Put it this way: I sprained my ankle here and am still giving five stars, that's how good this place is. The food and service was amazing. The staff was so personable and attentive. They consistently checked in on me, giving me a wheelchair and bags of ice. The view is breathtaking. Just watch where you're stepping :) read more

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WOW. This was my first visit here and just WOW. My good friend is getting married here so I stopped by with her to talk about all the details. Walking into the room for the first time completely took my breath away. It is absoultely STUNNING. The views of the newport bridge and water are pefectly framed by the wall of stunning windows. From the mouldings, to the ceiling, to the grand staircase, to the chandeliers... WOW JUST WOW! They have an amazing property and have done an amazing job highlighting the space. The lawn is green, they have a firepit facing the bay and ample spots to sit and enjoy the view. I am very excited to return in January for the grand event! read more

Wow what a beautiful venue. I went to a wedding there recently and it was absolutely stunning. With views of the bay and the Newport bridge as a backdrop. They had a huge lawn with a fire pit and the ceremony area. The ballroom was huge with stairs leading to the dance floor. The staff did an amazing job with cleaning up and passing around the hors d'oeuvres. They were serving raw oysters, little necks, sushi, lamb chops, samosas, you name it, it was flowing. They also had an open bar which was nice. This place definitely created a fairytale wedding and I wish I had mine there. When I think of Rhode Island wedding, this place is the definition of it. A beautiful and clean place. They had some tables outside for us enjoy the sunset and ocean breeze. What a wonderful place this is! Wow read more

Not Ideal for Destination Weddings The venue is beautiful but this is not a good choice if you are not local. For our tasting we were contacted in late February and given 4 dates (Wednesday and Thursday only) in early April and eventually 2 additional dates in May after much discussion when we told them we couldn't make those dates on such short notice. Interactions with the event director Sarah German has left much to be desired. For example we are choosing to have 8 passed hors d'oeurves for cocktail hour. We were told that we could taste only 8 items at the tasting. When we inquired about the obvious (how are you supposed to choose 8 if we only get to taste 8) the snarky reply was: "It is not intended for you to taste the entire menu." She's the director so there is no one to complain to. We had no choice but to pay extra for each additional item we wanted to taste. For entrees we are choosing to taste 2 fish dishes so we can decide on the fish entree and just have to pick the meat entree without tasting. Needless to say, this is not ideal. The humorous part (you just have to try to laugh this off) is that the director keeps reminding us it is because they are not a hotel and food has to be ordered and cooked fresh. The former goes without saying since hotels are in the hospitality business so they are hospitable. The later is not pertinent because hotels also order food and cook it fresh. This is the Belle Mer experience we are experiencing. The venue is indeed beautiful and we get they are very popular but this is the take it or leave it attitude you have to deal with. read more

My brother held his wedding here and it was beautiful! The interior is stark white but you add color with lighting and table settings. Plenty of parking out front and the ceremony was held out back with a beautiful view of the water, bridge and sailing boats. The rehearsal and day after the wedding were gorgeous but the day of was windy and overcast/foggy. We made the best of it though! After a short ceremony, cocktail hour began and so did the drinking. It was open including top shelf and the bartenders did a fabulous job of letting the drinks flow... Lets put it this way - everyone started drinking at 5pm and was pretty much done by the end at 10pm. Yup - DUNZO! One of the previous reviewers complained about the food but I had the opposite experience. The appetizers were pretty good and my entree of fish was soooo moist and delish! The app to the entree was scallops and everyone raved about that. Unfortunately I was too busy dancing to realize that the desert was outside of the reception area so I never got a chance to try the cake or the sundaes!!!! This is a great place if you're looking for a modern, minimalist place where you can add a lot of your personality through colors and other accessories. read more

Belle Mer - View from the back of Belle Mer - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

I attended a college friends wedding here. Its a beautiful venue but I would not recommend it to anyone. I felt really bad for them. The service was so poor and there was NO organization to the event at all. The weather was iffy and they had no "plan B". The guests had to sit out in the rain and they had no umbrellas. The sound system was crackling with the moisture and you could not hear the bride/groom vows. Worse, there was *NO ONE* available that you could go to to get things fixed. The only people around were wait staff would made it clear they would rather be somewhere else. The wedding was at 4:30 and people started to show up at a few minutes to 4:00. Despite the rain, they would not open the door to let people in. They told them to walk down to the hotel to get out of the rain. They seem to be good at selling the event to you, but bad at executing the event. Go elsewhere in Newport. read more

