need WEDDING HELP... (Minneapolis, Edina, Richfield: rentals, house, wedding reception)

[ramona9980]

i'm helping plan a wedding in the MSP metro area...

looking for a reception site that can be indoor/outdoor, where the couple can provide their own caterer and beverage host, preferably provide their own alcohol?

on a budget, so nothing crazy-expensive (< 1500K), quirky & charming a PLUS.

wedding date is september of '10, tentative.

i'm in SD, but familiar with the area. ideas, anyone??? thanks!

[uptown_urbanist]

Check with the Minneapolis Park Board (look on their website); I would say Wirth Park's chalet, although last I checked you did have to use their caterers. The rates were reasonable, though, and they may still be worth considering. The park system has some other very nice sites, too, although they're quite popular and do book up fast.

Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board - Reception Areas

How formal of a reception do you want? If you're willing to be fairly casual, there are also places that normally handle picnics (Beard's Plaisance by Lake Harriet, etc.) but that's a very different type of wedding. You can also rent the park buildings ("rec centers") pretty cheaply and bring in your own food, but they don't allow alchohol.

The one quirky place that I have no personal experience with but think would be really fun would be the State Fair; they do facility rentals of all types. The nice thing is also that they don't advertise it as wedding facilities. It seems like anytime someone puts "wedding" in the title the price goes up and the people involved try to force you into a standard one-size-fits-all expectation of what a wedding reception is or should be. The State Fair may be kind of weird for a wedding, but it would be unique.

Try calling the small museums, too. The big places are expensive and most have catering requirements. I'm not sure if Gibbs Farm does event rentals; that could be a nice option. When you call or email places ask if they do event rentals for a party, and don't immediately mention weddings.

Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield is really nice (and affordable), but no alcohol allowed, if that's a must. I think you can use your own food, though. http://www.woodlakenaturecenter.org/...ingRental.html

[traveltheworldover]

Como park in St Paul is used for a lot of weddings too. Very beautiful area that is probably worth checking out. Good luck

[uptown_urbanist]

Como is really nice. Definitely worth a look. I have one more suggestion, which will depend on why you want to provide your own caterer and drinks. If it's purely for reasons of cost (and if your reception doesn't run to the hundreds of guests) then you may want to consider a restaurant. It can sometimes end up being a cheaper in the end. I know Brit's Pub in downtown Minneapolis has an outdoor space available for private parties. It would be quirky and charming, and while I don't know about costs you may find that Brit's (or a similar place) becomes competitive when all of the costs are considered.

If you have a certain caterer or restaurant in mind that you are absolutely planning on using, try asking them if they have any suggestions. I know it can be tough to find an affordable place that will allow outside food and beverages.

[WannaBeinBoston]

I would suggest look at Centennial Lakes in Edina. It's part of the City's park system. It's a beautiful setting for outdoors. If it rains, there shelter and the indoor club Centennial Lakes

[DaPerpKazoo]

Try the Lake Harriet picnic pavilion; the one on the bluff above Beard's Plaisance. It's cheap and there are no catering requirments, ect. It's also not truly indoors, just well-sheltered.

The Nicollet Island Pavilion is really really cool and is truly indoor/outdoor. Not sure what the pricing is like there.

Good luck!

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by DaPerpKazoo

Try the Lake Harriet picnic pavilion; the one on the bluff above Beard's Plaisance. It's cheap and there are no catering requirments, ect. It's also not truly indoors, just well-sheltered.

The Nicollet Island Pavilion is really really cool and is truly indoor/outdoor. Not sure what the pricing is like there.

Good luck!

Nicollet Island Pavilion is awesome. We had a company event there. It is expensive due to the fact that it holds up to 600 people depending on the situation.

All the parks mentioned are great. We had our wedding at the peace garden near lake harriet and it was awesome. Thing about using the minneapolis parks is that you have to get a permit and there are many rules. Cost is around $500. You could not do a reception unless you are cool with no alchohol and that will be true of parks in many other cities too.

On a budget, I like the idea of combining a ceremony and reception to the same site. If you can find a farm and do a big BBQ or pig roast, that might be the best bang for the money as is can be more casual. It costs a lot for flowers and fancy seat covers and .....

I googled MN farm wedding and some pretty decent things came up. Afton House and Lake Calhoun Beach Club are nice spots if you need a smaller room. You can rent them at around $500

Finding a great spot that allows control over food and booze is going to be very difficult. We just did open bar for 1 hour and cash after that. Some people will drink you broke if you let them.

[ramona9980]

awesome suggestions, thank you all!

1) she was definitely into the idea of a pig roast at first, but finding it difficult to provide your own alcohol/bartending staff w/o it being way expensive.

2) the couple both work in the restaurant biz, and were considering a restaurant (guest list: 200 max).

i'll check into the other ideas, as well. thanks again; keep the great ideas coming!!!