Indecisive... please help?!

[Deleted User] · April 2011

Calling on any and all advice.. I'm recently engaged and I've been searching around Rhode Island for a unique venue. Something a bit whimsical, a little vintage and lot of fun.. I have looked at a handful of reception sites and have narrowed down between the Casino at Roger Williams Park and Glen Manor. I love them both and I'm having some difficulty deciding betwen the two. Anyone have an pro's, con's, comments? I'd love to hear it! Thanks so much! Smile

[Deleted User] · April 2011

Calling on any and all advice.. I'm recently engaged and I've been searching around Rhode Island for a unique venue. Something a bit whimsical, a little vintage and lot of fun.. I have looked at a handful of reception sites and have narrowed down between the Casino at Roger Williams Park and Glen Manor. I love them both and I'm having some difficulty deciding betwen the two. Anyone have an pro's, con's, comments? I'd love to hear it! Thanks so much! Smile

Wiscisbliss · April 2011

You'll get more responses on your local wedding board. They are in a link on the Left-hand side of the screen.

I'm from Wisconsin and can't really help!

mary9449 · April 2011

Post this on your local board, the girls there will be much more helpful. Good luck and congratulations on your engagement!

jlin8188 · April 2011

If your budget permits it, you should go with Glen manor! I think it will be perfect for what you are looking for

lusciouslips · April 2011

We're getting married at the Glen Manor next year! In my opinion, I feel like you are looking at 2 different venues...the Glen and the Casino at Roger Williams. Both are unique and special in their own way. First, we decided on how many guests we wanted to invite and that took away venues that would have been too large. Isn't Roger Williams able to accommodate over 300? In the summer time, and at maximum comfortable capacity, the Glen is good for no more than 150 and even with that, you have to utilize the patio outside. Just a thought if you plan on having a larger wedding. I love the dressing room upstairs at Glen Manor and there are 2 beautiful ladies room. Sorry, I would hate an ugly bathroom at my wedding. There's also a big price difference right? I'm not sure if that is a factor. And finally if food is high on your priority list, Glen Manor has a list of approved vendors that you may use and I think Roger Williams allow use of any catering company as long as they are insured (Don't quote me on that). Good luck and let me know if you have specific questions.

pruemunro · April 2011

Hi Kimmy,

My fiance and I are getting married at Glen Manor this August and couldn't be happier, the location is stunning, beautiful gardens and water views plus a little bit of Newport history.

We are utilizing nearly all the different spaces at Glen Manor and will be using Blackstone Caterers who are wonderful! Karen at Blackstone is very accomodating, friendly and always responds quickly.

We have a planner working with Glen Manor but from what I've read they are wonderful also.

My only concern with Glen Manor is the different dining rooms, we'll be using 2 inside and the outdoor patio. Ideally Id prefer to have everyone in the same room but it could be seen as a pro or con. It definatey brings something different to your reception.

I didn't see Roger Williams but think it does accomodate a larger group per Lushios's post. If there's any more info I can give you to help just let me know

Emma428 · April 2011

I am going to be quick and to the point with this response..... Glen Manor has NO A/C!!!! Prob the most beautiful wedding I have been to but it was extremly HOT and no one had fun. Keep this in mind if your having a summer affair : )

[Deleted User] · April 2011

Thanks for the responses, you girls are great. I originally had fallen in love with the idea of a wedding at the Blithewold and was nearly ready to book, but did not like how you were restricted to the tent for reception... in an ideal world, this would be No problem.. but we live in New England and nothing is more unpredictable than the weather... I could see myself freaking out and compulsively checking the weather forecast, weeks in advance. So that's where my whimsical- garden theme came in and I happened upon the Glen Manor House. I too was a little turned off by the separated dining areas but it would promote movement throughout the evening. The views are priceless and the chateau is just amazing. Katie, the event director there is absolutely wonderful too. She knows her stuff and treats the Glen as if it is her own home. She'll make sure my day goes perfect if I choose there.

