Planning the Perfect Destination Wedding in Newport, R.I… So Much More Than the Party!

Jan 27

You're working hard on all the details for your big day, and are excited to share beautiful Newport with all of your guests, many of whom may have never before visited Newport, and perhaps even New England! Cool thing about destination weddings is that many of your guests will turn it into a vacation and will embrace the entire experience, cementing your milestone event in there canon of memories into the future. One of the unique things about Newport is that there is something for everyone to do here: young singles looking to party, definite check, beach bums looking to relax and enjoy some fine dining, absolute check, families needing to keep rowdy kids entertained, checks for days! There's even plenty for history buffs, and beach HATERS who prefer to learn something on vacation! Not many cities can make that claim!

As event host, it’s really nice to help everyone become familiar with all that Newport has to offer. I recommend a card in your save the date or wedding invitation with a few suggestions. You can also greet your guests with welcome bags, stuffed with fun goodies like drink, cozies, chocolates, a bottle of wine, etc. you get the idea. The most important thing in that bag, though is an itinerary of wedding events giving them all the details that will make their trip stress-free (time, transportation, parking and logistics, etc.), and a list of suggested activities… you know your guests best, so gather ideas of things they might like to do before, and after the actual wedding and guaranteed it will be very pleasantly surprised! You can even suggest restaurants for happy hour and an ideal time to show up if you would like to encourage people to get to know each other a "no pressure” way.

Here are a few of my suggestions:

THINGS TO DO AND PLACES TO SEE

Known as a New England Summer Resort and famous for its stunning Mansions, Newport was a major 18th century port city and now contains among the highest number of surviving colonial buildings of any city in the United States. It has also been known for being the city of some of the "Summer White Houses" during the administrations of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. President Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier were married in Saint Mary's Church located on Memorial Blvd. Newport is also the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport.

There are endless activities and adventures in this quaint waterfront city including walking tours of the mansions and Newport's historical sites, sailboat rides, tours on the bay, and much more. Rent a scooter to explore Ocean Drive or enjoy the shopping along the cobblestone streets. Newport is an old New England coastal town with spectacular coastal scenery, awe-inspiring architecture, and a thriving waterfront downtown. Here's a list of some of the most famous and interesting spots to visit for those who have some extra time to explore Newport.

THE NEWPORT MANSION TOURS

(401) 847-1000

Explore 250 years of American history at these 11 historic properties. Here you will find a world of exceptional elegance and inspiration in art, architecture, interior designs, and landscapes. Visit The Preservation Society web site to learn more about the mansion tours.

WEBSITE

AUDRAIN AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM

AUDRAIN BUILDING, 222 BELLEVUE AVE, NEWPORT, RI 02840, USA

(401) 856-4420

The Audrain Automobile Museum collection is comprised of over 160 of the rarest and most remarkable automobiles in history, and houses fully restored vehicles ranging from the beginning of the 20th Century to modern day.

WEBSITE

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION

492 BELLEVUE AVE, NEWPORT, RI 02840, USA

(401) 851-8949

The museum's collection contains over 2,000 original works by noted American illustrators such as Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parish, N.C. Wyeth, and others. Enjoy these great works by either a self-guided or guided tour.

WEBSITE

NEWPORT CRAFT BREWING & DISTILLING CO.

293 JT CONNELL HWY, NEWPORT, RI 02840, USA

(401) 849-5232

This brewery has made up to 100 different varieties of unique craft brews. They helped in the idea of making limited release beers, and did the same with canned beer. Thousands of people have visited the facility and many more have had the opportunity to try their unique beer throughout RI. You can be one of the lucky ones and go on in for a tasting!

WEBSITE

SHOPPING, SHOPPING, SHOPPING!

NEWPORT, RI 02840, USA

The town of Newport has a variety of stores ranging from local boutiques to favorite American brands. Visit the site provided to find an A-Z guide of the best places for a little retail therapy in Newport.

WEBSITE