non-church ceremony locations

caitydid81 · January 2012

I am looking for a ceremony location that is separate from the reception location, but is not a church. Anyone have any ideas? We are pretty set on having the reception at Solera in downtown Minneapolis. I'm getting discouraged because a lot of places seem to require/want you to have the reception at the ceremony location (i.e. Semple Mansion, City Hall, etc). We are looking for something more budget friendly (ideally under $1K) and we are definitely open to more unique venues. We are planning on getting married in the spring or summer of 2013 if that helps. We are planning on about 100 guests. We hope to have a set date soon! Thanks in advance!

Cackle6 · January 2012

I had the same issue trying to find a ceremony space. We finally found Black Bear Crossings in St. Paul. The have 4 time slots, 3 of which are open to anyone (one is reserved for couples having their reception there). Our reception is in Minneapolis as well, and it's only about a 15 minute drive. It's outdoors, but covered so you don't have to worry about rain, and everything is included in the rental fee (benches, sounds system, microphones). It's just over 1K, but not by much. Pics in my bio if you're interested

jennipea382 · January 2012

I was going to wait to post but since you brought it up, I'm looking for non church ceremony places as well. My budget is much lower, probably no more than $500. I can do a ceremony at the PEC for I think it was $300 but I'm not a huge fan of having the ceremony in the same room as the reception and I don't really like the setup. We can make it work but I'd really like to have it somewhere else. My wedding is in March so I'm avoiding outdoor spaces since it will most likely be somewhat cold.

Any ideas for me too would be awesome :-)

SSaltzman87 · January 2012

I'd look at the Walker as a possibility. They've got some indoor and outdoor options.

KristinAndAlan · January 2012

I'm in the same situation at Jennipea. January wedding at PEC, could have it there.. but I'm not too sure about it. I'm not sure I like the way it looks, and I'm also worried about the time between. Budget is about the same as well.

Cackle6 · January 2012

Heh, yeah, my recetpion is at the PEC as well. I didn't like the idea of the guests sitting in their seats for the ceremony because that would mean a lot of them would have to turn around for the ceremony.

Depending on the size of your guest list, the Cowels Conservatory at the Walker could be perfect for you. The website says it holds 75 people for a sit down plated meal, and 150for a standing cocktail hours, so I believe that is the same of the ceremony. It's a $500 rental through the Minneapolis Parks Program. http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=1028

My friend had her ceremony there about 4 years ago and it was really beautiful.

flower_lover · January 2012

If you'd consider an outdoor ceremony, there are also several options through the Minneapolis Parks. Try looking at the Lake Harriet Rose Garden or Peace Garden, Father Hennepin Park near St. Anthony Main, or Loring Park (I believe they have a pavilion, too). All are near downtown.

caitydid81 · January 2012

RE: Black Bear Crossings.

Thanks for the info. I've stumbled across them but have found them to be hard to work with over email (setting up viewing appointments, etc), and it makes me nervous about what they're like in person. What has been your experience working with them? The price is right and I like the outdoor venue idea, so I'm hoping it was just an email issue.

graysquirrel · January 2012

Try the Washington County Historic Courthouse in Stillwater. They have a gorgeous outdoor ceremony area-- don't let the "courthouse" name fool you, it is a historic building. I would also look into venues run by the park service, historical society, or county. They are cheap and don't require you to use any specific vendors

jessicagettingmarried · January 2012

I love the conservatory as well but it was to small for us. I loved the pond and the big fish though...

Cackle6 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_minnesota-minneapolis-st-paul_non-church-ceremony-locations?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:81Discussion:b551a777-f2f1-4898-95c1-76a782d531cdPost:96656068-980e-43e0-9f0f-d9504dafdbe3">Re: non-church ceremony locations</a>:
[QUOTE]RE: Black Bear Crossings. Thanks for the info. I've stumbled across them but have found them to be hard to work with over email (setting up viewing appointments, etc), and it makes me nervous about what they're like in person. What has been your experience working with them? The price is right and I like the outdoor venue idea, so I'm hoping it was just an email issue.
Posted by caitydid81[/QUOTE]

<div>I did find that they took a little longer to get back to me then most of my other vendors, but they were great about getting back to me via phone, so I would go that route with them. Also, when I made the appointment and went in person, Kathy was great to work with, and I'm not worried about it at all. It's a gorgeous space, you won't be disappointed! :)</div>

jennipea382 · January 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_minnesota-minneapolis-st-paul_non-church-ceremony-locations?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:81Discussion:b551a777-f2f1-4898-95c1-76a782d531cdPost:387f7218-8e14-40d4-b0e0-79a341732777">Re: non-church ceremony locations</a>:
[QUOTE]I'd look at the Walker as a possibility. They've got some indoor and outdoor options.
Posted by SSaltzman87[/QUOTE]

I checked into the Walker and they're $2400 with rehearsal and $2000 without. Ugh, waaaaay out of my budget :-(

KristinAndAlan · January 2012

There has to be some cool indoor places in the area.. why are we having such a issue finding them?? Let me know if you find anything!!

Cackle6 · January 2012

This was another location I was looking into to use as a rain location before I found Black Bear - if you're willing to have an earlier ceremony it could be very pretty, and it's very affordable.

http://www.ci.woodbury.mn.us/facilities/central-park/weddings

leggwilliams · January 2012

I had my ceremony at Nazareth Chapel so I don't have any good suggestions for a non-traditional ceremony space, but I just wanted to say I'm super jealous you're having your reception at Solera! Yum yum yum!

caitydid81 · January 2012

that's reassuring that they're better in person! I'm meeting with Veronica tonight. I really want to like the place, so I'll keep my fingers crossed!

I think the trouble I'm having with finding an indoor ceremony venue is that a lot of the places I've looked at are either really expensive or have some sort of wording on the website that they want the reception held there, too. But maybe I just need to ask!

[Deleted User] · January 2012

We're having our ceremony Como Zoo Conservatory in the Sunken Garden. I can't remember the exact price, but I believe it's around $1000 for an hour & a half of (after hours) rental time. Our reception will be at WA Frost after the fact, as Lancer Catering at Como is a bit expensive if you do your reception there.

OMG, Solera for your reception - that sound incredible! I'm VERY jealous.

bburkel · January 2012

We are getting married in Sept 2013 and have been looking for a location for the ceremony as well. We've narrowed it down to 2 outdoor locations - Centennial Lakes - rental fee is only $275 for the amphitheatre, and you can pick a vendor for chair rental, or Millenium Gardens in Plymouth. We haven't looked at Millenium yet, but they came highly recommended from a few people I've talked to. They're a little more expensive, but should be under $1k.
We also considered the Arboretum, I believe their fee is around $800, but we have over 300 guests, and none of their gardens can accomodate that.

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