We started our venue search July 2017 and concluded in March 2018. Belle Mer was the first one we visited, and one that all others were measured against. I loved it. Ultimately, their date availabilities weren't working out for us, so we aren't getting married here. BUT our experience with Steven James Popko was so outstanding I wanted to take time to write about it. Guess what? Wedding planning is insanely stressful. Surprise! However, over the course of 8 months, Steven was the absolute ideal sales manager. When we first met him in July, we felt like he was enthusiastic, warm, and engaging. He gave us a great tour of the facility, and let us take our time roaming around the place. After the tour, we sat down and he had a printed proposal drafted for us based on prior email exchanges, and I felt like he made an effort to respect our budget as much as possible (while being honest about what's realistic). At the end of our meeting, he told us that he wants to respect our process and will not be reaching out to follow up until we initiate contact. And he kept to his word as we went radio silent for about 6 months (we had things come up that forced us to delay wedding planning). Once we were ready to resume planning, we reached out to him and, he went above and beyond over the next month or so sending us multiple iterations of proposals and acquiescing to our multiple inquiries on different dates... to be honest, I imagine that we weren't the easiest but there was so much change going on on our end it was like as soon as I hit send to Steven something would come up and I'd have to send another email. Not once did he hint frustration and was endlessly cheerful, warm, and patient with us. SO while we said "thanks but no thanks" to several venues, letting Steven know that it's not gonna happen was by far one of the most difficult things I had to do in the wedding planning process!! While we only interacted with Steven, I feel confident that had we chosen Belle Mer, the rest of our experience would have been equally wonderful as I've come to realize that the sales staff of venues are pretty reflective of the venue experience. Thank you Steven x100000!!! While we didn't end up going with Belle Mer, I hope this post will encourage others to add Belle Mer to the top of their list! read more

We recently attended a friends wedding here. Although the views are beautiful and it's located right on the water, the food and service left us very disapointed. It became obvious they cut corners on quality. Don't be fooled by the view. The only way I would host a function here is If I could bring in my own caterer. My friend and her family did not feel they got what they paid for. read more

Went to a wedding here on Saturday and it was just amazing. I plan events in NYC for a living and this place blew me away. The space is gorgeous - clean, white, modern. The food was the highest quality I have ever been served at a catered event. If you are planning to wed in the area I can't imagine a better venue. read more

My sister got married here and the venue was amazing. Food was incredible and the sunset stunning. I would have preferred a better wedding coordinator since we had to chase her down most of the time and we were missing some items that we brought to be used by guests. read more

What a gorgeous venue. I attended a beautiful wedding here a couple days ago and was blown away. Of course the view was stunning, but beyond the location itself, everything was just lovely. I was also quite surprised at how good the food was! We had a nice mixed green salad w/ beets & goat cheese and a delicious salmon dish with risotto & spinach. I highly, highly recommend Belle Mer. I would love to have my wedding here someday! Absolute perfection. read more

ENTERTAINERS BEWARE!!! We performed for a wedding at this venue over the July 1st holiday. The couple also hired a coordinator to help with all their vendor scheduling. The venue ran into a lighting scheduling issue where they did not have lighting for a tent and asked the coordinator for lighting to be provided by us. They agreed to compensate us for the service. Upon our arrival I cleared it with a few of the banquet managers prior to setting up the lights and was given a go ahead and was told where to place the lights. I was told to submit and invoice for payment and come to find out that they are claiming that no one agreed to the lighting. Basically, we got them out of a jam but this was not appreciated. I guess they have never heard of verbal agreements or commitments. TO ALL ENTERTAINERS....... ENSURE SOMEONE SIGNS ON THE DOTTED LINE BEFORE DOING ANY BUSINESS WITH LONGWOOD VENUES & DESTINATIONS. Their words hold no weight. read more

I attended a wedding reception here last night and I thought the venue was alright. My first impression was not good considering I had to dodge mad geese landmines in my heels...not a pleasant sight before you go eat. The inside of the hall was what I expected, a typical atmosphere.I wish they had some more seating in the waiting area because not everyone wants to stand around for an hour. I liked the lighting it was nice, the food was OK .. it wasn't bad but it didn't blow me away either. Overall I think it was an average spot.... read more

