Venues / Belle Mer · Newport, RI
Belle Mer, witnessed.
Belle Mer wedding film and photography on Goat Island in Newport, made by a team that knows how the Water Salon holds the light off the bay.
The glass wall of the Water Salon opens, the lawn and the water become part of the room, and the Newport Bridge sits across the bay like a line drawn for the evening. That is the moment we watch for every time we work here as Belle Mer wedding videographers and photographers.
To have your Belle Mer wedding filmed is to be filmed at the water's edge on Goat Island, a Newport venue that trades Gilded Age marble for white rooms, glass and lawn. We offer wedding films and wedding photography here, separately or together.
Belle Mer is one of the Newport venues we know from behind the camera, from the getting-ready rooms to the last dance. What we learned there, we carry into the next wedding.
The Space at Belle Mer: Light, Sound, and What the Building Demands
From the Regatta Club to Belle Mer
Belle Mer occupies the former Newport Regatta Club on Goat Island. In 2006 Longwood, the Boston company behind the State Room, took over the building, renamed it Belle Mer and began renovating it as an event venue. Today it sits on about seven acres of lawn on the edge of Narragansett Bay.
What the light actually does here
The Water Salon is dressed in white and crystal, with a wall of glass doors facing the water. By day that wall fills the room with bright, even light off the bay, so toasts and first dances can be lit by the day itself.
After dark the room changes character. The chandeliers take over, the water outside goes dark, and the balance between the room and the windows has to be read as you film, not fixed later in the edit.
The lawn, the Island House, and the sound of the water
The lawn runs to the water's edge, and it is where ceremonies and cocktail hours spill outside. A shell path past illuminated fountains leads to the Island House, a separate building with views of the Newport Bridge and the Vanderbilt light posts on the grounds. Its second-floor Loft can serve as a bridal suite, so getting-ready footage can be filmed on site.
The glass wall
The signature of Belle Mer is the Water Salon's wall of glass doors. On a warm day it opens entirely onto the lawn, so the reception room and the outdoors become one space. The venue describes the Water Salon as the largest un-tented, four-season event space in Newport, which means that same room works in January as well as July. Outside, the grounds look across the water to the Newport Bridge, which is where we take couples as the light goes.
What makes filming a Belle Mer wedding different
Belle Mer is a Longwood venue with its own event team and its own in-house culinary team, and each wedding moves between the lawn, the Water Salon and, often, the Island House. A filmmaker there for the first time will spend part of the day working out how the spaces connect, when the glass wall will be open, and where the light off the water is best. A team that has worked these rooms before arrives already knowing, and spends that time watching you instead.
It is also a venue where photography and cinema work together. White rooms and open water give stills a clean, bright look, and the same light gives the film depth. One team for both means one timeline, one plan for portraits by the water, and one set of eyes on the day. That's how we approach every Belle Mer wedding.
Belle Mer Wedding Archive
More Weddings at Belle Mer
A Belle Mer wedding
A Belle Mer wedding we photographed and filmed on Goat Island, from the morning preparations to the reception by the water.
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The next wedding filmed at Belle Mer will join this archive.
Planning in Newport? See our Newport wedding photography and videography.
Questions Couples Ask About a Belle Mer Wedding
Who films weddings at Belle Mer?
New England Wedding Film photographs and films weddings at Belle Mer on Goat Island in Newport. We know the Water Salon, the lawn and the Island House, so we plan around them before the day starts.
Do you offer Belle Mer wedding videography and photography?
Yes. We offer wedding films, photography, or both together. One team for both keeps your Belle Mer wedding timeline simple and the look of your photos and film consistent.
Where is Belle Mer?
Belle Mer is at 2 Goat Island in Newport, Rhode Island, on the edge of Narragansett Bay, with views of the Newport Bridge.
Is Belle Mer the former Regatta Club?
Yes. Belle Mer occupies the former Newport Regatta Club on Goat Island. Longwood took it over in 2006, renamed it Belle Mer and renovated it as an event venue.
How many guests does Belle Mer hold?
According to the venue, the Water Salon holds 280 guests for dinner and dancing or 950 for a cocktail party, the Water Salon and lawn together hold 500 for dinner and dancing, and the Island House holds 180 for dinner and dancing.
Can you have an outdoor ceremony at Belle Mer?
Yes. The venue offers its lawn on the water for ceremonies, with the Water Salon steps away for the reception. Ask the Belle Mer team about the weather plan when you book.
Can you get married at Belle Mer in the winter?
Yes. The venue describes the Water Salon as the largest un-tented, four-season event space in Newport, so receptions can be held there year-round.
Is there a bridal suite at Belle Mer?
The Loft on the second floor of the Island House can be used as a bridal suite or a lounge. Confirm availability with the venue for your date.
Does Belle Mer have its own catering?
Yes. Belle Mer is a Longwood venue, and food is prepared by Longwood's in-house culinary team.
How much does a Belle Mer wedding cost?
Venue pricing is set by Belle Mer and depends on your date, guest count and the spaces you book, so ask the Belle Mer team for a current proposal. For wedding film and photography, tell us your date and we'll send our current collections.
Can we get photography and video from one studio at Belle Mer?
Yes. One team for photo and film means one plan for portraits on the lawn and by the water, one schedule for the evening light, and fewer vendors to coordinate at your Belle Mer wedding.
How soon will we see our Belle Mer wedding film?
Delivery timelines depend on your package. Ask us about current turnaround when you reach out, and we'll lay out exactly what you'll receive and when.
More on the spaces from the venue itself: Belle Mer at Longwood Venues
Planning a Belle Mer Wedding?
If you are planning a Belle Mer wedding, we would love to hear about it. We take on a small number of commissions each year so every couple gets our full attention, from the first planning call to the final film. Tell us your date, whether you're looking at the Water Salon or the Island House, and what you want to remember most. We already know the rooms, the lawn, and the light off the bay. The rest is your story.
Explore Belle Mer's event spaces before you reach out.