About Minneapolis
Minneapolis, together with St. Paul, forms Minnesota’s Twin Cities and sits where the Mississippi River and the Minnesota Rivers converge. Minneapolis is renowned for the Mill City Museum, the Mall of America (one of the largest malls in the world), its incredible outdoor attractions, and being one of the coldest cities in the United States.
For sports fans, Minneapolis is the place to be. The city is home to several professional sports teams, including the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Minneapolis is a fantastic place to hold a wedding due to the diversity of attractions and event spaces. Nature lovers will enjoy hiking the city’s parks and spending days at the surrounding lakes. Urbanites will be thrilled to discover the city’s thriving craft beer and food scene. There are loads of fun bars and a fantastic music scene to check out.
If you're planning to get married here, you'll come across a wide selection of wedding venues in Minneapolis. If you're looking for an elegant venue, you'll find a historic wedding venue located in the city. If you're after a modern wedding venue, you will not be disappointed with the options present here. There are also plenty of outdoor spaces such as parks, gardens, and farms where you can get married amid fresh air.
Wedding Options in Minneapolis
When it comes to planning wedding ceremonies, there are many details to consider. From looking for reception venues, designing a menu, and organizing transportation, to hiring a band and decorating the wedding venue, you’ll likely need to outsource some of the responsibilities. Let one of the many wedding service providers in Minneapolis help you pull off an event to remember.
Catering
A delicious meal is essential to any wedding. Whether you have a favorite dish in mind or you need someone to help guide you through the process, Minneapolis is home to many experienced caterers who would be delighted to put together a delectable meal for you and your guests.
Florists
The right flowers help to create a lovely setting for your wedding venue. Whether you need a bridal bouquet, a corsage, or arrangements to decorate the space, take your time to find a Minneapolis florist who can design your dream flower arrangements.
Transportation
Your wedding day will be much smoother if you leave the driving to one of Minneapolis’ transportation professionals. A shuttle service or private limousine will help you and your guests arrive at your wedding comfortably and in style. Alternatively, consider hiring a valet service to streamline arrival for your guests.
Band
Music is an important and memorable part of any wedding. From string quartets to guitarists, vocalists, or bands, Minneapolis is home to many talented musicians who would be happy to entertain you and your guests on your big day.
Photographer and Videographer
There’s no question that you’ll want to document your wedding day to look back on. Instead of placing the responsibility on your guests, hire a professional Minneapolis wedding photographer or videographer to capture all the magical moments of your special day.
Wedding Companies in Minneapolis
Planning a wedding is not for the faint of heart. There are all kinds of tiny details to keep track of. If you need help bringing your dream wedding to life, work with a professional event planner in Minneapolis to ensure your special day goes smoothly. From wedding day coordination to full-service planning, these pros will help you through the whole process.
Pink Peony Weddings and Events
This event planning company offers full-service wedding planning and design. Not only will they assist with the logistics of your event, but they’ll help ensure your event space looks and feels exactly as you imagined it would. They also offer wedding coordination for the day of your event.
This Love Weddings
Established in 2009, this boutique wedding planning service offers three service packages to help you execute your dream wedding in Minneapolis. The Wedding Management package works to ensure all the moving pieces of your wedding add up to a day to remember. The Wedding Management and Design package helps you work through all the details and logistics of your wedding, including how it will look and feel. Finally, the Complete Wedding Planning package is a full-service option that ensures every detail of your wedding is carefully planned and coordinated so you can relax and enjoy the day.
The Simply Elegant Group
This wedding planning service specializes in creating bespoke events for all couples on any budget. The Simply Elegant Group has been featured on Brides.com, The Knot, Wedding Wire, and dozens of other publications. They work with a group of preferred vendors to ensure their clients receive quality services at fair prices.
Pros and Cons of Weddings in Minneapolis
Before you commit to planning a wedding in Minneapolis, ensure you’re aware of the potential obstacles. Overall, Minneapolis is a fantastic city with a lot of appealing qualities but the extreme winters and the potential for natural disasters like tornadoes and floods could add some stress to planning a wedding there.
Advantages
Outdoor attractions
With 22 lakes, dozens of parks, and a plethora of bike trails, Minneapolis is an appealing setting for lovers of the outdoors.
Cost of living
Minneapolis has a very low cost of living compared to most of the rest of the country. This means that the cost of a wedding, particularly when looking at Minneapolis event centers, is likely to be quite reasonable compared to other places.
Fun bars
Minneapolis has lively event spaces like bars which makes it a fun party spot for all of your wedding festivities.
Attractions
The city has tons of appealing attractions, including the Mall of America, the Minnesota History Center, incredible parks, sporting events, and more.
Beautiful scenery
Located along the Mississippi River, Downtown Minneapolis offers many scenic places perfect for wedding photos.
Disadvantages
Cold winters
Minneapolis winters can be long and punishing, with the possibility of snow from October to May. It’s been reported that temperatures in Minneapolis are routinely colder than in Russia and Alaska.
Summers are hot and humid
If you’re dreaming of a summer wedding in an outdoor ceremony space, Minneapolis may not be the best option due to the hot weather and high humidity during the summer months.
Potential for natural disasters
Tornadoes and derechos both affect Minneapolis. While these weather events aren’t common, the threat of experiencing one could put a damper on your wedding festivities. Flash floods are also a concern, due to the proximity of the Minnesota River and Mississippi River.
Crime
Minneapolis ranks as the most dangerous city in Minnesota and at one time had a violent crime rate of 1 in 104.
Locals are guarded
While Minnesotans have a reputation for being nice, they are slow to open up which could make it tough to make friends in Minneapolis.
Famous Locations in Minneapolis
Minnehaha Regional Park
This beautiful park sits southwest of downtown Minneapolis. It is home to a collection of historical sites along with the gorgeous Minnehaha Falls, a 53-foot waterfall that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Minnehaha has a network of hiking trails along with picnic areas and a wading pool that is popular for children in the summer. Book a wedding venue nearby so you can feature this stunning Minneapolis landmark in your wedding photos!
Mall of America
This enormous mall covers 96.4 acres, welcomes around 40 million visitors each year, and holds over 500 retailers. But there’s more to do inside than just shop! The Mall of America also holds attractions like the Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park, an aquarium, and an assortment of nostalgic artifacts related to the Twin Cities. The mall also hosts hundreds of events each year ranging from concerts to celebrity appearances and beyond. Visiting the Mall of America is a rite of passage for anyone who finds themself in Minneapolis.
Weisman Art Museum
This iconic Minneapolis landmark was designed by Frank Gehry. The structure is difficult to describe accurately, made from stainless steel and consisting of a rectangular base with various shapes, curved and sharp-edged, jutting out all over. While the building is intriguing on its own, it holds several fascinating collections featuring everything from American Modernism to traditional Korean furniture.
