My husband and I were married at the Skinner Barn Columbus Day weekend 2014. Feeling a bit nostalgic after a recent trip back to the area, I decided to look up the barn on Yelp. I was completely shocked to see some negative reviews, and felt compelled to share my own experience... My husband and I met with Peter after finding the Skinner Barn online. We live in MA and drove up to meet with Peter and check out the barn. It was the first venue we looked at, and we were completely sold on the absolutely stunning, picturesque barn... But also on Peter. He was very kind, and he was happy to provide us with a great deal of information on not only his venue, but anything and everything we asked about. He very clearly has a system. If you run a decent business- you better have a system to keep it running that way. Cars are to be parked in a certain area. He guides the guests to where they need to go. He is around for the whole night making sure that everything is running smoothly. The music can not be excessively loud- he has neighbors. Yes it's your day, ladies, but we can all still be considerate of others don't you think? Anyway, there was absolutely nothing wrong with Peter or his attitude. My makeup artist actually told me that I was the most stress free bride she had ever seen. Mostly because my view was that getting married trumps all of the details. Every single one of them... but I'm sure that Peter being so kind, caring, and accommodating had a little bit to do with that as well. Excuse the novel I've got going here, but it is very upsetting to me to see people say anything negative about this very nice man and his gorgeous venue. My husband and I loved it so much that we are planning to renew our vows at the Skinner Barn on our 10th anniversary. I suggest you check out the Peter and Skinner Barn for yourself before hopping to any false conclusions. read more

Skinner Barn - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Waitsfield, Vermont

As the MC and brother-in-law of the bride for a wedding at Skinner Barn this October, I am obliged to write the following review in order to warn others of the hidden costs and tyrannical nature of the owner, Peter Boynkin. I should start by saying my family had a wonderful time and a beautiful wedding at the barn. The setting and the interior are great, perfectly rustic, and we could not be more thrilled with the outcome. Most importantly, the bride loved it. However, the interactions with the owner, Peter, were inconsistent in their messaging from day one, and ended very poorly. Peter is a former actor who moved to VT and bought the barn where he hosts performances in addition to weddings. Being an actor, he is adept at turning on the charm and selling you up front as he did my sister-in-law. However when it comes to the week and day of the wedding he shows a different side: 1) Springing hidden, not previously mentioned costs at the last minute when its impossible to back out. $75 PER HOUR to set up and rehearse. Why not charge a flat fee and put it in the contract? 2) Walking around micro-managing various aspects of the wedding day, including being rude to guests who don't follow his meticulous parking instructions. 3) The topper: at the end of the night with the wedding party understandibly looped and on a high, demanding that we BREAK DOWN THE ENTIRE venue THAT NIGHT (we did a lot of the wedding ourselves). This was at 10pm at night! Unbelieveable because Peter had agreed up front (verbally) to let us come back the day after to pick up our items such as tablecloths, a photobooth, table settings, etc. He also said several times "well it's in the contract" (news to us) and showed zero empathy when we reasonably explained we were in no state to do so, had not been informed of this UNTIL THAT MINUTE, and would be back tomorrow to pick up our things. It was thankfully a minor blemish on a wonderful night. But it left a terrible taste in our mouths. The next day when we returned to gather our things, Peter had left them outside the locked barn, and would not even cross the street from his house to speak to us. Maybe he was practicing a new role: bi-polar asshole. If so, well done Peter, we think you nailed it. read more

