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Wedding Ceremonies At Minnesota Hotels
My recommendations
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My recommendations for wedding sites:
Chapels Parks Gardens
Mansions Museums Hotels Restaurants Historic Comparison Matrix
 Any
Minneapolis or St Paul hotel that has a ballroom can work extremely
well for a wedding ceremony and reception. The advantages and
limitations of using a hotel for your wedding are listed
below. I have performed wedding ceremonies at each of these
downtown Minneapolis hotels and highly recommend each one.
Included in each review are pictures and capacities, and article about
hotel wedding fees is at the bottom of the page, as is an article about
the advantages and limitations of using a hotel for your Minnesota
wedding reception and ceremony.
Prices
can definitely be negotiated. One standard is that if the bride
and groom get their guests to book a minimum number of rooms, their
room is upgraded to a suite with a jacuzzi, their stay is free.
Some couples even negotiate for a free breakfast, as well.
Some
couples choose to have a gift-opening the morning after their
wedding. In this case, they either schedule a breakfast, or else
they just meet in their suite and order rolls and coffee.
Calculating hotel fees and costs for weddings
Usually quoted in terms of "Minimum food and beverage cost"
Unlike
mansions or museums or reception halls, Minnesota hotels have a
different attitude towards their costs, in that there are no fixed
numbers, rather, everything depends on factors such as how many wedding
guests there are, whether they will drink alcohol, and whether guests
will be staying there. Rarely will fees be listed anywhere - you
have to get a quote from the hotel's catering manager, who will ask
about those factors.
A
rule of thumb is that most hotels will have a minimum food and beverage
cost for wedding ceremonies and receptions, and if that cost is met,
then any fee is waived.
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Usual minimum food and beverage cost: $8-12,000
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Dinner
costs: Usually start at $20/plate, but that doesn't cover a lot of the
extra charges, such as tip, taxes, security, cake cutting fee, linens,
etc. (the average dinner cost is $50-$60/plate) -
An open bar: Usually costs about $30/guest
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With a cash bar, the guests pay for the alcohol
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So
for 200 guests, at $50/plate and an open bar (let's say $30/guest),
that's $16,000, so it's very easy to make the minimum food and beverage
charge
 Advantages of using a Minneapolis or St Paul Hotel for your wedding
Some of the advantages of choosing a hotel for your wedding ceremony and reception:
 Limitations when using a Minnesota hotel for your wedding
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If
you decide to use a Minnesota hotel for your wedding and reception,
note the hotel will require that you use their catering, which usually
includes the wedding cake. If the hotel is upscale, though, their
catering services and their wedding cake will usually be
excellent. You can ensure that the hotel's food and baking is up
to your standards by arranging a tasting (which is actually a fun
event.)
Space Calculator (Courtesy of the Hilton)
Here's a tool which can be handy when trying to figure out what size room you'll need for your wedding reception.
Reviews of my favorite Twin Cities hotels for weddings and receptions
 A. The Depot in Minneapolis Hotel
Built in the old train depot - lots of marble and columns
B. Marriott City Center Hotel
Across from Block E, in the absolute heart of Minneapolis
C. Marquette Hotel
In the IDS Tower - large weddings can be held on the 50th floor
D. Crowne Plaza Hotel
With a rooftop terrace
E. Hilton Hotel
Plush, contemporary feel
F. Hyatt Hotel
Home of Manny's Steakhouse, one of the top 5 steakhouses in the US
Note
that it's too far for wedding guests to walk to the University of
Minnesota, the Metrodome, Loring Park, or the Walker from any of these
downtown hotels, but all these sites are five minutes away by
taxi. Most of the shops and restaurants are on Nicollet Mall, and
most of the nightlife is on 1st Ave N.
Two downtown St Paul hotels, the Best Western Kelly Inn and the Embassy Suites, are also reviewed.
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The Depot in Minneapolis
Formerly the Courtyard Hotel
Downtown Minneapolis, available for wedding ceremonies and receptions
The
Twin Cities used to have two main train depots, this one in Minneapolis
(the Milwaukee Road Depot) and the one in St Paul (the Union
Depot). Both locations have been converted into wedding reception
sites because of their gorgeous architecture. This review is
of the hotel and wedding reception hall in Minneapolis. |
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The Minneapolis Depot Hotel has several sections, which are:
The hotel's entrance
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The Pavilion, which is now an indoor ice skating rink |
Charlie's Restaurant, next to the Stone Arch Bar |
The waterpark |
The Great Hall (This is the part used for wedding receptions) |
If the above pictures are confusing, click here
for an interior map of the hotel. The Depot's main hall, used for
wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions, is filled with marble and
columns and has a grand, old-fashioned feel to it.
