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Rhode Island
Looking for a venue
I just got engaged and have no clue what to do. My sis told me to look for a venue 1st. We are planning on about 300 guests. I would appreciate any comments about the following venues: Belle Mer, Newport Hyatt, Providence Biltmore, or Providence Westin. Thanks!
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Re: Looking for a venue
I didn't look at the Hyatt but have stayed there many times. The hotel ballroom wedding wasn't for me but the ballroom there is really nice and has ocean views with a nice deck.
I looked at OceanCliff and it is a totally different place. Much more old school traditional than somewhere like Belle Mer. I personally felt that it was dated and that some of the finishes were looking rather worn. It is very expensive. The minimum for a Saturday night wedding was over $40,000 food and beverage only. Belle Mer's minimum can include other vendors like florist, band, etc.
I also looked at Castle Hill and loved it but I just fell in love with the modern sleek space at Belle Mer. It reminded us of South Beach and we LOVE South Beach so it was perfect for us as a couple.
[QUOTE]I agree Belle Mer is absolutely gorgeous but their shady business practice is just a major turn off. I think Rosecliff, Regatta Place, Newport Hyatt , Ocean cliff, Glen Manor offer pretty stunning settings. I also love Squantum Association and the Towers in Narragansett.
Posted by RoyalOrient[/QUOTE]
I don't get how their business practice is shady? My contract specifically states that the markup will not exceed 30%.
To answer the other posters queston about what type of wedding planning they will do, they will do whatever you want them to do. I have chosen to do most things on my own but I did hire my band through them because I would not meet my minimum if i didn't. Other than that I am handling most of it on my own.
If you hire a vendor through them, and count the value of that service toward your minimum, Belle Mer will do everything related to that vendor. They sign the contract, pay the deposit, tip the vendor, pay for the vendor's meals and handle all communication with that vendor regarding what time they will show up, set up, etc.
I will tell you why Belle Mer and their Event Minimum system works for some people. I am having a small wedding, probably around 85-90 people but I have a decent budget of around $50K. On a $50K budget, I cannot afford a $40K food and beverage minimum that a place like Oceancliff wanted for a Sat night/Sun night of a holiday weekend. Not to mention, $40K on food and beverage for 90 people is ridiculous. A place like Belle Mer lets you spend whatever money you want to on food/bev and then lets you count all of your other vendors bills towards that minimum, provided you book through them with the markup. I get that I am paying slightly more for my band becuase I booked through Belle Mer (23% markup to be exact), but it is worth it to me to pay that and have my wedding at Belle Mer. Plus they will tip them and feed them. I agree, its not for everyone though.
[QUOTE]Wow! So if cost is an issue, you may want to consider timing. We wanted a Sunday morning event. Our minimum at Ocean Cliff is $10K, it would have been $30K at Belle Mer.
Posted by CassieDsoontobeK[/QUOTE]
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</div><div>One thing to keep in mind is that the pricing may depend on which room at Belle Mer and the time of year. I am having a Sunday morning wedding in the Island House (on a holiday weekend) and my minimum is only $12K. </div>
[QUOTE]Just an apology to the initial poster...people seem to be really getting hostile. Personally, I was turned off by Belle Mer's approach and fell in love with the atmosphere elsewhere, hence my suggestion to visit locations and choose which feels best for you. I didn't realize this was a competition or venue-dogging thread. So back to the original comment: congratulations on your recent engagement. Have a great time visiting venues and make sure to ask all of the questions that matter to you. Please excuse the tones of this thread that have escalated, I've never seen that on theknot.com before, especially on this board. Personally, I'm a bit turned off and hope it does not continue. I was genuinely passing on my reactions and experiences. Good luck with your planning and have fun!!!
Posted by CassieDsoontobeK[/QUOTE]
I don't think that this thread is hostile at all!! I think it is informative.
I was trying to dispell some myths about Belle Mer because the poster asked about that venue by name and what some posters said was simply not true.
Good Luck
btw I didn't realize this was a competition either.
[QUOTE]SummerBostonBride - Relax, I'm not attacking your venue. People who are having smaller receptions or on an off season/weekday/morning reception maybe able to get out of Belle Mer's minimum no problem but for most brides who have a big guest list on a Saturday night during the busy wedding season, there are high minimums and huge vendor mark ups. Like someone said above, a 30% mark up is one thing but 50% mark up is crazy! Correct me if I'm wrong but that doesn't include the 26% tax and gratuity. However if money is no objection than you have nothing to worry about but for someone who has a larger guest count like me those marks up add up to thousands of dollars more. That's more than I like to spend when I know that the cost/fee is alot lower. If that isn't shady than I don't know what is... btw I didn't realize this was a competition either.
Posted by RoyalOrient[/QUOTE]
I agree that 50% is ridiculous and I would NEVER pay that. I asked about the markup before booking and had the "not to exceed 30%" put in my contract because that was something I was really concerned with about Belle Mer.
As far as tax and gratuity.....Yes the 18% admin fee is charged on the cost of your vendors and so is tax. BUT, they have a reseller's certficiate so you don't pay tax twice.
The reason I said it wasn't shady is because it isn't a secret. You know what you are getting when you sign the contract.
There are many other awesome venues out there. I could never afford Belle Mer if I had a large guest list and I definitely would have found another great venue such as some of the others discussed in this thread. I just don't like seeing inaccurate things posted about any venue or vendor so I was trying to clear them up, thats all :)
[QUOTE]The Bilmore I don't believe will hold 300, the Westin will and so will The Crowne Plaza in Warwick . I am not sure on the Newport venues, I did not site tour them. Good Luck
Posted by feblove[/QUOTE]
There are a few rooms at the Biltmore that will hold 300+. I had my proms there in high school, and there were at least 500 of us in the grand ballroom and outside area, so I checked the website to make sure I wasn't hallucinating what happened many moons ago.