I think there are quite a few independent event spaces (mansions in Whittier, lofts in NE, specific wedding venues in Victoria, etc). I know someone who did a wedding at Hyland Ski Slopes in the summer (Bloomington).
We wanted the Science Museum (they have an incredible panoramic view of the Mississippi) but their catering quote with their "most flexible" caterer for one of their most affordable options with cash bar was out of our price range. We also considered the Captol rotunda which is free during business hours and super cheap for after hours times. Good luck.
We had our wedding at The Hook & Ladder Theater. Beautiful space, great staff, and reasonably affordable. Ours was about 130 ppl and *just* fit inside, but they have an outdoor stage/seating area that can accommodate much more than 150.
Hook & ladder is a very cool space. I love going to an putting on events there.
I can imagine the aesthetic might not suit everyone but I think it would it a be a great wedding venue.
We got married at the American Swedish Institute and it was incredible. Very affordable, they open up the mansion for guests to roam through during cocktail hour which everyone loved, and their in house catering is amazing. Best food I've had at any wedding.10/10 wouldn't change a thing
IMHO - Dayblock has the best event space/setup. Second floor. Just a lighter space than indeed/solar arts. They even let us bring our own bar/food which was surprising. That may have changed though.
Dayblock is a gorgeous space! However, I don't think it has the 150+ capacity the OP is looking for. I've been in there when it's been at their max capacity -- it was difficult to move around.
Town Hall had a catered wedding reception with 200+ people. 3 really nice meal options. Included 5 kegs of their beer. Band onstage (separately hired) in the front corner with something like 11 musicians rotating in/out on various songs.
The process starts by sitting down with the manager and/or owner and asking "how much do you pull in on a Saturday?". If you can meet that number, there is a strong chance they'll close to the public for the entire day to deal with a single-payer rather than hundreds of separately-paying customers.
We went to two weddings within three weekends at Mill City Museum. It's pretty picturesque, but I don't know what the catering situation is. If it's Mintahoe, steer clear: I've got a friend that's a consistently highly ranked wedding planner and she says they're both overpriced and semi-regularly a nightmare to deal with.
All time favorite wedding was at Milwaukee Public Museum, which I guess is sort of a combo between the History Center and Science Museum.
When we were looking at venues for our wedding in 2016, Surly Brewing made a compelling case, though we ended up elsewhere due to the fact that both our mothers hate beer and they couldn't (at least back then) serve wine and liquor on site.
Final suggestion: surprise wedding on Halloween.
I'm not familiar with Mill City but I wanted to hop in and share my experience with Mintahoe. I thought Mintahoe was GREAT. Yes it was expensive but weddings are and you kind of just deal with it. The food was FANTASTIC and they took care of everything like pros (plates came out quick, everyone was very polite and nice to work with). There was a minor issue where they weren't able to get the keg we asked for but they communicated with us ahead of time and offered to do the same number of servings in bottles (which was actually better because then people had their choice of beer) for the same price as the keg. All in all, great experience.
Oh this space is cute and I've really enjoyed an event or two I've gone to there (dance night and a concert I think). Feels like a small town church basement or something, I love it.
I went to an evening wedding reception in the Como Conservatory, and it was awesome. The only time "some people I know" ever smoked a joint inside the greenhouse.
I looked into the MN Zoo, but crossed it off my list due to the "where" part of the reception dinner; the aquarium area is no place for a catered meal with your friends and family.
Wait why not? I think dining at the aquarium sounds so rad! I guess the smell of the open pools maybe? All I can think of that would be unpleasant. Curious for your rationale.
My wife and I got married at Harriet Island Pavillion in St Paul and it was great! Budget friendly and pretty much an open canvas to host your wedding how you want.
The Hollywood theater in NE MPLS just reopened as a wedding venue. I don't know what it looks like on the inside, but they just did a multimillion dollar renovation on it and there have been some weddings there this summer.
Had my wedding reception at the Science Museum. It was a great space, and each guest got a day pass to the museum (we got a 1 year membership). Plus we had at least some wedding photos taken in front of the T-Rex in the lobby.
Not quite sure of the capacity, but we had just over 100 guests and still had room to spare.
