Blithewold Mansion Gardens & Arboretum

Blithewold is a true turnkey venue with extremely professional staff. It’s definitely set at a high price point – and things like the ceremony, additional time for photos, and even 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!

The venue is definitely beautiful, but if you are hoping for any support or professionalism on your wedding day, I would highly recommend finding a different venue. Maybe for larger-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!

We planned a small intimate vow renewal at the Blithewold Mansion. From the moment we toured the property to the very moment we renewed our vows. The staff were extremely attentive 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.

Blithewold is the most beautiful venue for a wedding. My daughters wedding went seamlessly thanks to the staff at Blithewold and Blackstone Catering. Matthew Conway was so attentive 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.

We recently held our dream "micro-wedding" (<40 people) at Blithewold mansion. From the beginning of planning through our special day, Allan and Matthew were kind, caring, flexible 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!

We couldn’t have imagined a better setting than Blithewold for our August 2021 wedding. The mansion, ceremony garden, sprawling grounds on the water, and reception tent are all uniquely 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!

Words cannot express how beautiful this place is - just go visit!

Blithewold was the absolute most beautiful place for our wedding. From the beginning, the staff there were so accomodating, answered all our questions, and were extremely flexible 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.

If you don't want to read the whole post, my advice is to call and schedule a meeting, talk thru how you envision your wedding and walk the grounds. If the day you want is available, 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.

I am beyond pleased with how my wedding turned out and how the staff at Blithewold helped to make my day truly magical. For one, I planned the wedding myself and I know first hand 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.

Stunning, magical and top notch! Our daughter’s wedding was amazing from start to finish on June 25. The staff could not be any more attentive and caring even with the tumultuous year 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.

I also attended the wedding that the other anonymous reviewer did in June. That reviewer left out a few facts that really changes the whole picture. Having talked with the couple 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.

Blithewold is an amazing place for a wedding. With the recent merger of Blithewold and Blackstone, it's can't be beat. The grounds are beyond words, our daughter's wedding there 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.

Blithewold was a joy to work with from the very beginning until we sadly had to cancel due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our daughter's summer wedding at Blithewold was not to be. Amid all the stress and disappointment associated with 'unwinding' a wedding, Blithewold was professional and gracious.

Blithewold is a truly incredible and one-of-a-kind wedding venue. I visited countless venues around the Newport, RI area before finding Blithewold, and I knew instantly that this was 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!

Our June wedding at Blithewold exceeded our wildest dreams. It is such a lovely venue and our guests are still talking about it today. Karen B. was very efficient and easy to work 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!

Our wedding at Blithewold was amazing! The mansion and grounds are stunning. Blithewold's wedding coordinator, Karen Bellavance, was wonderful; she was kind and very attentive to 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!

We held our September wedding and reception at Blithewold. We could not be happier with how everything turned out. We cannot thank Karen enough for her understanding as we worked through 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!

Blithewold was the absolute perfect venue for our wedding! The grounds are breathtaking, and we still have guests raving about how beautiful the venue was. Karen was an absolute pleasure 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.

We were married at Blithewold on 10/12/18 and it was a truly phenomenal day. Karen and her team were very responsive and helpful from our very first inquiry through the day of the 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.

I am so glad that we had our wedding at Blithewold Mansion. It rained on the morning of our wedding. However, by cocktail hour, the sun was shining and the atmosphere and scenery at Blithewold were absolute perfection. Working with Karen and Deborah was seamless from start to finish. Overall, our wedding day was the best day ever.

Our wedding day was a bit of a rainy one. But the clouds opened up at the perfect time and allowed us to have our ceremony outside surrounded by the most beautiful garden and backdrop 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.

I toured this place back in October 2017, about a minute after being there I knew this was not the venue for me. The staff were cold and unfriendly and the tour woman seemed like 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) .

Having our Wedding at Blithewold was one of the best wedding decisions we made. Karen and her staff were amazing to work with, the venue itself is beautiful and we we’re very happy. 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.

This venue is truly amazing in many ways: the view of the water, the architecture of the mansion, the grounds and numerous gardens, the tent, and the staff. Karen was very detail oriented 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.

Our daughter got married at Blithewold Mansion on September 8, 2017. From the moment we booked this venue in November of 2016, our experience dealing with Karen Bellavance, Director 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!

We had our wedding at Blithewold in May of 2017. We first visited in the winter and there was still snow on the ground. My mother said to me..this place is going to be absolutely beautiful 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!

Our wedding guests said it was "the most beautiful wedding they've ever been to!" I literally cannot say enough wonderful things about our August wedding at the Blithewold! We had 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.

Blithewold was an amazing venue and worked great for our wedding. Everything was executed flawlessly right down to every detail and Karen and her team were very organized and easy 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!

Once we saw Blithewold, our search for a ceremony and reception venue was over! The gardens and mansion are absolutely stunning no matter the season. Karen was very responsive over 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!