The Casino was a recommendation from my mother. At first I could not get passed the name. Was it really a casino? why was it called that. But it is very charming and after stalking out a couple of wedding photos through google, it is quite adorable. http://www.melissarobotti.com/blog/?p=988.
And I think I can still get away with my green, grey, whites whimsical feel there. Plus you can take pictures all over the park.. the Carousel, multiple bridges, gorgeous Rose Garden, etc.

The caterer is the one thing I think have nailed down. Fine Catering by Russel Morins. I have heard only good things and they are so professional. Already had a meeting with Alicia. (yeah kind of doing things backwards, but they were right down the street!)

I appreciate all the input.. please keep it coming! and while you're at it ladies, who did you go with for Flowers?

jlsimon56 · April 2011

I just wanted to clarify things about the Casino since that is where our wedding was! (In fact, MR was our photog too so our pics are on her site as well.)

We had 100ish guests and just about fit. I think it would maybe fit up to 130. No more than that, though!

As far as caterers, they also have a list of approved caterers. But if you wanted to use your uncle, they would let you as long as they are a real catering company, etc.

We took our pics in the Rose Garden. Beautiful, even in October. Casino brides get first dibs on the Rose Garden (you have to book it ahead of time). It's also free for Casino brides (I think $100 otherwise). You don't HAVE to book it, but if someone else does, they get to stay, you have to leave.

The only thing I didn't like was writing the word CASINO on my invites. :-)

Let me know if you have any more questions.

I used Florals by Alisa for flowers. LOVED them!

jcorvese · April 2011

Well, as a lot of the girls on here know, I really loved the Glen Manor and if it was in my budget-- I would have booked it. I have a pretty average budget- but knew I couldn't do a Glen Manor wedding, at least the way I wanted to, on that budget-- especially because we are set on a Saturday wedding.

The con about the Glen that everyone brings up is the two separate rooms. I actually, thought it was nice-- thinking we could have friends on the deck, and fiancés family in the smaller room and mine in the larger- and sit between them.

Having a ceremony there would be beautiful too, I also like that you get a lot of access time. However, as a PP mentioned there is no AC. This is typical of any of the historical venues in Newport/Providence however, so its pretty standard.

The dressing rooms are nice. Contrary to what another PP said, I think the bathrooms are kind of ehhh. They are nice, and pretty and "historic" but they are also teeny tiny and there are only 2 and when I was there they were prepping for a wedding and they hadn't been cleaned yet. There is a nice lounge area however, in each one with some seating and mirrors.

At any rate, when you say whimsical. I really think of there. I am jealous of brides that get married there because I think it is truely and enchanting place, from the moment you walk in. The fact that guests can linger around the gardens is amazing.

The Casino is also really beautiful and it was also one of my main contenders.
The reason we didn't book was because my fiance thought the outside needed some TLC.. which funny enough, it has since been touched up and repainted. I also didn't like the stage upstairs, but a lot of people put their band up there. Its the perfect spot for a band! it was just a little large for us, since we wanted a DJ.

Finally, Are you planning on getting married on site? If you are, the only Con I can see is that if you use that little gazebo, anyone can drive by... and on the day I was there someone drove by screaming "HIIIII BABY" out the window and blasting music.. because there were some teenage girls walking by. If that happened during the ceremony, I would die. And you CAN NOT control who drives by.

PS. The term casino isn't really a "casino" its derived from the gilded age, when people use to go there to listen to music and dance and gentlemen to smoke cigars and play games. Its the same thing at Roger Williams, and the Towers in Narragansett (my venue)

What is the size of your wedding? That would make a difference. As well, perhaps your budget will come into play. I ran my budget and was going to spend approximately 15,000 more at the Glen to have a wedding over the Roger Williams Casino and the Towers...so that is why I chose not to have it there. I know other Glen brides can tell you, but the rental fee isn't all inclusive. You also have to pay for a valet, a police officer, and a $1 million dollar insurance policy incase anything happens. From what I remember, and don't quote me, that added up to almost another $900 for me.