 Out-of-town
guests don't necessarily have to rent a car because the light rail
stops just a few blocks from the Depot. The light rail goes
straight to the airport, and also goes to the Mall of America.
The hotel is not hooked up to the skyway system, but you can walk about
a block to get to it.
Capacity: Up to 450 Guests in the Great Hall
While I've performed wedding ceremonies in the Great Hall, I've not
personally seen the historic train shed set up for weddings, but I'm
told that the train shed area can hold 2,000
The hotel's rental fee: See article below
225 3rd Ave S, (612) 375-1700
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The
Marriott City Center Hotel is on Hennepin Avenue (the Theatre
District), and 1 block from 1st Avenue, which is filled with nightlife
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The Marriott City Center Hotel is built around this diamond-shaped atrium |
Smaller weddings are held in the Marriott City Center Hotel's smaller ballrooms |
Marriott City Center
Downtown Minneapolis, available for wedding ceremonies and receptions
The
Marriott is set up right in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, and is
the most convenient in terms of being close to restaurants and things
to do. It takes up a whole city block, between Hennepin Avenue
(the main street of Minneapolis) and Nicollet Mall (which has very wide
sidewalks, and only buses can drive down the street.) The
entrance to the Marriott City Center hotel is a little odd - it's on
the first floor, but then you go up to the fifth floor to get to the
lobby (but the lobby has free strawberries and chocolate.) If
your wedding ceremony is fairly small, you can have your ceremony in
one of the smaller ballrooms, with the reception right there in the
same room.
A nearby restaurant which would be great for a rehearsal dinner is Murray's Steak House,
(the home of the Silver Butter-Knife Steak), which is possibly the most
famous restaurant in town. It's across the street on 6th
Avenue. They don't have private dining rooms, but can accommodate
parties of up to 30 people in their main room. The hotel is also a
block away from the light rail, which can take guests to the airport or
the Mall of America. Hooked up to the skyway system.
The hotel's rental fee: See article at the top of the page
30 S 7th St, (612) 349-4000
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The Marquette Hotel is in the IDS building |
The large 50th floor wedding reception room |
The fourth floor's smaller wedding reception room |
Marquette Hotel
Downtown Minneapolis, available for wedding ceremonies and receptions
The Marquette Hotel is basically in the IDS tower,
the most famous building in downtown Minneapolis (the big blue building
with the black band on top). If you have a large wedding, 200-500
guests, you can rent out part of the 50th floor, which is called
Windows of Minnesota. Click here for a 360 degree tour.
I've always done wedding ceremonies on their fourth floor, which is
used for smaller wedding ceremonies and accommodates up to 150 guests.
The
Marquette Hotel is right on Nicollet Avenue, which is great for window
shopping, and while the Marquette Hotel has its own lobby, there is
also the huge public lobby of the IDS building. The IDS lobby is
called the atrium, which has trees and a 4-story freestanding
waterfall. An ideal spot for a rehearsal dinner would be at Basil's restaurant
in the IDS building, which has private rooms that can accommodate 40
guests. Basil's is featured in the opening credits of the 70's
Mary Tyler Moore TV show, (also, a statue of Mary Tyler Moore is across
the street on Nicollet). Hooked up to the skyway system.
The hotel's rental fee: See article at the top of the page
710 Marquette Avenue, (612) 333-4545
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The lighted front of the Crowne Plaza Hotel is classy and exciting at night, with sort of a Vegas feel
The gorgeous lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel
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Unique rooftop terrace for wedding ceremonies and receptions at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
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The Crowne Plaza has indoor wedding reception options, too (sometimes used as a backup rain location) |
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Downtown Minneapolis, available for wedding ceremonies and receptions
Connected
to the skyway system and adjacent to the Northstar Building, which has
over 30 shops. The highlight of the Crowne Plaza is the rooftop
terrace, called the Skygarden, where you can hold wedding ceremonies
and receptions. Another rooftop garden in Minneapolis is at Brit's Pub,
which has a comparable feel, if you are wondering what it's like.
The terrace is only 8 stories up, (the hotel section in back is much
taller and goes up many more stories), so no one feels vertigo, plus,
it is surrounded by buildings on three sides. The shrubbery and
walls keep guests from going all the way to the edge. The
Skygarden is an amazing spot that few people know about because it's
not a public park. There are maple trees, wood chips, flowers and
shrubbery everywhere and the view of the surrounding buildings is
incredible. You can't really see the street, which also helps
from anyone getting vertigo. The terrace feels magical, almost
like you're floating, instead of feeling like your on top of a building
(which you're not, as the rest of the building goes up many more
floors). The capacity is 175.
The
Crowne Plaza Hotel doesn't have valet parking nor does it have a
parking garage, but there are many parking garages nearby.