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I got married in the water salon on 4/25/2015. My event specialist was Sara. Sara is amazing. Previously we had Jessica as our specialist and she just wasn't the best fit for us. Sara went above and beyond. Top customer service skills and very professional. My special day was as flawless as it could be. Highly recommend the belle mer! read more

Belle Mer - Belle Mer is a beautiful venue! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

I had my wedding at Belle Mer two weeks ago and boy was it phenomenal!! The space is gorgeous, we had a perfect ceremony on site, the cocktail hour hors s'ouevres were to die for, dinner was delicious and the reception was so much fun!! I would highly recommend this venue to anyone planning a Newport wedding with a few caveats: The first of which is money! Belle Mer operates on what's called an event minimum, so instead of booking the space for a set fee, you are contractually obligated to spend a set amount of money through them on food, drink, or other services provided by their "preferred vendors." That all sounds fair enough and depending on your budget may work in your favor. My advice is to read your contract thoroughly and do the math before booking the space. My event minimum was 25k, however there is a 20% service fee as well as a few other fees, so really we were contractually obligated to give them a little over 32,000. If you have room in your budget for this, I will reiterate the place is fabulous and your event will wow all of your guests. Caveat #2, during the planning process your event coordinator may be difficult to get a hold of. The place handles multiple weddings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the wedding season, as well as many during the colder months. Your coordinator is very busy and will take time to get back to you. The pushier you are the faster you get results. We had several snafus throughout the planning process and occasionally we had to kick a stink to get some attention. In the end the staff worked with us to get everything we needed. Caveat #3, and this is small and probably doesn't happen often BUT, I got married on a day that set the record for the hottest day in Newport...ever. When we entered the bridal suite it was warm, like really warm. My mom was complaining to the attendant who assured us that the AC was on. Well an hour later a guy came up and pressed some buttons and then there was a magical whirrring noise and voila, NOW the AC is on. It never really cooled down because it was too little too late and there's a lot of pictures of me with my gown hoisted up in front of the fan trying to cool my legs off a little bit. All that said, it was still an amazing event. My guests couldn't get over how beautiful it was. I would totally use them again!! Also if you do plan your wedding there I VERY VERY highly recommend the saffron shrimp fritter and arancini appetizers and the balsamic glazed salmon entree. DELICIOUS! read more

My sister had her wedding here this weekend. It was absolutely breath taking!! The Bell Mer is gorgeous. High ceilings, beautiful chandeliers, a grand staircase, floor to ceiling glass doors that open up to the outdoor area (right on the water with a view of the bridge), and everything is pure white. I know they recently revamped the space and it is spectacular. Everything is white and bright - really trendy and refreshing. The outdoor area is beautiful too. It is green grass with other areas of crushed shells. There is a white stone wall that then looks over the water. The food was good too. I loved the salad we had. It was a spinach salad with strawberries and a poppy seed dressing. The chicken dish was deelish too. It came on the bone but was really well seasoned and moist. It came over some type of cooked chick pea concoction that was great! Absolutely gorgeous venue for an unforgettable wedding! read more

My new dream wedding venue! (Maybe if I win the lottery!) I was a guest at a wedding at the Belle Mer Island House this weekend and every aspect was perfect. It was extremely well organized starting with people in the parking area directing guests to the proper area. The ceremony was outside with the water being the perfect backdrop. After the ceremony we moved inside for cocktail hour with THE BEST appetizers you could imagine and top shelf liquor available. I'm talking an antipasto salad bar with fresh meats cheeses and marinated vegetables, lamb shanks with chutney, Tuscan chicken skewers, 3 kinds of flat bread pizzas, etc...and everything was amazing. Taste, presentation and service were all top notch. The servers' trays were never empty for long, and people were constantly coming around collecting any empty plates, glasses or other misc trash. And the bartenders were quick, friendly and on point with their drinks. Great cosmos! They stayed very organized and on schedule letting everyone know when the dinning room was open and shut the bar down temporarily so everyone would take their seats for the wedding party entrance. Even then we had an amazing young man waiting on our table bringing us drinks, confirmed our names and what meal we ordered and made sure we had everything we needed. The courses were brought out 1 table at a time with 5 servers all coordinating the timing of setting each plate down together then all walking away in a single line hands behind their backs. The little details that really made this venue leaps and bounds above other places I've been. And the beef dish I had, you could cut it with a spoon it was so tender! With fresh perfectly cooked vegetables on the side. I've been to plenty of Newport restaurants and this was one of the best dishes I've had. Throughout the night we were able to enjoy the amazing views and impeccably manicured grounds outside watching boats sail by, a beautiful sunset and great view of the Newport Bridge. The dinning area had large glass doors which they opened after dinner letting the fresh sea air in and access to grass steps leading down to the water where you could sit on the wall and enjoy your drink or sit by the fire pit and smoke a cigar. I could go on forever about all the details. It was the perfect summer wedding venue and I hope the bride and groom were just as thrilled about their experience as I was! read more