I had an absolutely magical dream wedding at Blithewold in September. Compared to other venue prices in New England, particularly on the water, this is a very reasonable place if you 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 .

Let me just say the venue truly speaks for itself! We worked with Karen to plan our special day and she made sure everything went off without a hitch! She helped us work within our 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!

Having our wedding at the Blithewold was so perfect and absolutely beautiful!! Beautiful setting, very organized staff! We had 155 people at our wedding and the tent was the perfect 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!

Blithewold Masion was stunning and absolutely perfect for my special day. To be honest, our group was a bit rowdy for the venue. They were absolutely amazing with handlng it. I was 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!

My husband and I got married at Blithewold on July 3rd and it was truly a perfect day. Blithewold is the most gorgeous venue! Karen was wonderful to work with from our first visit 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!

The most gorgeous venue for a wedding!!! We got married in the North Garden, which was already bursting with flowers & greens by mid-May. The tent & dance floor were a dream, & the 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.

We had the most perfect wedding at Blithewold! We got married over Memorial Day Weekend 2016, and the flowers in the garden where we had the ceremony were stunning! We didn't even 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!!

While Blithewold is undoubetly a special and beautiful venue, they are terrible to work with. My husband and I luckily were thrilled to give every single other wedding vendor a 5 star 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.

We got married at Blithewold in late Sept...we couldn't be happier with our choice of venues...Karen made everything seem easy...and the place was beautiful...one guest called it "Downton Abbey". I highly recommend Blithewold and it's staff.

Having grown up in Rhode Island I had always been in love with Blithewold's beauty and charm. Choosing Blithewold as our ceremony and reception location was an easy choice. The garden 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.

We had a beautiful wedding at blithewold, Karen was extremely helpful, always got right back to me when I had questions and organized the ceremony beautifully. The only thing that 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!

So beautiful! Staff was amazing, organized and kind!

We had our wedding in August 2014 and had the most picture perfect day. The weather was perfect, the mansion was beautiful, and the gardens were all in bloom. The staff were all courteous and helpful during the rehearsal and on day-of - Karen is good to work with, she's responsive, more-so in the couple weeks leading up to the wedding, and then she is very professional and knows how to get you through the rehearsal (with a rowdy groom party and all) and the day itself. We had both our ceremony and reception at the mansion - ceremony was in the garden and reception was in the tent. My only cautions are the following - 1. rest room access for guests is a little far from the tent, so just keep that in mind if you have older, less mobile guests, 2. access to the mansion on the day-of was later than we would have liked, it's such a HUGE property, that it was impossible to get all of the pre-wedding shots we wanted, so make sure you walk the grounds and figure out how long it takes to get from one place to another before planning test shots all over the property -- you will run out of time. 3. there wasn't a good place for bridesmaids to change/get ready beforehand, there's a little room and a bathroom, but you aren't given access to this until an hour or two before the ceremony, so you have to get your makeup done and change elsewhere. 4. Spray for mosquitoes, and also have bug spray available for guests. We did both, but still unfortunately ended up getting a number of bites throughout the night. 5. If you do food/drinks outdoors between the ceremony/reception, make sure to have heavier floral arrangements for the cocktail tables as it can get windy. Other than that, we had an incredible wedding day and wouldn't have changed anything about the venue - it is expensive, though about average when you compare to other places in the area, but this was so worth the money for such a beautiful, unforgettable venue.

We love Blithewold and our wedding was AMAZING. Everything is awesome about Blithewold EXCEPT Karen. The first time we met her she was perfectly fine, but once our contract was signed and she had received our deposit the claws came out. She was pushy on the phone and during our rehearsal was pushy and rude. She took a lot of the joy out of the day/planning process. Everything else about Blithewold is amazing and beautiful and I would do it all over again. I think Karen needs a few lessons in courtesy!

The best place in the northeast to have a wedding. I had guests from all over the country and world...and they could not believe that a gem such as the Blithewold exists in RI. The staff is top notch; true professionals.

I picked Blithewold, because it had an excellent rain back up. If it rained, you got married inside. It poured all day, but it cleared up right before our ceremony started. The wedding was beyond beautiful. It was the perfect venue. Karen and the other staff are so great. We planned our wedding from Texas, and so they dealt with numerous phone calls and emails with aplomb. It was amazing. I highly recommend.