The hotel's rental fee: See article at the top of the page
618 2nd Ave S # 7, Minneapolis, MN
(612) 338-2288
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Unlike
other hotels in downtown Minneapolis, the Hilton has a large
porte-corchere (covered drive-up area) which makes loading and
unloading guests unhurried and easy |
The lobby of the Hilton Minneapolis is all glass and cherry wood, which works really well
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Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Minneapolis
The Hilton's Symphony Ballroom
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Hilton Hotel
Downtown Minneapolis, available for wedding ceremonies and receptions
Pictures
can make any place look amazing, so it's hard to tell how a place looks
- in my opinion, though, the Hilton has gorgeous ballrooms. The
feel of the lobby and the ballrooms is contemporary and modern, as
opposed to old-school and it's famous for hosting visiting
filmmakers. The Hilton's pool is on the second floor, which is
unique to the city, and gives a nice view of the city. You might
want to encourage guests to park across the street for $11, as the
parking in their underground garage is really high - $24/night, even
for guests. The Hilton is across the street from Orchestra Hall
and a block from Nicollet Mall, but hotel is much further away from the
1st Avenue/Block E/Target Center area. Hooked up to the skyway
system (although not always at night.)
The Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant is a block away on Nicollet Mall, and has a private room that can seat up to 35 guests which works well for a rehearsal dinner.
The hotel's rental fee: See article at the top of the page
1001 Marquette Avenue S, (612) 376-1000
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The Hyatt Regency is between Nicollet Mall and Loring Park
View of the lobby as you walk into the Hyatt Hotel
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A photo of the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel
The Hyatt is home to Manny's Steakhouse, which was voted as one of the Top five Steakhouses in the Nation by the Zagat Guide
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Wedding reception at the Hyatt |
Hyatt Regency Hotel
Downtown Minneapolis, available for wedding ceremonies and receptions
The hotel has a modern feel, with very reasonable prices. Inside the Hyatt are several restaurants:
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Manny's Steakhouse (voted "Best Steakhouse" by CityPages, and "Best Restaurant" by Minneapolis/St Paul Magazine)
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Oceanside Seafood Room, with fresh seafood flown in daily
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Taxxi, which serves casual American food
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A sports bar
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A coffee shop
While
Hyatt has the obligatory pool, the hotel also has a full basketball
court. Note that there is a separate fee for using the athletic
facilities.
While
the Hyatt is theoretically on Nicollet Mall, a street that only permits
pedestrian and bus traffic, the hotel is actually on a section of
Nicollet that permits cars. It's a good idea to give out maps to
guests, as the streets in that area are one-way, and the hotel is near
Loring Park, I-94, and other obstacles. The Hyatt is at the end of Nicollet Mall, across the street from the Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse, and about a block from Welsley Church and the Convention Center.
Since Manny's Steakhouse is actually in the hotel and the restaurant has private rooms, Manny's works very well for a rehearsal dinner.
Hotel rental fee: See article at the top of the page
1300 Nicollet Ave, (612) 370-1234
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This side of the Kelly Inn looks out directly at the St Paul Cathedral |
The full ballroom of the Kelly Inn can be expanded to three to four times this size |
Best Western Kelly Inn
St Paul, Minnesota
Since
the Kelly Inn Hotel is right next to the Minnesota State Capital, many
people know this Best Western for hosting government functions, but
they also host wedding ceremonies and receptions. The hotel has a
small lobby, but they have a large ballroom on the main floor which can
be divided, if necessary, for smaller wedding ceremonies and
receptions. This hotel has a bar/restaurant which is also on the
main floor, so if wedding guests want to grab a quick drink, they can
pop over to the bar next door. For a 360 degree tour of the
hotel, click here.
Strictly
speaking, the Kelly Inn is not actually in downtown St Paul, but just a
few blocks away, on the north side of I-94. It's right by the
Marion/Kellogg exit (Marion is the street which runs to the north, and
Kellogg is the street that runs to the south), and the hotel is also
just off of 35E. Unlike most downtown hotels, parking is
incredibly easy, as they have a huge free parking lot which surrounds
the hotel. Many of the guest rooms either have a view of the
State Capitol or the St Paul Cathedral.
The
Kelly Inn is almost unique in that it actually lists its meal prices on
their website, which start at $19/plate (compared to most other hotels,
which start at $27/plate). There is a room rental fee of $800,
but the fee is often waived when you meet the minimum food and beverage
limit (which varies, depending on how many wedding guests you have and
how many reserve hotel rooms.)