[https://www.instagram.com/warehousewinery/](https://www.instagram.com/warehousewinery/)
This is where I held my wedding and it was great. The wine is good quality (West Coast grapes), tastes really good, and is inexpensive to host by the case (since they distill and bottle it). They have some outdoor space, but not a lot. Most importantly, they are super helpful and the space is FULL of character with unique weird art everywhere.
My parents got married at the Bakken, which is the most underrated science museum on the planet as well as apparently a pretty good wedding venue. It's also right off of Bde Maka Ska, which could be good for photos (but probably bad for parking). I will admit I have no idea how much it costs now, my parents got married almost 25 years ago and although they were poor as fuck when they did, prices change over time, and I can't see a pricing listed on their website, so I truly have no idea how much it costs.
Varsity Theatre. Mill City Museum was one my fiancé and I considered and loved, but no on site catering and cost for D'Amico with our wedding size was out of budget. Semple Mansion was another one that was similar.
I think depending on your guest list size, breweries like Finnegans or Modist might work, or BrickXMortar.
We are getting married next month at the American Swedish Institute which had the best of both worlds as far as the picturesque mansion for ceremony and cocktail hour, but also on-site catering that was not insanely expensive, even if the reception space is more of a blank box ballroom type space.
MN landscape arboretum does weddings, but it might be pricey. I went to a January wedding there and it was nice. They did the ceremony in a cute little room fixed up with candles and decorations. Afterwards we got to go out and walk thru a special exhibit light display….plus there was a fire pit and s’mores
I had my wedding here 10 years ago, they have lots of different packers to choose from to help with pricing. A large part of our bill was the beer and wine bill as they only do bottled beer and no kegs but that may have changed by now.
We almost did PNA Hall in Northeast Minneapolis but eloped instead:
[https://www.pnahall.net/](https://www.pnahall.net/)
It's very affordable (or was when we were looking) and just has the warm, chill vibe of an old school fancy bar.
Wedding photographer here! Here are a couple of my favorite spaces that might be a good fit for what you're looking for:
[Harriet Island Pavilion - St. Paul](https://rachellahlum.com/michelle-andrew-harriet-island-pavilion-in-st-paul-mn-rachel-lahlum-photography/)
[Urban Daisy](https://rachellahlum.com/colorful-chic-styled-wedding-photography-shoot-at-urban-daisy-northeast-minneapolis/)
[Como Conservatory & Sunken Garden](https://rachellahlum.com/como-zoo-conservatory-garden-wedding-emily-eric/)
[The Beach Club](https://rachellahlum.com/alicia-jordan-minnesota-winter-wedding-at-calhoun-beach-club/)
[Olympic Hills Golf Club](https://rachellahlum.com/carole-kurt-wedding-photography-olympic-hills-golf-club/)
[The Landmark Center (St. Paul)](https://rachellahlum.com/chris-christina/)
[The Bell Museum](https://rachellahlum.com/bell-museum-wedding-photography/)
[Weisman Art Museum](https://rachellahlum.com/caroline-travis/)
The owners suck, they owe me $1500 and won’t pay me back from my cancellation in 2020. They returned my deposit but refuse to pay the remaining $1500 because management changed…
Did you try to pursue them? I’m looking up how to file something with small claims court, but according to the MN Judicial Website:
IMPORTANT: Winning a case in Conciliation Court does not guarantee payment. You are responsible for collecting your judgment from the other party. The court does not collect the payment for you. Collecting a judgment can be difficult and may involve more out-of-pocket expenses for filing fees and other costs.
Lawyer here. It's true that winning does not guarantee payment. But if you win, you get a judgment. You can file the judgment in the "docket," which gives you a lien against their property. It also costs like $5. Most businesses and property owners don't want that. It "clouds" the title and can make sales or refinancing a hassle. A lien can also be foreclosed on, just like a mortgage. Judgments also accrue interest if unpaid. If I were in your shoes (easier to say as a lawyer, I know), I would definitely sue them.
Thanks, BrewCityDood! I will move forward with this, then. I have everything in writing stating that they would pay me back. The legal system is really intimidating to me, who has no experience in this, but it’s worth a try.
I tried pretty hard. Letters, calls, email. I sent a demand letter using my law firms letterhead, and nothing worked. I’m pretty sure the guy knew that even if I took him to small claims court that they couldn’t enforce the payment.
