Wedding in Vermont

Economy of Vermont

According to the 2004 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report, Vermont’s gross state product was $22.1 billion. The per capita personal income was $32,770 in 2004. Over the past two centuries, Vermont has had both population explosions and population busts. First settled by farmers, loggers and hunters, Vermont lost much of its population as farmers moved west into the Great Plains in search of abundant, easily tilled land. Logging similarly fell off as over-cutting and the exploitation of other forests made Vermont’s forest less attractive.

Although these population shifts devastated Vermont’s economy, the early loss of population had the beneficial effect of allowing Vermont’s land and forest to recover. The accompanying lack of industry has allowed Vermont to avoid many of the ill-effects of 20th century industrial busts, effects that still plague neighboring states. Today, most of Vermont’s forests consist of second-growth.

Of the remaining industries, dairy farming is the primary source of agricultural income. An important and growing part of Vermont’s economy is the manufacture and sale of artisan foods, fancy foods, and novelty items trading in part upon the Vermont “brand” which is managed by the Vermont Secretary of Agriculture and fiercely defended by the Vermont Secretary of State and Attorney General. Examples of these specialty exports include Cabot Cheese, the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Fine Paints of Europe, Vermont Butter and Cheese Company, several micro breweries, ginseng growers, Burton Snowboards, Lake Champlain Chocolates, King Arthur Flour, and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets maintains the highest dairy standards in the U.S. Only France’s Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fishing and Rural Affairs (see Minister of Agriculture (France)) has standards for butterfat content equal to Vermont’s. (more…)

Religion in Vermont

Like many of the neighboring states, Vermont’s largest religious affiliation in the colonial period was Congregationalism. In 1776, 63% of affiliated church members in Vermont were Congregationalists. At the time, however, most settlers were not church members because much of the land was wilderness. Only 9% of people belonged to a church at the time. The Congregational United Church of Christ remains the largest Protestant denomination and Vermont has the largest percentage of this denomination of any state.

Today about three quarters of Vermont residents identify themselves as Christians. The largest single religious body in the state is the Roman Catholic Church. A Catholic Church survey in 1990 reported that 25% of Vermonters were members of the Catholic Church, although more than that self-identify as Catholics.

Population of Vermont

The center of population of Vermont is located in Washington County, in the city of Warren. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2005, Vermont has an estimated population of 623,050, which is an increase of 1,817, or 0.3%, from the prior year and an increase of 14,223, or 2.3%, since the year 2000.

This includes a natural increase since the last census of 7,148 people (that is 33,606 births minus 26,458 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 7,889 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 4,359 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 3,530 people.

History of Vermont

Vermont was covered with shallow seas periodically from the Cambrian to Devonian periods. Most of the sedimentary rocks laid down in these seas were deformed by mountain-building. Fossils, however, are common in the Lake Champlain region. Lower areas of western Vermont were flooded again, as part of the St. Lawrence Valley “Champlain Sea” at the end of the last ice age, when the land had not yet rebounded from the weight of the glaciers. Shells of salt-water mollusks, along with the bones of beluga whales, have been found in the Lake Champlain region. Little is known of the pre-Columbian history of Vermont.

The western part of the state was originally home to a small population of Algonquian-speaking tribes, including the Mohican and Abenaki peoples. Between 8500 to 7000 BCE, at the time of the Champlain Sea, Native Americans inhabited and hunted in Vermont. From 8th century BCE to 1000 BCE was the Archaic Period. During the era, Native Americans migrated year-round.

From 1000 BCE to 1600 CE was the Woodland Period, when villages and trade networks were established, and ceramic and bow and arrow technology was developed. Sometime between 1500 and 1600, the Iroquois drove many of the smaller native tribes out of Vermont, later using the area as a hunting ground and warring with the remaining Abenaki. The population in 1500 is estimated to be around 10,000 people. (more…)

Climate in Vermont

Vermont has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfb), with warm, humid summers and cold winters, which become colder at higher elevations. Vermont is known for its mud season in spring followed by a generally mild summer and a colorful autumn, and particularly for its cold winters.

The northern part of the state, including the rural northeastern section (dubbed the “Northeast Kingdom”) is known for exceptionally cold winters, often averaging 10 °F (6 °C) colder than the southern areas of the state. Annual snowfall averages between 60 to 100 inches (150–250 cm) depending on elevation, giving Vermont some of New England’s best cross-country and downhill ski areas.

In the autumn, Vermont’s hills experience an explosion of red, orange and gold foliage displayed on the sugar maple as cold weather approaches. This famous display of color that occurs so abundantly in Vermont is not due so much to the presence of a particular variant of the sugar maple; rather it is caused by a number of soil and climate conditions unique to the area.

The highest-recorded temperature was 105 °F (41 °C), at Vernon on July 4, 1911; the lowest-recorded temperature was -50 °F (-46 °C), at Bloomfield on December 30, 1933.

What do I need to get married in Vermont?

A: We make it easy here in Vegas. All you need is a Social Security number, proof of identification and age (driver’s license, passport, birth certificate - in English if you are foreign) and the marriage license fee. There is no blood test and no waiting period after a license is issued.

Vermont Destination Wedding

A destination wedding means planning a wedding anywhere that you’re not. Whether you dream of a European wedding in Italy, the magic of a Caribbean wedding, a fantastic Las Vegas wedding, a tropical Hawaii wedding,Vermont Wedding or a formal New York wedding, we can help make planning your destination wedding easier.

Our local guide can put you in touch with wedding vendors in your destination wedding area, and our destination wedding guide gives you must-know tips for organizing a long-distance affair.

Wedding DJ in Vermont

Entertainment is one of the most important elements when planning a party, wedding, or any event. A Disc Jockey can be one of the best ways to entertain your guests. Only the right DJ can really make your event come alive.

Your event can be customized with music ranging from romantic ballads to big band and swing to high-energy dance music and everything in between! But more than just music, the DJ is an emcee that will entertain and can keep the evening running smoothly with formal announcements and introductions.

Numerous customers like better hiring a DJ for their entertainment. While a band is live music they can perform mostly the songs of their playlist. A DJ has thousands of songs at his or her fingertips. If your crowd has very diverse tastes, a DJ wills accommodate the needs of different types of music. (more…)

Vermont Wedding Checklist

12-18 months ahead

• Determine a wedding budget and type of wedding you would like
• Investigate, visit and choose a site
• Visit and choose church and clergy or officiant
• Interview and choose event planner
• Visit and choose florists, photographer, videographer, DJ or band, cake maker
• Choose attendants and ushers
• Visit rehearsal dinner sites or options
• Pick your date and time or wedding
• Choose a service to help with out of town lodging and reserve blocks of rooms

6-12 months ahead

• Choose your wedding dress, attendants outfits and ushers
• Register at several bridal registries including an on line source
• Order your invitations
• Make sure all deposits are in and dates are secured with all vendors
• Begin looking at honeymoon options
• Meet with clergy (may be required number of meetings)
• Choose musicians for church or ceremony site
• Apply for passport if applicable to your honeymoon (more…)

What Happens to the License after the Ceremony?

After the ceremony, the person who performs the ceremony (officiate) will complete the sections concerning the date, place and officiate information, and sign your license. It must then be returned by the officiate to the town clerk’s office where it was issued within ten (10) days, so that your marriage may be officially registered. It is not a complete legal document, useful for passports, Social Security, etc., until it has been recorded in the town clerk’s office where it was purchased.