Today we welcome guest blogger Susanne Day from Newport Life and Newport Wedding magazines. Susanne and her team are preparing for what is shaping up to be the biggest Newport Bridal Show ever this Saturday, February 18 at both Rosecliff and OceanCliff in Newport. A Newport bride herself and seasoned bridal show veteran, Susanne shares her “What to Know Before You Go!” tips for Newport Bridal Show success:
- Wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers
- Bring pre-made labels to affix to call back sheets—this will save time so you don’t have to fill out everyone’s sheet, and it’s also good if exhibitors have giveaways at their booth. We will give brides and grooms entries for both grand prize giveaways and all of our door prizes are drawn just before the show and revealed upon entry.
- Bring an extra tote bag—although we give the first 200 brides an official tote bag and all our other guests a welcome bag, its good to have a backup for extra goodies you collect along the way.
- Bring your camera and take pictures of what inspires you-- especially at our fashion shows!
- Bring a pen and note pad to record which exhibitors you liked best so you can visit their websites later.
- Bring snacks and water to keep your energy up! Although there are tons of tasty treats and samples at the show, you may need a granola bar for a quick fix.
- Leave time at the end of the day to visit local restaurants and get a feel for where you want to host your rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, and post wedding brunch. Or even better yet book an overnight stay at some of our participating lodging establishments with rates as low as $95 per night.
Click here for information and to register!
We’re so excited that this evening at dusk, we'll welcome the first Newport Gallery Night of 2012! Grab your gloves and lace up those walking shoes as the most artful night of the month returns with more than two dozen participating galleries both big and small. Get up close with tiles dating from the 16th through the 20th centuries at the Redwood Library, or taken in the highly-anticipated Fakes & Forgeries Show at Spring Bull Gallery. Take in the oil paintings by Andrew Nixon and Ann Daum at the Newport Art Museum. Bellevue Avenue, Spring Street, Thames Street, and The Point are just some of the areas you can gallery hop. Chart your course by visiting NewportGalleries.org for a list of participating galleries and don’t worry—you can pace yourself by strolling Gallery Night from 5-8 p.m. the second Thursday of every month February through December. You can also check out what the artists and artisans are up to in bucolic Tiverton Four Corners as you'll find an intriguing array of galleries, studios, workshops and events in this charming coastal community.
Across the bridge in beautiful Bristol, Hope Gallery Fine Art & Fine Craft continues to delight both art aficinados and novies alike. We’re also delighted to hear the Warren Arts Initiative and Bristol Independent Galleries have come together to promote the arts between our neighboring towns of Bristol and Warren. Walks and trolley rides are being organized for: March 29, April 26, May 31, June 28, July 26, August 30, September 27, October 25, and November 29.
The Mount Hope Farm Wintertime Farmers' Market in Bristol is pleasing local food enthusiasts every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Bring your reusable totes to stock up on locally-raised meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, Alpaca felted items, freshly-baked breads, Italian cookies, coffee, honey, herbs, granola, and bags crafted from recycled materials. Vendors participating in this market include:
Windmist Farm The Local Catch The Reynolds Barn
Aquidneck Farms The Coffee Guy Aquidneck Honey
Maplewood Farm Wholly Granola Mapleville Farm
Roots Farm Moonlight Rose Alpacas Hill Orchards
Wishing Stone Farm Provencal Bakery The Cupcakerie
Wicked Natural Products Foxboro Cheese
You may also catch some live music while shopping (and snacking on!) the all-local goods!
A farmers market with heart, organizers will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items on behalf of the East Bay Food Pantry in Bristol. They will also be hosting a clothing drive to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of RI on Feb. 18 and an electronics recycling day on Feb. 25.
The Mount Hope Farm Wintertime Farmers' Market is open on Saturday from 9am to noon and is located at 250 Metacom Avenue in Bristol. It will be open through May 5th.
We’re blushing after reading what writer Aimee Lee Ball had to say about Newport in the 
wintertime in her piece, Five Cozy Inns, a fabulous photo-driven feature in the just-released February issue of Travel + Leisure. Highlighting the spoils of luxury boutique hotel Forty 1 North, the savory splendor of Tallulah on Thames, the unforgettable French toast at Corner Café and the whimsical winter fun to be had at the Newport Winter Festival (Feb. 17-26, 2012), Ball embraces the sometimes overlooked spoils of Newport in its “off-season.” With wallet-friendly Last Minute Deals and value-added Vacation Packages, discover the winter fun that awaits in Newport today!