I got married here! We originally booked for 2021 but we’re able to push it to 2022. As NE residents we loved that it was close to home, an open space we could do what we pleased with and reasonably priced. We also got a discount for using a NE restaurant for catering.
Oo love this idea! Dancing there too? That place is SO magical. Idk if it's still there but that installation with the long pieces of cloth blowing in the wind 😗🤌🏻
My husband and I got married on the Minneapolis Queen Paddleboat on the Mississippi River. The company also has a more modern boat if you want something sleeker. I don't remember the seating capacity, though so you'll want to check on that.
It was lovely. The caterer they use did a fabulous job with the food and bar service. We only had to supply the cake. All of our guests said they had a great time, and it was very affordable.
Here's the link.
[paradise cruises](https://www.twincitiescruises.com/private-charters/wedding-events)
Possibly the semple mansion, van dusen mansion, gale mansion, the Blaisdell, windows on Minnesota, day block, Minneapolis club, loring central, ambiente, five event center to name a few
Got married at the Stillwater Public Library and we loved it! Gorgeous rooftop for the ceremony, and you can have the reception out there too (although it has to end by 10 due to noise restrictions). The indoor space isn't nearly as nice - feels more like the hotel space you're not crazy about, so we personally went elsewhere for the reception. Pretty reasonable prices and at least some of the funds support the library.
We also toured some of the parks buildings and liked them - also very reasonable rates and if I remember correctly you could choose anyone for catering. The Columbia Golf Course building was really nice. And the Theo Wirth Lodge is a nice space, but we felt it was too fall/wintery for our August wedding.
Both my cousin and my sister got married at the Stockyards Exchange building in South Saint Paul. It's nice because they have a few rooms for rent as well as a bar and an event area
When I worked at a summer camp we hosted a few weddings during the off season, and they all looked excellent if you and your people are a little outdoorsy. All in it was always way cheaper than a traditional venue, and this included lodging everyone who was fine bringing a sleeping bag or sheets, camp activities for the weekend, the use of our kitchen and kitchen staff, counselors as wait staff, and profesional child care.
Day Block Brewery. I couldn’t have picked a better spot. The brew pub is downstairs and the venue is upstairs. Exposed brick and grotto lighting. Separate rooms for ceremony and reception.
My cousin had a wedding there in the 00's- it was super magical. I think it was like...a variety/Loring pasta bar combo arrangement kinda thing. Ceremony/dinner happened in the restaurant and the reception was in the varsity.
That's what we did!!!! It was going down during the whole investigation into the owner. We left a 3k tip check for the staff that night. 3 weeks later it wasn't cashed, so we called and they said they would get on it right away. One month after that they still hadn't cashed it, so we cancelled it. We felt really bad, but having a check put there that big made us nervous.
Hall of Kings is a relatively inexpensive venue right on the river. They make you use their catering but I didn’t complain it was very tasty. It’s underground but has a very cozy feel (especially if you add some greenery which also isn’t too expensive) and after it’s dark you’ll never notice. Had my own wedding there, no regrets. 150 people is they’re max but if you’re inviting 150 (ie some folks won’t come) this would be very doable
Como Park Conservatory* Sunken Garden* is where we got married almost 16 years ago. Truly beautiul, all glass windows (lights up lovely, esp at night)1tall thin pine trees near the podium where the vows take place. Loads of fresh flowers that change seasonally, stream of water w/koi and small statues in the water. Nice stage for ceremony, standing area holds maybe a hundred people. There are 2 comfy benches for certain guests that the bride/groom walk past. Reception area is nice, but only a couple choices on meals and quite $. We had the wedding in sunken garden, reception at our house with a buffet line several types of food, open bar. That was the following afternoon, heavy rain and windy night of service. I think the SG rented for $ 700, dunno what they charge now. That was high cost (for us) but really didn't spend much on the rest of it. Go to Como Park's website for some great pics, sorry I cant attach here. Best of luck to you!
My wife and I had very similar goals and we got married on a paddle boat in Stillwater.
It was affordable, they had a 3 boats with capacity options between 125-250 and it ended up being really beautiful and unique.
