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Comparison Matrix
Comparative list of wedding ceremony and reception sites in the Twin Cities, MN

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My recommendations for wedding sites:

Chapels   Outdoor Sites   
Mansions   Museums   Hotels   Restaurants   Historic   Comparison Matrix
   

Engaged couples in the Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota metro have long needed a tool for comparing wedding reception sites.  Finally, here's a complete matrix of the costs and capacities of all the wedding ceremony and reception sites in the Twin Cities.  I haven't included chapels or outdoor sites, because they don't offer receptions.  

My goal is to have information on every single reception site in the Twin Cities, with pictures, contact information, capacity, prices, and pictures.  Feel free to email me if you have pricing info, notes, or pictures of any upscale wedding ceremony/reception site I've missed, and I'll put it up right away.  I receive no pay for listing these sites, rather, this is simply helpful information.  Other wedding guides, such as the Knot.com, etc., don't list every Twin Cities site because they only accept sites that pay.  In addition, this is the only guide available in Minnesota, either on the web or in print, that shows prices for wedding reception sites.

If you want to sort the following list by seating capacity, city, or anything else, feel free to copy and paste it into an Excel document.  The pictures don't copy/paste well, but the text and links do.

I've assumed a 10-hour rental (2-4 pm pictures, 4:30 pm wedding, 5-6 pm cocktail hour, 6-7:30 pm dinner, 7:30-midnight dancing.)

Important note:  Pricing can be difficult to compare, but here is how it's done:

These Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota wedding reception and ceremony sites are sorted by rental fee - fancier places naturally charge higher rental fees.  The exceptions are restaurants and hotels:  upscale restaurants charge a low fee because they don't allow dancing and thus weddings there don't take much space, and upscale hotels charge a low fee because they make their money solely from the catering.

Tip:  Once you visit a site, if you decide that you really like one, go ahead and book it immediately.  There are a limited number of event spaces in the Twin Cities area, and they book fast.

Minneapolis and St Paul area wedding reception and wedding ceremony sites, 
with pictures, prices, seating capacity, and contact info:

