Photo by Kimberlee Whaley
June is still the most popular month for couples to say their vows, but there’s nothing conventional about these unique Minnesota wedding venues.
1. Art of love A freestanding room built into a hill at the Walker’s sculpture garden, James Turrell’s Sky Pesher uses natural and artificial light to create the effect of its architecture slipping away in a wash of color (it’s closed during this summer’s construction). For those who worship at the altar of art, such as the Walker staffer who was married there in 2009, it provides a sense of spirituality.
2. Polar plunge into matrimony Start planning now for a Valentine’s Day polar plunge wedding, like the one presided over by Rochester’s mayor at Foster Arend Lake in 2015. The fire of your love has to burn pretty hot to withstand the -25 wind chill that met those lovebirds when they surfaced from the icy water.
3. Walking on sunshine Getting hitched in a hot air balloon means you spend your big day literally on Cloud Nine. If you’re envisioning an intimate affair with just an officiant and a couple of witnesses, it beats City Hall. Balloon Rides Over Minnesota can also bring your whole wedding party up in multiple balloons—an elegant way to keep feuding family members separated.
4. Shark tank Pinterest is full of ideas for nautical-themed weddings, but few feature scuba gear. One Minnesota bride traded in her veil for a scuba mask when she and her groom tied the knot immersed in the shark tank at MOA’s SEA LIFE aquarium in 2014. No worries if Aunt Millie isn’t scuba certified—guests can watch from the dry tunnel beneath the 500,000-gallon tank.
5. (N)ice fish What could be more Minnesotan than saying “I do” on the frozen shores of Lake Superior, with snowmobiles to shuttle guests and warming shacks for the wusses? Ice fishing-themed weddings ensure that no one has to be remember to pick up ice, and think of what all that free lake trout can save you on the catering bill.
Photo courtesy of sea life Minnesota Aquarium
