Venue Reviews - Minnesota Parks for Wedding Ceremonies

The following are my favorite parks for wedding ceremonies in Minnesota. (Also see the section on gardens, which includes many public parks.) While there are other wonderful outdoor sites in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area, I have found that these are the ones that couples choose over and over again, for their facilities, beauty, and location.  

New: While most parks do not allow chairs for wedding ceremonies, Minneapolis Parks now allows this practice.  Irvine Park in St. Paul also allows chairs because it has a large bricked area.

Parks reviewed for use as outdoor wedding ceremony sites:

• Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis
• Irvine Park in St. Paul
• Note: See my page on Gardens for the Lake Harriet Rose Garden and the Lyndale Peace Garden

While the the parks reviewed here are especially recommended for outdoor wedding ceremonies, any park in the Twin Cities area can be used. The main criteria for outdoor wedding sites are location and beauty. While most couples initially look for a park that is near their wedding reception site, sometimes they fall in love with a particular location, even if it's farther away.  

Note: If you want to research parks other than the ones listed on this page (perhaps because of their proximity to your wedding reception site), here are good resources:

• Links to the city parks of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Bloomington, plus the county parks of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin (Three Rivers Park District), Ramsey, Scott, and Washington.
• Also, here's a map of all the regional parks in the Twin Cities metro area. The map is quite large so it takes a while to load (and it blinks while it's loading), but once it's all loaded up, it's very complete.

Minnehaha Falls Park is a perfect spot for a small outdoor Minnesota wedding. For a wedding with 2 to 5 guests you may have your ceremony on one of the viewing platforms overlooking the falls, usually on the south side of the falls. The landing is an extension of the stairs that go down to the falls, but the spot is pretty private. If a person is going down the stairs to the falls, they have to take a turn and go up 30 stairs before arriving at the viewing platform. Another site at the park for a small wedding (2 to 10 guests) is at the pergola (gazebo), which is pictured on the top right above. The pergola is about 50 yards south of the falls, across the street from the antique railroad station called the Princess Station or Minnehaha Depot. For more on using Minnehaha Park for wedding ceremonies, check out this blog article (opens in a new window). Minnehaha Park has a pavilion/bandstand (pictured to the right) available for use as a backup rain location for a fee of $800.

Wedding permits are handed out in 3-hour time blocks. In a conversation with the Minneaoplis Parks Deparment, they politely informed me that brides do not exclusively rent the park, per se, but rather, obtain a wedding permit. The permit ensures that no one else will be having a wedding at the same time in the same location, but other people are still allowed to use the park. Note: In my experience with over a hundred weddings in Minnesota parks, Minnesotans are very nice and never, ever interfere with a wedding. (It's this kind of consideration that makes me fall in love with Minnesota all over again.) The price for a wedding permit is $500. To obtain a permit, call the Minneapolis Park Board at 612-230-6400.

Capacity: 2 to 10 guests (more for a reception)
Location: 4801 Minnehaha Ave., between Minneapolis and St. Paul
Permit Fee: $500
Phone Number: 612-230-6400 (Minneapolis Park Board)

Irvine Park is located within sight of downtown St. Paul's Science Museum of Minnesota and just below the bluffs of downtown St. Paul. I have a soft spot in my heart for Irvine Park and its beautiful fountain. Victorian mansions form an old-world town square around the park, as illustrated here. You can walk about a half-block from the park down a dead-end street to find a gorgeous cliff-side view of the Mississippi River. The park can hold between 2 and 60 guests, and it books up incredibly quickly.

If you're having your wedding ceremony at Irvine Park, you may want to rent the Ramsey House's Carriage House, too, which is practically next door. Note that this is not the Ramsey House mansion/museum (which is not available for rent), this is the carriage house next to the mansion. If you have your ceremony in park, you get ready at the carriage house ahead of time, then walk the short block to the park. Inside are two rooms with tables, chairs, mirrors, and three restrooms. When you rent the carriage house, you get it before, during, and after your ceremony in the park - both for storage, so you and your guests can use the bathroom. If you're renting the carriage house, you also get all of its parking, too, so everyone, including your guests, can park there and you don't have to worry about anyone parking in the wrong place or getting towed. If you're getting married in the park and rent the carriage house, your can also take pictures in the carriage house yard, which includes the front veranda of the Ramsey House. The rental cost $150 per hour, with a 3 hour minimum.

For an outdoor wedding permit, contact the St. Paul Parks Department at 651-632-5111. The wedding permit fee is a mere $150 - if you can get it. The park often books up the first day it's available for booking (13 months before the wedding for St Paul residents, 12 months before the wedding for non-residents).

Capacity: 2 to 60 guests
Location: 281 Walnut St., St. Paul
Permit Fee: $150
Phone Number: 651-632-5111 (St. Paul Parks Department)