Biltmore or Alpine country club?

glamorous0813 · February 2012

I've been engaged for a while now and can't decide on a venue! I'm getting scared because places are booking fast! We love the biltmore but are worried that they recently filed for bankruptcy and now they are under new ownership. Our wedding wouldn't be until next year so we are worried about what would or ciould happen between now and then. We also like the alpine because it is traditional and classy. They also have incredible food and love the displays they set up for food. If I went with the biltmore it would have to be a friday or sunday night because the min on saturdays is reciculous!! Alpine would be on a saturday. Should I take the chance with the biltmore and also pay a lot more for it? Any thoughts????

URIsweethearts · February 2012

I think it depends on the type of wedding you want to have...alpine and biltmore would give you much different feels...in terms of space- city and then country club- with the rolling hills and all. we looked at both actually, biltmore was toooo expensive for us and FI hated alpine's room so that settled that. i have heard great things about both. biltmore's food is amazing but alpine does a great job for a better price. i haven't heard anything about biltmore going for bankruptcy but IMO - i would go with alpine if you like it just as much. you don't need to worry about possible problems with their operations - that would be a safer approach but i would rather be safe than sorry - good luck!!

RIFallBride · February 2012

Two totally different venues, if you like them both go with the one you are most comfortable and happiest with, taking into account your budget and whether you mind a non-Saturday wedding. I have been to weddings at the Alpine and they are always very nicely done, they really take pride in what they do. We looked at the Biltmore but it was too formal for our wedding and we were concerned with budget as well as parking.

If the bankruptcy is a concern, I would talk to the Biltmore directly to understand how existing contracts will be handled by the new owner. Get anything they tell you in writing, ultimately the new owners will want to ensure a smooth transition to avoid any bad press. I believe the sale was approved so they should have more information at this point. GL, I think you have two great options just go with your gut!

glamorous0813 · February 2012

Thanks for all your input so far. I think I would love the Biltmore a bit more but I am a little weary about booking it there since for the reasons that I meantioned earlier. Also, there is a big price difference so I'm not sure if it is worth it. Afterall, it is just one day and personally, I'd rather put my money on something that would last longer like a honeymoon, house, etc. Are there any other venues in the RI/MA area that people would recommend that have equally delicious food?

jmorta04 · February 2012

I was a Biltmore bride and I cannot say enough good things about the venue. I immediately fell in love with it when we went to see it. Our wedding was on a Sunday night, but it was 4th of July weekend, so everyone had Monday off. The room looked amazing at night with the lighting and we had views of fireworks from all over the state. Our guests are still raving about the food and the service that night. The price was definitely more than some other places we looked at, but it was worth it IMO. We decided from day one what was important to us and the food and drink was at the top of list, so we were willing to scale back some things in order to have the venue we wanted.

The bankruptcy filing and receivership happened about 8 weeks before my wedding and I was assured that they had to honor all contracts. I would imagine that as long as you have it in writing, they need to honor it. From what I was told, it most likely will not affect any of the staff or the day to day running of the venue and hotel...it's more of the "behind the scenes" managing of everything.

glamorous0813 · February 2012

@ jmorta04 We fell in love the second we saw it too!! Did they have it in writing that they had to honor all contract and that nothing could be changed l, etc? I'm really worried but maybe I shouldn't be? Also, I've never heard of people having the Monday after the 4th off, are you sure about this? And do u think a Friday night is better then a Sunday night? Thanks for all ur help!!

jmorta04 · February 2012

To be honest, I don't know what was explicitly stated in our contract, but I imagine that any contract needs to be upheld and it says that in there somewhere. I'm sure there was fine print in there about changes, but because it happened so close to our wedding, I didn't really stress about it too much. I'm sure Scott will be honest with you and tell you exactly what can and can't happen.

As for the 4th of July thing, our wedding was Sunday the 3rd and Monday was the 4th, so everyone had it off. I'm a teacher, so this doesn't apply to me, but most places of business will give people the Monday off when the 4th is a Sunday (so people would have the 5th off). The 4th is a Wednesday this year, so I assume most people just get the Wednesday off. Personally, I'd prefer a Sunday night wedding esp if I had to travel. Fridays are tough, especially for the WP who would possibly need both Thursday and Friday off. I think it would be easier for people to take Monday off. We went with Sunday bc of the holiday and bc I didn't want my WP to have to travel up to RI (from CT, NY, NJ, etc.) on the Friday of the 4th of July weekend in the brutal traffic. So, they all came on Saturday which made travel much easier for them. Plus, it was cheaper on a Sunday.

glamorous0813 · February 2012

I guess I would have to read the contract closely then, lol. That makes sense, I didn't know that your Sunday was the 3rd. You really lucked out! Do you remember how much is required for a deposit? I've looked at some newport venues and there deposites were 2,000 which I thought was rediculous. Did you check out any other places prior to booking the biltmore that you would recommend? I want a stand out wedding but without any worries!

jmorta04 · February 2012

The deposits were $2500 at booking, $5000 6 months out, and $7500 3 months out. The only other place that we seriously considered was Kirkbrae. It was a totally different feel than the Biltmore but very beautiful. We ended up going with the Biltmore for convenience for our guests and atmosphere. Plus I felt like we "clicked" with Scott more than we did with the woman at Kirkbrae.

glamorous0813 · February 2012

I agree, thats a totally different feel. Are the deposits there refundable and/or transferable? Meaning, do they go towards the site fee and food/drink bill in the end?

jmorta04 · February 2012

All of the deposits are counted toward your final bill. So, by 3 months before the wedding you have already paid $15,000. I'm almost positive they are nonrefundable.

bells24412 · February 2012

We didn't bother looking at the Biltmore just because it was out of our price range and we both hated the layout at Alpine, but I heard nothing but good things about both places. I have been to a wedding at Kirkbrae and it was very pretty and the food was good. Like the PP's said, if you have a contract they must uphold what is stated in your contract.

Goodluck.

DiorAddict · March 2012

Love the ballroom at the Biltmore! It is so elegant and old world.
Beautiful!

Biltmore or Alpine country club?

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