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Photo by Adrienne Page
Courtesy the Wedding Fair

You’re getting married! Pretty soon you’ll be Mr. and Mrs. living “happily ever after.” But before you exchange vows and cut the wedding cake, you need to make some planning decisions that will set the tone of your big day.

First and foremost, you need to estimate how many guests you’d like to invite. Do you want an elaborate bash with all of your friends or an intimate wedding with less than 50 guests? Do you want a casual wedding or a formal affair? The size of your guest list and type of wedding you envision will help determine the size of your budget.

Once you’ve established a budget, you can begin looking at venues, since that’s where the majority of your wedding day dollars will go. This decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. Choosing a venue is—quite possibly—one of the most important decisions you’ll ever have to make. You’ll spend most of your wedding day here, so it’s vital that the venue is exactly what you want.

If you’re looking to make a statement with a classic, elegant venue, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for at The Saint Paul Hotel. A local landmark since 1910, The Saint Paul Hotel has a reputation for sophistication and style.

“We create a fairytale for each couple,” says Terrie Bulanek, director of catering. When the bride and groom arrive, they’re greeted in a formal fashion with personal assistance, from the top hat doorman to the wedding coordinator. For the rest of the day, the couple is treated like royalty. From the talented, experienced support staff, to the rich ivory linens and beautiful china, glass, silver, and crystal, to specialty décor items such as ceiling drapes, backdrops, and candles, everything at the hotel is chic and classy.

In addition to choosing the perfect venue that “speaks to the couple,” some brides and grooms are going a step further by creating a wedding day theme that blends tradition with their very own unique style.

“Developing a theme wedding is like looking at a blank canvass, the sky is the limit,” says Wedding Guy Bruce Vassar. “The main point is to focus on the overall picture and make sure that everything works cohesively.”

Quality lighting can change the ambiance of your environment, create a desired mood, and add personality to a room with the simple flick of a switch. Consider adding table and floor lamps to your venue, adding shades to the wall sconces (if allowed), and replacing harsh light bulbs with soft lighting. Don’t think a space is fully furnished as is. If you want to add certain props to the foyer or cocktail area, go for it. Your wedding is your very own one-of-a-kind, unique party.

At Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Red Wing, many couples choose a tropical-themed island wedding. Whether getting married in a banquet room inside, outside on the grassy lawn, or afloat on the 150-passenger “Spirit of the St. Croix” two-story cruise liner, the atmosphere at Treasure Island is unique. Inside the hotel’s entry, there’s a waterfall, rock pool, and a pair of large tropical fish aquariums to set a tropical tone. The restaurant area resembles a Caribbean village, and the hotel rooms are Caribbean-themed. Many brides and grooms (regardless if they’re going with a tropical theme) like to have their wedding photos taken by the waterfall-filled tropical pool area. Treasure Island is a great year-round venue.

Minnesotans love the tropics almost as much as they love the water, and what better place to exchange vows than on a boat? Cruises aboard Afton-Hudson Cruise Lines, located in the charming town of Afton on the beautiful St. Croix River, are available from April through October. After celebrating on the river, many couples (and up to 130 guests) prefer to stay overnight at the Historic Afton House Inn. Everything is in one location—no driving necessary once guests arrive for the ceremony—making it convenient for out-of-town guests.

Themes are just as popular on the water as they are on the land, says Dan Jarvis, vice president of the inn. He has seen Hawaiian and treasure chest themes to go along with the river ride, and popular centerpieces, also going along with the river theme, tend to be fish bowls, he says. Bowls of goldfish, he points out, are “simple and cost effective.” He has also noticed a popular color theme of brown, pink, and baby blue emerging in recent months.

Marcia Seebart, owner of 490 Summit, agrees that brown and blue is “really popular” as a modern wedding day color theme.

“Every couple tries to do something to personalize their style,” she says. “And carrying a color throughout [the wedding] is an easy way to do that.”

Besides adding splashes of color, not much needs to be done to add to the charm of 490 Summit, a gorgeous Victorian mansion in the heart of St. Paul’s beautiful Summit Avenue neighborhood. Couples have been married in the library or outside on the manicured lawn, then continuing the party in the expansive ballroom during the reception.

Photo by Adrienne Page
Courtesy The Wedding Fair

“Brides and grooms—and their guests—just love the atmosphere of 490 Summit,” Seebart says. “It’s intimate, elegant, and affordable, and a great alternative to a large banquet room.”

Built in 1883, the mansion is rich with details of the past. The warm and welcoming atmosphere includes a paneled library, ornate hand-carved staircase, charming dressing area (bride’s room), and five dining rooms. The mansion can accommodate up to 250 guests, and can be as formal or as casual as the couple wants it to be.

490 Summit welcomes both reception and/or rehearsal dinners.

Yet another reminder of how life used to be, the University Club of St. Paul, offers historic facilities brimming with personality and architectural impact. Whether it’s the regal Summit Avenue Clubhouse, refined Downtown St. Paul Clubhouse, The Commodore Hotel, or Stout’s Island Lodge, the beautiful facilities—all built prior to 1920—offer “the mindset of a bygone era in very romantic settings,” says Judith Keough, The University Club’s director of catering.

From exceptional service to incredible food, “we’re good at what we do,” Keough says. “We will customize menus for any taste. We don’t serve typical ‘banquet’ food.”

A different option from the usual restaurant or home setting, couples can also celebrate memorable wedding showers, rehearsal dinners, and anniversary parties at the University Club of St. Paul.

