Hi girls! I'm new here (just got engaged in January) & we just started looking at venues this past weekend. We looked at the Salon at Belle Mer, but the event minimum for our preferred date (June 2013) was more than we had planned on spending for the entire wedding (not even including the administration fees & taxes!). After emailing with the coordinator, she suggested the Island House in April with an event minimum about 60% cheaper. Our guest list wasn't much over the capacity of the Island House, so trimming it a bit won't be that big of a deal. My major concern is cold weather. Has anyone had their wedding or been to wedding at Belle Mer in April? Was it too cold to enjoy the outdoor space (that's really my favorite part!)?
We also looked at the Newport Yachting Center and will be visiting the Regatta Place hopefully this weekend. If anyone has input in either of those venues, too - I'd really appreciate it! We would keep the June date (if it's available) at these locations because their prices don't seem to fluctuate with dates.