What if your steps down the aisle weren’t just steps taken forward into your future with your partner, but also steps through the past hundred-plus years of New England history? That enchanting experience awaits every couple that chooses to get married at the historic Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum in Bristol, RI. 

LOOKING FOR AN EXPERIENCED BLITHEWOLD WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? 

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Why Get Married at Blithewold Mansion?

Once the summer home of the Van Wickle family, Blithewold has been perfectly preserved as an example of late 19th and early 20th Century American life, and is now a non-profit and arboretum. The estate’s 33 acres include many lush gardens, one sprawling lawn, pristine views of the Narrangansett Bay, and the 45-room manor house, which is furnished and decorated to match the home’s heyday. 

Calling this wedding venue one-of-a-kind is clearly an understatement, and I’ve only told you a fraction of its long and fascinating history. As an experienced Rhode Island wedding photographer who has captured couples at all of the best Rhode Island wedding venues, I love and recommend Blithewold for its natural elegance, historic charm, and versatility.

Venues Within Blithewold

Blithewold has several charming spaces for your wedding day, with a specific order the venue likes to use them in. First, there is a brand new wedding pavilion on the property with a gorgeous bridal suite for getting ready. When it’s time to get married, all ceremonies are held in the North Garden right next to Blithewold mansion. Cocktail hour is held inside the manor house and outside on its terraces and two covered porches. All receptions are held in their wedding tent, complete with a permanent slate floor and clear sides, and right next to the pavilion for easy access to accessible restrooms. 

You and your guests are allowed to roam the grounds throughout your wedding day, and as your wedding photographer, I can guarantee that we will be! Some of my favorite spots for portraits have already been mentioned — namely the mansion, its terraces, and the North Garden. But those are only a few gems in this stunning 33-acre property. Other locations that I adore for wedding portraits within Blithewold include the bamboo forest, glass greenhouse, the Great Lawn, and the dock on the Narrangansett Bay. 

I’LL MAKE YOUR WEDDING PHOTOS STAND OUT IN BLITHEWOLD HISTORY

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Seasonality at Blithewold

You should know that the wedding season at Blithewold is May through October. Unless you choose to elope and only have a 30-minute ceremony in the North Garden, you must get married there during those six months of the year. 

Blithewold Mansion Wedding Cost

Pricing for a Blithelwold mansion wedding depends on whether you’re only having the ceremony on the property, or a ceremony plus reception, and what day of the week you choose to get married. For the 2025/2026 season, the wedding ceremony alone costs $2,350. At its highest, the reception fees are $17,295; at its lowest, the venue costs $8,495. In addition, you’ll be required to pay $750 for a security guard, and a wedding tent extension (for $4,500) if your guest count is over 180.

There are a long list of amenities included with the Blithewold rental fees, so I encourage you to reach out to their Director of Special Events (email mavedisian@blithewold.org or call 401-253.2707 x 11) to get a full understanding of why this incredible wedding venue is worth the price. Tell them Erin Leech sent you!