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Help a LD Bride to be! Venue - Wedding/Reception

KimtazoKimtazo member
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in Rhode Island
We are 1,200 miles away from Rhode Island, where my FI is from, and where we plan to get married. 

We are looking to have a small wedding (May 4 2013), 30 people, and I'd like to have a wedding and reception at the same place. All the logistics of doing this from so far away is already driving me insane. :(  
Ideally, we'd like to get married outdoors on a nice lawn/deck and have the reception somewhere inside/in tent. We are trying to be very budget conscious. To give you an idea our favorite of the limited places we've checked into is the North Beach Clubhouse in Narragansett. We're to having it anywhere in the Rhode Island area.
 
Thanks!
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Re: Help a LD Bride to be! Venue - Wedding/Reception

  • URIsweetheartsURIsweethearts
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    hello! that must be tough from planning so far away! i give you a lot of credit. we didnt look into a tent, because we were worried about bad weather - but there are certainly a lot of places in RI to go. 2 I can think of off the top are regatta place in newport (on a deck, with all boats, etc, around) similarly - newport yachting center. also, blithewold in bristol. i have also heard good things about dewolf tavern? i think it is in bristol as well. the grounds of glen manor house is beautiful, but may be too big for your event. that is in portsmouth. look at the towers too - narragansett. not a tent, but you could have both ceremony and reception there. with 30 ppl - your options are endless!! i'm jealous! we are at about 150 and counting :)
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  • Sarah&Eric2012Sarah&Eric2012 member
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    edited December 2011
    You could check out Country Gardens in Rehoboth, MA, it's right over the line from RI.  They are budget friendly and cater to smaller weddings.
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  • OceanStBrideOceanStBride
    First Comment First Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    We're planning from long distance (although we used to live in RI, so we had a little bit of an advantage). I loved Bristol Harbor Inn/Dewolf Tavern, but it was a little bit too small for us, but probably perfect for your wedding size. They have a tented deck on the bay that I think you can do a ceremony and then a room overlooking the water, which has a really classic, elegant, rustic feel to it. I've never attended a wedding there, but have eating in their restaurant and their food is really, really good. It's in a great location in Bristol too, right on the water with lots of boats in the background. Also, Waterman Grille could be an option for you too - great food, small reception space with an attached bar/lounge area, with a patio for the ceremony. Not as picturesque as most places since it sits on the river, but would be convenient if you want people to stay in Providence. Hope that helps!!
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  • KimtazoKimtazo member
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    edited December 2011
    It does not have to be in a tent. Just an option. Thanks for the suggestions I'll look into them. I think Newport may be out of the budget but I'm willing to look at it.
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  • AmandaLeigh1014AmandaLeigh1014
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    edited December 2011
    Congratulations!  You have chosen a great place to get married, Rhode Island is Beautiful in spring time! Do you have a particular price range? There are lots of great places around here for a wedding, and however they range so greatly. Narrowing down prices is the best way to start!

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  • dberrettdberrett
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    edited December 2011
    Congrats! The PP have great suggestions! I was married at Regatta Place in October and it may be a bit big for your size wedding unfortunately. I'd definitely scope out Glen Manor House in Portsmouth. They can do everything right there, there are beautiful botanical gardens around and if it's nice out they can set up a tent. It's a very old building with lots of charm! The Towers in Narr. would also be good for your size.
    Good luck!
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  • DiorAddictDiorAddict member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The Glen Manor is beautiful
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  • LOMLBOATLOMLBOAT
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Aldrich House in Warwick, RI has a water view and has smaller rooms that may work for you, not sure how much it would be (it was reasonably priced) for 30 or so guests, but it's stunning, inside and out.  It's where they filmed Meet Joe Black :)

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  • KimtazoKimtazo member
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    edited December 2011
    To be honest, having never planned a wedding/or helped anyone, I have no idea what a reasonable budget is. We don't have a lot of money. We are playing out of pocket cash for everything. No credit cards. Would it be unreasonable to try to have the whole wedding for 6,000? or maybe 8,000? It seems like soo much money for just one day but I want it to be special and beautiful.
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  • LOMLBOATLOMLBOAT
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    edited December 2011
    Day weddings are usually cheaper too, so if you want a Sunday brunch/day wedding that's an option or a Saturday day wedding.
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  • dberrettdberrett
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    edited December 2011
    That budget may be a little tight, but not out of the question. My suggestion for you would be to prioritize the expenses - what is most important to you and you're therefore willing to spend the biggest chunk of change on? For some, flowers are super important, so they might budget $1,000-1,500. For others, the DJ is most important so they would budget $2,000.
    As a starting point for you, my venue and food was most important. So, for flowers I spent $1,000, DJ $1,000, photographer $2,000, my dress (w/ alterations) $1,000.
    I hope that helps!
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  • KimtazoKimtazo member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I feel a little better, that maybe we can make this work. My FI just started a new job after an unfortunate 2 years of being laidoff in this awful job market. Our plans have been on hold this whole time and I don't think I can wait more than another 17mos just so we can save even more $. 

    I think the venue and food are most important. I'd rather spend the biggest chunk there. I'm not a big flower person and the dress while important is not something i need to go spend crazy on. I'm not sure about music/dj, that's more his thing than mine.

    I'd really like to DIY or supply as much as possible, but I'm afraid I can't since I'm traveling to Rhode Island to have the wedding. It may be more costly to buy or make stuff here and bring it or ship it out.
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  • AmandaLeigh1014AmandaLeigh1014
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    edited December 2011
    Maybe you should check out Kinney Bungalow in Narragansett. It is pretty cheap to rent, and i believe the same people who deal with north beach clubhouse deal with.the Bungalow as well. It's also more private than the clubhouse, you won't have to worry about strangers wandering around outside. It is also a hire your own caterer type deal, so you'll have a little more control of what your spending based upon who you hire! I highly sugggest you check it out, its really cute!

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  • dberrettdberrett
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I hear you on the budget thing! It sounds like you'll need to prioritize the venue and food first, the DJ second, and everything else will fall out from that. That's a great start! So I'd recommend doing the math using rough estimates to see what you're comfy spending on each of these so you have a number in your head when you start seeing venues and DJs.
    You'll probably want to get your dress where you live so you can handle the alterations much more easily. A friend of mine did a destination wedding and brought her dress with her on the plane as a carry on!
    DIY stuff can save you money, but do some research, too. I got a lot of stuff done on www.etsy.com - all hand made, custom made, saves you time and frustration. I found with our favor tags (for example)  it was actually cheaper for me to have someone else do it than to buy all of the stuff I'd need to make it myself. There are lots of people on there who do things like invitations, ceremony programs and such for really reasonable prices. Many will even let you pay in installments, so it helps lessen the burden. Something to consider.
    Another friend went with fake flowers instead of real ones and saved a ton! Something else you can do is have a fake wedding cake made (I've seen them online) just for appearances, and serve guests a sheet cake that's hidden in the kitchen. Far cheaper than a real tiered wedding cake. Only downfall is you obviously can't do the cake cutting ceremony.
    You can also do just open bar for cocktail hour, then open wine and beer for dinner and dancing. That helps save some major moola.
    Your vendors will have lots of suggestions, too, but these are just a few to get your mind going.
    Good luck!
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