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My recommendations for wedding ceremonies at Minnesota mansions

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These Minneapolis and St Paul wedding reception sites are all gorgeous mansions which are available for rent for both wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions.  The wedding sites reviewed are as follows:

Gale Mansion:

When wedding ceremonies are held outside at the Gale Mansion, the wedding is usually set up on this south-side porch (with the one-story columns on the right side).  The Guests are then seated in rows of chairs facing the mansion.	This is the main room set up for a wedding reception inside the Gale Mansion.  If the wedding is indoors, it is usually held here, with the Bride and Groom standing in front of that far window.
Here's the Bride's dressing room at the Gale Mansion.  The Groom and his attendants get a more masculine room.	The mansion faces the beautiful Washburn Fair Oaks Park, so kids can run and play (if supervised).

Gale Mansion   Minneapolis, Minnesota 2115 Stevens Avenue Gale Mansion hosts both indoor and outdoor weddings.  The Gale Mansion is built in the style of Italian Renaissance Revival and overlooks the beautiful Fair Oaks Park and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  One of the best Minnesota wedding locations, very close to downtown Minneapolis.  Gale Mansion has many indoor rooms for congregating, all of which have hardwood floors, Oriental carpets, and fireplaces (8 fireplaces in all).  Upstairs there are changing rooms for men and women, and these rooms are decked out to look like living rooms.  The Gale Mansion is smaller than the other wedding reception sites listed on this page, but it's in a perfect spot as it is right next to downtown.   Great place for a rehearsal dinner: About a mile from the incomparable Rudolph's Ribs, which offers private dining.   Closest hotel:  The 3.5 star downtown Minneapolis Convention Center's Millennium Hotel is 6 blocks away.   Guests may be interested in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, which is across the park from the Gale Mansion.  (612) 870-1662  Ask for Jennine Duda or Lindsey Gruenhagen  The Gale Mansion has a rental fee of $1200 plus a $650 ceremony fee.  They provide the catering and the food minimum varies depending on the time of year. The capacity is 120 guests for an indoor ceremony, and 220 guests for an outdoor ceremony.

New:  More notes on the Gale Mansion

Van Dusen Mansion:

Looking almost like a castle, the Richardson Romanesque Van Dusen Mansion is one of the most beautiful indoor sites for weddings in Minneapolis.   The bride gets her own posh dressing room suite in the Van Dusen Mansion	The courtyard between the Van Dusen mansion and the reception hall is perfect for wedding pictures The reception hall is in a separate building behind the Van Dusen Mansion - with a gorgeous 24' high atrium
This gorgeous room on the main floor of the Van Dusen Mansion is often used for the Receiving Line after the wedding ceremony	This second reception hall is used for very large wedding ceremonies

Van Dusen Mansion  
Minneapolis, Minnesota
1900 LaSalle Avenue
Readers of Minnesota Bride magazine twice voted the gorgeous Van Dusen Mansion as the best small wedding site in Minneapolis, although it works well for large weddings, as well.  The intricate woodwork and the warm light of the chandeliers creates a cozy feel, even though the adjoining reception hall is quite large.  The Van Dusen Mansion has several small rooms for congregating or for small weddings.   Located right next to downtown Minneapolis, the Van Dusen Center is close to Uptown, as well (the address above goes to a map). They offer several catering choices from restaurants around town.  

Great place for a rehearsal dinner:  The award-winning Minneapolis landmark restaurant Rudolph's Ribs is about 4 blocks away.  
Closest hotel:  The 4-star Hyatt Regency is about 6 blocks away.

(612) 874-1900
The Van Dusen Center charges about $1200 for a wedding.
Up to 350 guests in the Grand Parlor (lower right-hand picture)

Blaisdell Manor :