KBinRI · April 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_rhode-island_indecisive-please?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:122Discussion:aaf4735d-0eb8-488d-9d8d-03070a72bd5ePost:17139509-85f9-4126-8d73-073272278815">Re: Indecisive... please help?!</a>:
[QUOTE]The Casino was a recommendation from my mother. At first I could not get passed the name. <strong>Was it really a casino? why was it called that.</strong> But it is very charming and after stalking out a couple of wedding photos through google, it is quite adorable.
Posted by kimmydegi2[/QUOTE]

<div>The casino was never a gambling casino, but rather a gathering place that was built in 1892 with revenues raised from boat rides, rowboat and ice skate rentals and other park amusements. (Can you imagine? It only cost $30,000 back then!) It replaced another cafe that was on the site. </div><div>
</div><div>I live just outside the park and got all this info from a great book with park history called "The Jewel of Providence: An Illustrated History of Roger Williams Park, 1871-1961." The first floor had a private dining room and a cafe that served, among other things, ice cream. In warmer months, the veranda served as an extension of the cafe with small tables. The second floor was designed as a ballroom with adjoining lounge areas and a kitchen, which gave it the potential to host a wide variety of functions. </div><div>
</div><div>The guy who had the original lease to provide all of the concessions hired bands and orchestras that drew thousands to the park for dancing on the bandstand. Dances, wedding receptions and parties kept the second floor occupied. It was the hot spot in the 1930s and '40s but, after WWII, the casino shared the fate of the rest of the park and fell into disuse. The building was converted into small offices for city departments. Clearly it underwent renovation but I'm not sure when, as the book only chronicles the history of the park through the 1961.</div><div>
</div><div>I loved the building and we joked I could save on transportation and just walk there (haha) but my husband didn't like the colors so much (thought it was a little too feminine) and, really, as much as I wanted it to work for us, it just didn't fit the vibe we were going for. Also, you can't beat the variety of places to take photos! Temple to Music, the Carousel, the Rose Garden, the Japanese Garden, lots of little bridges and such, etc. And now you know more than you ever wanted to about it!</div><div>
</div><div>The Glen is also lovely but I am not a fan of the separate rooms issue. I went to a wedding there and it just felt ... disconnected.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div>

RoyalOrient · April 2011

Garden theme? Have you looked into the Roger William Botanical Garden on the other side of the park? You have the option to use the glass building or tent. More expensive than the Casino but less expensive than Glen Manor. I like the modern look and it has a more private setting. Just another option to throw into the mix. One of the ladies on here is a bride there, she might be able to provide more info on capacity but I believe the building holds approx 120, the tent obviously holds more.

http://blog.aldenblairevents.com/2010/10/02/venue-roger-williams-park-botanical-gardens-providence-ri/

http://joshuabehanblog.com/?p=1599

http://www.fatorangecatstudio.com/blog/2009/12/roger-williams-botanical-center-wedding-photograph/

[Deleted User] · April 2011

Thank you All...

Yeah I did check out the Botanical Gardens. Gorgeous, but a little too modern for me. I guess after thinking about it some more and listening to all the great advice and concern on the thread here from you ladies, I am not ready to settle on either if it's not exactly what i'm looking for. Going with the gut I suppose. I would hate to second guess myself on the venue choice from today to the big day. My perfect place is out there somewhere.. haha I just hope I find it soon! ANY ideas are more than welcome here. Thanks again ladies.

pruemunro · April 2011

Hi Kimmy,

As we were looking for our videographer I found a wedding video that was done for a couple at Glen Manor, I thought it might help you if you revisit any of your options (Glen Manor, Botanical Garden, Casino etc). The Glen provides some great DVDs with pictures but I found this one in particular very helpful.

http://www.artisticweddingvideogroup.com/Erin_Paul_10_17_09.htm(or http://www.artisticweddingvideogroup.com/samples.htm and click on Erin/Paul sample)

Good luck!

The perfect venue is out there for you!