The Skinner Barn made our wedding day! We were married here in August of 2011 about a week before Irene hit the state hard. It was a beautifully sunny day with a little extra heat than we were hoping for. But Vermont in August can be tricky. Let me first say, our interaction with the owner, Peter, was spot on. Not only was he attentive to our needs but he just plain old fun to talk to and to work with. I felt like he should have been an actual guest rather than an owner we did business with. The barn was amazing, the grounds were picturesque. We had bocce ball during the cocktail hour while a steel drummer provided good tunes. Our photographer was worth every penny as she captured the site beautifully. It was truly the best day! I was reading a post below, and I'd like to counter their experiences with positive ones. I remember distinctly being aware of the rehearsal day set-up fees ahead of time. We planned an 8-man team to come in for an hour and bang it out. No problem, no surprises. Peter even gave us suggestions for hanging certain items. It was all right there in the contract. I also remember being aware of the breakdown at the end of the night. Again, a group of friends and family knocked it down in probably 25 minutes. All while the majority of guests were getting into their cars to go to the after party. And the parking? Well that's just funny. I mean who doesn't want a guy who had a role in Hellraiser III running things in the parking lot? It's kinda awesome. So Peter, bravo to you and the Skinner Barn. Next time we're in Waitsfield we'll stop by and say hello. read more

My nephew and his lovely wife were married last weekend at The Skinner Barn in Waitsfield, VT. Growing up in Chicago and living in Atlanta....I had never been to this area of Vermont - let alone a wedding in barn! The setting was gorgeous and the views were spectacular! It was obvious that the owner (Peter Boynton) and his staff were meticulous in setting everything up for this wedding. The wedding ceremony was outside - looking out toward the mountains - what a view! The white chairs were comfortable and pretty. It looked like it was going to rain just as the ceremony started and the staff came out and passed out large umbrellas to the guests. Luckily, the heavens didn't open up until about 30 minutes after the ceremony - leaving just enough time to enjoy some delicious appetizers outside. The property was set up with all sorts of lawn-games for the guests to enjoy - but this got cut off from the rain, unfortunately. The inside of The Skinner Barn is very pretty - rustic - yet decorated beautifully, It was a hot and humid day but there were numerous large fans inside to cool us off. There were round tables - set beautifully. There were many decorated areas for various purposes - the signing of the Wedding Ketubah had an alcove-area, the Photo Booth had a little area, the bar had an area....and there was an ample dance floor and stage for the band. I was heading downstairs to the restroom when a nice man stopped me to chat. I didn't realize, at first, that he was the owner - Peter. We had so much fun talking- he is really an interesting guy! He was so proud of the fact that he bought the barn quite a long time ago and spent 8 years renovating it into this beautiful venue! His own house is across the street and it was obvious that he loves his barn! He does about 18 weddings a year and the rest of the time he puts on "kick-ass" theater productions in the barn! I only wish I could be there to attend a play in the barn. Overall, this is a beautiful venue to hold a wedding or any other special event. Peter Boynton is both personable and caring. He pours his love into each occasion - this was quite obvious to me. I would highly recommend The Skinner Barn! My nephew and his wife said "it was everything they wanted....and then some!" read more

Friend: Wanna go see a play? Me: Okay, cool! I like going out to see plays. Friend: Aiight, it's in a barn. Me: What? Friend: Welcome to Vermont. It was great, a little bit stuffy at the beginning, but it cooled off later in the evening. The performance was high quality and it was neat going to a play in a barn. I felt like I was back in the time of Laura Ingalls and the whole town was gathering for this. Apparently they have performances there regularly, so check it out! read more

All we can really say about Skinner Barn is wow! From our first meeting with Peter, we knew this venue would knock our socks off. As Boston residents who frequent the valley, we had high expectations of the wedding venue as we'd be traveling both our families and all our friends miles away from where we live into virtually an oasis frozen in time in the Mad River Valley. Peter's background in the arts shows throughout working with him and his team. He truly 'orchestrates' the day and his attention to detail is astounding. It's no surprise that he produces musicals as every detail is thoughtful, carefully addressed, and always with a show-stopping smile. Peter is incredibly generous and even took on projects such as deconstructing our Huppah and allowing us plenty of time for setup so that we could enjoy our visiting families. One of our most favorite feature of booking Peter and the Skinner Barn is that its truly one stop shopping. Their food, beverage, rental, and staff contracts that they have pre-established for your convenience is tremendous. The vendors work well together making for a streamlined day. Moreover, the decor is a cinch as the barn itself is gorgeous and the grounds surrounding the property are stunning. If you're looking for a quintessential Vermont wedding and want to avoid any hitches, Peter and Skinner are a must see. Once you do a site visit I'm sure you'll agree. Thanks again Peter! You guys made the perfect canvas for us to experience our special day! read more