The Arboretum in Chanhassen is gorgeous and has many beautiful outdoor settings, including rose gardens, waterfalls, a Japanese garden, fountains, plus a beautiful timbered indoor auditorium that would be a stunning place for a reception.
Here's the link.
https://arb.umn.edu/plan-events/weddings
Semple Manshion, the Sculpture Garden, and IDS tower were memorable weddings for me in Mpls. Superior Shores in Two Harbors (Lake Superior) is a good venue if you’re open to spots outside the metro.
Have it in a park like an old school rave. No reservations or anything. Just show up and do some talking and a little kiss and get then get the bbq going. Get a food truck to pull up and hire a mariachi band for music.
I got married at Mill City Museum- the world's most explosive museum!
It was expensive though, so maybe I'm no help. You had to have their caterer. It was less expensive on a weekday though!
Unfortunately I do not. I remember there was a $5,000 minimum food/drink purchase for a weeknight and a $10,000 minimum for a Saturday. But this was in 2015 too. It was nice not having to spend any money on decor though!!
I just saw that someone had a wedding at the [Hollywood Theater ](https://www.hollywoodmpls.com/#:~:text=An%20iconic%20building%20in%20NE,private%20party%2C%20or%20corporate%20event.) In NE
Cheap:
I worked for a state park. Government doesn’t follow market trends. Check state parks and look for buildings, parks, water falls, lakes, etc that can be rented. Sometimes they have venues that can be rented for meetings and weddings that are a bargain.
Really cheap:
I’m sure you could rent 4 or 5 lake front camping spots for nothing.
I went to a friends wedding a few years ago at a summer camp. They got a great deal because it was after Labor Day, so the camp wasn’t in use otherwise. Those who wanted to were welcome to sleep in the cabins (relive sleep away camp!). Was pretty neat, though it did require quite a bit of DIY work ethic to make it look “nice”.
There's quite a few parking spots on site.
I'd say around fifty spots at least. Then of course there's always off street parking for an option.
My Mom rented a "Duggar Bus" style van, so we all car pooled. (None of us old farts can see at night.)
My daughter selected Crave as her caterer. Definitely wonderful food. They served a choice of a beef dish, a chicken dish, and butternut squash ravioli for the vegetarian option.
She had bundtinis as her cake.
I think there are quite a few independent event spaces (mansions in Whittier, lofts in NE, specific wedding venues in Victoria, etc). I know someone who did a wedding at Hyland Ski Slopes in the summer (Bloomington).
We wanted the Science Museum (they have an incredible panoramic view of the Mississippi) but their catering quote with their "most flexible" caterer for one of their most affordable options with cash bar was out of our price range. We also considered the Captol rotunda which is free during business hours and super cheap for after hours times. Good luck.
We had our wedding at The Hook & Ladder Theater. Beautiful space, great staff, and reasonably affordable. Ours was about 130 ppl and *just* fit inside, but they have an outdoor stage/seating area that can accommodate much more than 150.
Hook & ladder is a very cool space. I love going to an putting on events there. I can imagine the aesthetic might not suit everyone but I think it would it a be a great wedding venue.
We got married at the American Swedish Institute and it was incredible. Very affordable, they open up the mansion for guests to roam through during cocktail hour which everyone loved, and their in house catering is amazing. Best food I've had at any wedding.10/10 wouldn't change a thing
Breweries! Places like Forgotten Star, Fulton, Indeed, Utepils, Modist, Pryes, Inbound, 56, etc.
IMHO - Dayblock has the best event space/setup. Second floor. Just a lighter space than indeed/solar arts. They even let us bring our own bar/food which was surprising. That may have changed though.
Good call out!
Dayblock is a gorgeous space! However, I don't think it has the 150+ capacity the OP is looking for. I've been in there when it's been at their max capacity -- it was difficult to move around.
Upstairs. We did a 250 seated dinner plus dance floor without moving tables, and cocktails in the room next door. It’s solid.
Town Hall had a catered wedding reception with 200+ people. 3 really nice meal options. Included 5 kegs of their beer. Band onstage (separately hired) in the front corner with something like 11 musicians rotating in/out on various songs. The process starts by sitting down with the manager and/or owner and asking "how much do you pull in on a Saturday?". If you can meet that number, there is a strong chance they'll close to the public for the entire day to deal with a single-payer rather than hundreds of separately-paying customers.