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Beautiful wedding venue. If I don't say so myself, this was and is still one of the most beautiful venues I've ever visited for a wedding, nevermind that it was my own ;) Guests were gushing over the beauty of the venue, even though it was very foggy towards the end of the evening. Still a beautiful place. We got married on a Thurs in June 2018 due to cost differences and some perks for booking with them. The food was amazing, both per us and our guests. They really do live up to the reputation they have for amazing food. Stephanie was our coordinator and she was the best. She was super responsive, even when she wasn't in the office, and made sure everything got set up and returned. We had a lot of DIY and personal items as part of the décor. I liked that we didn't have to go with them for the wedding cake if we didn't want to, although we did because again, cost and they have great quality. They don't hold you to using any specific vendors or lodging places etc. either. The only thing I was wish was different was being able to bring our own food and drinks into the loft while getting dressed, and not being able to buy and bring in our own candy bar supplies or s'mores supplies. You can do that there, but they want you to buy theirs. Every person involved in our special day made everything absolutely seamless and we were attended to hand and foot. We never felt confused or thrown to the wolves. Flawless, beautiful day, and Longwood played a huge part in it. Thank you!! read more

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Went here for a big company shindig. Pretty enough place, with great views of the water and Newport Harbor. Grounds are pristine. The menu was salad with goat cheese; biscuits; fish (sea-bass? I don't recall)); and lava cake with ice cream. I can't argue with presentation--everything looked really pretty on the plate. Food was only okay though. The "lava" cake was noticeably lacking in lava-ness and was actually a touch dry. Slight deduction of points for running out of Sam Adams at two of your bar stations, Belle Mer. By the time somebody pointed out to me that it was available at the others, I'd already soiled my palate with Bud Light. Let's see a little better planning here, people. Can't comment on bang for the buck as this was all on the company tab. read more

I attended a friends wedding here recently. Unfortunately the weather sucked. It was so foggy you couldn't see the water at all. Obviously not their fault. It just would have been nice to see the boats, bridge, etc. It's very white inside. The ceilings are very high and it's pretty wide open which was nice. The grounds were very nice and they had a cool gas fire pit in the back. I can imagine the views on a clear day/night are amazing. Plenty of parking outside which was convenient. The food kind of blew. I'm guessing from the other reviews on here you have to use their in-house catering. The only thing I loved was the chocolate covered bacon for dessert. How can you go wrong with that? No idea how much it costs since I was just a guest. The staff were all super friendly and helpful. read more

A big thank you to Samantha, Renee and the rest of the Belle Mer staff for an extremely professional, well-organized wedding on Saturday August 9, 2014. The top things our guests talked about were the view and venue, the weather and how good the food was. Everyone was courteous, polite and very accommodating. If you want a wedding venue and staff that has every detail organized down to the last detail and makes sure everything goes according to plan, use Belle Mer. They made a great impression on us and our family and guests. read more

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We recently held my daughters wedding here and I just can't express in words how beautiful and amazing an event the team at Belle Mer helped deliver. Her vision was realized without any issues and our guests left knowing that they were part of a very special experience. Our event planner (Ashly) was amazing and professional from the day we met to plan the event until finish. She was with us every step of the way and most importantly helped my daughter enjoy every moment without having to worry about taking charge. To Ashly, the chef's,the bakers,the waite staff and every member of the Belle Mer team - a huge Thank You ! You guys were simply the best ! read more