Wedding Ceremony / Reception Site	City	Phone	Seating capacity	Rental fee - See important note above	Type of wedding venue	Lowest priced entree.   See above note for other charges.	Notes	Picture  (click photos to enlarge)
Paddleford River Boat	St Paul	800 593-9308	710	$5,500	Mississippi paddleboat	$20.00	More often, it rents for $1650 for 3 hours
Semple Mansion	Minneapolis	612 290-4448	250	$4,600	Mansion	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	See reviews of weddings in mansions
James J Hill Library	St Paul	651 265-5447	175	$3,700	Historic site	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	See reviews of weddings at historic sites
McNamara Center at the U of M	Minneapolis	612 238-4012	170, or up to 800	$3,500	Historic site	$19.00	See reviews of weddings at museums
Cedars Hall	NE Minneapolis	612 379-8989	450	$3,500	Banquet hall	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	The banquet hall can be divided for much smaller weddings, too
Weisman Art Museum	Minneapolis	612 625-9683	240	$3,400	Museum	Unpublished prices, estimated $50.00	See reviews of weddings at museums
Landmark Center	St Paul	651 292-3228	450	$2,750	Historic site	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	See reviews of weddings at historic sites
The Great Hall	Saint Paul	651 228-9456	300, or up to 500	$2,450	Historic site	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	See reviews of weddings at historic sites
Walker Art Center's Gallery 8 Cafe	Minneapolis	612 375-7553	150	$2,000	Museum	$50.00, but includes salad and dessert	See reviews of weddings at museums
Harriet Island Pavilion	St Paul	651 292-7010	275	$2,000	Historic site in a park	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	In a huge park, right on the river, across from downtown St Paul
Edinborough Park	Edina	952 832-6790	350	$2,000	Indoor park	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	Unique indoor-park environment with more than 6,000 trees, plants, and flowers
Lady Of The Lake	Minnetonka	952 929-1209	150	$2,000	Boat	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	Ceremonies are usually held on the boat, before the launch
Mill City Museum	Minneapolis	612 238-4012	130, or up to 700	$1,850	Museum	$25.00	See reviews of weddings at museums
Gale Mansion	Minneapolis	612 870-1662	220	$1,850	Mansion	$22.00	See reviews of weddings in mansions
Black Bear Crossings at Como Lake	St Paul	651 488-4920	200	$1850	Park pavilion	$24.00	See reviews of outdoor wedding sites
Dakota Lodge	West St Paul	651 437-3191	200	$1,600	Golf course	Outside licensed caterers allowed*
Hillcrest	St Paul	651 774-6088	200	$1,500	Upscale country club/golf course	$15.50	Incredible view from the balcony
Minneapolis City Hall	Minneapolis	612 596-9518	275	$1,500	Historic site	You must use one of their caterers, which start at $15.00-20.00	Here's a 360 tour of the room
Woodbury Central Indoor Park	Woodbury	651 714-3500	320	$1,400	Indoor park	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	An indoor park with banquet rooms.  Here's a virtual tour.
Richardson Nature Center	Edina	763 559-6700	150	$1,400	Nature center	TRP's policy states you must use one of their caterers, which start at $12.50	The building incorporates sustainable design principles and exhibits them for interpretive benefit
Elm Creek Park's Chalet	Maple Grove	763 559-6700	200	$1,200	Park pavilion	TRP's policy states you must use one of their caterers, which start at $12.50	Huge fieldstone fireplace,  cathedral style ceiling, overlooks a park
Van Dusen Mansion	Minneapolis	612 874-1900	350	$1,200	Mansion	You must use one of their caterers, which start at $25.00	See reviews of weddings in mansions
Lake Harriet Spiritual Community	Minneapolis	612 922-4272	200	$1,100	Church	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	Beer and wine only. Limited dancing.
Columbia Manor	Minneapolis	612 789-2627 option 5	200	$1,050	Country club/golf course	You must use one of their caterers, which start at $25.00	Outdoor wedding ceremony location available
317 On Rice Park	St Paul	651 726-8800	180	$1,000	Historic site	$19.50	Historic building
Cowles Conservatory at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden	Minneapolis	612 370-4929	75	$1,000	Museum	You must use one of their caterers, which start at $25.00	See reviews of weddings at museums
The Braemar Room	Edina	952 826-6791	250	$1,000	Country club/golf course	$17.00	Rated one of the top 75 public golf courses in the nation
Blaisdell Manor	Minneapolis	612 870-7875	400	$1,000	Mansion	You must use one of their caterers, which start at $25.00	See reviews of weddings in mansions
St Paul College Club	St Paul	651 227-4477	200	$1,000	Mansion	You must use one of their caterers, which start at $25.00	See reviews of weddings in mansions
Centennial Lakes Park & the Park Centrum Building	Edina	952 832-6789	120	$950	Park pavilion	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	Modern building, plus an outside wedding site location on a small lake
Black Bear Crossings at Como Lake	St Paul	651 488-4920	200	$1850	Park pavilion	$24.00	See reviews of outdoor wedding sites
Riedel Mansion	Minneapolis	763 757-3920	250	$700	Mansion	Outside licensed caterers allowed*	1880s mansion in a park
Harrington Mansion	Minneapolis	612 871-3555	50	$600	Mansion	$18.00	See reviews of weddings in mansions
Summit Manor	St Paul	651 228-9111	100	$600	Mansion	$16.00	See reviews of weddings in mansions
WA Frost Restaurant	St Paul	651 224-5715	48	$150	Restaurant	$23.00	Beautiful 1800s restaurant. No dancing.
Forepaugh's Restaurant	St Paul	651 224-5606	200	$150	Restaurant	$17.50	Victorian restaurant in St Paul. Restrictions on time. No dancing
*Outside caterers must be licensed, and they vary greatly in price.   Aesop's, Lisa's, and TST start at $8.25, Lookout and Campion Rose Burns start at $13.00. Here's my blog entry recommending TST. The largest caterers in town are Mintahoe Perfect Host ($15.00), D'Amico ($19.00), Three Sons ($20.00), Lancer ($23.00),  and Mintahoe Apples ($24.00).   As detailed at the top of this page, prices usually wind up another $25/person more than this, once the salad, dessert, linens, tables and silverware, servers, and taxes are factored in.
Weddings At Hotels The pricing on hotels are very different than other reception sites, and so they're listed separately here on the bottom.   Hotels charge a low fee because they make their money off of their catering  and on hotel rental to guests staying there.
Wedding Ceremony / Reception Site	City	Phone	Seating capacity	Rental fee - See important note above	Lowest priced entree	Lowest priced entree	Notes	Picture  (click photos to enlarge)
Hyatt Regency Hotel	Minneapolis	612 370-1234	150	$0 (see note in red above)	Hotel	$65.00	See reviews of local hotels
Marquette Hotel	Minneapolis	612 333-4545	500	$0 (see note in red above)	Hotel	$65.00	See reviews of local hotels
The Depot in Minneapolis	Minneapolis	612 375-1700	450, or up to 800	$0 (see note in red above)	Historic site	$62.00	See reviews of local hotels
Radisson Plaza	Minneapolis	612 339-4900	300	$0 (see note in red above)	Hotel	$61.00	See blog review
Embassy Suites Hotel	St Paul	651 224-5400	150	$0 (see note in red above)	Hotel	Unpublished, but at other Hiltons it's $42.00	See reviews of local hotels
Marriot City Center Hotel	Minneapolis	612 349-4000	150	$0 (see note in red above)	Hotel	$30.00*	See reviews of local hotels
Crowne Plaza Hotel	Minneapolis	612 338-2288	175	$0 (see note in red above)	Hotel	$26.00*	See reviews of local hotels
Hilton Hotel	Minneapolis	612 376-1000	150	$0 (see note in red above)	Hotel	$24.00*	See reviews of local hotels

*As detailed at the top of this page, prices usually wind up another $25/person more than this, once the salad, dessert, linens, tables and silverware, servers, and taxes are factored in.

