Block Island, officially the town of New Shoreham, is an island located about 12 miles off the coast of Rhode Island in the Atlantic Ocean. Thousands of years ago, a rolling glacier left hills and ponds behind in its wake, forming what is now Block Island. The island was first inhabited by Native Americans, in particular the Manissean Tribe, who named the island "Manisses" which translates to "Island of the Little God." In 1641, a Dutch explorer, Adrian Block, sailed to the island, aptly naming his discovery "Block Island." Officially founded in 1672, New Shoreham is the smallest town in the smallest state in the country. The island is seven miles long and three miles wide, covering 7,000 acres full of nature conservancies, fresh water ponds, and hiking trails. In fact, 44% of the island is preserved open space. The waters off Block Island are also the location of five major shipwrecks throughout history - Captain Kidd himself was known to frequent the island and urban legends suggest he may have even buried treasure on the shores. During the Revolutionary War, Block Island served as a lookout point for enemy ships, lighting fires atop Beacon Hill to warn those on the mainland of enemy sightings. A fun fact for our DC/lawyer friends, President Grant often stayed on the island and once held a special session with Supreme Court so its members would not need to interrupt their vacations by returning to DC. A work/life balance king! Block Island is home to about a thousand residents, but welcomes nearly 20,000 visitors a day during the summer months. To our many friends and families traveling from outside of New England, "Block" is known for its vibrant nautical energy where you can relax, explore, eat, and drink as many mudslides as your heart desires (think, Nantucket without the pretense and a higher ABV). We are so excited to host our families and dearest friends in this beautiful and historic location, and hope you love it as much as we do.
The dress code for the ceremony and reception is summer formal. We consider this to be attire that is more elevated than traditional cocktail but not quite black tie. For men, we would suggest perhaps a linen or lighter-colored suit and tie. For women, think knee- or floor-length dresses in bright colors, patterns, or whatever else is calling to you during the height of summer. The ceremony will be on grass although the tent does have solid wood flooring, so plan your footwear accordingly. Most of all, have fun with it! You all know we both love a killer outfit - show us what you've got.
We love your kids. Truly, we do. For the ceremony and reception though, we kindly ask that you leave your kids home - we want all of the parents in attendance to fully enjoy themselves on Saturday! If you are bringing your family to Block Island for the weekend, kids are more than welcome at our other events. We are happy to help find and coordinate babysitters if need be - just let us know!
Block Island is highly walkable and a car is not needed to attend any of our weekend events. For the ceremony and reception, we will provide transportation for guests from primary pickup spots, or feel free to grab a taxi since the Sullivan House is about a 5-10 minute drive from the downtown area. We will update our guests with coordinated transportation options closer to the date. Please do keep in mind that there is no Uber or Lyft service on the island, but there are plenty of taxi services available and a number of taxi stands. Taxi stands are located on Water Street in Old Harbor across from the ferry and at each of the marinas in New Harbor (Payne's Dock, The Boat Basin, and Champlin's Marina). You can also arrange taxi services in advance. Bike rentals and car rentals are also both available in Old Harbor and New Harbor. Moped rentals are also available if you'd like to really explore the island (we highly recommend)!
Due to venue capacity, we ask that only those specifically named on an invitation are in attendance.
Please keep in mind that certain businesses on Block still operate as cash only, especially taxis and local bars. You should not have an issue finding an ATM anywhere on the island as most hotels and bars have ATMs inside, but just to be aware of as you venture around town.
If any other questions come up, feel free to call Carolyn or Evan at any time. We fully recognize that this is quite the trip for many of you and we are so grateful to everyone who is willing to put their busy schedules aside for a weekend to celebrate with us. We are more than happy to help with organizing travel, booking hotels, providing recommendations, or anything else we can do to make your lives a little easier.