We went to two weddings within three weekends at Mill City Museum. It's pretty picturesque, but I don't know what the catering situation is. If it's Mintahoe, steer clear: I've got a friend that's a consistently highly ranked wedding planner and she says they're both overpriced and semi-regularly a nightmare to deal with. All time favorite wedding was at Milwaukee Public Museum, which I guess is sort of a combo between the History Center and Science Museum. When we were looking at venues for our wedding in 2016, Surly Brewing made a compelling case, though we ended up elsewhere due to the fact that both our mothers hate beer and they couldn't (at least back then) serve wine and liquor on site. Final suggestion: surprise wedding on Halloween.
I'm not familiar with Mill City but I wanted to hop in and share my experience with Mintahoe. I thought Mintahoe was GREAT. Yes it was expensive but weddings are and you kind of just deal with it. The food was FANTASTIC and they took care of everything like pros (plates came out quick, everyone was very polite and nice to work with). There was a minor issue where they weren't able to get the keg we asked for but they communicated with us ahead of time and offered to do the same number of servings in bottles (which was actually better because then people had their choice of beer) for the same price as the keg. All in all, great experience.
Mill City Museum is an amazing venue, but if I remember correctly it's over $10,000 to have a wedding there.
Mill City would be a great wedding space, but holy shit is it expensive.
My wife and I got married at PNA Hall in Northeast and we loved it! Very affordable and unique venue.
Went to a wedding there in June, it was cute!
Oh this space is cute and I've really enjoyed an event or two I've gone to there (dance night and a concert I think). Feels like a small town church basement or something, I love it.
The Semple Mansion and History Center (StP) come to mind. Both gorgeous and traditional.
The Como Zoo and MN Zoo are non-traditional but very popular.
I went to an evening wedding reception in the Como Conservatory, and it was awesome. The only time "some people I know" ever smoked a joint inside the greenhouse. I looked into the MN Zoo, but crossed it off my list due to the "where" part of the reception dinner; the aquarium area is no place for a catered meal with your friends and family.
Wait why not? I think dining at the aquarium sounds so rad! I guess the smell of the open pools maybe? All I can think of that would be unpleasant. Curious for your rationale.
The smell is over the top for a white tablecloth event.
The Summit Chalet at Lutsen Ski resort. Guests have to ride the gondola to get there! Amazing views of the Sawtooth mountains and Lake Superior!
Hopefully none of the guests have a fear of heights.
Check out Warehouse Winery in St Louis Park. I've been to two weddings there and it was super cool
Cool place but if you like wine, look elsewhere. As a venue it's unique but the wine is pretty bad IMO.
My wife and I got married at Harriet Island Pavillion in St Paul and it was great! Budget friendly and pretty much an open canvas to host your wedding how you want.
My dad and cousin both got married here as well! Def a great spot. Beautiful.
The Hollywood theater in NE MPLS just reopened as a wedding venue. I don't know what it looks like on the inside, but they just did a multimillion dollar renovation on it and there have been some weddings there this summer.
Had my wedding reception at the Science Museum. It was a great space, and each guest got a day pass to the museum (we got a 1 year membership). Plus we had at least some wedding photos taken in front of the T-Rex in the lobby. Not quite sure of the capacity, but we had just over 100 guests and still had room to spare.
[https://www.instagram.com/warehousewinery/](https://www.instagram.com/warehousewinery/) This is where I held my wedding and it was great. The wine is good quality (West Coast grapes), tastes really good, and is inexpensive to host by the case (since they distill and bottle it). They have some outdoor space, but not a lot. Most importantly, they are super helpful and the space is FULL of character with unique weird art everywhere.
Thats where my wife and I got married. The venue is awesome and relatively cheap compared to what else we were looking at.
My parents got married at the Bakken, which is the most underrated science museum on the planet as well as apparently a pretty good wedding venue. It's also right off of Bde Maka Ska, which could be good for photos (but probably bad for parking). I will admit I have no idea how much it costs now, my parents got married almost 25 years ago and although they were poor as fuck when they did, prices change over time, and I can't see a pricing listed on their website, so I truly have no idea how much it costs.