Whoa! Fancy Pants! -That's what I said when I went with my friend to his friend's wedding yesterday. First of all, this place was a fortune I'm sure. For starters, it's located in the luxurious and infamously wealthy Newport, on Goats Island. The ceremony was held on the back lawn that faces the ocean and the sunset. There's a lush green lawn, a low sea wall, and a big round copper bowl with 9 chairs around it. After dark, they light these crystal rock things and there's a big comfy fire to sit around and relax and unwind with a glass of wine or a cigar. The reception was held inside a large white room. I mean everything was white. Floor, ceiling, walls, table cloths, fireplace... everything. There were two full bars set up on both sides of the room. There were about 20 tables and about 180 guests with room to spare. Also a large dance floor with an adjoining stair case, perfect for the bride, groom, and wedding party to make a grand entrance and beautiful lighting from numerous chandeliers. The best part was that one side of the room was all floor to ceiling windows that looked out on to the ocean. Amazing! If you've got the funds for a fantasy wedding, Belle Mer's the place to go. read more

Take it from an industry professional--don't waste your money here. They have serious customer service problems. I'm not sure what their clients typically experience, but the way they treat their vendors is horrible. I'm a musician from Boston who was hired to play for a wedding there this weekend, and the experience was one of the worst I've had in my 10+ years of playing for weddings. The two stars are out of fairness to the venue, because most of the problems we had were with Em Devaud, the wedding coordinator, who I understand used to work at Belle Mer. My colleague and I got set up in the place where the staff instructed us to go for the ceremony, and Em interrupted our rehearsal with one of the wedding party to insist that we move about 50 yards away, despite the fact that we had been asked to accompany one of the bridesmaids while she sang a song during the ceremony. When I raised concerns about the large physical separation between us and the singer, Em informed me that we'd just "have to make the best of it" because it was "unacceptable" for us to be closer to the ceremony. Right after the ceremony began, it started to rain, and the whole wedding party (about 100 guests) moved inside. While trying to figure out where to set up, we were repeatedly and brusquely ordered to move and set up in another place, because Em and a member of the Belle Mer staff apparently had different ideas about where we should be located, and both were hostile and defensive when we asked them where we should go. We moved our equipment twice, and finally were able to set up for the ceremony. After the ceremony we played for the cocktail hour, voluntarily staying half an hour later than we had originally been contracted for due to the "rain delay" in the ceremony. As we were trying to pack up and leave, Em informed us that the parents of the bride had "forgotten" to write us our checks, but they'd pay us "tomorrow"; we politely asked her if she could approach the parents and ask them to write us the checks before we left, as they had agreed in the contract. We waited for over an hour for Em to talk to us again, during which time I mentioned our situation to two different Belle Mer employees who told me that they couldn't help us, with one of them stating "Sorry, but that's not my job." (a.k.a the Phrase You Should Never Utter In A Customer Service Situation). After ignoring us for almost an hour and 20 minutes, Em approached us, once again hostile and defensive, whined about how difficult this wedding had been for her (I have a feeling she got paid, at least!) and told us that the parents who had just paid for a $50,000+ wedding "didn't have any money with them" and that they'd have to pay us tomorrow. When I expressed my disappointment with what I felt was the irresponsible nature of this response, Em actually yelled at me, saying "Would it make you happy if I make them leave the wedding reception and go back to their hotel room to get their checkbook right now? Is that what you want?". At this point we finally gave up and left. I understand that a wedding venue's first responsibility must be to their clients, but the way they treat their vendors, and oversee the people who they trust to put on events in their space, is very important too. While I place a good portion of the blame on the bride's parents (they were the ones who had signed a contract agreeing to pay us on the day of the wedding), the treatment that we received from both Em Devaud and the Belle Mer staff in a difficult situation was completely beyond the pale--I've never in my life had a wedding planner actually yell at me, and the general attitude of both Em and the Belle Mer staff members with whom we dealt was that we were somehow asking them to do something unreasonable, instead of actually fulfilling the responsibilities of the job they were paid to do (although it was the responsibility of the bride's parents to actually pay us, I seriously question the professionalism of any wedding planner who doesn't make sure that her clients remember to pay their vendors). All in all, my impression was that the staff at Belle Mer were unprofessional, unpolished, and unprepared, and that Em Devaud was even more so--I've never met a wedding planner who was so difficult to work with, from a vendor's perspective, and I've played for hundreds of weddings. read more

