Weddingbee Blog

Moments after leaving the nonsucky bridal show held at the historic Towers in Narragansett, Mr. Potato Head and I held an in-depth summit in which we listed, mulled over, and debated the merits versus disadvantages of potentially holding our wedding at the aforementioned venue:

Me: Should we just like… have the wedding here?

Him: Um, yeah!

And so it was! Who said wedding planning was difficult (har har har)? The space had everything we could dream of: sweeping views of and easy access to the beach, a cozy interior, ample dance floor, a nearby bar for the after party… plus we fell in love with the history of the venue.

From the website:

The famous Towers remains Narragansett’s strong link to its past. The bold span, which crosses the town’s scenic Ocean Road, is a reminder of Narragansett’s Gilded Age—that opulent period around the turn of the century when “Narragansett Pier” rivaled a then even-more-prominent Newport in terms of sumptuousness and social prestige.

Fancy! Having done a bit of scholarly research on hobnobber novelist and scenester Henry James, I immediately tried to ascertain whether he’d ever visited the Towers (results are inconclusive, so I’m going to assume yes). Ditto Edith Wharton. Oh, be still be my nerdy heart!

Because it is a town-owned, historic building, there are ongoing renovations, including a brand new courtyard in which we may be able to hold our cocktail hour, town permits permitting.

My mom: Are they going to power-wash the outside??

Me: Mooo-oom! It’s a historic building! It’s supposed to be old and algae-y, it’s part of the charm!

Tables are set up over the bridge span and have great views of the ocean. The narrow-ish span opens up into a round dance floor (with access to a balcony). During events, fairy lights installed in the rafters are turned on. Instant ambiance, fo’ free!

This photo’s a bit more festive:

Source

We quickly arranged an “official” tour of the place. Two weeks later we were back to get all the info and sign on the dotted line. Next up: finding a church!

What was your reception venue search like? Easy peasy, or grueling and fraught with difficult choices?