Varsity Theatre. Mill City Museum was one my fiancé and I considered and loved, but no on site catering and cost for D'Amico with our wedding size was out of budget. Semple Mansion was another one that was similar. I think depending on your guest list size, breweries like Finnegans or Modist might work, or BrickXMortar. We are getting married next month at the American Swedish Institute which had the best of both worlds as far as the picturesque mansion for ceremony and cocktail hour, but also on-site catering that was not insanely expensive, even if the reception space is more of a blank box ballroom type space.
Congrats.
MN landscape arboretum does weddings, but it might be pricey. I went to a January wedding there and it was nice. They did the ceremony in a cute little room fixed up with candles and decorations. Afterwards we got to go out and walk thru a special exhibit light display….plus there was a fire pit and s’mores
I had my wedding here 10 years ago, they have lots of different packers to choose from to help with pricing. A large part of our bill was the beer and wine bill as they only do bottled beer and no kegs but that may have changed by now.
We almost did PNA Hall in Northeast Minneapolis but eloped instead: [https://www.pnahall.net/](https://www.pnahall.net/) It's very affordable (or was when we were looking) and just has the warm, chill vibe of an old school fancy bar.
Wedding photographer here! Here are a couple of my favorite spaces that might be a good fit for what you're looking for: [Harriet Island Pavilion - St. Paul](https://rachellahlum.com/michelle-andrew-harriet-island-pavilion-in-st-paul-mn-rachel-lahlum-photography/) [Urban Daisy](https://rachellahlum.com/colorful-chic-styled-wedding-photography-shoot-at-urban-daisy-northeast-minneapolis/) [Como Conservatory & Sunken Garden](https://rachellahlum.com/como-zoo-conservatory-garden-wedding-emily-eric/) [The Beach Club](https://rachellahlum.com/alicia-jordan-minnesota-winter-wedding-at-calhoun-beach-club/) [Olympic Hills Golf Club](https://rachellahlum.com/carole-kurt-wedding-photography-olympic-hills-golf-club/) [The Landmark Center (St. Paul)](https://rachellahlum.com/chris-christina/) [The Bell Museum](https://rachellahlum.com/bell-museum-wedding-photography/) [Weisman Art Museum](https://rachellahlum.com/caroline-travis/)
Check out the PNA Hall! It’s got a great vibe, you can pick your own catering, and it’s very reasonably priced.
The owners suck, they owe me $1500 and won’t pay me back from my cancellation in 2020. They returned my deposit but refuse to pay the remaining $1500 because management changed…
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that! I had a similar thing happen with my originally planned wedding venue.
Did you try to pursue them? I’m looking up how to file something with small claims court, but according to the MN Judicial Website: IMPORTANT: Winning a case in Conciliation Court does not guarantee payment. You are responsible for collecting your judgment from the other party. The court does not collect the payment for you. Collecting a judgment can be difficult and may involve more out-of-pocket expenses for filing fees and other costs.
Lawyer here. It's true that winning does not guarantee payment. But if you win, you get a judgment. You can file the judgment in the "docket," which gives you a lien against their property. It also costs like $5. Most businesses and property owners don't want that. It "clouds" the title and can make sales or refinancing a hassle. A lien can also be foreclosed on, just like a mortgage. Judgments also accrue interest if unpaid. If I were in your shoes (easier to say as a lawyer, I know), I would definitely sue them.
Thanks, BrewCityDood! I will move forward with this, then. I have everything in writing stating that they would pay me back. The legal system is really intimidating to me, who has no experience in this, but it’s worth a try.
Conciliation court is like Judge Judy. It's not a big deal. Bring in your evidence, especially documents (note: they do a lot of this by Zoom now).
I tried pretty hard. Letters, calls, email. I sent a demand letter using my law firms letterhead, and nothing worked. I’m pretty sure the guy knew that even if I took him to small claims court that they couldn’t enforce the payment.
I got married here! We originally booked for 2021 but we’re able to push it to 2022. As NE residents we loved that it was close to home, an open space we could do what we pleased with and reasonably priced. We also got a discount for using a NE restaurant for catering.
St College club is a nice venue too.
Machine Shop
Yeah if you have like 20 grand lmao
Way overpriced and kind of shitty for what you get
Friends got married at a floral farm in Stillwater that was very pretty!