To say everything and everybody was fantastic is an understatement. We just had our wedding here on 5/20/17 in The Water Salon and it was perfect. From the beginning, all employees went above and beyond. Our initial tour with Steven was fantastic and he continued to keep in touch throughout the whole process. He is amazing and made us feel at home from day 1! Abigail is a saving grace and we called her our angel throughout this whole process. From day 1 she was extremely helpful, always there to answer our questions and keeping us on track and organized. It is extremely overwhelming to plan a wedding (especially since we had no idea what we were doing) and she was there every step of the way. We honestly could not have done it without her and her guidance. Brianne, the day coordinator was fantastic and she ensured the day was seamless and everybody we talked to rave about the wedding and how perfect the flow was. She had everything set and even put an extra pair of flip flops at my seat and my favorite drink. During photos, she was there with drinks and appetizers..she was seriously a godsend. The waitstaff was incredible and all of our guests were RAVING about them. They were so professional and social they were honestly fantastic. Seriously, the best! read more

This location is gorgeous! I went to an event, Give ad Glam, there last week and fell in love! If I wasn't already married, I would book this place for a wedding! The views and the decor inside are to die for. I love the all white. read more

This place is amazingly beautiful and as soon as I can find a millionaire to marry me, we're coming here. GORGEOUS. I attended an event here in the the Salon and was seriously blown away. The food was pretty tasty, which isn't always the case with event spaces that offer catering. The only thing that spoiled it for me was the service. The flow was really poorly executed and confused, it was rushed because we started late and must've only had the venue until a certain time, the DJ was pretty wretched, and it was just way too weddingy for a business event - even a fun business event. That's more the fault of the planner, but despite the fantastically gorgeous surrounding, the overall event was kind of a miss. Bummer. Five stars for the venue, two stars for the event, but I can't hold Belle Mer too accountable for that. I will hold them accountable for the flow of dinner which led to long lines and unhappy and hungry guests and the server that came and took my plate away from me while I was mid bite into a messy little bruschetta which meant I had to let everything fall into my hand and then eat it out of my hand or wipe it into my napkin. Regardless of the hurry you're in sir - that's just plain rude. read more

I had my wedding here last weekend and it was jaw drop amazing! My husband and I had the best time of our lives. We had 60 guests, smaller than some. Our ceremony was in the main house due to the rain but our reception was in the island house. It was beautiful and everyone at Belle Mer that helped me was amazing. Nicole and Kerri are awesome. For dinner we had scallops and beef filet. The champagne was fantastic. If you want the 5 star treatment in a beautiful setting overlooking the Naraganssette Bay go no further than Belle Mer. read more

I had my wedding at Belle Mer on June 23, 2019. This was the first choice I made in moving through the Wedding process and I am so happy that I did! It was simply above and beyond!! Stephanie, our wedding coordinator, could not have been more fantastic. She was always quick to respond to any questions, extremely helpful and accomodating, incredibly efficient and always made things as easy as possible for me and for my mom. She was kind, patient and just overall did a phenomenal job assisting us in making this the most special, amazing day we have ever experienced. The day of, Chelsea, our day of attendant, and Stephanie were on top of everything. We had hors d'oeuvres brought over to the bridal party through photo shoots, there was always a drink in mine and Albert's hand, every moment was well coordinated and perfectly executed. The staff was fantastic. Our bartenders, Josh and Danielle were awesome and so accomodating!! The food was delicious. I think at one point I ate 4 tuna tartare bites one after another in the middle of photos (Can't wait to see how those came out ) We cannot speak more highly of everyone at Belle Mer or of the beauty of the venue itself and the location. Every aspect of the team to the location to the blessing of a beautiful sunny day after almost a full week of rain (and hail the day before) made our day one we will never, ever forget. We cannot thank you all enough (especially Stephanie for all of her hard work for months on end!), but we can try :) So thank you from the very bottom of our hearts! I've always thought it was corny and inaccurate to say that one day is the best of your life, but I can say very positively that Sunday was the best day of our lives. I will strive to have the rest of my days meet the feeling that we felt that day. Maybe one day we will, but I don't think anything could ever be better. read more

Attended a wedding here - super pretty. Not sure how the bride felt after, but know they place extended their hours to meet the minimum fee

I recently attended a wedding here-- the venue was absolutely gorgeous! The ceremony was held outside, while the reception took place at the Island House. The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating. The food was of good quality; the best I've had at a wedding. Overall, great wedding! read more

