymoons right a er the “I dos” are shi ing as well, with many couples taking a shorter, more local vacation—a “minimoon,” if you will—following the wedding, and postponing the larger “real” honeymoon for months or years down the line. “We were planning our wedding for more than two years and it was a lot of work,” says Jill Kahn, who mini-mooned with her husband, Chris, in Stowe, VT last fall. “Because of that, we didn’t feel like we could take on planning a big trip at the same time as the wedding planning.

But we knew we didn’t want to go back to ‘real life’ immediately a er the wedding either, so a mini-moon was the perfect way to spend time together but not feel like there was too much pressure to plan something extravagant.” Sound like a mini-moon is in your future? These three iconic hotels within driving distance make for the ideal romantic getaway.

Topnotch Resort (Stowe,

VT)

Speaking of Stowe, the glamorous Vermont ski town is where we’ll start. Topnotch Resort isn’t called Topnotch for nothing—it’s been named one of Conde Nast Traveler’s best resorts in New England, not to mention one of Tennis Resorts Online’s top 25 US tennis resorts. And while the mountainside resort has something for everyone, it has a little something extra for newlyweds. “The Gold Brook Suite is favored for honeymoons and romantic retreats,” says

Topnotch’s senior wedding and event sales manager, Elizabeth Seward, of a secluded suite that boasts a primary bedroom with a king bed, a replace, a walkout deck and an en suite bath. “And the Topnotch Spa features a couples suite with a replace and a side-by-side simultaneous massage and couples personal training session.”

When you’re not holed up in your mountain-view suite or getting pampered at the spa, swing by The Roost, the resort’s on-site farm-to-table restaurant; book court time—both tennis and pickleball available—at Topnotch Tennis Academy; or venture outside where you’ll nd re pits with s’mores kits, a pool and a jacuzzi (with cocktail service!). Beyond the resort, the village of Stowe, with its shops, restaurants, art galleries and breweries (one four-pack of Heady Topper, please!) is just down the road, and ve ski resorts are within 35 miles of your home base

The Adelphi Hotel (Saratoga Springs, NY)

In a city speckled with chain hotels that cater to the in ux of tourists who make the pilgrimage to Saratoga Springs for the iconic horse racing season each year, one boutique hotel shines brighter than the rest. Literally. Illuminated with yellow-white lights by night, the recently refurbished Adelphi Hotel is one of the last surviving hotels of Saratoga’s Golden Age, and, if you’re planning a honeymoon to the Spa City, it should be your rst, second and third lodging option. “The atmosphere is really very luxe and a bit Old Hollywood,” says Manhattanite Emily Karcher, who recently celebrated her eighth anniversary at the historic hotel. “Our room was glamorous— from the chandelier light xtures to the quilted headboard.”

Outside the Adelphi, there’s plenty to do: Saratoga is known for its charming downtown, robust restaurant scene, iconic live music venues, luxurious spas (the Adelphi o ers spa packages with nearby Roosevelt Baths & Spa or Complexions Spa for Beauty and Wellness) and, of course, the Thoroughbreds whose presence triples the population of the city from mid-July to Labor Day. But it’s also OK to stay inside, where two Manhattan-worthy restaurants, balconies overlooking the Spa City’s main drag and room enhancements such as charcuterie platters, rose petals and in-room cocktail kits will round out your ultimate getaway with your new boo. “We’d like to return during racing season,” Karcher says of her Saratoga getaway, “but the hotel was a destination within itself.”

The Sagamore Resort (Bolton Landing, NY)

If Lake George is the Queen of American Lakes, the Sagamore is the queen of the Queen of American Lakes. Located in the town of Bolton Landing, the less touristy neighbor to the north of Lake George Village, The Sagamore Resort is known for hosting some of Upstate New York’s most elegant wedding ceremonies. But the island property is also a shoo-in for this list of local-ish mini-moon destinations. “The Sagamore is very romantic,” says resort spokesperson Jennifer Cuomo. “And it has lovely accommodations at di erent price points to accommodate di erent budgets.”

If your budget is big—hey, you did save money by not booking a ight—Cuomo recommends splurging on a king Lake View room with a balcony and taking full advantage of the Sagamore’s on-site amenities, including restaurants La Bella

Vita and the waterside Pavilion, the 18-hole, Donald Ross–designed golf course and, of course, The Spa & Salon at the Sagamore. For those couples who want more than a view of the lake, book a complimentary tour aboard The Morgan, a replica 19thcentury touring vessel that’ll take you on a one-hour cruise to the most scenic spots on the lake, or lace up your hiking boots for a short jaunt up the Pinnacle for a bird’s-eye perspective of the majesty.

Mini-moons are all the rage—and they should be. It’s a new day, lovebirds.