Wedding sites in Eastern suburbs or St. Paul (Minneapolis, Eagan: rental, receptions)

[madtownkelly]

Hello,

My fiance and I are planning on getting married in June of 2010 in the Twin Cities. We just recently moved to the Twin Cities (I grew up here but still don't know several areas) and his family is from Madison,WI. We have a long time to look, but want to find a nice, affordable, unique place in the Eastern suburbs/St. Paul (don't want to make his family drive half way across the cities). Does anyone have any ideas on places to look? So far, we have several on our list including 2 golf courses, the Grand Banquet Hall in Stillwater, Science Museum in St. Paul, and the Eagan Community Center. We haven't looked at any of them except for a golf course. We drove by the Grand Banquet Hall and there didn't seem to be any parking around there. We don't want to make our guests try to find public parking in Stillwater, on a Sat. in the summer. Does anyone have any opinions on any of these places? Any advice/info would be great. Thanks!

[golfgal]

There are a couple larger public lots near the Grand in Stillwater. You could check to see if they have an agreement to block off those lots for weddings.

How large of a wedding are you having. The Historic Courthouse in Stillwater is a lovely place for a reception but it is on the smaller side. I think it holds 175 or so.

St. Michael's Church recently added a large reception hall. I think that is available for non-parishioners.

The Lowell Inn in Stillwater is also a popular reception venue. They have their own parking.

The Eagan Community Center is nice. It isn't a place that says "wedding reception" to me but I think they have several held there. It is easy to find, lots of parking, etc.

There is the William Sauntry Mansion in Stillwater too. Again, that will depend on size but they have a beautiful setting. It is a bed and breakfast on North 4th Street.

The Afton Inn would be an option too.

There are many golf courses that hold wedding receptions. I was just at a meeting at Southview Country Club in West St. Paul and that would be a good option. Again, it is easy to find, lots of parking, beautiful course for pictures. The staff was excellent.

Just a few ideas to start with.

[hosard]

I recently got married at the Fort Snelling Chapel near the airport. It's a very nice, historic setting and holds about 250 people. Plenty of free parking onsite.

[jwmack]

My finance and I have scheduled our wedding at a site called Camrose Hill Farm near Stillwater. The owner runs a flower shop in Stillwater (with the same name) and grows many of the flowers at the site, which is a great spot for an outdoor site.

We're on a budget too, and find that they're not overly expensive.

[url]http://www.camrosehillflowers.com/farm.html[/url]
http://www.camrosehillflowers.com/farm (broken link)

[weddingbee]

My fiance and I are getting married in July 2010. We just moved to the Twin Cities too. And my family is from Madison, WI. We moved from Chicago, where the majority of his family is from. Well, we have been here in MN for a bit over a year now but we are still relatively new to the area and had trouble looking for a decent place too. After a quick visit to the Eagan Community Center, we decided that it would be the perfect place for us to get married. The Oaks banquet room rental on a Saturday is $1450, and it accommodates up to 350 guests. Included in that price is also full use of the beautiful patio overlooking a sparkling pond, where we will have our ceremony. We have always dreamed of having an outdoor ceremony, and the Eagan Community Center has beautiful grounds w/ a pond, fountain, wooden bridge, gazebo, statue, walking paths, and flowers. Another great thing about the ECC is that it is very close to the airport and that makes it convenient for our out-of-town guests. They also call all the local hotels for you to find the best deals, and block a number of rooms for you as requested. When the guests check in, they are greeted with welcome goodie bags and there is free shuttle service provided all evening from the Community Center to the hotels. For guests that are driving, there is plenty of free parking. If you have a chance, you should drive over there and take a look. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I can't wait to have my wedding here. =)

[silverjet]

Occasionally I hear about people having weddings at the Wabasha Street Caves in St Paul. I don't know how affordable it is, though.

[redbarrister]

I would suggest the MN History Museum. One of my best friends was married there and the views and opportunities for outstanding photography is abudant.

[chilaili]

There's also the Landmark Center in downtown St Paul altho I imagine parking around there could be difficult. However, it's surrounded by quite a few hotels within walking distance. Another option is the James J Hill Library across the street Historic Wedding Locations in Minneapolis and St Paul, MN.