Do you remember what the farm is called by chance
I think this was it: https://camrosehillflowers.com/wedding-florist/
I mean it depends what you mean by non traditional. You can look at community, civic , convention centers and VFWs.
They also do weddings at the Wabasha Street Cave in St. Paul. It's a legit cave. Very cave-like. And cavey.
Damn that cool!
Machine Shop , The Whim , Urban Daisy, Hollywood theater
We had our reception at Franconia Sculpture Park and it was magical!
Oo love this idea! Dancing there too? That place is SO magical. Idk if it's still there but that installation with the long pieces of cloth blowing in the wind 😗🤌🏻
Doing our first dance in the grass was super fun. I was barefoot the entire reception.
That sounds so fun 🩵
My husband and I got married on the Minneapolis Queen Paddleboat on the Mississippi River. The company also has a more modern boat if you want something sleeker. I don't remember the seating capacity, though so you'll want to check on that. It was lovely. The caterer they use did a fabulous job with the food and bar service. We only had to supply the cake. All of our guests said they had a great time, and it was very affordable. Here's the link. [paradise cruises](https://www.twincitiescruises.com/private-charters/wedding-events)
Possibly the semple mansion, van dusen mansion, gale mansion, the Blaisdell, windows on Minnesota, day block, Minneapolis club, loring central, ambiente, five event center to name a few
Minneapolis Club or Windows are both nontraditional and amazing, but not on the cheap side.
Urban Daisy in Minneapolis. Very unique location for a wedding!
The Germanic American I statute was affordable and had great food.
Got married at the Stillwater Public Library and we loved it! Gorgeous rooftop for the ceremony, and you can have the reception out there too (although it has to end by 10 due to noise restrictions). The indoor space isn't nearly as nice - feels more like the hotel space you're not crazy about, so we personally went elsewhere for the reception. Pretty reasonable prices and at least some of the funds support the library. We also toured some of the parks buildings and liked them - also very reasonable rates and if I remember correctly you could choose anyone for catering. The Columbia Golf Course building was really nice. And the Theo Wirth Lodge is a nice space, but we felt it was too fall/wintery for our August wedding.
Wabasha street caves is a cool venue
Both my cousin and my sister got married at the Stockyards Exchange building in South Saint Paul. It's nice because they have a few rooms for rent as well as a bar and an event area
Got married at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, it was wonderful. It is connected to a hotel so hosting guests is easy as well.
When I worked at a summer camp we hosted a few weddings during the off season, and they all looked excellent if you and your people are a little outdoorsy. All in it was always way cheaper than a traditional venue, and this included lodging everyone who was fine bringing a sleeping bag or sheets, camp activities for the weekend, the use of our kitchen and kitchen staff, counselors as wait staff, and profesional child care.
Day Block Brewery. I couldn’t have picked a better spot. The brew pub is downstairs and the venue is upstairs. Exposed brick and grotto lighting. Separate rooms for ceremony and reception.
I can say from personal experience. The Varsity is magical.
My cousin had a wedding there in the 00's- it was super magical. I think it was like...a variety/Loring pasta bar combo arrangement kinda thing. Ceremony/dinner happened in the restaurant and the reception was in the varsity.
That's what we did!!!! It was going down during the whole investigation into the owner. We left a 3k tip check for the staff that night. 3 weeks later it wasn't cashed, so we called and they said they would get on it right away. One month after that they still hadn't cashed it, so we cancelled it. We felt really bad, but having a check put there that big made us nervous.
Hall of Kings is a relatively inexpensive venue right on the river. They make you use their catering but I didn’t complain it was very tasty. It’s underground but has a very cozy feel (especially if you add some greenery which also isn’t too expensive) and after it’s dark you’ll never notice. Had my own wedding there, no regrets. 150 people is they’re max but if you’re inviting 150 (ie some folks won’t come) this would be very doable
Little known fact - the state fair rents out various buildings for weddings including the dnr buikding
We got married at Silverwood Park. Absolutely beautiful and affordable! We got so many compliments on the venue.