[Deleted User] · April 2011

thank you pruemunro..I'm from mass as well and Portsmouth is a little bit of a drive for us. If you don't mind my asking, are you planning on renting a vacation house with your family in the area? Are you having your ceremony at Glen too? One of my issues is this. My immediate family is huge and getting ready at my parents house the morning of the big day is a tradition we'd definitely like to include. My mother was considering renting a house in the Bristol-Portsmouth area to accommodate this. We're also planning on getting married in a church, which would entail a Thursday night rehersal and rehersal dinner (which would have to be down in the Portsmouth area as well). We just find this to be inconvenient for the family to have to drive all the way down there and back twice. Though I LOVE the Glen, this inconvenience may lead to deciding against it. I cannot ask my family to rent a house, my future in-laws to investigate, find a venue and plan a rehersal dinner in a spot they've never been to before and to make everyone drive there and back both Thursday and then again on Saturday. I know it should be about what I want, but I feel selfish if I just chose the Glen and didn't consider all my guests and family . Just wondering how you're dealing with this?

pruemunro · April 2011

Hi Kimmy,

I definately understand your predicament on this one!

For me the decision was a little easier as I'm actually from Australia and moved her a few years ago to be with my fiance. We had initially planned to get married in Australia but as I no longer have my grandparents and my fiance's are still here in Worcester, add to that my obsession to Newport we decided to get married here. When we decided to get married here it was great news for my fiance's family as it meant they didn't need to travel to Melbourne for the wedding and asking them to go to Portsmouth suddenly didn't seem so far for them lol.

When we decided to get married here, I spoke with my fiance and as I have no real emotional ties to Boston I suggested we get married in Newport as I love it so much and we were engaged there so for me there is somewhat of an emotional attachment and it seemed the perfect place. It also means another place my family and friends get to see during their trip here to the USA.

Re our weekend plans in Newport... this is where things got a little tricky lol. My fiances church is actually in Worcester so our first plan was that we'd get married there and then organize bus transport for family/friends to take them to Newport and then back to Worcester after the reception but we ran into the same problem as you re the travel time and it seemed a long way for people to go after the ceremony so we decided to get married in Newport itself (a church).

What we did organize was a narrated bus tour directly after the ceremony for people to see a little bit of Newport before the Reception. The tour is completely optional for people but we'll be giving them a bottle of water and a snack to enjoy during the tour (about 1/2 hour) and we'll meet everyone at our Reception afterwards.

If your budget would allow perhaps you could try a similar thing and have transport available for people after the Ceremony to take them to Newport, perhaps a 15 minute tour of Newport itself before going to the Glen, that way you could sell it as an experience rather than just a long travel time? You could even try printing a 'Wedding Quiz' or something like that for people on the bus and then sharing the answers on a board or table at the Reception for other people to enjoy when they get there?

We were initially planning on renting a B&B for the weekend for my immediate family and Aussie friends but it became a little difficult as there werent' enough rooms for all the people that wanted to stay so we ended up booking a suite at the VIking. One of the biggest problems we had was finding a location that was big enough for all us girls to get ready the morning of the wedding and also a 2nd location for the men. The accomodation was probably the hardest thing to organize but the B&B would have been perfect.

Our Wedding is on a Sunday so our rehearsal will be on the Saturday. We have some guest activities planned on the Saturday afternoon and we decided on something a little different for our rehearsal dinner and actually changed it to a rehearsal lunch by taking everyone out on a boat sailing for a few hours. This added a little something to get people excited about the weekend and changed the tone to a more 'destination' feel than just long travel time.

I think renting a B&B or a large home for a few nights would be great fun for your family and guests and would allow everyone to spend the Friday doing some site seeing before the big day. I'd be happy to share any info that would help you re accomodation, transport etc. There was a lot of talk amongst my family and I re people travelling to Newport for the weekend and eventually we decided that for people that wanted to be there with us would be there. We arranged some 'group rates' at some local hotels as well for our guests so that the accomodation was a little cheaper, this may help your guests $ wise.

Hope this helps, follow your heart and you will have the day you always dreamed of

Sarah MD · April 2011

You could try looking at Wright's Mill Farm (In Canterbury, CT - not sure which part of MA you're from) or Whispering Pines in West Greenwich (?) RI. Have you looked at Independence Harbor? That's in MA and from what I remember, has a garden.

Indecisive... please help?!

Re: Indecisive... please help?!

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