Venue Feature: Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island

Jul 13

A sketch of a bride and groom getting married at Castle Hill Inn in Rhode Island

If you know me, you know I love to travel. And as a live illustrator for weddings and events around the world, I get to travel a lot. But there’s something to be said for finding the luxury experience of a destination wedding close to home. Castle Hill Inn offers everything I look for in a destination wedding venue, but it’s right here in Newport, Rhode Island! If you’re still on the lookout for a New England wedding venue, I can’t recommend Castle Hill Inn enough. It’s beautiful, right on the water, and runs like a well-oiled machine. Keep reading to learn why I love it so much!

Rhode Island’s Most Beautiful Wedding Venue

Established in 1875, Castle Hill Inn is a stunning boutique hotel on a private peninsula in Newport. It sits on 40 acres of land overlooking the ocean. You can walk along the beach, enjoy boat rides, and eat at one of the top-rated restaurants in the area. This venue is perfect for couples who want a luxurious wedding that still feels relaxed and grounded. Here, you won’t find a typical ballroom. Instead, you can be married on the lawn and celebrate beneath the stunning permanent tent which was built exclusively for events like weddings.

The space itself is beautiful enough that you can minimize decor and still have a gorgeous wedding. But at the same time, the structure of the venue is unobtrusive, meaning you can use it as a blank space to create your own design. Castle Hill Inn is a New England staple, making it a highly sought after venue for couples who want to lean into the nautical New England aesthetic.

Considerations for Planning Events at Castle Hill Inn

If you want to plan an event at Castle Hill Inn, there are a few things to keep in mind! First, the team here is simply amazing. When I said the venue works like a well-oiled machine, what I really meant was that the team anticipates needs and goes above and beyond to give guests an exceptional experience. Your wedding planner will have a great time working with the venue coordinator, which makes everyone’s lives easier!

The inn is roughly 10-15 minutes from downtown Newport, which means you’ll want to consider transportation early in the planning process. The venue can host some people on-site, but if your event is larger, you’ll want to coordinate transportation for any out-of-town guests, such as trolleys, buses, or rentals. For local guests who can drive themselves, keep in mind that the parking lot is rather small, and the hotel still hosts other guests and keeps the restaurant open unless you buy out the entire property.

Lastly, because of its (gorgeous) seaside location, days can be windy and much cooler than inland—even in the summer. I’ve personally experienced a July event where it was 80 degrees in Boston and 60 degrees at Castle Hill! The venue is set up for outdoor ceremonies and cocktail hours, which can be challenging to navigate in case of inclement weather. The permanent tent is usually reserved for the reception, so be sure to coordinate with your wedding planner if you’ll need to use the tent for the ceremony and cocktail hour as well!

A Peek Inside Real Events at Castle Hill Inn

A Luxurious Fall Wedding

I’ve been lucky enough to work two stunning events at Castle Hill Inn! The first was a fall wedding for Taylor and Packy Naughton. Taylor is a medical skincare representative with a passion for sea diving (how cool is that?), and Packy is a luxury real estate advisor and a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. Needless to say, their wedding was stunning, and Castle Hill Inn was the perfect location for them.

Instead of leaning into a nautical New England theme, this couple embraced a fall palette, with moody maroon florals, pale pink roses, and lush greenery. The bride wore a Galia Lahav gown and the groom wore a custom suit from Mark Russell Co. My favorite detail (besides the guest illustrations I provided, of course) was the olive oil escort wall that doubled as favors! They customized each olive oil bottle label with the guest’s name and added a small card that said “Our Favorite People, We Olive You.” I mean, how cute!

It was such an honor to play a small part in their special day and give their guests something to remember the celebration by! And I am always excited to return to Castle Hill and see how each couple customizes it.

A New England Company Retreat

The second event I got to work at Castle Hill Inn was a team retreat with people coming from all over the country! This event leaned fully into the nautical atmosphere with striped navy and white umbrellas, blue linens, and white hydrangeas. The escort table had oyster shells painted with anchors as favors, and the tablescape featured blue glassware, blue patterned linens, and white centerpieces with lemons. Since it was a bit chilly, they even offered blue blankets!

Sketching at corporate events is a bit different than sketching wedding guests, but I love them both in their own way. I had a great time providing illustrations at this event, and learning a bit about each guest and where they came from!

Live Illustrator for Weddings and Events

As a travel enthusiast, I think my favorite part of providing live illustrations is getting to see new places, even—and maybe especially—when they’re close to home. Since first setting eyes on Castle Hill Inn, I knew I was going to write a feature on it. It’s simply too beautiful and too well run to be ignored.

I love working at new venues across the world, so if you’re planning a celebration and want to include live illustration as part of it, let’s work together! Whether it’s local or far away, wedding or corporate, illustrations are always a guest favorite. Learn more about it on my live illustration page, and inquire to secure your date!