Don't forget to check out our Events Calendar so you can custom build an itinerary to suit your taste!
For most folks, jetting off to an to exotic locale for dinner is the stuff of billionaires, but luckily, Newport affords no shortage of opportunities to taste flavors from around the globe with extraordinary food, wine, and spirits events throughout the year. Two caught our eye this week: The first inspires us to don our favorite tartan for a Tour of Scotland Scotch Tasting at 22 Bowen’s featuring the savory spirit from some of the country's finest distilleries including JW Black, Singleton, Oban, Lagavulin and Talisker. Each is paired with a mouthwatering small dish (coffee-seared venison, bacon-wrapped scallop, grilled oyster on the half shell or a fine brie sound tempting?) and it all comes together tomorrow, Wednesday January 25 beginning at 6:30pm ($45pp, click here for the menu and click here for contact/reservation details).
On Friday, it’s all about local beers paired with a palate pleasing five-course dinner featuring the City-by-the-Sea’s own Newport Storm and Pier 49. Roasted pumpkin bisque, rye-crusted salmon and espresso & cocoa rubbed sirloin are just some of the highlights for this $49pp event. Click here for a menu and call Pier 49 (401) 847-9000 for reservations.
Bottoms up!
Photo: 22 Bowen's, Newport Restaurant Group
Champagne? Check. Warm, charmingly-restored theater? Check. Bing, Grace and Frank? Check. Check. Check.
Tonight the Casino Theater will be showing the classic film, High Society, which is set in Newport in 1956 (doors open at 7pm, showing begins at 7:30pm). Sip a complimentary glass of Ca Furlan Prosecco provided by the Newport Wine Cellar, and if two will do, cocktails will be available (cash bar) via La Forge Restaurant. Spot some of Newport's famous sites as the music (by the famed Cole Porter) and dancing makes you dream of days gone by.
International Tennis Hall of Fame members free, non-members $12. To make a reservation (recommended), CLICK HERE.
And now, on with the show!
We were so excited when travel writer Alison Tibaldi, who reports for offManhattan (oM), My Family Travels and Mommy Poppins as some of her outlets, let us know she was headed to Newport a few weeks ago. She had recently written a 
piece for oM on the Newport Winter Festival, counting in among one of the Best Winter Carnivals of 2012, and wanted to learn more about the City-by-the-Sea for some upcoming assignments. “This was my first time visiting Newport and I was struck by the natural beauty of the harbor,” she tells us. “I was also pleasantly surprised by the number and variety of restaurants in town.” Though the mansions are stately and elegant, she was delighted to find them to be so family friendly. “The audio tours really bring the Gilded-Age to life,” she describes. Allison had a full itinerary so she could enjoy as much of our city as she could while here, but there was one attraction that really surprised the avid traveler. “Don't miss the Tennis Hall of Fame, even if you don't particularly love tennis,” she advises. “Anyone with an appreciation of any sport will be impressed by this interactive and enjoyable ode to sportsmanship.”
Read more about her winter adventures in Newport on the Family Travel Forum by CLICKING HERE.
Guest blogger Leanne Orabona from AroundTheTableRI.blogspot.com returns today to share her most recent dining excursion that took her taste buds south of the border—Newport’s own Perro Salado.
Winter is actually one of my favorite times to visit Newport because there are less tourists and amazing local restaurants offer great deals, including Perro Salado. The Charles Street eatery offers a special menu on Tuesday night that includes select entrees at half price! Um...yes please. As Toby and I walked to the door, I swear to you I could smell the Sticky Pork Ribs wafting in the air. Is your mouth watering yet!? It was really busy for a Tuesday and we met our friends Evan and Renee who were at the back bar having a drink before dinner. This is one of my favorite rooms in Perro Salado. Yes, it is small, but that is the best part. There are a few seats at the bar and a few tables for dining (you'll find plenty of tables throughout the historic home turned restaurant). My other favorite part of this restaurant are the fireplaces—there is at least one in every room. When lit this time of year, it makes you feel at home.
We started off with some of Perro's famous margaritas. Toby usually opts for an original but I like to take a walk on the wild side. This time I ordered a cucumber and jalapeno margarita (it's not as spicy as you may think!)
