Ochre Court is a historic Gilded Age wedding venue in Newport, RI, set along the famous Cliff Walk on the campus of Salve Regina University. Built in 1892 by architect Richard Morris Hunt, the same architect behind The Breakers, this 50-room French Renaissance chateau is Newport’s second-largest mansion, with sweeping Atlantic Ocean views, flagstone terraces, and an ornate interior. Recently opened to all couples rather than only those affiliated with the university, Ochre Court hosts wedding receptions in its Great Hall for a five-hour celebration, with exclusive use of the space included.
What makes Ochre Court a standout Newport wedding venue?
Few venues carry this much genuine Gilded Age weight. Once the summer home of Ogden Goelet, a wealthy New York banker and avid yachtsman, Ochre Court features Caen limestone walls, soaring slate roofs, gargoyles, and traceried dormers on the outside, with domed frescoes and Holbein-inspired murals inside the Great Hall, where receptions take place beneath crystal chandeliers and intricate woodwork. The State Dining Room offers a moody, refined setting with detailed molding and dazzling chandeliers for a seated dinner, before guests move into the Great Hall for dancing. Cocktail hour typically unfolds on the mansion’s expansive oceanfront lawn, where guests can watch sailboats drift by in the distance, with the option to tent the lawn for a larger dinner. Ceremonies are held at Our Lady of Mercy Chapel on campus for Catholic services, with Salve Regina’s experienced events team able to help identify alternative ceremony options for couples of other faiths. As the second-largest mansion in Newport, behind only The Breakers, Ochre Court gives couples the grandeur of a Newport Mansion wedding with the flexibility of a modern, currently bookable venue.
Lodging and parking
Ochre Court does not offer overnight guest accommodations, since it operates as a university’s main administration building rather than a resort, so out-of-town guests typically stay at hotels throughout Newport, many within a short drive of campus. On-site parking is available and free for wedding guests. A domed Great Hall with frescoes and an oceanfront lawn each reward lighting and sound tuned to a true Gilded Age setting, which is where Black Diamond comes in.
How does Black Diamond produce events at Ochre Court?
A Great Hall with domed frescoes, Holbein-inspired murals, and crystal chandeliers rewards lighting that complements the mansion’s Gilded Age detail rather than competing with it, all on LED fixtures suited to a landmark property. We bring custom uplighting and run sound that carries an oceanfront lawn cocktail hour into a State Dining Room dinner and a Great Hall reception. Our DJ and MC talent keeps the floor moving, photo booths add a keepsake, live musicians set the tone for cocktail hour, and our photography and videography team captures the flagstone terraces, the oceanfront lawn, the Cliff Walk views, and the Great Hall’s frescoed ceiling. For the conferences and private events Salve Regina’s campus also hosts, we bring full corporate event production.
Common questions about weddings at Ochre Court
Where do ceremonies take place? Catholic ceremonies are held at Our Lady of Mercy Chapel on the Salve Regina campus; the events team can help identify alternative ceremony options for other faiths.
What is the rain plan? Because the oceanfront lawn can be tented for dinner, an outdoor cocktail hour or reception plan has a built-in weather backup, and the Great Hall itself remains available as a fully indoor option.
How many guests can it hold? Ochre Court hosts wedding receptions year-round based on availability; confirm current capacity directly with the venue for your guest count.
Does Black Diamond do corporate events here too? Yes. Salve Regina’s campus also hosts conferences and private events, and we bring full corporate event production.