Our son, Andrew and daughter-in-law, Liz were married at the Skinner Barn on September 9, 2017. The day was just perfect in every way! Peter Boynton and his vendors did an excellent job: everything ran like clock work! The barn and surrounding grounds were in tip top shape. The food and service provided by Catering by Dale was outstanding! The Hideaway did a great job manning the bar. Rentals were provided by the Vermont Tent Company. The wedding ceremony was held in the back field. Guests walked over a wooden tractor bridge to the site which added to the quaintness. The field with the mountains in the background is a beautiful site to hold a wedding. (The photographer took some great pictures on that site later on when the clouds started to move in and the the sun was shining on the field with the mountains in the background.) Cocktails were served on the lawn beside the barn. Lawn games were set up for guests to enjoy. Peter and my granddaughter who is 7 enjoyed racing apples in the stream. We then moved into the main barn and on walking in it took my breath away! It was so beautiful! The catering staff did a great job on making Liz's vision for their wedding come to life. There were tiny white lights and glass lanterns, candles and votives everywhere. It was truly magical! Everyone who attended enjoyed themselves. (In fact our niece said she found her venue; now she just needs to find a groom! And our nephew said his daughter would love it also.) Thank you, Peter! Your love for your barn and surrounding land and your attention to every last detail made Andrew and Liz's day everything they could of hoped for and more! I can't thank you enough for the kindness you showed to them, our family and guests! read more

Very beautiful venue but... The owner seemed very rude and pushy. Very short with people. It was beyond hot too it was like we were in an oven! read more

I have been a frequenter of The Skinner Barn for years now, and Peter Boynton always puts up top notch events. The space is beautiful, very elegant and well kept. I saw the production of 'A Little Night Music' there in August and it was absolutely wonderful! Peter is nothing but kind and professional. He really knows how to run the place and make everything go smoothly. I highly recommend The Skinner Barn for any event! read more

My husband and I were married here at the end of June 2013 and we couldn't be happier with our choice of venue. The barn and surrounding meadows are beautiful and offer a great view of the mountains. Peter, the owner, was very enjoyable to chat with and was always responsive and very helpful from the time I sent him my initial email inquiring about the barn, right through to the end of our wedding day. The contract and all of our communication was very clear. The morning of our wedding several of my relatives were at the barn to begin set up and they all mentioned to us afterward how helpful Peter was during this process. During and after the event many of our guests mentioned how much they enjoyed talking with him. Peter has specific vendors designated for catering, bar tending, and rentals, and we had wonderful experiences with them as well. The caterers, in particular, did an excellent job of making sure everything ran smoothly for our cocktail hour, reception, and clean up afterwards - and we received many compliments on the food from our guests. We were lucky to have beautiful weather for our ceremony outside, but when it started to rain during our cocktail hour, the caterers very efficiently moved everything indoors and people had a great time hanging out in the 'hayloft', which is where dinner and dancing also took place later on. From start to finish, our experience was wonderful - we were delighted with how our day turned out, and much of that had to do with the wonderful venue and Peter's trusted vendors. We highly recommend the Skinner Barn as a wedding venue and look forward to seeing a theatre production there someday soon! read more

Nice property, very beautiful, but everything about the owner is spot on. He's really rude to the guests, and resentful that they are there. From his replies you can see he's also in denial that he's that way, which is sad. read more

