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Astor's Beechwood?

Lbloom88Lbloom88 member
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in Rhode Island
Hi everyone!  I am very close to booking at the Astor's but wanted to get some feedback first.  Has anyone had their wedding their and if so which caterer did you use?  I am also on a budget so if anyone faced "hidden costs" please share...Thanks so much! :)
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Re: Astor's Beechwood?

  • spesh37spesh37 member
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    edited December 2011
    Hi!I cant post YET about Astors but I am getting married there this Sunday!  I will say that Cathy and Sharon (the coordinators I worked with at Astors) are really on the ball. When I get back I will write a review for you and let you know how it goes :)We are using Blackstone catering (if you elect to go with Astors and choose Blackstone Caterers, ask for Marybeth, she's awesome).I will post more after the wedding and let you know how Astors turned out for us :)
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  • mdaunaismdaunais member
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    edited December 2011
    Hi!I am getting married at the Astor's next July but my sister got married there a few years ago.  Everything with her wedding was PERFECT!!!  She used Blackstone Caters and we are too.  I also have to say work with MaryBeth at Blackstone..she is just great and so easy to work with!  Sharon and Kathy at the Astors also have been a delight to work with so far and I know my sister really found them helpful! As far as hidden costs go I cant say that there are any.  My father-in-law is big into inspecting every detail of contracts and approved the Astor's. Good luck!!!!!
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  • Lbloom88Lbloom88 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Thank you so much for the feedback!  Did any of you use a wedding planner?  I was planning to only use the caterer and the ladies at astor...let me know, thanks:)
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  • spesh37spesh37 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I did not get a planner.  Honestly, with Cathy and Sharon at Astors you won't NEED a wedding planner!  I didn't know this until one of my other vendors told me, but they are both actually professional wedding organizers apparently!  I wasn't really surprised to hear that, given that they are both extremely pro-active, helpful and really on it, 24/7 - honestly they were a huge help in my planning.There are no hidden costs with Astors - I was also worried about getting nickel and dimed, but I will give you a little breakdown of 'extras' you can either elect to have or not. If you want a ceremony on the lawn like we are having, you will pay between $2 - $4 per chair.  (They deal with the chair rental company directly for you).  Also, you can rent their classic car for an extra $100.  (I believe there is a picture of the car on their website - it's cute for pictures :)They also require wedding insurance (every place does, it's for liability) - Sharon saved me $$ because I thought I could go through my insurance company to get it and they wanted $285.  Sharon pointed me to a website where I got it for just $100. Score!I can't say enough good things about them both, they are amazing - but let's see how my wedding turns out on Sunday and I will give you more info :)By the way, in case you are interested, another vendor we are working with who are really on the ball are called the Allegro Chamber Players - they are a 4 piece classical quartet who will play their instruments throughout the ceremony & cocktail hour. They play at Astors a lot, too.Let me know if you have any more questions, I am happy to help. I am just winding down my planning as our wedding is Sunday so I have some free time before we leave for Newport on Friday morning :)
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  • finnerkcfinnerkc member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'm getting married at Astors in Aug. 2010!  I have had nothing but great experiences so far with them, and I have not come across any hidden costs.  In fact, they are offering better prices than a lot of comparable places in Newport right now, especially if you get married on a day other than Saturday (I'm on a Friday).Good luck!
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  • Lbloom88Lbloom88 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Amazing!!! Thank you for the feedback I am so relieved!  Best of luck with your weddings...I will def look into chamber players. One more question- were there any hidden costs with blackstone?  Thanks :)
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  • spesh37spesh37 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    No hidden costs with Blackstone, quite the opposite and I list examples below of how Marybeth saved me money.I found the easiest way to stick with the budget you have is to give it to her upfront.  Bear in mind Blackstone will also be renting linens and the dishes for you.  You have a choice of just plain china or more fancy, gold rimmed china.  A little tip for you - I originally wanted gold rimmed plates, until I found out that the food is coming out on the plates anyway so we went with the basic. BUT Marybeth suggested we go with gold rimmed glasses (cheaper) to get the look I wanted.  I saved a couple hundred right there.What I also like about Marybeth is that she came up with some really neat ideas.  For example, my Fiance who is from RI likes Dells Lemonade which is a drink specific to RI.  Marybeth suggested a Rhode Island Mojito made with Dells Lemonade for our guests, to be served directly after our ceremony on the lawn.  A really nice touch.  Another tip to save money - as you are no doubt aware, catering alcohol costs are super high.  Fiance and I have work associates who are particular about their booze (ie top shelf).  We couldn't afford that, so we went with the standard bar offered by Blackstone, and bought the top level alcohol somewhere else.  We are dropping off those bottles to Marybeth so we pretty much have a top shelf bar without the catering costs associated.  Again this was Marybeth's suggestion - you get the idea - she wants to save you money :)Let me know if you have any other questions :)
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