Blaisdell Manor Minneapolis, Minnesota 2322 Blaisdell Avenue The Blaisdell Manor in South Minneapolis is a warm and inviting Georgian mansion.  Three Sons Kitchen provides the catering and the Manor accommodates anywhere from 10-400 Guests (the largest mansion in the Twin Cities) with many options for in-between sized weddings, too. Blaisdell Manor hosts both indoor and outdoor weddings (although the outdoor site can only accommodate about 35-50 standing guests). If you choose the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden for your wedding ceremony, you can then just walk the 1 1/2 blocks to the Blaisdell Manor for your wedding reception.    Great place for a rehearsal dinner: The Blaisdell Manor is about a mile from the downtown Minneapolis Buca's, which is a wonderful Italian restaurant that can accommodate large groups of people.  All their dinners are all served family-style. Closest hotel:  The 3.5 star downtown Minneapolis Convention Center's Millennium Hotel is about a half-mile away. Call (612) 870-7875 and ask for either Erin or Michelle. The Blaisdell Manor charges about $500-$1000 for a wedding, depending on how many rooms you are renting (the link is to a PDF document). Erin at Blaisdell asked me to point out that like all site rentals, Blaisdell's fee does not include food for the reception.

Harrington Mansion:

The main stairway - weddings are usually held up by the landing up by the window.  One of the huge reception rooms, which can accommodate the largest of weddings.	The exterior of the Harrington Mansion, next to the Zuhrah Shrine Center.	This main stairway leads up to the main window (you can't see it in this picture, but it would be to your left).  The stairway continues to the second floor, which has a balcony overlooking the landing.
	After the wedding ceremony, you can have the reception in any of the rooms in the reception hall next door.
Harrington Mansion/Zuhrah Shrine Center  Minneapolis, Minnesota  2540 Park Avenue Another beautiful Minneapolis Georgian mansion for weddings is the Harrington Mansion at the Zuhrah Shrine Center.  You can rent the mansion for your wedding ceremony and then have the reception at the Zuhrah Center next door.  This incredible Minneapolis mansion has carved wood, ornate brass fittings and elaborate chandeliers.  When you enter through the large main door you see the main staircase and the wedding ceremony may be held on that upper landing.  The stairway then splits and continues up on two sides and converges again on the second floor, which has an indoor balcony.  Guests can stand on either the first floor or on the second floor balcony to view the wedding ceremony.   Great place for a rehearsal dinner:  The Zuhrah Mansion in Minneapolis is about a mile from the downtown Minneapolis Buca's, which is a wonderful Italian restaurant that is used to large groups of people.  All their dinners are all served family-style. Closest hotel:  The 3.5 star downtown Minneapolis Convention Center's Millennium Hotel is about a half-mile away. Contact: Sharmaine Russell at (612) 871-3555 The Harrington Mansion charges $100 for wedding ceremonies.  Note that if you rent the mansion for your wedding ceremony, you have to rent one of the rooms at the Zuhrah Shrine Center for the reception.  One of the reception rooms at the Zuhrah Shrine Center is the Lake of the Isles room, for example, which is $500 and seats 150.  There are other, larger rooms available. too.

Semple Mansion:

The Semple Mansion in Minneapolis just opened up for wedding receptions last year	The Grand Palladium Ballroom at the Semple Mansion
The lobby of the Semple Mansion and the grand staircase which leads to the Grand Palladium Ballroom	The head table usually sits here by this marvelous stained glass, the centerpiece of the ballroom.  The stained glass is right in between the two entrances, which come up from the grand staircase.
Semple Mansion Newly renovated and now available for rent for weddings and receptions Minneapolis, MN 100 West Franklin Avenue Right next to downtown Minneapolis, the gorgeous Semple Mansion is also known by it's largest and most famous room: the Grand Palladium Ballroom, which is the only original ballroom left in Minneapolis. Built in the style of the Second Renaissance Revival, the Semple Mansion has a classy old-world feel to it. The mansion is unique in Minnesota in that different facade facing Franklin and LaSalle. The breath-taking lobby has large, three-tiered Swarovski Crystal chandelier encompassing 36 candle-shaped crystals. The grand Palladium Ballroom is on the third floor. Most wedding reception halls are rather plain, because the reception hall is usually a latter-day addition to the mansion. The Semple Mansion is different from other Minneapolis and St Paul mansions because its ballroom is period, too. Rather than the dark woodwork of most of the mansion rooms, the ballroom has large white columns with gold leaf and a Renaissance-style painted, curved ceiling. The terrace off the ballroom has a beautiful view of downtown Minneapolis. You can use your own caterer, which can bring down costs, and unlike any other mansion in Minneapolis, you can bring your own liquor. Site rental for a Saturday is $4400 Capacity: 250 Call Katherine Hendrickson at 612-290-4448. Katherine is very friendly andeasy to work with - you'll love her! New! Semple Mansion is having a wedding fair this March 1st and 2nd. Here's a review - it's from my blog, so it pops up in a new window.