The Depot, in downtown Minneapolis built as a railroad station over a century ago, is a unique complex accommodating up to 1,500 guests for a wedding. The Depot offers four types of lodging, an indoor water park, a seasonal indoor skating rink, and close proximity to the Mississippi River. The Historic Depot includes an outdoor pavilion, an open atrium, and the marvelous Great Hall Ballroom, featuring ceilings 33 feet high, marble floors, large arched windows, and chandeliers from the original depot building.

Located along the south shore of the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul, The Wabasha Street Caves offer a fascinating and mysterious setting for a wedding. After all, where else can you get married in a sandstone cave that’s been home to a mushroom farm, mobsters, and speakeasies? The Caves 12,000-square-feet of space is tastefully finished with brick walls, stucco ceilings, a carpeted dining space, and beautiful tile floors in the cocktail area. There is a theatrical stage, large hardwood dance floor, plenty of dining and mingling space, and a 60 foot bar.

At Solera, a restaurant located in the heart of Minneapolis’ historic theater district, your guests will enjoy a lively Spanish-influenced atmosphere. In order to explore the flavors and culture of Spain, small plates and tapas are offered on the menu. Contemporary mosaics and floating light sculptures, combined with a courteous, attentive staff, make Solera an excellent choice for weddings and celebrations.

“We’re a unique facility, with a colorful atmosphere, and that’s what people are looking for now,” says Dale Hanson, catering sales manager.

The patio at Solera can seat up to 125, and the indoor facility can accommodate up to 225.

Destination weddings are always in vogue, from beach weddings in Hawaii, Mexico, and Jamaica, to weddings just a few hours from home on the scenic North Shore.

At Superior Shores Resort and Conference Center in Two Harbors, the location on Lake Superior is only part of the resort’s popularity. Warm, friendly service (the staff at Superior Shores excel at what they do, and arranging out-of-town weddings is their specialty), wonderful full-service catering, and a variety of venue options make Superior Shores a hot spot for saying “I do.”

Couples can either get married outdoors on the pebble beach or indoors in the Split Rock, Tettagouche, or Gooseberry Rooms, all located lakeside. The three rooms can be combined to accommodate groups of 250 or more. Immediately outside the banquet room is a patio, perfect for cocktails or hors d’ouevres following the ceremony.

Not only are the views fantastic at Cove Point Lodge in Beaver Bay, the lodge is also romantic, quiet, and secluded—providing all the right ingredients for a small, intimate wedding.

Some couples are married in front of the Great Hall fireplace; others choose to get married outside on the lakeside lawn, on the point, or at Split Rock Lighthouse. Wedding season at the lodge is from December through May.

Photo by Adrienne Page
Courtesy The Wedding Fair

Honeymoons are also popular at Cove Point Lodge, with packages available throughout the year.

At Lutsen Resort and Sea Villas, a beautiful Scandinavian-style lodge on the shores of Lake Superior, the atmosphere is the perfect mix of casual comfort and rustic elegance. On-site wedding planners help make the day as stress-free as possible, and guests really love that they’re part of a weekend celebration.

“It’s like a mini vacation for everyone invited,” says Tina Connor, director of group sales. “[A destination wedding] gives families and friends a longer chance to visit with one another. You don’t always have that bonding time together at a hometown wedding.”

One of the most unique theme weddings at Lutsen Resort was a summer wedding with a morning ceremony and breakfast barbeque on the beach. As the guests were eating, the couple arranged it so two members of the Lutsen staff picked them up in a large voyager canoe. The couple got in the canoe, the staff took them out on Lake Superior where they waved goodbye with their paddles, and the guests walked down to the shoreline and sang, “Until we meet again.”

Connor says the couple then paddled around the bay, got out around the bend, and jumped in their vehicle and took off, “and that was their grand departure.”

Dream weddings are regularly held at Bluefin Bay in Tofte, a seaside resort on Lake Superior, 80 miles north of Duluth. Described by many as one of the most romantic resorts on the North Shore, Bluefin Bay is in a class of its own. Couples can unwind before the ceremony with a massage in the new wellness center, soak in the only year-round, outdoor pool and hot tub on Lake Superior, or go inside and fire up the double Jacuzzi, light the fireplace, and relax to the sound of crashing waves. In addition to being a popular wedding destination, Bluefin Bay holds a special place in many honeymooners’ hearts.  

In Bayfield, Wisconsin, wedding parties can experience the spectacular vistas of Lake Superior and charm of the Apostle Islands.

“Numerous unique locations meet the needs of the couple wanting to be married on Lake Superior’s shoreline: at the historic Bayfield Lakeside Pavilion, in a field of flowers with a reception in one of the Midwest’s most beautiful barns, on a chartered sailboat, or on a secluded island beach,” says Mary Motiff with the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce.

“The Bayfield community knows how to roll out the red carpet,” she says.

Located on Gull Lake, in the heart of the Brainerd Lakes area, Grand View Lodge is ideal for a weekend destination wedding. Recently named “One of the Top 40 Best Resorts of the Midwest,” there is a spa on-site, numerous golf courses in the area, 1,500 feet of natural sandy beach on Gull Lake, horseback riding, fishing, boating, and when the temperatures drop—an indoor pool and water slide, ice fishing, and cross-country skiing. Grand View Lodge’s accommodations range from townhomes to lakeside cottages to historic lodge rooms.

Brides and grooms choose to get married on the beautiful grounds or inside the Historic Grand View Lodge. After the ceremony, guests can proceed to the reception deck for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails followed by an evening of dining and dancing.

The reception hall can accommodate up to 300 people and is available year-round. A wedding coordinator and resort staff is at your service to help plan a wedding that you and your guests will never forget.

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