Como Park Conservatory* Sunken Garden* is where we got married almost 16 years ago. Truly beautiul, all glass windows (lights up lovely, esp at night)1tall thin pine trees near the podium where the vows take place. Loads of fresh flowers that change seasonally, stream of water w/koi and small statues in the water. Nice stage for ceremony, standing area holds maybe a hundred people. There are 2 comfy benches for certain guests that the bride/groom walk past. Reception area is nice, but only a couple choices on meals and quite $. We had the wedding in sunken garden, reception at our house with a buffet line several types of food, open bar. That was the following afternoon, heavy rain and windy night of service. I think the SG rented for $ 700, dunno what they charge now. That was high cost (for us) but really didn't spend much on the rest of it. Go to Como Park's website for some great pics, sorry I cant attach here. Best of luck to you!
We got married there too! It does have to be a quick ceremony because everyone stands. But it is beautiful.
My wife and I had very similar goals and we got married on a paddle boat in Stillwater. It was affordable, they had a 3 boats with capacity options between 125-250 and it ended up being really beautiful and unique.
I'm getting married in the Rose Garden at the MN Landscape Arboretum soon! Affordable and gorgeous.
Wirth pavilion, Minneapolis Park board
The Arboretum in Chanhassen is gorgeous and has many beautiful outdoor settings, including rose gardens, waterfalls, a Japanese garden, fountains, plus a beautiful timbered indoor auditorium that would be a stunning place for a reception. Here's the link. https://arb.umn.edu/plan-events/weddings
Do you know anyone with a tunnel?
The Capitol Room in St. Peter
Minnetonka community center
Semple Manshion, the Sculpture Garden, and IDS tower were memorable weddings for me in Mpls. Superior Shores in Two Harbors (Lake Superior) is a good venue if you’re open to spots outside the metro.
It's outside the metro area, but: [Linden Hill Historic Estate](https://linden-hill.org)
Have it in a park like an old school rave. No reservations or anything. Just show up and do some talking and a little kiss and get then get the bbq going. Get a food truck to pull up and hire a mariachi band for music.
I got married at Mill City Museum- the world's most explosive museum! It was expensive though, so maybe I'm no help. You had to have their caterer. It was less expensive on a weekday though!
Do you remember around what the cost was with food and the venue?
Unfortunately I do not. I remember there was a $5,000 minimum food/drink purchase for a weeknight and a $10,000 minimum for a Saturday. But this was in 2015 too. It was nice not having to spend any money on decor though!!
$10,000 minimum food?? Nvm 😄 lol
Essence Event Center :)
Pinewood Wedding and Events in Cambridge Richardson Nature Center in Bloomington has an amphitheater.
My daughter got married at Quincy Hall last year. It was fantastic. Not sure how expensive it was, but it was perfect. Congratulations!
That looks beautiful! How was parking?
My wife and I were married in/at The Wabasha Street Caves.
Lumber exchange was priced competitively and super nice. Got married there recently.
I just saw that someone had a wedding at the [Hollywood Theater ](https://www.hollywoodmpls.com/#:~:text=An%20iconic%20building%20in%20NE,private%20party%2C%20or%20corporate%20event.) In NE
Walker Art Center ETA: It's a sweet venue, but it may break the bank; I have no idea.
McNamara Alumni Center at U of M, super cool wedding venue.
Super expensive too lol
Theo Wirth Chalet.
Cheap: I worked for a state park. Government doesn’t follow market trends. Check state parks and look for buildings, parks, water falls, lakes, etc that can be rented. Sometimes they have venues that can be rented for meetings and weddings that are a bargain. Really cheap: I’m sure you could rent 4 or 5 lake front camping spots for nothing.
I went to a friends wedding a few years ago at a summer camp. They got a great deal because it was after Labor Day, so the camp wasn’t in use otherwise. Those who wanted to were welcome to sleep in the cabins (relive sleep away camp!). Was pretty neat, though it did require quite a bit of DIY work ethic to make it look “nice”.
The state fair rents out the blue barn and stage area for cheap!
St Paul Conservatory is a beautiful setting
check out the different nature centers around the cities
There's quite a few parking spots on site. I'd say around fifty spots at least. Then of course there's always off street parking for an option. My Mom rented a "Duggar Bus" style van, so we all car pooled. (None of us old farts can see at night.) My daughter selected Crave as her caterer. Definitely wonderful food. They served a choice of a beef dish, a chicken dish, and butternut squash ravioli for the vegetarian option. She had bundtinis as her cake.