Blithewold Mansion Gardens & Arboretum

thank you to Melissa (the director of special events) enough. My fiancé and I were kind of all over the place during the planning process and they were so kind and accommodating which really helped us stay excited even through all the decisions and back and forth. My entire family raved about the venue and we were so happy to share it with everyone we love. Blackstone Catering that works with Blithewold was beyond fantastic. Our tasting was one of our favorite parts of planning and from then on we could not have been more excited to eat the food at our wedding. The coordinators and staff of Blackstone were equally as accommodating and helpful to work with. I truly believe they are the reason our wedding went as well as it did.

and more. From the very beginning of our wedding planning process the team was incredible. Melissa, Olivia, Erica and Lindsay were our go to's and they made our process incredibly stress free. They treated us so well and were always so responsive. They are so professional and are true experts in their field. Despite rain on our wedding day, we had a beautiful ceremony on the covered terrace of the mansion and got so many magical photos in the pine forest, bamboo forest and around the grounds. The reception was so much fun under the tent and had our guests raving for days after. Thank you again to this team!!

the rehearsal are not included in the base price. However, it’s a special place that provides a beautiful backdrop to your wedding, even if you don’t go all out with florals or extra decorations in the tent. The guest experience is fantastic, as they get to park on-site, explore the grounds, walk through the first floor of the house, and enjoy the water view. The bridal suite and guest restroom facilities are a nice touch too. The day-of coordination staff were great to work with, communicated directly with our other vendors, and were very attentive to our needs – we only wish we had met them sooner! Blackstone is the exclusive catering partner, however there is one exception for clambake dinners, which we did with McGrath Clambakes and would definitely recommend if you want a truly unique meal!

r-scale weddings they make more of an effort, but we did a small ceremony in the North Garden, and I was truly stunned by the lack of professionalism and organization on our wedding day. It seemed to be a major inconvenience for them to show the bridal party to the bridal suite when we arrived. We were told on arrival that the coordinator we had been working with from the Blithewold was simply "not here today." The woman who was there to "help" us in his place was rude and seemed stressed and angry. Someone burst into the bridal suite to give a tour to a prospective couple while we were waiting to start the ceremony, as did some florists who were there to set up for a different wedding. There were multiple events happening that day on the property, and it just seemed they were very poorly equipped to manage it all, and a smaller ceremony like ours was dead last on the priority list. It was unfortunate to see, as we loved the beauty and history of the venue itself and were so excited to get married there. I would have preferred the staff not help us at all, as them being there just cranked up the stress level on an otherwise fun and lowkey wedding day. It was sad to see how little they cared about us. We were obviously not a high-budget wedding, but we still paid money to have the ceremony there and had hoped for a bit more respect at least. The funniest part for me was when I walked into the mansion in my wedding dress with my bridesmaids and couldn't find anyone to give me any instruction as to where to go, until I ran into a worker who asked, "Are you...here for a wedding?" Made me feel really special!

and thoughtful. They were attentive to details and went beyond my expectations. I dropped off a box of decorations and Matt amazed us with setting everything up. We forgot bring some items and he was knew how to remedy every situation. Everything turned out better than planned. Matthew went out of his way to show my photographer around on the property for perfect places to take photos that we could have otherwise missed.he helped us stayed organized with planning and during the event he did not make us feel rushed. This is not a job for Matt… he pours his heart into this. He is an amazing historian and cares about your experience. The venue is beautiful and well kept. Our guest had several allergies not only were they were extremely accommodating but kept our guest safe with necessary measures. I can’t not express how happy we are with how our vow renewal turned out.

e and such a calming force through the entire night. My husband and I couldn’t have been happier. My daughter and husband said they wouldn’t have changed a thing, it was perfect.

and helpful. Our guests raved about the beautiful setting, the food, and the service. If we had it to do over again, we wouldn't change a thing-- a very positive experience, and a perfect day!