St Paul College Club:

The Georgian Revival St Paul College Club is on Summit Avenue, the longest stretch of Victorian mansions in the world.	Most indoor wedding ceremonies are held in this main room - the chairs are removed and more are set up in rows and aisles for the wedding ceremony
The reception hall of the St Paul College Club is quite large is over twice the size of what is shown shown here.  It can be set up ahead of time because the wedding is usually in another room, or outdoors	The St Paul College Club is one of the few sites that offer an outdoor wedding ceremony location as well as an indoor site.  This is only one small shot of the beautiful back yard, perfect for outdoor weddings

St Paul College Club  
St Paul, Minnesota
990 Summit Avenue
The St Paul College Club is very reasonable price for such a big, gorgeous mansion.
Incredibly friendly - one of my favorites.  Next to the Governor's Mansion.
A beautiful room with a fireplace for ceremonies, several other rooms for congregating, setting up catering, and an adjoining reception hall, pictured on the right.  They also have dressing rooms upstairs for men and women that look like living rooms.  The St Paul College Club is on Summit Avenue, and a block from the parallel-running Grand Avenue, which has many great restaurants for a rehearsal dinner, including the Lexington restaurant (Old-school American).
Both indoor and outdoor weddings.  

Closest hotels:  The  2.5 star Best Western Kelly Inn and the 5-star Helmsley Saint Paul Hotel are the closest at about a mile and a half away.

Call (651) 227-4477 to talk to Karen.
The St Paul College Club charges about $1,000 to rent the site for weddings, and is one of the most reasonable prices for these large, grand Minnesota wedding reception sites.  You must use their catering service, which is delicious.  You can bring your own liquor for the bar, though, which is amazing and basically unheard of at reception halls - stocking the bar on your own can save you thousands of dollars at your reception.
Usually about 120 Guests, but can hold up to 200

And an in-between size (30-100 guests): Summit Manor:

Summit Manor is perfect for those in-between weddings. Most other sites will not accommodate 30-100 guests very well. Outdoor weddings at the Summit Manor are held on this front lawn, with the Bride and Groom on the porch, and the guests on rows of chairs in the yard.  The processional comes up this walkway Wedding ceremonies at Summit Manor are often held indoors, too The Bride usually gets ready upstairs, then comes down this grand staircase for the Processional Summit Manor (Summit Mansion)   Summit Manor, also known as Summit Mansion, is somewhat smaller - perfect for more intimate weddings.  There are very few sites that are good for 50-100 guests, which makes Summit Manor even more special, and I'm very fond of this intimate site.  Few of these "in-between" sizes exist for Minneapolis weddings or St Paul weddings, but Summit Manor is perfect.  You can have your wedding outside on the beautiful grounds or inside in the big room in front of a fireplace.  The stairway pictured works well for the bride's entrance.  Summit Manor is right on Summit Avenue, the longest stretch of Victorian homes in the world.  Call 651-228-9111 to talk to Judy McLaughlin.  Judy does all of the managing and she does the cooking, too - and she's an amazing cook.  We've worked together many times she is always completely on top of things and very efficient.  I really like her and think you will, too! St Paul, Minnesota Summit Manor has a rental fee af about about $600 for weddings (as with all mansions, there are other fees, and this is not inclusive), and has wonderful on-site catering 50-100 guests

My recommendations for wedding sites:

Chapels   Parks   Gardens 
Mansions   Museums   Hotels   Restaurants   Historic   Comparison Matrix

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Photos used by permission of James J Hill Library, Landmark Center, Gale Mansion, St Paul College Club, Van Dusen Mansion, Semple Mansion, the St Paul College Club, and Summit Manor.  Please do not distribute.  Landmark Center 360 degree pictures courtesy of Big Eye In the Sky. James J Hill Library 360 degree picture courtesy of 360° Virtual Tour by Photography By Design, Inc
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