Affordable reunion-style wedding ideas? (MN edition)
April 30, 2015 5:55 AM Subscribe
Mr. Airguitar and I planning a wedding that we're hoping avoids some of the Wedding Industrial Complex pitfalls. Easier said than done!
We'd really like our wedding to feel like a weekend family reunion, and we're looking for some great ideas about where this could happen. i.e. some quaint inn/venue/reception area within easy walking so lots of socializing can happen.
Are there little walkable towns in the Twin Cities/nearby area where this might be possible? Ideal situation: everyone stays at one or two inns that are a couple blocks from park where we have the ceremony and charming restaurant for the reception. Sometime this fall. Is this possible?
We'd really like our wedding to feel like a weekend family reunion, and we're looking for some great ideas about where this could happen. i.e. some quaint inn/venue/reception area within easy walking so lots of socializing can happen.
Are there little walkable towns in the Twin Cities/nearby area where this might be possible? Ideal situation: everyone stays at one or two inns that are a couple blocks from park where we have the ceremony and charming restaurant for the reception. Sometime this fall. Is this possible?
Stillwater has a nice walkable downtown, some inns and B&Bs, and the website for their parks department indicates they have some wedding venues. I haven't eaten at any restaurants there in a long time, but Yelp suggests there may be some good possibilities.
posted by Area Man at 6:18 AM on April 30, 2015
posted by Area Man at 6:18 AM on April 30, 2015
Three Rivers Park district runs fantastic facilities surrounding the Twin Cities. One of their properties, the Gale Woods Farm, is a working farm with fantastic reunion + wedding-style facilities, with nearby lodging and dining on Lake Minnetonka (the Mound, MN area).
posted by apennington at 6:23 AM on April 30, 2015
posted by apennington at 6:23 AM on April 30, 2015
Our dear friends booked all of Mantrap Lodge in Park Rapids for a wedding weekend. It was super fun. You won't get the ability to just stroll of a cute downtown though.
posted by advicepig at 7:05 AM on April 30, 2015
posted by advicepig at 7:05 AM on April 30, 2015
Washington County Historic Courthouse in Stillwater. We got married there last year. It was inexpensive as far as venues go, and they are less restrictive than most on vendors. The ladies who work there are really helpful. Plus it's gorgeous and you really don't need to do much decorating. All we did was centerpieces and some tulle on the banisters.
As mentioned above, there are B&Bs in Stillwater as well as a few chain hotels out by the highway. My sister stayed at the Red Roof Inn and said it was fine. Everyone else stayed in Minneapolis.
Caveats worth mentioning: you do have to use a licensed caterer, they only allow beer and wine (bottles/cans, no kegs), and depending on the day you pick and how busy they are, you may not get much time to set up. We got married on a Sunday, and were only allowed in at 11AM to start setting up for our 3PM wedding. If those are dealbreakers, you can use it for the ceremony only and have the reception elsewhere.
posted by fanta_orange at 7:05 AM on April 30, 2015
As mentioned above, there are B&Bs in Stillwater as well as a few chain hotels out by the highway. My sister stayed at the Red Roof Inn and said it was fine. Everyone else stayed in Minneapolis.
Caveats worth mentioning: you do have to use a licensed caterer, they only allow beer and wine (bottles/cans, no kegs), and depending on the day you pick and how busy they are, you may not get much time to set up. We got married on a Sunday, and were only allowed in at 11AM to start setting up for our 3PM wedding. If those are dealbreakers, you can use it for the ceremony only and have the reception elsewhere.
posted by fanta_orange at 7:05 AM on April 30, 2015
Lanesboro! lots of Inn options and a very cute downtown park with a perfect setting for a wedding.
posted by linder6 at 10:17 AM on April 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by linder6 at 10:17 AM on April 30, 2015 [2 favorites]
Northfield has a renovated movie theater that does weddings, and the Archer House definitely counts as a quaint inn. And you can have your ceremony in a gazebo on the river!
posted by mgar at 5:15 PM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mgar at 5:15 PM on May 1, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by jillithd at 6:17 AM on April 30, 2015