Sweet Talk’s Ultimate Southern New England Wedding Venue Guide
Glorious grounds, ambrosial menus, storied pasts…and a broad price range. That’s a bit of what you’ll find among our favorite wedding venues in southern New England. See why we keep wanting to go back.
1. Boston Public Library
- Location: Boston, MA
- Price: $$-$$$$
- Accommodates: 75-400
From vaulted stone ceilings to wall-to-wall marble to masterpiece murals, BPL is flush with majestic moments. It also has a dozen different ornate event spaces to fit your needs (and budget). And another major pro: Hosting your wedding here is a great win-win method of supporting all the amazing community resources that the library offers.
2. Lyman Estate
- Location: Waltham, MA
- Price: $$-$$$
- Accommodates: 125-200
Fun fact: Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Little Women had a scene shot at this 1790s estate (that party where Jo and Laurie crazy dance on the porch). With ivory pillars, artful wallpaper, and crystal chandeliers, the interior has an old-world charm well-suited to pomp and circumstance. Perennial gardens (great for cocktail parties and outdoor ceremonies) adorn the sprawling thirty-seven acres. And definitely get some shots in that incredible greenhouse.
3. Castle Hill Inn
- Location: Newport, RI
- Price: $$$-$$$$$
- Accommodates: 18-250
This waterside haven of a venue—overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Narragansett Bay—is ultra-customizable for anything from elopements and micro weddings to large-scale affairs. Here you can enjoy the light-filled Chalet, the Sperry tent on the terrace, and the forty acres of gardens, beaches, and lush green grass. And definitely treat yourself at the Farmaesthetics Skincare Boutique. It should come as no surprise that Castle Hill is a member of Relais & Chateau, a luxury hospitality authority that recognizes excellence in amenities and cuisine. Which brings us to our next point: Castle Hill offers a truly remarkable classic New England-meets-Continental menu.
4. SRV Boston
- Location: Boston, MA
- Price: $$$-$$$$
- Accommodates: 45-200
SRV stands for Serene Republic of Venice, and it’s actually Boston’s first Venetian-style bacaro. You can bet you’ll be obsessed with the food (emphasis on the housemade pasta). And the Italian wines and cocktails? Fantastico. We recommend the enclosed patio for the I do’s, the interior for the meal, and an in-out flow for the proceeding partying.
5. Fort Adams
- Location: Newport, RI
- Price: $$-$$$$
- Accommodates: 350+
Being that Fort Adams was originally, of course, a functioning army post, it has pretty epic panoramic views. Plus, the time-worn château-evoking fortress walls make for a fairytale-like photo backdrop. And if your merging families and friends number in the hundreds, the massive quarters, extensive grounds, and ample parking can easily accommodate them all.
6. Roger Williams Botanical Center
- Location: Providence, RI
- Price: $$
- Accommodates: 120
Looking for the tropics in New England? Look no further. Within the Botanical Center, towering palms and giant philodendrons are plentiful, and a sculpted stone fountain acts as an architectural centerpiece to the space. And beyond the center is the tranquil entirety of Roger Williams Park—which is full of picturesque spots like the marble Temple to Music, the rose garden, and the gazebo on the pond.
7. Glen Manor
- Location: Portsmouth, RI
- Price: $$-$$$
- Accommodates: 200
This 1920s-built estate sits on forty-three manicured and forested acres overlooking the ocean. Its leveled back lawn is an enchanting spot for a ceremony. And the spacious first floor of the manor (complete with dining room, ballroom, library, terrace, and covered patio) is great for reveling into the night.
8. Providence Public Library
- Location: Providence, RI
- Price: $-$$
- Accommodates: 250
The event space at PPL is honestly quite the hidden gem. If all you saw of the building was its modern Empire Street facade and public spaces in front, you’d be astonished to see the original 1900 Renaissance revival architecture in back. With tall pillared archways, ornate sconces, and marble galore, it’s kind of like the Boston Public Library’s little sister. And unless you have some kind of special arrangement with any of the other venues here, it’s the most affordable spot on this list. (Plus, again, your rental fees support the library’s myriad services, which is pretty cool.)
9. Dragonline Studios
- Location: Jamestown, RI
- Price: $$$
- Accommodates: 200
One of the coolest things about Dragonline Studios is that you can rent it for five days for the price some places would charge for less than a day. And the location—perched on a hill overlooking Narragansett Bay, a stroll away from the shore—is nothing short of idyllic. The main house was designed with golden ratio proportions (yes, really) and has a certain, shall we say, good-witch energy. The downstairs contains a rustic kitchen and cozy sitting area, and the dreamy upstairs is walled with windows. Included in the rental is also a cute little cabin and a sculpture studio.
10. Newport Beach House
- Location: Middletown, RI
- Price: $$$$$
- Accommodates: 50-1,000+
You hear “beach house” and you might think of a typical single-family dwelling, but this Longwood venue is actually huge, with several spaces you can combine as you see fit depending on how much room you need. Set up in the Oyster Lounge and on the private beach to host up to fifteen hundred guests (!!) or keep things a touch more intimate with the Surfside + Terrace or Eventide, Deck + Terrace packages. Anywhere you host at Newport Beach House has a signature expansive, light-filled ambience.
11. Belle Mer
- Location: Newport, RI
- Price: $$$$$
- Accommodates: 30-1,000+
Vibe look familiar? Belle Mer is another Longwood venue, with ultra-high capacity, enchantingly bright spaces, and pristine ocean views. What’s available: The Water Salon and Island House (this one has a loft, which is perfect as a nuptial suite), and the two respective lawns. Book the elegant interiors only, or tack on the achingly green outdoors, too.
12. Okay Island
- Location: Sterling, CT
- Price: $$-$$$
- Accommodates: 30-150
Once a rodeo horse farm, now a creative compound, Okay Island is a sublimely cool place to get married. The 1,800-square-foot barn is flooded with light by day, and the fire-pit is skillfully tended by night. Oh, and the grounds: They’re a sprawling and happy fourteen acres of dense oak and wide open meadows. OKI’s online presence is intriguingly esoteric, but the mystery melts away just enough when you get in touch and start planning with their skilled team. I.e. they’re super easy to work with—which is why we did our branded shoots with them!
13. Kingdom of the Hawk
- Location: Stonington, CT
- Price: $$$$
- Accommodates: 150
This modernized country barn is tailored for merriment. It’s got high ceilings, a broad floor for dancing, and two decks (an open one off the mezzanine and a huge tented one off the main floor). Plus, there are gas-burning fireplaces inside and out to keep things cozy as the sun slips down. As for the view? There’s a sun-kissed vineyard on one end and woods as far as the eye can see on the other. Best part: there’s a suite included, so you can wake up in this utopia.
14. Dye House
- Location: Providence, RI
- Price: $-$$$
- Accommodates: 125
Dye House comprises four impeccably styled suites and a massive studio space with soaring ceilings and windows, windows, windows. The boutique hotel opened in 2021 out of one of the Weybosset Mills buildings, constructed in 1880—and its artistry-imbued history is as cool as its design. The event space used to be a weaving room and, yep, dye house for American Woolen, then later a ceramics studio for color-charmer J Schatz (among various other incarnations). If you do your wedding here, allow us to suggest making use of the high beams by hanging flower chains and floating arrangements, like we crafted for Ed and Leah.
