Roger Williams Park Casino and Botanical Center

And the winner is.... Roger Williams! The interior of the Botanical Center is shown on the right. We are planning on having the ceremony inside the greenhouse from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM. The weather when we visited was hot and muggy and the greenhouse (obviously being a greenhouse) was even warmer, but it was not unbearable. We may have to cut the ceremony short if it's a hot, muggy wedding day.

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The interior of the grand ballroom on the 2nd floor is shown on the left as it would look with seating for ~150 people and a dance floor in the center. The reception would start at 4 PM, while the wedding party is still taking pictures, and end at 10 PM. If we go over 150 guests, then the dinner could be held upstairs and then dancing downstairs afterward.

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The ceremony site is ~0.5 miles from the reception site, so I'm not sure yet what we will do for transportation. There are a lot of beautiful locations all around the park that could be used for pictures, including many picturesque bridges, like the one shown to the right, but none of which are within easy walking distance. There are so many transportation options - limos, trolleys, buses, oh my!

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The backside of the botanical garden is shown below. The field is covered with black-eyed susans - gorgeous!

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The path leading up to the

Botanical Center is shown at the bottom. Since the center is in a fully covered greenhouse, bad weather will not be ruinous. We'll still be able to have the ceremony and get pictures in a beautiful location rain or shine. Also there is plenty of space for a receiving line.

Reevaluating the Venue

After much debate, the decision has been made to change venues - Roger Williams Park Casino & Botanical Center is the new location of choice. We are currently 'penciled in' for June 5th, but Adam & I both agree that the ceremony and reception site are ideal.

Finding a Ceremony Site

After much debate, Adam & I chose the Towers in Narragansett, Rhode Island, as the reception venue for the wedding. Unfortunately the Towers was booked for every single Saturday in May, June, July, August & September 2011, so we tentatively booked the first Sunday in June - the 5th.

With the reception venue penciled in, now we need to find a ceremony site. Neither Adam nor I ever imagined that finding a church or outside venue or chapel would be so difficult. My mom requires that if we hold the wedding in the church then it has to be a Protestant church. I called so many churches in Narragansett. The South Ferry Church has very little parking and no bathrooms. The Church of Christ would allow us to have a wedding there, but not a Sunday wedding. The Presbyterian Church in Newport requires that someone in the family be a member of the church and requires pre-marital counseling. The list goes on and on with all of the various requirements and deficiencies. We did find a Protestant church that would allow us to have the wedding in their church on a Sunday; however, the church is located 30 minutes away from Narragansett! We do love the pastor from this church, though, and he is perfectly amenable to traveling a bit for the wedding, so at least that was a partial success.

With churches not really an option anymore, we started looking for outdoor venues. There is a small green next to the Towers that is sometimes used for the wedding ceremony. Unfortunately, there is a really busy road that runs right by it. We were there on a Thursday and it was packed with cars and people milling about and band playing - not what I would imagine for my wedding day. Then, we traveled down to the Point Judith Lighthouse. The pictures online of this location looked fabulous. When we get there, however, the lighthouse is surrounded by a fence and a nearby building is completely boarded up. There is a pretty gazebo up the hill from the lighthouse, but again I'd have to say this site is a bust.

Driving 2 hours back to Boston gave me plenty of time to think about the situation. Concerning the Towers, I feel like we're trying to fit our wedding into this location and it's just not working. So for now we may need to reconsider the Towers as the reception venue.

Roger Williams Park

The Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island is a beautiful park just outside of downtown Providence. The park contains the above building known as the Casino. I'm not sure how it came by that name, since in all the reading I've done online I haven't found any indication that it was ever used as a casino. Built in 1896, the building houses an upstairs ballroom that would provide ample room for our dinner & dancing.

The park also contains a little bandstand (left), which could be used for the ceremony. However, we found that it did not appear to be that well-maintained. With a little cleaning, it would be a gorgeous location for a ceremony - right on the water behind the Casino.

Another possible ceremony site would be the botanical gardens also located within the park. Unfortunately, we were only able to drive by because the garden was closed by the time we got there.

Some other interesting sites within the garden include a carousel, swan boats, pony rides, walking & biking trails, and even a japenese garden. The park also contains all sorts of scenic bridges (like the one below) and gorgeous trees for picture opps.



Pros:
a. Price is right.
b. Location is within a short drive of Providence.
c. Flexibility concerning catering.
d. Historic building and gorgeous scenery.