Skinner Barn was the absolute perfect venue for our wedding. We wanted our wedding to be elegant but casual, and a place where we could relax and enjoy ourselves with our friends and family for the day in a gorgeous setting. Skinner had everything we wanted: a field with a stunning view for our ceremony, space for informal cocktails and lawn games, and then a beautiful Vermont barn for our reception. Peter was fantastic to work with. He has years of experience, both in the theater and wedding worlds, and helped us think through how we could transform the barn into the perfect space for our wedding. He has also established relationships with vendors in the area, which meant we didn't need to hunt around for a caterer, bartenders or a rental company. The entire process was seamless, and we had so much fun designing the wedding we wanted with the support of Peter and his team of vendors, especially Mary, the Event Coordinator for Catering by Dale. It is too bad to read others' negative experiences; ours was nothing but positive, down to every last detail. We could not have imagined a more perfect place to be married and celebrate with our loved ones. Thank you, Peter! read more

This review took me a really long time to write because I hate posting negative feedback. We got married here over a year ago. It saddens me to say how much I struggled to enjoy my own wedding and a big part of it was my experience with the owner at the Skinner Barn. The venue is BEAUTIFUL which is why I gave it 3 stars. We chose this venue because all of my guests were from out of state and we felt the Skinner Barn and the drive to the venue were a beautiful depiction of Vermont. But, unfortunately it feels like the owner cares more about his needs than his guests. He seemed annoyed with myself, my wedding party and my guests the entire evening. He started herding my guest rudely out the door at 9pm when the wedding wasn't over until 10pm. He rushed me out of the bridal suite because we were running ten minutes late and I never even got to see what I looked like before I walked down the aisle. The icing on the cake for me though was the end of the evening when we were cleaning up the bridal suite and someone from the catering team came in and was quickly running through everything and seemed really panicked. I made a comment that it was seemed like it might be hard working with this owner. She commented, "You got that right. If something isn't perfect there is hell to pay." I work in customer service. How customers are treated stems from the top. I was saddened that the owner felt like his needs came before his clients and as a result that example was followed by the people who work with him. Rather than people check in on us and make sure we were comfortable and happy, there was a mad frenzy around us to make sure the owner was entirely happy. My mother felt mistreated, my husband was stressed out, my father was disappointed and I was upset that instead of being allowed to enjoy my wedding the owner kept coming to me about every little detail he needed taken care of asap. I thought that maybe I was just being sensitive because there can be so much activity and stress on your wedding day. Afterwards though I had five separate guests bring up over the course of two weeks how uncomfortable the owner made them feel and how rudely they had been treated. It's one thing for me to feel that way but my guests should NEVER feel uncomfortable at my wedding especially when some of them traveled over two days to get there. The venue is beautiful but before you book here be aware that you only have exactly a half hour to set up the day before the wedding. You must be out exactly at ten and that means you, your guests, decorations, EVERYTHING. The owner is a perfectionist so make sure you have everything timed out to the minute if you don't want to be interrupted every few minutes. I work in an industry that works with a lot of brides and mother of brides. It's important when you work in customer service to remember that you never know who your client knows and it's important to treat all your customers extremely well. I devote more energy and love helping my clients pick out the perfect dress than I felt we were given during our entire wedding. I think I am most saddened by how unwelcome myself and my guests felt here. I have to say though not everything was a disappointment. The Skinner Barn only works with Catering By Dale and working with them was an absolute dream. The food was phenomenal (which is hard to do for 125 guests) and Mary our wedding coordinator was amazing. My family and guests were so pleased with the food and we have nothing but glowing words for them. The Vermont Tent Company was wonderful as well. They helped us coordinate everything and were quick to respond to any questions we had. The team that handled our beverage service went above and beyond. At one point one of the bartenders cut his hand, went to the hospital to get stitches and came back and finished the wedding (I found all this out later.) The vendors the Skinner Barn has chosen are great so you can have great faith in them. I just think the owner needs to reevaluate if the service industry is the right match for his temperament and personality. read more