Delish! Renee ordered a virgin blood orange margarita and Evan noticed the stellar beer selection on tap. After being seated, our server filled us in on some of the great half price specials, but I had to order the fish tacos; they are my absolute favorite. Toby had his usual Sticky Pork Ribs. We have probably been to this restaurant 50 times and he has gotten the same thing every time, they are just that good. He loves them so much I thought about getting them as a groom’s gift for him to be delivered to Belle Mer for our wedding in September (best wife ever!) We started off with chips and guacamole which was really the largest bowl of guacamole ever with a mound of chips piled on top. There were also tostones (fried plantains) which are delicious. Then dinner came (as I did a happy dance). The fish tacos were set in front of me and I could not wait to devour them! I usually prefer fish tacos grilled, but it is something about the way these are fried that make them light and airy. Tempura batter maybe? Next time I must to remember to ask their secret. My favorite part of the fish tacos are the pickled onions. It comes as a condiment for many dishes there. How have I never had these before coming here? They completely make this dish.
Now let's talk about what Perro is famous for- Sticky Pork Ribs. These are the best ribs I have ever had in my life. They are like a cross between Chinese sticky ribs and Southern-style BBQ ribs.
They instantly fall off the bone and melt in your mouth. The crunchy, charred outside adds so much flavor, and of course, paired with the pickled onions you cannot go wrong.
This was the first time I have ever got dessert here, and wow, have I been missing out. We ordered sopapilla (fried,puffy tortillas) that were drizzled with spicy chocolate and honey. It was a perfect end to a perfect evening! Big thanks to Renee and Evan for joining us. We ended up talking food all night! (Surprise - my favorite topic…)
Read more of Leanne’s culinary adventures at AroundTheTableRI.blogspot.com.
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Navigating the gauntlet of all things wedding-related can be overwhelming. Our resident wedding expert, Rebecca Miller (a newlywed herself, pictured on the far left), has the 411 on how to work a bridal show, and not let it work you. If you’re planning a wedding in Newport or Bristol County, be sure to reach out to her for everything you need to plan your big day (rebeccam@gonewport.com), and visit YourNewportWedding.com to connect with a variety of local wedding vendors sure to make your day one to remember.
It’s that special time of year again…engagement season! Did you know almost 40% of engagements happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day? That means there are a whole new crop of brides-to-be showing off their bling. New engagements means packs of eager brides setting their sights on area bridal shows. My two favorites: The Southern New England Bridal Show at the RI Convention Center on Sunday, January 8th and the Newport Wedding Magazine Bridal Show at Rosecliff & OceanCliff on Saturday, February 18th!
Attending a bridal show can be overwhelming—tons of vendors, prizes and brides with their entourages. Here are my top tips for having your cake and eating it too, while attending a bridal show:
Do your homework! Really understand your needs. Are you starting from scratch or are you in the final stages of planning and need to secure solid vendors? Pick up as much material that interests you and set aside time once you return home to review.
Let your senses guide you. Touch, taste, smell and see your vision come to life. You can find inspiration in a beautiful flower or interesting textured linen. If you are unsure of how you want the overall feel of your big day to be, take inspiration in the little things around you and let that be the start of your palette. If a pop of color catches your eye at a pretty booth at the show let this color be the start of your vision!
Bring your camera (or smart phone) to take a lot of photographs! Snap shots of beautiful invitations, cakes even gowns that you do not want to forget about.
Make it easy on yourself Bring self-adhesive labels from home to stick on paperwork for vendors. This saves you a lot of time waiting in line and filling out paperwork at the show. Consider adding your email to the label as well.
Simplify your life. Create an email account specifically for your wedding. Have vendors send information to that account and it will be easier to sort through and organize.
Have Fun! Enjoy the day and soak up the experience as a bride! Sip champagne and savor a delicious piece of wedding cake—it is research after all!
Photo by Kate Whitney Lucey
We were so excited when the Rhode Island Film & TV Office gave us the thumbs up that we can
share Wes Anderson’s newest feature film, Moonrise Kingdom, much of which was shot in Newport, is set to hit theaters Friday, May 25, 2012. (That’s Anderson on the Newport set, photo by Rob Thorn of Newport This Week/Newport-Now.com. See more of his images by visiting NewportExposure.com)
The book-to-big-screen tale is the story of a young boy and girl who fall in love and run away together while a variety of townspeople mobilize to search for them on a unique island off the coast of New England during the 1960s. The all-star cast of Academy Award winners and nominees includes Bruce Willis, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel and Tilda Swinton, all of whom were spotted here in the City-by-the-Sea.
Local set locations included Trinity Church, Ballard Park, and John F. Kennedy Middle School in Middletown. We can’t wait to see it!
Moonrise Kingdom is a Focus Features film, part of NBC Universal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies.