Newly Engaged..need help with reception sites

babybrd182

..planning on Oct 15th 2011.. New to posting on The Knot. Wondering if anyone knows a good reception site for approx 300 which isn't going to break the bank. I'm also trying to stay away from having it at a hotel, but I wouldn't be completely opposed to it. Looking around the east metro/st paul and minneapolis areas. Appreciate any comments or suggestions!  Happy planning ladies!

leggwilliams

Yay! You're the first person I've seen post on here who's wedding is after mine....and I've been engaged since April! Congrats and welcome! I didn't look at any reception sites that held over 300, but I know Bellagalla has a good search tool where you can plug in all of your venue requirements.

babybrd182

Too funny! Congrats to you! I sincerely believe it's never too early to start planning. Especially if you know where and when specifically you want to get married. We're getting married in October and that has become such a busy wedding month. Besides getting married next year we're also hoping to buy a house THIS year. I think that would have been a little too much for one year. We'll see! Good luck with all your planning and thanks so much for the info

Bimbi284

You may also wanna check out the MPLS/SP bio (link in LittleSweetie's welcome post) for some venue ideas!

GL and welcome!

amberh0515

We're having ours at the Prom Center in Oakdale. Another place that is great is Jimmy's in Vadnais Heights. Hope that helps!

KatesTyger

Well hello there, B! I was going to suggest the Mpls Bio as well but someone already did. Check that out for great ideas! So glad you're on here - these ladies are a weath of information. Happy planning!!!

LolaBelle515

Ours is at the Eagan Community Center (which is much prettier than a typical community center) and their banquet hall fits around 300.  It had a $1450 rental fee for 2009 and has a really inexpensive catering option through Classic Catering. Definitely the cheapest option we could find in the cities!

debbieupper

Little Log House Village Hall in Hastings -- out in the beautiful boonies! It holds 325, it's beautiful, and it costs $1475 for a Saturday, I think.

I'm getting hitched there on Oct. 16, 2010!

Village Hall website

flower_lover

The Shoreview Community Center is also very nice, and reasonably priced. In addition, you might consider the Centennial Lakes park in Edina, although I don't recall if they have seating for 300.

cukimerrydoll

We're having it at Historic Concord Exchange in South St. Paul - it holds 800 for a cocktail reception, and 250 for a seated reception.

But it does have a lot of lounge areas as well, so it's not a "standing the entire time" venue.

Our total rental is $2500 (not including food, but including linens, china, set up and take down, and with no limit on start times - we do have to end at midnight), and they do have very good on site catering as well.  (Seriously, it's delicious).  That is the cheapest rental I could find in the SE Metro that could hold all our guests.  We looked at Hastings, but since a lot of our guests are coming from the West end of the Metro, we thought it might be too much of a treck.

cukimerrydoll

St. Kate's has a LOVELY ballroom as well (I used to work there) that can hold 300 easily.  They have catering, but allow outside vendors.  There is always someone on staff if the building is open.

It's the Rauenhorst Ballroom in the Coure de Catherine.
http://www.stkate.edu/pages/showcase/mes_spaces/
There is plenty of parking, and I have seen them use valet parking as well.

The student center is pretty lenient about allowing things to be delivered early there as well.  They are located in the Information Center (Don't worry too much about their alcohol restrictions in the atrium... Can't tell you how many times I've seen it outside the ballroom).

Basically, if you're nice, they'll be nice to you (or if you're funny.  They do like funny people too).

Shoot - didn't mean to come off as a vendor.  Alum... I suppose...

Clare13

We are having ours at Royal Cliff in Eagan.  It is a large ballroom that can accomodate up to 450 for a sit down meal and 750+ for a reception.  They have reasonable rates ($750 room rental and $18-$25 meals) and their food is great.  Good luck with your planning. 

MesmrEwe

Little Log House Pioneer Village - been to at least three events there and it's a definite two thumbs up!!!  Sure, it's out in the sticks, but it's a beautiful site and you have the option of the ceremony being on grounds either in the mini St. Bonafice (they actually bought the old church from town, scaled it down, and rebuilt it on their property) or on the grounds...  Their terms are also straight forward and easy to work with. 

As for hotels in the East Metro, The Best Western Hudson House is easy to deal with, the food is consistently good for their events and it's super easy to get to for guests.  We had our RD there but I lift at an event there each year and they're super easy to work with.  The prices are also pretty reasonable too for what you get for the money. 

You could check out some of the area ski hills and golf courses (Welch, Afton, Highland, Buck, etc.) because most have rooms large enough for a group your size and you get the advantage of peak colors in terms of view..

Muffers

Also check out Oak Marsh Golf Club and Macalester College. Good luck!
And welcome

babybrd182

Thanks for all your suggestions, ladies! I've got a lot of work ahead of me. I think we're going to check out Profile Event Center first and then a few others. This wedding stuff is overwhelming! I'll be on hiatus from here in the next few days... going up to Duluth to "get engaged"....(my sneaky fi did it last Monday instead because he knew I'd know that's what he was up to )

Have a great rest of the week, keep the ideas coming!!!

Whheeeee!