My wife and I had been looking for different places to get married, but weren't committed to anyplace yet. When we turned the corner into Blithewold's driveway, our jaws dropped from how beautiful it was. The huge, beautiful grounds with the gorgeous building took our breath away. We walked in for our meeting with Karen Bellavance, who took us on a tour of the house and explained the location of the ceremony (Overlooking the water as we said our vows... how perfect?) and the tent for the reception (again, with water and sunset views!). She showed us a marketing video that allowed us to see the grounds in different settings and picture albums of previous brides. We were completely in love and Karen was so incredibly helpful with answering all our questions. All of our guests were equally in love with the location, they all kept commenting on how beautiful it was. During cocktail hour and as the sun was setting, our guests roamed the grounds to enjoy a special romantic moment away with their significant others. On the day of the wedding, Karen was there with her staff to make sure everything went smoothly. They guided our guests to their seats and made sure everyone was accommodated. Any time we needed anything, Karen and her staff was one step ahead of us. They were flexible when some of our pictures took a little longer; took it right in stride and still allowed our entrance to go smoothly. They kept constant communication with the vendors - half the time something was being taken care of that we didn't even realize! It was just incredibly perfect and we couldn't have been happier. Beautiful pictures, beautiful weather, beautiful location!

Blithewold is the perfect venue to get married. The rolling lawn down to the bay, gorgeous tent with permanent stone flooring, and meticulous gardens make for the perfect backdrop for any party. With the ceremony site in the west garden facing the water, the sun sets as you are saying your vows. There are tons of perfect spots to get your photo taken- my favorites being the bamboo garden and shaded pathways. The staff was friendly, easy to work with, and extremely well organized. I didnt have to worry about anything during the day. The Blithewold staff worked closely with my caterer, band, and photographer to make sure everything ran smoothly. It is also great that there are wonderful rain contingency plans in place. I would choose Blithewold a million times over again.

From the moment we saw Blithewold we knew it was the place for us. Even on a dreary November day it was beautiful. We had an absolutely perfect wedding day from start to finish, and I couldn't imagine a more perfect setting for a wedding. Karen was wonderful to work with leading up to our wedding. She ran the entire rehearsal and let us drop off a lot of items the day before. On the day of, Karen and her staff were awesome - they did a great job of ensuring that the entire night ran smoothly.

Blithewold was the perfect venue for our wedding! My husband and I chose the venue almost 2 years in advance and Karen really worked with us throughout our planning. She was always very quick to respond to any questions we had and was extremely helpful and receptive in making the wedding exactly what we wanted. All of the workers at Blithewold were amazing, especially the night of the wedding. Everything went perfectly, the ceremony started exactly on time, and my husband and I were so impressed with the friendliness of the staff. We really had the most perfect wedding and could not have imagined anything better! Thank you to Blithewold for making it perfect. We would do it all again with them in a heartbeat - which is why you should choose this for your venue!

Blithewold is the perfect setting for a beautiful wedding. The mansion, the grounds, and Narragansett Bay are breathtaking. Not only is the venue stunning, but the staff are incredibly organized and our wedding went so smoothly. Karen Bellavance, the event coordinator was extremely helpful from day one. You can tell she wants your wedding to be perfect. On the day of the wedding, she was there directing everyone along with her assistant Cara, who is also absolutely amazing. I cannot say enough good things about Blithewold and the staff, and many of our guests told us it was one of the most beautiful weddings they have attended. I will always remember my wedding day as the perfect day!

Blithewold is a beautiful location. It is unique because of all the gardens and the mansion's charm. All the staff are very professional and highly organized. They do have some pretty strict rules to be aware of. The tent was beautiful especially with the new lights.

Blithewold is the dream wedding venue! After visiting over a dozen venues in three states, my husband, my parents, and I instantly knew that Blithewold was “the one” when we saw it-- the expansive lawn reaching out to the ocean, the bamboo grove, and the meandering gardens are straight out of a fairytale. Our guests are still raving about how beautiful our wedding venue was. Karen Bellavance and her staff were wonderful to work with too -- they were extremely responsive and professional throughout, and did a great job coordinating with our vendors, and making sure our garden ceremony ran smoothly. We do have a few tips for Blithewold couples: 1. You don’t need to rent a restroom trailer. Karen actually advised us against it, but we decided to pay over $1000 for one because some of our vendors recommended it (the bathroom inside the mansion is downstairs and a bit of a walk from the tent). Our guests ended up missing the trailer and going inside to use the bathroom anyway. If you don’t have elderly/handicapped guests, the walk to the mansion is fine -- and guests actually enjoy exploring the inside. (If you do decide to get a trailer, make clear signs and tell the DJ to announce it otherwise your guests will miss it!) 2. The tent poles are not very attractive -- we ended up deciding at the last minute to pay over a grand just to cover up the poles with some “swag” fabric and are so glad we did (they make the tent look so much nicer). So consider that as potentially part of your decoration/venue costs. 3. Make sure guests know where to put gifts and envelopes and that someone is attending to gifts at all times -- because the property is so big, it’s easy for envelopes to get misplaced. 4. You won’t be disappointed if you choose Blithewold!!!

The most beautiful and un-pretentious place... and you can go back there, have a picnic, and visit any time to remember your special day! Incredibly organized and helpful people... SO glad we picked this place!