The Belle Mer was exceptional - the venue is already glamorous, but it was the staff and attention to details that made the entire experience remarkable. Venessa, Samantha, Nichole, and Lyndsay were terrific. Here's why: + Willingness to accommodate last minute requests + Prompt response to all inquiries and emails + Friendly staff + Exceptional food + Support with last minute details during the event + Easy to view table setting + Flexibility to view the space prior to event + White table linens were ironed + Bar lines moved quickly + Option to open or close doors + Proactive approach to event planning (ex. piped in music when DJ wasn't ready) Our social event was held last week and were are getting an amazing response. We plan to continue to use the facility and recommend it highly. read more

I just had my dream wedding at the belle mer last weekend. Everything went perfectly! Not one thing went wrong. The belle mer is very professional and the food is not your typical wedding food, it was amazing! Guests have been telling me it was the best wedding they ever went to. The view is breath taking, the staff is very professional, food is incredible, and the new renovations made to the island house make it the perfect wedding location! read more

Belle Mer - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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Beautiful place...can't imagine how nice it looks in the Summer.

I just had my wedding there last week and absolutely loved everything about the Belle Mer!! The Bridal suite was fabulous and I had my entire wedding party up there which was a concern of mine esp because there is a sign stating only 6 guests at a time. I had about 20 in my wedding party and got lots of pictures beforehand with my girls and the groomsmen. Everything went exactly as planned and guests absolutely loved the food and atmosphere. My parents are still talking about the food, and they are VERY picky.... My ceremony was at the Island House, it was supposed to be outside but it was about 30 degrees out last weekend so we moved it inside which was still beautiful. I highly recommend this place to any bride for a coastal elegant wedding. read more

Our wedding at Belle Mer was absolutely beautiful but it didn't live up to all the hype. A bride wants to feel relaxed on her wedding day but instead as soon as I stepped foot into the bridal suite I became so stressed out an hour before my wedding because the staff of Belle Mer wouldn't even let my bridal party all get dressed together (and I only had 6 bridesmaids) stating it was a fire hazard because of only 1 fire exit. Should this have been my problem....no!! The stair case was so wide that 3 people could walk down at the same time. They could have taken the entire winter to just build an emergency exit, or throw a rope ladder out the winter, easy and done. But instead they had their entire staff watching over us, and yelling at us to make people wait down stairs. It was very upsetting and not what I expected. I wanted fun pictures of all of us getting dressed but oh no, not allowed. If that had been the only downfall I would have gotten over it. But to start my wedding planner was wearing jeans to my wedding! We spent over $40k on a wedding to have the event planner walking around in jeans!! They don't have proper storage for wedding cakes, so beware and make sure they coordinate accordingly with the cake people. An entire tables food was dropped, which happens but they lied about it and then took an hour and a half to get them there food, 70 year old guests didn't eat dinner until 10:30 at night! Then there was the music, we had an awesome band but Belle Mer kept making them go quieter and quieter, stating they couldn't be any louder than 70 decibels (which is the same level at which people talk!) They were walking around all night with a little meter when we asked specifically asked them if they would be measuring the sound outside and they said yes but that wasn't the case. It was so hot out and they insisted on keeping all the plastic down all night which made it unbearably hot. So by 11:30 the band was asked to stop, there was no last dance, no throwing of the bouquet, no last hoorah. People left early because usually when the band stops, the party is over. All because they have 2 rooms so close to one another they don't want the sound to be heard next door, again not my problem!! So after all this 5 of my guests including myself were up sick all night, coincidence, I think not. I am not saying don't have your wedding at Belle Mer because honestly its the best spot in Newport, but make sure none of this happens to you on the most important night of your life. I had a fabulous wedding despite everything but I can't help but to have a bad taste in my mouth with some of the ridiculous regulations they put on you after you spend so much money with them. Hope this helps anyone looking to have their wedding at Belle Mer. read more

I was lucky enough to be one of about 180 people in attendance at a good friend's wedding at Belle Mer yesterday. The venue was absolutely gorgeous. The food was amazing, and the staff was incredible (especially for those of us that were in the wedding party and weren't particularly knowledgeable about what to do when you're in the wedding party). One of the highlights was the fact that the filet mignon was the best that I have ever had. The woman next to me actually said this, and I realized that I couldn't disagree. Also, the staff seemed to be incredibly understanding of the fact that one of the other groomsmen had way too much to drink and felt the need to attempt to pick up every female employee at Belle Mer (...because nothing says "I think you're special" like trying to hit on a woman after you've already been shot down by two or three dozen of her co-workers). Seriously, though, the staff was very friendly, helpful, and courteous, even when we got too drunk to be friendly and courteous back. Also, the hors d'oevres and desserts were phenomenal. The view of the ocean was spectacular, too. I would certainly recommend the Belle Mer to anyone who is looking for a wedding venue. read more

The place is beautiful, the food horrible, drinks way to expensive AND the bartender stole 500 dollar's from my debit card

Honestly, I don't normally write reviews but I just cannot bite my tongue any longer. I would just like to say the only star I have was because the venue itself is absolutely beautiful. It was my dream wedding location. Unfortunately, that is the only positive I can say. My fiancé and I went to Belle Mer at the end of March. I will not mention names, as I feel it's inappropriate. We were sat down and told they could do anything we wanted, as long as we met the venue minimum. They do not price per guest or food/beverage minimum. We did not have a problem with that. They raved on how much they can make it a "New York" type wedding as we are from New York. We spoke about all things we wanted at our wedding and told no problem it can be at the price you're looking to stay at. We told her want another venue we were looking into was offering and told us she was sure she could make something work. So we left it at that and she told us she would email me all the necessary information by the next day. We did not hear from her the next day. So after two days, we reached out to her and asked if they could match or offer anything close to what the other venue was offering, while showing proof of what the other venue is offering us. After multiple emails asking for a response (not in a nagging way, I always waited multiple days before sending addition emails, people do get busy). Almost two weeks later, I get a respond that she will send over what they came up with later that day. Later that day came and went without an email. So once again, I waited and finally got a response. The response was that they were not willing to match or come close to the other venue, they were not willing to negotiate or budge. I'm sorry, they did budge on the sure fee a tiny bit. They said they could not do anything on the food or alcohol as it is all prepared fresh that day (as all venues do and I would hope they would), and they would lose out on too much money. I can somewhat understand on the food, but that is absolutely false on the alcohol. The amount they charge for alcohol is absurd and they would DEFINITELY NOT lose any money by lowering their price for that; especially since we wanted open bar for the entire event. Again, the event is beautiful. But never living up to the deadlines you personally set, and not willing to negotiate the price just felt like a slap in the face. It would have been one thing to respond within a few days to say you couldn't do anything, but to have us wait for two weeks and build it up that you could, is just wrong. I'm sure this will be a wonderful for some other brides. - Heartbroken Bride to Be read more

I was obsessed with Belle Mer and knew it was the place for my wedding the second I saw it online. Going to tour it only made me want it more. I would definitely recommend Belle Mer for anyone looking for a beautiful outdoor/on the water venue. I loved so many things about this venue. I loved how they had two different sides that you could have your wedding in. The Water Salon is larger and definitely has a more fancy, classy feel to it and the newly renovated Island House which is more open/laid-back but still just as beautiful. My wedding day was 100% perfect and a huge part of it was because of the venue. My guests could not stop talking about how beautiful it was. They loved sitting outside on the lovely white wall overlooking the water. The staff was great - my wedding day consultants and Steven James who was my wedding coordinator were absolutely perfect. They understood what I wanted and listened to all my ideas and made it all happen. I didn't want for anything on my wedding day because they truly treat you like royalty on your wedding day. Our food, drinks, cupcakes - everything was delivered to our tables without question. Overall, I just can't say enough about the absolute beauty of the place - it's too perfect. Sure, it's a little on the pricier side when comparing venues but 1) it's in Newport, 2) it's on the water and 3) they deliver and the money is well worth it. The staff is there to work with you and trim down areas to make your budget work. We knew we wouldn't be able to afford a PM wedding at Belle Mer so we just did a Saturday AM/early PM wedding and the event minimum was half that of the nighttime (and we easily hit it). The only one tiny complaint I would have would be about the bridal suite for AM weddings. You are not allowed in until 9:30 AM. We had 9 girls hair & makeup to get done and needed to start around 6:00 AM. When I asked about getting into the bridal suite early they said they would have to charge us and the hourly rate to rent the room is something like $1,500 per HOUR! They were going to offer us a discount rate since we already were using it at 9:30 but it was still a ridiculous amount, in my opinion, considering the amount of money we were already spending there. Other than that I would definitely recommend Belle Mer to future brides. All my relatives want to know when we're having our next party there - they all loved it so much. read more