Cons:
a. No hotels within walking distance.
b. Permits required for everything from entertainment licenses to event licenses.
c. Coordination required for everything - tables/chairs, catering, etc.
d. May need to consider transporting guests to/from Providence.

Finding the Perfect Wedding Location

So many choices! We're still searching for that perfect location. It seems like every venue has things we love and things we hate. Then - there's always the difference in opinion between the bride and groom, which is difficult to overcome since opinions aren't rational, so there's no way to convince the other that one opinion is better. I would love to get married in a big city because there are so many more options for accommodations and things to do. These are my top choices:

1. Boston Public Library

Gorgeous building right in the middle of Boston. There are 3 absolutely gorgeous churches and maybe 5 hotels within walking distance, so we wouldn't have to consider the logistics of transportation. (I personally think limos are tacky.) Pros of the venue:

a. Beautiful, historic building (c. 1895)
b. Love the balcony overlooking the Popular Reading Room
c. Only one event per evening
d. Gorgeous courtyard for cocktail reception
e. Location - within walking distance of hotels & churches
f. Lots of options for rehearsal dinner and possible post-wedding partying

Cons:

a. Price - catering starts at $169 per person & probably does not include beer&wine
b. Adam does not like the idea of getting married in downtown Boston because of transportation issues and tourists

2. Biltmore Providence

The Biltmore Providence is right in downtown Providence across the street from a cute little park and within walking distance of some really pretty sites in Providence. Pros:

a. Another beautiful, historic building (c. 1922)
b. Price is right
c. Location
d. Since the hotel handles everything - there would be only one person to deal with when it comes to venue, catering, etc.

Cons:

a. There aren't a lot of church options in Providence. The most beautiful church is the Unitarian Church near Brown.
b. Adam would prefer not to get married in a hotel.
c. Possible >1 events at a time? Need to find out for sure.
d. Lots of options for rehearsal dinner and possible post-wedding partying

3. Gibbet Hill in Groton, Massachusetts

Gibbet hill is a lovely location in rural Massachusetts. Groton is a cute little town maybe an hour away from Boston. A barn on top of this Gibbett hill provides a very scenic, rustic location for a wedding reception. Pros:

a. Unique location and setting
b. Price is right

Cons:

a. Rental cars are absolutely necessary
b. Not a lot of church options
c. Not a lot of hotel options
d. Not a lot of options for rehearsal dinner or post-wedding partying
e. Driving through the backwoods late at night is not fun (after the wedding is over)

4. Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island

When we first started looking, the Tennis Hall of Fame was our top choice to check out first. I thought I would absolutely love it, but unfortunately my expectations were too high and I was disappointed. The horseshoe piazza is beautiful, but it would split up the wedding basically into two halves. Also, the piazza is open to the weather, so having a May wedding would be iffy for all of my southern family who may be chilled if we get some cool spring weather. Pros:

a. Beautiful Newport location - just down the street from the mansions.
b. Price is right
c. Fun tennis court to play on
d. Some great church options in Newport
e. Lots of hotel options in Newport - can even be considered a 'destination' wedding
f. Lots of options for rehearsal dinner and possible post-wedding partying

Cons:

a. Rental cars are absolutely necessary
b. Not indoors
c. Piazza splits up the wedding into two halves

5. The Towers in Narragansett, Rhode Island

The Towers overlook the Atlantic Ocean - absolutely gorgeous venue and and view. However, it does seem to be colder at this location - the breeze off of the ocean has been really chilly every time we've visited. Pros:

a. Beautiful building and location.

Cons:

a. Rental cars are absolutely necessary
b. Not a lot of church options nearby
c. Not a lot of hotel options nearby
d. Not a lot of options for rehearsal dinner or post-wedding partying
e. Can not get a hold of the contact person - methinks this a bad sign.

Some other locations we're considering:

1. Newport Beach Club (looks a little clubby)
2. Blithewold Mansion and Arboretum (not a big fan of the tented reception)
3. The Meeting House in Tiverton, Rhode Island (very rustic)
4. Greenvale Vineyard (again - not a big fan of tents)
5. Whispering Pines in West Greenwich, Rhode Island

Places we love, but are a no-go

1. Chanler House on Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island (too small)
2. Linden Place in Bristol, Rhode Island (too small)
3. Astor's Beechwood Mansion (stopped doing weddings :( )