We recommend most out-of-town guests stay in Providence, Bristol, or the surrounding towns. We are not planning to have a hotel block, as most of the hotels in the area require a 2-night minimum and we anticipate that many guests may stay for one night only. Therefore, we are leaving it to your discretion to find accommodations that work for you and your party. Here are some things to keep in mind: - We're hosting some welcome events on Saturday night in the West End and DownCity neighborhoods of Providence. There are several hotels within walking distance, including Hilton Providence, The Dean Hotel, and the Omni Providence Hotel. If you're planning to stay out late on Saturday, are traveling without a car, or simply want to take advantage of everything Providence has to offer, consider choosing a hotel or Airbnb in Providence. - The ceremony itself will take place on Sunday in Bristol, which is a 30-minute drive from Providence. If you don't plan to stay out late on Saturday night or would prefer to spend more of your time by the bay than in a more urban environment, consider choosing an option in Bristol or an Airbnb in the nearby East Bay towns of Warren and Barrington. - If you don't see an option in either location that works for your budget, check just over the state line in Swansea and Seekonk. There are also inexpensive options in Warwick near T.F. Green Airport, although this option would extend your drive to Bristol by 10 or so minutes.
It's up to you! Our main events are Saturday night and Sunday morning/afternoon, so we anticipate that many guests may travel in on Saturday, stay for one night, and leave after the reception on Sunday. However, there is a lot to do in the beautiful state of RI and we encourage anyone who is interested to make a weekend, or even a week, out of it! We can't promise to be super available in the days leading up to the wedding, but we may plan an informal gathering on Friday night for the locals and early arrivers (TBD). If you get here early and need something to do, consider the Providence Tour Company for all of your touring needs!
This will be a daytime wedding in a state park by the bay. We recommend choosing an outfit on the casual end of "garden party." Wear shoes you can walk on grass in, and please dress for the weather! Depending on the forecast it may be wise to bring a cardigan or light rain jacket. There are no color requirements, and most importantly, we want you to be comfortable. Don't buy a new outfit for our sake (unless you want to). Just don't wear a wedding dress. If you'd like more specific guidance, try https://www.wikihow.com/Garden-Party-Attire
The park where we are having the ceremony and reception on Sunday does not allow any alcohol. But, you can have a beer with us at the Welcome Reception on Saturday night!
The space we've reserved for the wedding at Colt State Park includes a large covered pavilion that can withstand rain (we stood under it in the rain to make sure!). In the event of intermittent or light/moderate rain we plan to move forward with the outdoor wedding and move all activities under the covered pavilion. We recommend checking the forecast before you pack and bringing an umbrella and jacket if needed. We're working on setting up a backup venue in for use in the event of a hurricane or absolute weather catastrophe (please knock on wood for us).
Yes and yes! The venues for the welcome reception and ceremony/reception are both family- and dog-friendly. If you're coming from out of town make sure you find accommodations that work for all of your guests. Note that pets must be leashed at all times in Colt State Park. You know your dog best - If that won't work for them, or if they're stressed out by large groups of people or other animals, leave them with a trusted sitter.
If you are traveling without a car we recommend you stay in Providence, which is connected by public transit to T.F. Green and Boston Logan airports (not to mention every city on the Northeast Corridor! Another great reason to live in Providence). To travel within Providence you can get around by foot, catch the RIPTA bus, grab a Spin bike or scooter, or use Uber/Lyft. Although Providence and Bristol are connected by bus, ferry, and a long but beautiful bike path, we know that these may not be realistic options for our car-free guests on the morning of our wedding! If you anticipate needing transportation from Providence to Bristol, please fill out this form so we can coordinate a shuttle/ride share: https://forms.gle/Jy5kYL4We4aFD7Xc7
First of all, thank you so much for asking! We really appreciate all of the offers of support we've received from friends and family. If you want to help right away, there are two things you can do right now: 1. Send us photos! We're looking for photos of us with our other guests - If you have photos you love of us together, us as children, our family etc that we may not have, please send them our way. Scans or photos-of-photos are fine. 2. Take charge of coordinating your circle! Since we aren't doing a hotel block, if you'd like to stay near your immediate family/friend group, we recommend reaching out to them to coordinate that. For other offers of help (including assistance with setup and day-of tasks) we're working on figuring out a plan and will follow up in the months closer to the wedding. Thank you, again, so much, to everyone who has thoughtfully offered their support over these last few months!