For more on the hotel's rental fee, see article at the top of the page
161 St. Anthony Ave
(651) 227-8711
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Embassy Suites Hotel
St Paul, Minnesota
The porte corchet of the Embassy Suites makes loading and unloading wedding guests quick and easy |
The nighttime view of the Embassy Suites is much more spectacular, especially in the winter when the trees are lit up |
The more businesslike aspect of the ballroom of the Embassy Suites can
be enhanced incredibly by chair covers - see this example and this one. I highly recommend Heartstrings Chair Covers ($2/guest) |
Wedding ceremonies can be held in the unique Spanish decor
lobby/atrium/courtyard of the Embassy Suites. All rooms face the
indoor atrium |
The
St Paul Embassy Suites is usually known as a business hotel, but like
the Kelly Inn, they can accommodate wedding ceremonies and receptions
in their ballroom, with a capacity of 240. The highlight of the
hotel is the atrium, though, which has huge live trees & plants,
intermingled with a meandering pond full of cute ducks, & a
fountain, tables/chairs, and a gazebo.
Tips:
The Embassy Suites is very near I-94, so you may want to request a room
on the side opposite the highway.
For guests of the hotel, a full cooked breakfast, with eggs or pancakes cooked to order, is part of the deal.
The hotel's rental fee: See article at the top of the page
175 East 10th Street
(651) 224-5400
Radisson Plaza Hotel, downtown Minneapolis
Sarah
Pikul from the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Minneapolis was
incredibly kind, and she gave me a private tour around Radisson’s
downtown Minneapolis flagship hotel - wow! What a great place for
wedding ceremonies and receptions!
* Note that this hotel is different from the other Minneapolis Radisson (the one by the University of Minnesota)
- this hotel is the flagship property, the one right in the heart of
downtown Minneapolis, by the theater district, Nicollet Mall, and the
light rail which connects right to the Minneapolis/St Paul airport.
The
Radisson Plaza Hotel is right in between Hennepin Avenue and Nicollet
Mall on 7th Street, in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. The skyway
connects right to Macy’s on one side and the City Center on the other
side.
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 There’s
several ways to enter the Radisson… if you come in from the front, you
are either walking in (perhaps you took the light rail here from the
airport), or perhaps you took a cab. In either case, you’ll then see
this valet parking section, and then enter the main lobby (picure to
the right). |
Looking up in the lobby
So if you enter through the front door from the street, you’ll walk
into the lobby, be sure to look up (right-hand picture) - the lobby
extends upwards to the top floor - almost 20 stories high! |
However, most wedding guests who are coming to weddings at the Radisson
Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, however, will be driving…in which case,
they’ll enter into the heated basement parking lot (unique among
downtown Minneapolis hotels). Wedding guests then come directly up to
the third floor, where the ballroom is located. When they exit the
elevator, they’ll be greeted by the gorgeous balconies ringing the
lobby. Every floor has these balconies overlooking the lobby, producing
a beautiful and cohesive, effect. |
 The ballroom of the Radisson
The hotel ballroom is beautiful, with lots of mirrors and glass
chandeliers. The ballroom is actually much larger than this picture
shows - when I toured the Radisson, they were set up for a meeting, so
I didn’t get to see it set up for a wedding (this picture is reprinted
with permission of Sarah from the Radisson Plaza.) Wedding ceremonies
are often held on one side of the ballroom, with a divider across the
room, and then the divider is drawn back after the ceremony, revealing
the tables all set up for the wedding reception.
* Note that not only does the Radisson Hotel in downtown Minneapolis
give you a free suite for the night when you have your wedding and
reception at the hotel, they will give the parents a drastically
reduced room rate, something I’ve not seen at other Minneapolis/St Paul
hotels.
 Firelake Steakhouse in Minnepolis - in the Radisson Hotel
If
your wedding ceremony and reception is at the Radisson, you might want
to have your rehearsal dinner at the Firelake steakhouse, which is
right off of the hotel’s lobby. Minneapolis/St Paul Magazine named the
chef one of the Best Restauranteurs in the city.
As
with most hotels in the Minneapolis and St Paul, MN area, the Radisson
in downtown Minneapolis does not charge a room rental fee for weddings,
but just a food and beverage minimum.
Rates:
Figuring out prices for weddings is one of my pet peeves - it can be
very tricky at other places, and what seems to be a $20 entree is
usually more like $60 once the other charges are tacked on: Linens,
silverware, security, tips, taxes, cake cutting fees… the list goes on
and on. The Radisson has a wonderfully refreshing policy - $61/person
includes every single thing. Wow! Their up-front policy is so easy to
work with…my theory is that they get so much business from conventions,
that they are used to being totally clear about everything. I wish all
hotels could be like this…what a great policy! If you’re interested in
using the Radisson Plaza for your wedding ceremony and reception, call (612) 339-4900
and ask for the Catering Manager on duty to check to see if your date
and time is available, and if it is, they’ll send you out a full packet
of materials, which is very well put together, and extremely helpful. |
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