Surprise venue!

Today started off as a trip to Colt State Park, which contained a few dealbreakers.
1. No alcohol whatsoever.
2. 3-hour limit on weddings. (People were complaining that the park wasn't available enough for booking. Ironic.)

With some resignation, elenuial and I checked out some of the sights along the shoreline, had lunch, looked at a beautiful library building, and headed to my parents' house to say hello. They weren't home, but as he and I ate our takeout, we came up with a few other ideas that were quickly shot down. Arnold Arboretum has a 40-person max for group bookings. Barrington City Hall doesn't do tents. Other places that were meaningful to either of us all had similar giant drawbacks. It was frustrating.

Then he suggested the Zoo as a half-joke, and I mentioned that I'd spent half of my life at Roger Williams' Park. It was on our way home (literally, right next to the 95N ramp), so we drove around in it a bit and I pointed out the Temple of Music and the gazebo, both of which are very popular wedding spots. Then we parked and wandered over to the carousel, where I casually asked who to talk to about booking things. I was introduced to a couple of very obliging and nice men, one of whom happened to be the owner.

See, I was thinking that I could set up tents on one of the fields and get a bunch of carousel passes for the guests. But the owner, Roy, was so open to everything that he took elenuial and I for a walk around the premises, talking about how it was rare for weddings to be there, and how they only got maybe one or two a year. I told him how much the carousel meant to me and my childhood, and he was very pleased to hear that his vintage go-round was appreciated by someone who was now an adult.

Some amazing things about the site:
- He's willing to walk me through getting a liquor license, which I can get because the carousel is private property!!
- The bathrooms are in the carousel buildings. Park bathrooms INDOORS and right next to the site.
- Right next to the boathouse and japanese gardens. Literally.
- Carousel rides for the guests!
- Concrete ground, where he'll let me set up a series of tents in this awesome hexagonal curve around the building. Not grass/mud = good for guests, tables, and dance floor. When I told him my idea, he just scratched his head and said "Well, no one's done that before, but sure. You can do whatever you want."
- There'll be a fresh coat of paint on the building next year.
- Total electrical access!
- Awesome and obliging owner who takes total pride in his work and wants me to have a fabulous wedding in his carousel.
- It fits the aesthetic perfectly.

There are more. Many more.

Basically, he's told me I can do whatever I want to the space, and he'll keep the normal event price (about the same as a birthday party). Also, he's blocking off the two dates we want and won't book anything there until he hears from us, that's how important it is for him to have the place for someone who loves his baby as much as he does. This is... absolutely unheard of. I almost cried a little in the car.

I was stressed and panicky when I researched the other venues. And trying to think of ways to make them work. Instead, this one just flooded me with good news and I felt so relaxed looking around the space. I think that it was that "aha" moment so many people talk about, where you just know. And Roy said he'd even call the Providence Journal to see if they wanted to cover something like this.

I'm really, really excited. Getting married at the carousel. In a place I grew up. Going to chat with people about it tomorrow, and hopefully call Roy on Monday.

Emotional significance aside, how awesome would it be to get married in a carousel?

Fingers crossed.