quely stunning and together result in a truly one-of-a-kind venue. Throughout the planning process, which ended up being a year longer than anticipated due to the pandemic, there wasn’t a moment that we didn’t feel so lucky that we would be able to have our day with this stunning backdrop. Additionally, Blackstone (and Karen in particular) made the entire planning process flawless and fun. Karen was so accommodating and understanding when we had to postpone due to the pandemic, and was communicative throughout the next year hopping on calls and emails whenever needed to answer the many questions we sent her way. On the day of, Karen, Melissa, and the Blithewold team made sure everything was running flawlessly, and we couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day (with unparalleled cuisine by Blackstone). Blithewold will always hold a special place in our hearts and we want to give one last special thank you to Blackstone and all the people who helped create our day. We can’t recommend them enough!

when we had to reschedule our initial wedding date due to the pandemic. Almost every guest in our 180 person wedding said that Blithewold was the most beautiful wedding venue they had ever been to. I was so worried about things going wrong on my wedding day, but thanks to the Blithewold staff that were assisting with my wedding, absolutely nothing went wrong and everything transitioned so seamlessly. Melissa, Karen, and the rest of their team were so quick to respond to my questions (and there were MANY questions) and made me feel absolutely comfortable leaving the biggest day of my life in their hands. They were so professional and even had many suggestions on how to make our wedding day more fun (i.e., extending the cocktail hour as the sunset was so beautiful). You get to have your ceremony essentially in a botanical garden with the ocean on one side and a beautiful historic mansion on the other. The tent is there year round and was so beautiful and even when it started raining and there were strong wind gusts, none of our guests noticed. I would recommend this venue to ANYONE, and I am so happy I chose to have my wedding at Blithewold.

e, the $'s make sense for your budget, and you love the venue, then book. Our wedding day was perfect and the staff at Blithewold were simply fantastic. We couldn't have done it without them and I highly recommend. On to our story: Our engagement was very short (9 months) and we planned our wedding ourselves... as Rhode Island began to open back up our plans and guest list changed along the way. During that time Matthew and Allan were responsive to all our requests, spoke to all our vendors (Florals, Baker, DJ) to ensure scheduling was on track, provided timelines for us to follow and if they had questions they would call us to hash out (Tasting dates, finalize head counts, cocktail selections, rehearsal dates, etc). The day before our wedding we dropped off our table decor and left the rest to them. On our wedding day we had a first look and photos in the mansion. Matthew made sure the bride was tucked away into the bridal suite with plenty of time to bustle and powder before guests arrived. Blithewold provided both sunshine and rain plans ahead of time (it rained) and the staff just kept the whole day moving smoothly. Little details matter and the staff were on top of it. Everyone flowed from the ceremony to cocktail hour for passed apps/drinks. Umbrellas were provided by the venue as guests transitioned from cocktail hour to the reception tent and the party just kept going til the dj told us our shuttle would be arriving in 20min. It's been two weeks since our wedding; my wife and I are still smiling about how perfect our day was. Let's talk $'s. We researched 15 venues and getting upfront pricing was tough for many. Blithewold was upfront with all costs: venue, cocktail hr, passed hors d'oeuvres, gratuity, taxes, per-guest reception costs, etc. I was provided an invoice on Day 1 and the total at the bottom was the price we paid (deposit to reserve, balance due 30 days before wedding). Zero surprises and no fine print that padded on extra for "admin fees, gratuities, taxes, etc". Our only outside costs were to provide signage, floral arrangements, wedding cake, music and centerpieces for tables. We dropped off our decor the day before the wedding. Again, the staff set everything up perfectly and our reception looked fantastic.

how many moving parts there are to a wedding and how much is needed organizationally on the day of the event. Blithewold showed up, and passed with flying colors. I was able to relax knowing I was in good hands when I showed up the day before to drop off items up until the end of the night when we packed up our items and left. The event itself was straight out of one of my wildest dreams! I felt like a princess walking down the aisle with my father and marrying the man of my dreams. Big shoutout to Matthew who kept the us in check the entire night! Kiersten was amazing too! They let me speak up about what I wanted when necessary and helped guide me back to the tent after we took a little bit too long for photos! Everyone loved taking photos in the mansion and outside in the gardens. I know this year has been tough on the wedding industry, and it didn't help that this summer was full of rainy weekends. However, my magical day was only possible because of Blithewold's amazing staff and that is something I will never forget.

ear of planning with a pandemic. We knew we were in good hands. Every detail we asked for happened. All 215 of our guests were in awe of the venue, with the details, the attentive staff and amazing cuisine. We are very detailed people and they did not disappoint! All the vendors gave 100%. Thank you for making our daughter’s wedding truly amazing! We highly recommend Blithewold Mansion for a wedding venue.

and the mother of the bride herself, they admitted that they insisted the wedding be outside. So, while it did start to rain the staff of the venue had the entire wedding moved inside in less than one minute. While the staff was setting up the wedding inside of the mansion, they had a reception for everyone -- very impressive for the venue to be able to pull together this cocktail party. Clearly they knew exactly what they were doing. It ended up being an absolutely beautiful wedding. As soon as the ceremony was finished, the cocktail hour started and the venue was able to open up the first floor for the guests to be able to enjoy this spectacular museum. The reception did happen in the tent and the dinner was wonderful. At that point, there was lightning beginning so the DJ moved made an announcement that the reception was being moved into the house for the safety of everyone. All of the guests were ushered into the house as well as the venue setting up the cake cutting in the living room. It was absolutely a wonderful segue into the reception continuing on in the house. Again, clearly this venue knows how to handle every situation as they had the bar set up in one room, the DJ had space in another and again the first floor was opened up. I can not begin to tell you how impressed I was at seeing how well the venue had everything under control. What was the most impressive was how professional ALL staff were with members of the wedding party who were out of control; for example, the mother of the bride is standing in the middle of her daughter's wedding reception and starts to scream at the staff. If it were not so deplorable on her part, it would be comical to see a human being act so incredibly poor. Further, many members of the wedding party, again including the parents of the bride, had absolutely no respect for the amazing beauty of Blithewold. As one who attended this wedding, I can not begin to offer enough praise for the venue or the staff. Having seen so many of them in action, I knew that they had everything under control. I can only hope that the poor actions of the parents of the bride do not completely tarnish the memories of an absolutely beautiful start of a lifetime together for this couple. For me, my memories are split between being embarrassed by the parents of the bride against a wonderful venue and an amazing staff. If you wish to have your event at a place where they have everything under control (including brash guests and New England weather) so that all one has to do is just enjoy themselves, then immediately book Blithewold.

this past September was so gorgeous, the pictures incredible. It almost looks like our daughter and her new husband visited 5 different places for pictures as the variety of vignettes on the grounds of Blithewold is hard to believe. From seaside to botanical gardens, to flower covered archways, to a stone curved bridge to a bamboo forest - all within minutes of walking. The areas where the ceremony is held is beautiful, spacious and dreamy. The area for the cocktail hour is huge and how nice to be able to have your guests play some games or walk around and enjoy the grounds. Then the tent decorated by Exquisite Events is stunning. Even with the COVID restrictions and the limited guest list, a group of 50 people didn't feel lost under the tent, it felt warm and inviting. The tent has a permanent floor, the bridal room right next to the tent is huge and comfortable and bathrooms are very nice. We highly, highly, highly recommend Blithewold.

id all the stress and disappointment associated with 'unwinding' a wedding, Blithewold was professional and gracious.

as what I'd been searching for! They had absolutely everything I was looking for - and our wedding reception was truly stunning. The massive lawn leading down to the water, gorgeous sunset views, unique gardens, beautiful and historic mansion, a big stone terrace and porches, a beautiful marquis tent, plenty of parking and a great set-up for event flow, helpful and knowledgeable staff - what more could one ask for?! We were completely blessed with the perfect wedding day weather (sunny, warm with a cool breeze, low humidity) and our guests got to enjoy everything that Blithewold has to offer at its absolute best! Karen, the events director, was great to work with and incredibly helpful in guiding us with vendor decisions and making sure details were accommodated. Their catering relationship, with Blackstone catering, was a true blessing - we didn’t have to search for a catering vendor, and Blackstone offers delicious, creative food and truly amazing and professional service - they made our wedding the incredible event that it was! I am so grateful that we got to celebrate our wedding reception at Blithewold!

with. She checked in with all our vendors and made sure that everything ran smoothly. Everything was beautifully set-up and ready to go when we arrived for our reception. Thank you, Karen and team!

detail. She was quick to respond to emails and always put us at ease. Her team the day of the wedding were also fantastic-organized and professional. Highly recommend Blithewold!

hrough the possibility of a schedule change due to medical reasons. Karen provided lots of good information leading up to the event. Our wedding ceremony in the garden went smoothly thanks to the clear instructions we received during our rehearsal the day before the wedding. Blithewold weddings are a well-oiled machine. The staff keeps everything running on time. The tent and facilities at Blithewold are wonderful and the setting is magnificent – especially if you are surprised with a dramatic sunset!

easure to work with. I planned our wedding from Chicago, which made planning tricky at times, but Karen was so responsive and accommodating to all my emails, even my random one-off questions that would pop up throughout the year. The Blithewold staff runs a well-oiled machine and they work with their vendors so seamlessly to ensure the day runs smooth. They truly create a magical, unforgettable experience.

event. Blithewold hosts dozens of weddings every season, so they function like a well-oiled machine. While they are quite specific about which vendors they prefer to work with and how they like to do things, this actually simplified the process because their team has identified the best vendors and have excellent working relationships with them. The grounds are stunning and our guests were amazed by the views. We loved being able to do everything on site. We've had friends planning weddings say "I wish we'd looked at Blithewold before we booked our venue!" I can't recommend Blithewold highly enough if you're looking for a romantic, picturesque venue.

t Blithewold were absolute perfection. Working with Karen and Deborah was seamless from start to finish. Overall, our wedding day was the best day ever.

rop of the Narragansett bay. The Blithewold is hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. From the beautiful gardens to the historic mansion and the acres of gorgeous green grass, to the breathtaking tent with stringed lights and a beautiful built in floor, I could not be more happy we were able to get married here! Our day could not have been more perfect, rain or not. We had the absolute pleasure of working with Karen who was so wonderful and made our day so stress free. Karen was so kind throughout the whole experience and was so accommodating to all of our needs. I also have to thank Deborah who was there to help us through the rehearsal and the planning for the ceremony. I would recommend the Blithewold a million times over again.

she could care less about us booking the venue. The entire tour was rushed and the few questions I had were answered with basically no interest. We were then dragged up to an office and shown a video from someone else’s wedding to apparently showcase how great they are. I would have much rather spent the time looking at the venue that I didn’t get to see. On top of that they charged for basically everything you would need for your wedding (might as well been air at this point) .

. We were married here on 9/22/17. The weather the day of our wedding wasn’t wonderful but Karen and her staff helped me not feel stressed about any changes we needed to make last min. The wedding and reception ran smoothly and we’re still receiving compliments on our wedding.

riented and had great vendor recommendations for us, which was a big help for us since we were from out of town. The day of the wedding, Karen and the staff operated like a well oiled machine, ensuring that everything went off without a hitch. They are truly top notch.

r of Special Events, was nothing short of fantastic. Karen provided a wealth of information in a very professional, yet personal and warm and sincere manner, was quick to return phone calls and emails, and most importantly, listened to us and advised us on every detail every step of the way. She is a pleasure to deal with. The ceremony was held outdoors in the North Garden overlooking the scenic Narragansett Bay and was accentuated by the lovely gardens at Blithewold. The cocktail hour took place on the lawn, and the reception in the beautifully lit tent. The permanent stone flooring in the tent is a real bonus and adds to its ambience. We couldn't have asked for a better day, the bride and groom had the wedding of their dreams, and our guests are still raving about the gorgeous venue. I can't recommend having your wedding at Blithewold Mansion highly enough!

eautiful in the summer you just wait and see and boy was she right. This is one of the most beautiful wedding venues I have ever seen. Our guests agreed, everyone raved about the venue from the beautiful ceremony, to the cocktail hour, roaming the grounds and the reception in the tent. And golden hour - one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. This place is truly magical. And on to Karen - she worked so hard to make our wedding a dream come true. For 18 months she was there to answer any questions I had, even if it was advice for the wedding - not even related to the venue. She was such a pleasure to work with. She knows the logistics of a wedding and it shows that day - she keeps everything running smoothly and is very organized. So happy we had our wedding here!

ad our ceremony in the garden, our guests had cocktail hour on the grand lawn, and our reception was under the twinkling lights in the tent. All I can say is if you're lucky enough and the Blithewold has your date open BOOK IT! You get full access to the mansion and the grounds for you and your guest for what is a reasonable price with other comparable venues. Our pictures look like they're out of a story book. Again you can shoot anywhere on the grounds. We chose to shoot in the bamboo gardens, stone archway, the greenhouse, and our photographer found this beautiful little piece of beach straight back from the tent that was absolute perfection at sunset. I have to admit, I read every single review on here before booking the Blithewold. There were a few that said Karen was difficult to work with, which made me a little nervous. All I can say is those reviews are wrong, Karen is an absolute delight, super responsive and an overall pleasure to work with. All I can guess is the people that wrote those reviews were most likely the type of people who were difficult themselves. Yes, the Blithewold will cut the music at 1030, but they tell you that ahead of time. If you have to have "one more song" :) tell your DJ to say last song at 10:10 and then play a few more. Tip: Hire their recommended caterer Blackstone, they know the place inside and out and your food and service will be superb.

to work with. They were with us every step of the way right down to the clean up afterwards making sure we had every item we came with. We could not have asked for a better venue, the grounds, tent and view were spectacular. Our guests were so distracted by the setting that they had to be lured back to the tent for dancing!

email as our date approached; she is extremely experienced, direct, and competent in running the show! Our day-of coordinator was very helpful in keeping the flow of the event smooth. Our guests thought it was one of the most beautiful sites they had ever seen. All in all, Blithewold was the perfect place for our wedding and we are so grateful to Karen and her team for making our special day even more special!

ou want to have an elegant, unique wedding. The tent used is not an average tent similar to one you would rent. It's a permanent tent with clear windows ( if needed for rain) and a gorgeous stone floor which was a selling point for me. If it rained I didn't want myself or guests stomping around in mud. Because it is a historic place etc there are some rules, i.e. Sound restrictions and it closes down relatively early. Also were hoping to bring our puppy for pics but he was not allowed on the property. Karen Bellevance is an excellent wedding coordinator. She was very organized and responsive to all my questions. I communicated with her via email at least weekly. There was just one hiccup, because we had forecasts of thunderstorms 3 days before our outdoor garden ceremony we had to talk back up plan. One of the reasons I had chosen this venue (which was a lot more than we planned to spend) because what I recall when we toured the place was its different options for back up plans. I was told 3 days before my wedding there was only one option-the living room, which I was not happy about. It turned out that it stopped raining 30 minutes before our ceremony so it was beautiful but I was upset 3 days before and felt a bit misled. It is possible however that I misunderstood. Overall it was an amazing day and I highly recommend Blithewold, Karen and her staff .

budget and they have really great offers if you get married on a weekday or holiday Monday. The venue was so beautiful we were able to have very minimal decorations which also helped our budget. Can't wait to go back and visit more of the property!

t size (the venue claims the tent can hold 220, but I think it would be really tight if we had over 170 in there). The dance floor is a little small for a large band (7 piece) and a huge dance party, but it worked! Karen isn't warm and fuzzy, but she'll have everything done perfectly and have everyone in the right place at the right time. I would recommend this venue to anyone who wants a beautiful, outdoor wedding to go off without a hitch! Love this place!

reviewing the views of other brides, and I would like to address one in particular about Karen. Karen is professional and the gatekeeper to the venue. No claws come out, but there are certain rules at the venue that are completely out of her control. My only advice to couples, is read the contract and ask questions. You may also hear the "music" issue that the music must be kept at a certain "level". Don't worry about it, the music sounded great even around their guidelines. Even with our crazy families and bridal party, Blithewold ensured my day was the most beautiful day of my life. Thank you!

to Blithewold right up through the wedding day. Karen and her team ensured the wedding went off without a hitch. They were flexible with us as we dropped off wedding décor a few days early and made some changes over the course of the wedding planning. Karen was always quick to respond to all of my emails which I appreciated. The day of the wedding I knew I had picked the right venue. The garden was so beautiful for the ceremony and the tent was amazing. We had a gorgeous sunset that night and even saw fireworks from the lawn. So many of my guests have raved about how amazing Blithewold was and I agree!

staff at Blithewold could not have been more accommodating. I can't say enough nice things about Blithewold- our wedding was truly a dream come true.

feel like we needed any other aisle decorations since the garden and backdrop of the water were already so beautiful! There were so many places to take pictures! The guests loved the grounds and there was the most breath-taking sunset during dinner. The tent was also beautiful - it was nice that it already came with flooring and string lights. Karen was also such a pleasure to work with! She was so nice, responsive, and organized. We honestly could not have asked for a better venue for our wedding!!

tar review, and were fairly easy going, but Blithewold did not live up to our expectations at all. Karen is not easy to communicate with or work with. In fact watch for your other vendors reactions when learning they have to work with her. Many vendors cringed, tiptoed around complaining about her, etc. When myself, my mom, and maid of honor arrived at the bridal suite 10 minutes early, Karen's assistant was incredibly rude (like, I would not have believed it if I were not there). After the first dance my mother was “ordered” to go put the card box in the car. This was minutes before she was supposed to give a toast. This resulted in confusion as the caterer was to handle the removal of cards with a pre-selected family member. Next, during the reception the power cut off multiple times to the music. The only excuse that was given that maybe a charging cell phone overloaded the circuits. Very unlikely as we had no uplighting or any additional equipment set up. The next very unacceptable thing that happened was Karen pulling the groom off the dance floor from where he was enjoying time dancing with his grandmother, other family members, and friends to be told that the DJ’s music is too loud. When paying for wedding vendors it is absurd that they would not coordinate and handle any issues amongst themselves. Another main complaint from guests is that they were not allowed out of the parking lot until 4pm! As stated per the contract, they were to be allowed on property at 3:30. We paid an additional $995 to add 30 minutes on to our wedding, then the guests were not even allowed on the property then. Karen was nowhere in sight by the end of the night and never followed up with us after the wedding.

Downton Abbey". I highly recommend Blithewold and it's staff.

rden is a perfect venue for a ceremony with all the flowers in bloom and views of the water. The photo opportunities on the grounds are endless and the mansion is charming. The tent where the reception is held has a gorgeous stone floor and beautiful twinkle lights. The new addition of an air conditioned bridal suite and restrooms really was the icing on the cake. Plus the staff is phenomenal. Halfway through our ceremony it started raining a little and next thing I knew the Blithewold staff had all our guests covered in dark green golf umbrellas. It was seamless, almost like the umbrellas magically appeared. That was a huge plus! We couldn't have asked for a better evening.

I didn't like was that our band was made to stop playing 15 minutes before our allotted slot. When I begged for them to play one more song, the blithewold staff said absolutely not and got them off the stage. We are fun and outgoing so we felt the overall attitude at blithewold was maybe a little bit too straight laced for us. If you're looking for everything to run smoothly and for a magnificent setting, though- this is the place!