If you’re anything like me, the thought of having your wedding in a place with gross old hotel carpeting, country clubs, or locations that have multiple weddings a night is horrifying. Instead, you’re scouring the internet in the hopes of finding any solid lead on a nontraditional wedding venue in Rhode Island. Look no further! I spent years searching for my own wedding venue. And now, as a wedding photographer, I’ve worked in so many different incredible wedding venues. So I’ve rounded up some of the best and most beautiful nontraditional wedding venues in this little state of Rhode Island just for you.
Industrial Wedding Venues in Rhode Island
Dye House
We are positively obsessed with this venue! It is part event space and part boutique hotel. So you can totally rent out the whole space for overnight accommodations and chic rooms to get ready in. Its origins are as part of the Weybosset Mills Complex, but it’s had many purposes over the past nearly 150 years. Now it is a stunning event space with original brick flooring, 20 ft ceilings, and huge windows giving a modern industrial vibe and a perfect blank slate for any wedding. Check out a real Dye House wedding here for some inspo!
The Guild
Located in Pawtucket, this beer hall has a little secret out back. It has a stunning refurbished barn with brick walls and wooden beams perfect for a beer lovers wedding reception! Your guests will love getting to taste fresh local beers while they enjoy the cozy back patio. It comes adorned with string lights and all the best refurbished mill vibes. That means you’ll need minimal decor to make it feel unique!
Hope Events on Main
This venue is located in Pawtucket in a beautiful artist loft space called Hope Artiste Village, next to the Met music venue. There are stunning windows that let in a ton of natural light, brick walls, and concrete floors. And you can even have your cocktail hour in the bowling alley upstairs! But what’s our favorite part about it? There are 3 totally unique spaces for each moment of your wedding – ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. This keeps it fun and exciting for you and your guests!
Newport Vineyards
Getting to take photos amongst the rows and rows of vines is just the start! There are tons of delicious wines for your guests to enjoy. The Meadow Room serves as the perfect spot for all your rustic-industrial wedding dreams. Reclaimed wood beams and walls, a glass garage door and concrete flooring give this venue a warm and cozy feeling. It’s truly a gem in the Rhode Island wedding scene.
Historic Wedding Venues in Rhode Island
The Providence Public Library
The Providence Public Library houses a gorgeous early 1900s building with a grand hall, stunning staircases, beautiful old bookshelves, and years of history. Located in the heart of downtown Providence, the Providence Public Library lends itself to stunning photos around the city. It also has easy access to some great bars for an after party such as Trinity Brewhouse, Union Station, and AS220 to name a few. This location has a partnership with Russell Morin for all your catering and event coordination needs. If you love books and grand architecture this is absolutely the nontraditional venue for you! Learn more about Providence Public Library weddings here.
Glen Manor House
Any Gatsby lovers out there? Glen Manor House was built in the 1920s as a family home in Portsmouth, RI on the old Glen Farm. Famous architect John Russel Pope – the same designer who created the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C – designed this home. There are many location options for you to make use of for your wedding. From their waterfront lawn to their covered patio, interior home to the well-manicured gardens. This home is a perfect Rhode Island venue for a range of weddings from intimate to medium-sized. And it feels much less stuffy than some other mansions in the area so you can make it as formal or relaxed as you please!
Shepherd’s Run
This historic manor located in South Kingston, RI was built in the 1930s and is now home to a winery, inn, and event space. There are options for both indoor and outdoor events ranging from 30 to 300 guests. Options include the event hall with gorgeous vaulted wood ceilings, under a sailcloth tent, in the garden, and more. This space is another one of those places where it’s stunning as it is. So you can keep decor minimal or go all out and decorate it as you please.
Botanical Wedding Venues in Rhode Island
Blithewold Mansion, Gardens, & Arboretum
Blithewold is a venue located in Bristol, RI, is known for its stunning waterfront lawn and lush floral grounds. Some of our favorites include the greenhouses, a bamboo grove, lover’s lane, and other botanical backdrops. You will want to leave lots of time for photos here! The ceremonies take place in the beautiful garden next to the mansion. Then you’ll make your way to a tented reception on a paved patio. And you also get full use of the mansion’s terrace for cocktail hour and more photos!
Okay Island
I don’t even know if this venue truly fits into any of these categories, but it’s too damn cool to leave off this list. This new venue is located right on the RI/CT border in the middle of the woods and boasts a gorgeous modernized barn (not rustic or farm-housey at all I swear!) with a little greenhouse and a sick built in bar. Just trust me on this one, it’s gorgeous! They take on a limited number of weddings each year so reach out early if you’re interested!
Roger Williams Botanical Center
The Roger Williams Botanical Center is a venue located in Providence, RI in the Roger Williams Park. No need to worry about rain here because the giant glass conservatory filled with exotic florals will make you feel like you’re outside while still controlling the environment. This location is beautiful year round – I even had a friend get married here on New Year’s Eve! Perfect for those that love nature but don’t want to risk mother nature’s wrath on their wedding day. And they also have a fairly new tented lakeside option for larger weddings. Learn more about Roger Williams Park Botanical Center weddings with some photos from a real wedding here!
Coastal Wedding Venues in Rhode Island
The Towers
If you’ve ever been to the Narragansett town beach, you’ve likely driven under or near The Towers. The original version of The Towers was part of the Narraganset Pier Casino back in the late 1800s. It has suffered two fires since then and has been continually renovated to reflect the original design. This Rhode Island venue is a gorgeous landmark, historic building, and has the unique feature of a balcony that overlooks the ocean and windows that allow a relaxing sea breeze. The interior is entirely stone and wood giving it a sort of rustic/ industrial vibe while still being very much coastal. Once again, you can really put your personal stamp on this nontraditional venue going for an earthy, boho feel, nautical, fairytale – whatever floats your boat!
Fort Adams
For those couples still wanting to get married in Newport but wanting something a little different than your standard resorts and hotels, Fort Adams is definitely the venue for you. Famous for hosting events like Newport Folk Festival, it’s a massive property with so much room to explore and frolic around on your wedding day. There are options from waterfront lawns to coastal homes to the hip industrial fort itself for your ceremony with a tented reception. I mean come on – just look at that stunning vintage-vibe in the photograph. This screams nontraditional coastal to me!
Kinney Bungalow
Okay, so this one isn’t exactly on the coast, but it’s right near Scarborough State Beach, so it counts! This beautiful lofted venue boasts 360 degree views so you will always be able to look out and catch the sunset! This venue, located in Narragansett, RI, has a unique square design to it and is covered in windows and beautiful hardwoods. You can have your ceremony onsite at Sunset Farm or if you want to keep it coastal, you can say your vows down the road at Point Judith Lighthouse.
There you have it – 13 of the best nontraditional wedding venues in Rhode Island. Now there are a few others that I didn’t mention because even though they’re nontraditional as well because they don’t have many visible examples of weddings happening in them. It would require a bit more planning on your end, but if you’re up for it here are a few honorable mentions…
– Foolproof Brewing Company (courtyard)
– ISCO (aka Industrious Spirits)
Let me know which one is your favorite or if there are any other sick nontraditional venues in Rhode Island that I missed! And if you’re looking for a Rhode Island wedding photographer to capture your day look no further!
