Top 5 Mansion Wedding Venues in Minneapolis
Being a photographer that loves capturing deep emotion, I have developed a particular love for venues that create an atmosphere that have as much personality as the couples getting married.
I have often felt that there is a certain romance that is felt in historic places - a poetic nostalgia knowing all of the stories the walls have seen through time. I have always been drawn to both the untold stories of these old places and the new stories that can unfold.
My husband and mines first apartment together was a historic mansion just a two buildings up the street from the Van Dusen Mansion - a charming little studio apartment with stunning light, gorgeous ceiling moldings, an old claw foot tub, radiators that consistently heated our apartment to temperatures that left us feeling like we were in a Nordic Sauna, and a soundtrack of creaky old pipes filling our home. Charming quirks of living in a Mansion. Our love for historic places has held strong as we purchased a little 1930’s Tudor house in North Minneapolis to renovate in 2020 and have loved every bit of the charm and whimsical features the house brings to our lives.
Just as much as I love visiting and living in historic places, I love shooting in them. I have always found that the venue sets the tone of how guests will enjoy and celebrate on a wedding day, and historic places tend to elicit a sense of romance, nostalgia, and elegance. There are three incredible mansions in Minneapolis that one can choose to host their wedding celebration at - each offering a different feeling to a couples day.
A Guide featuring Minneapolis Mansion Wedding Venues
for couples dreaming of a romantic celebration…
The Swedish House Institute
Soft whites, large glass windows, a courtyard fit for a fairytale, the Swedish House Institute is an absolute favorite location for me to shoot, especially in the summertime. The delicate details that can be found on the moldings in the Piano Room (inside the mansion) create a stunning setting for timeless fine art film photography. Migrating outdoors on a warm summer evening, couples are met with beauty as the light wraps around the mansions avant-garde architecture and perfectly curated gardens as if they are being enveloped in a warm hug. A setting that is perfectly designed for atmospheric, romantic photos.
The Swedish house also has an incredible bee friendly Green Roof full of plants and flora, and for all of my couples that are hoping to delight their guests with incredible food, the on site Slate & Stone caterer is phenomenal.
The Swedish House Institute Venue Information
Location: 2600 Park Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407
Parking: Guests can park in the onsite parking lot at The Swedish House Institute
Capacity: The Swedish House has capacity that ranges from 250-500 guests depending on where you would like your ceremony and reception hosted in the venue. Their courtyard offers a larger capacity than Institute’s indoor options.
Blaisdell Mansion
A charming mansion fit for an intimate, art forward, wedding celebration: Blaisdell Mansion. A space filled with tall windows filing it with beautiful light, a stunning art collection that you can select from yourself to have displayed on your wedding day, and a courtyard that is intimate and whimsical fit for a glowy summer sunset cocktail hour.
Blaisdell Mansion Venue Information
Location: 2322 Blaisdell Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Parking: Blaisdell offers guest parking in nearby offsite parking lots.
Capacity: The Blaisdell has a maximum capacity of up to 225 guests in their ballroom setting, and more intimate options for reception spaces and smaller ceremonies available throughout the mansion and in the courtyard.
Nearby photo opportunities: The Blaisdell venue site itself offers such a beautiful backdrop for getting ready photos, first looks, wedding party photos, family photos, and couples photos that I love to spend most of the day capturing the magic without leaving the venue! If you do want to escape for a bit, Loring Park is a short 5 minute drive away and offers a stunning natural backdrop (photographers permit required). There are also many bars within minutes of the venue if you are looking to go somewhere fun during cocktail hour with your wedding party.
Van Dusen Mansion
https://www.thevandusenmansion.com/
While the Swedish House and Blaisdell offer a lighter, fairytale, setting - the Van Dusen Mansion brings on a moodier elegance that feels very lavish. I absolutely delight in the atmosphere that is created for ceremony and receptions in their outdoor courtyard - on a warm summer night when the wind picks up just enough to make the leaves blow in the wind, you feel as if you’ve been transported to another world.
Van Dusen Venue Information
Location: 1900 Lasalle Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Capacity: The maximum capacity at Van Dusen Mansion is 200 guests.
Parking: Van Dusen has a nearby offsite parking lot for guests to use.
Semple Mansion
Similar to the Van Dusen, Semple Mansion offers a lovely moody elegance to the wedding venue scene, this location is just around the corner from Van Dusen. The inside offers a romantic atmosphere complete with a cozy fireplace next to the bar (perfect for cocktail hour). The front terrace offers a beautiful light filled backdrop for couples photos and family photos.
Semple Mansion Venue Information
Location: 100 W Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Capacity: The Semple Mansion has a wedding guest capacity of 200-250 guests.
Parking: Couples can reserve a parking lot across the street that accommodates up to 100 vehicles.
The Womens Club
https://www.womansclub.org/space-rental
Nestled next to Loring Park, The Womens Club is often overlooked as a wedding venue because they are still an active club that focuses on empowering women. However, the venue offers a stunning setting with elegant floor to ceiling windows, a rooftop patio garden that offers an incredible view of the cities, and intricate historic details throughout.
The Women’s Club of Minneapolis Venue Information
Location: 410 Oak Grove St, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Capacity: The women’s club can host up to 150 guests.
Parking: There is onsite parking available for wedding guests.
A love letter to Mansion Weddings
Capturing a couples wedding is a wonderful, magical, experience. When they choose a location that tells a timeless story, the setting becomes a fairytale to capture. Each of these Minneapolis venues have been wonderful to shoot at, offering incredible light, stunning character, and a setting for magic to unfold. I approach a wedding day with an eye for beautiful light, romantic moments, and stunning compositions - these locations create a beautiful backdrop to all of the candid moments that I seek to capture. I think these photos turn out so beautiful because they both are stunning visually, and tell a couples personal story. Cheers to your mansion wedding!!
photo captured at the beautiful Swedish House Institute
Hello, I’m Reyna!
Let me in for the adventures of your celebration and the intimacy of your love story and I will create photos for you that aren’t your typical wedding photos. What I want for you is art. Art to remember the incredible journey you are embarking on as a married couple.
I find kinship with couples that have an artistic flair and are looking to do things their own way. Often this means they are dreaming of an intimate wedding, backyard wedding, destination weddings, multiple day camping adventure, or an elopement.
Though my work as a wedding photographer has taken me all over the world, from the beauty of the North Shore all the way to Pokhara Nepal, my home is found in a cute little tudor house in North Minneapolis where I live with my husband, two beautiful baby girls, and a Siamese kitty named Goose.
Ready to plan your wedding photography?
Reach out below, I can’t wait to hear from you!