Wedding and reception site question:

Dear Reverend Coleman, 

We are still (frantically!) looking for a ceremony/reception site. We recently toured the Carlson Conservatory and Rotunda and although we loved the facility, we had some hesitation about the capability of the staff as well as their seemingly strict restrictions. I was wondering if you had performed any weddings at either of those locations and whether it seemed well organized and well executed? I apologize for soliticiting your advice, but we just moved here and have found it difficult to obtain objective reviews. Thank you!

Answer:

Good call on the Carlson Towers Conservatory - it's gorgeous! Yes, I've performed many wedding ceremonies there (3 times on the outside pavilion on the lake, and 1 time indoors), and had only positive experiences. The weddings I've performed there have gone extremely well and interaction from the staff has been very positive (although minimal... they take a pretty hands-off approach to ceremonies there, which actually works fine for me.) I hope that opinion helps, for what it's worth!

It's too bad that Carlson has rigid policies, but usually with a big place like that, it just takes one incident several years ago for the staff to then institute a rigid rule (sometimes, it's the insurance company that insists on the annoying rule), and then future couples have to work with that overly-restrictive rule. It's really too bad, but actually, that kind of rule-making is pretty common at most reception sites. (If the specific rule impacts on something that is super-important to you, though, that may mean that you wind up choosing a different site... it all depends on your thoughts, ideas and the choices available.)

Usually, I advise brides to book sites really quickly (basically, there are only a few reception sites in the Twin Cities, and they book up extremely fast), but since you're looking at a Sunday, that does give you more flexibility. So...my thoughts would be that if you are finding that there are many sites with availablity, then I'd recommend taking another week or two to decide. But if most other sites are booked, then I'd recommend just grabbing that site and then making the best of that site as you possibly can. There are only about 30 weekends in warm weather in Minnesota, and with the millions of Minnesota residents, those few reception sites' weekends book up EXTREMELY quickly.

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Response:

Dear Pastor Tomkin,

Thank you very much for your reply and suggestions. We have scheduled 5 tours this week so hopefully I will have a definite location and date for you next week.

I'm glad to hear that the weddings you performed at the Carlson Center went well. I had reservations about the staff because so far they have seemed slightly unorganized. I am usually not bothered by strict policies because I am pretty conservative and do not need anything out of the ordinary; it was mostly language used in the brochure describing what would happen in the instance of bad weather that bothered me.

Anyway, hopefully this week we will find the "perfect" location. I will get back to you as soon as we have something confirmed. Thanks again!

Response:

That's so great that you have five tours scheduled - you're so organized! You should be able to find a site that you really fall in love with.

As always, if you have any questions or need advice, I'm always here for you.

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Catering and judge question:

Hi Reverend Coleman,
I contacted you about a month ago regarding your services.  I've looked on your website as well, and it's a wonderful resource.  Thank you! I'm really sorry you're not available for our date.  We finally have the outdoor place - I was waiting to see if we could stay until 11:00. I am wondering what you could offer us as far as our specific needs. I am undecided if we should do any of it inside or just do it all outside, and if we can make it all work outside. Do you have any suggestions for who could do a pig roast for us?

Anyway, I was trying to find out how much is costs the County judges to marry people; they won't tell me for a few more months. Do you know how much? If you haven't noticed,  I wonder if I need help planning. I contacted wedding planners, but most don't call back. With knowing our plans, how would you be able to help us?

Thanks!

Answer:

For a pig roast, check out Little Piggy Catering at 612-332-7571 (their alternate number is 952-492-5886).  They have a cost calculator at http://www.pigroast.net/menupage.html

I'm not sure if they do pig roasts, but for amazing food at really good prices, the best prices (and coincidentally, amazing food, in my opinion) I've found is TST Creating Catering. Their phone number is 651.488.0971. For instance:
-$9.50 Stuffed Canadian Pork Loin Roasted Whole Whole roasted stuffed Canadian back pork loin served with oven brown potatoes, baby carrots, tossed salad and dressing.
-$8.25 Baked Quartered Chicken served with cheesy baked potatoes, California medley & garden harvest salad.

Most catering services charge a minimum of $20/plate, and are more often $50/plate.

As you've already found, the most reasonably priced site is usually a park (although some reception sites will waive their fee if you use their catering).

The judges I've talked to charge about $250 for a wedding. If you have other questions, I'm always here for you.

Warm regards,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

Large Capacity Wedding Reception Sites in Minnesota

Hi, Rev. Coleman - you have a wonderful blog and your chart on reception venues in the
Twin Cities is great, however, I am looking for a site in Minneapolis or St. Paul, MNthat can handle 400 people for a sit-down dinner. Any ideas? Thanks so much!

Answer:

Good question! Here's the largest capacity wedding reception venues in the Twin Cities, with their seating capacities.

Warmly,

Rev. Tomkin Coleman

My recommendations for wedding sites:

Chapels   Parks   Gardens 
Mansions   Museums   Hotels   Restaurants   Historic   Comparison Matrix

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