Choosing a southern MN wedding venue is one of the most important parts of your wedding day planning. Your venue sets nearly your whole vibe for the day. Do you want clean and modern? It’s hard to get that vibe in a barn. Do you want cozy and rustic? Again, it’s hard to get that vibe in an industrial downtown venue. The way your venue feels will inform so much about your day, and will infiltrate your photos, regardless of whether you want it to or not. So find a venue that you can embrace the beauty of, and that provides all the necessities for a wedding day!
As a Minnesota wedding photographer, I primarily photograph weddings either in venues or backyards. If you are considering a backyard wedding, I have a whole blog on the logistics of hosting one. If you are looking for a venue, here are some of my favorite Southern MN wedding venues:
The Capitol Room | St. Peter, MN
This venue is a stunning indoor, industrial, but still rustic event venue that has so many amazing spaces. From getting ready (for both partners), to the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and dancing, you will not be short on space. Additional amenities include tables, chairs, a venue manager on-site all day (shout out to Megan – she did a fantastic job at Alexis and Jose’s wedding!), and a prep space for your caterer. The Capitol Room also has a day-of coordination package, linen package, and speaker/mic package that can be added onto your rental.
Not only do I love the amenities of this venue, but the vibes are immaculate! So cozy, clean, and obviously romantic. You will love how easy it is to walk into the spaces and feel like everything is done for you – almost no decor is required to still have a stunning look for your wedding day! Take a look at these photos and see for yourself!
The Heritage Village | Mountain Lake, MN
If you love history, or want an outdoor-based wedding with plenty of historical midwestern architecture, this is the southern MN wedding venue for you! It’s on the edge of a small town (where a new hotel is being built for your guests to stay), and is filled with historical charm from the beginnings of Mountain Lake. The preserved buildings create so many beautiful spots for your portraits, but the grounds do not lack options for nature either.
There is a large lobby that is perfect for getting ready, welcoming guests, serving food, or even hosting an intimate reception if weather doesn’t cooperate. At the back of the grounds, which is not too far of a walk, is a perfect space for your ceremony set up. Behind the lobby is a great space between several buildings for hosting your reception. For dancing, there is a large gazebo that is just the perfect spot to spend your night celebrating away!
Round Lake Vineyards | Round Lake, MN
Perfect for summer OR winter weddings, the Round Lake Vineyards and Winery is a modern, spacious venue that you don’t want to miss! It is right on the lake for gorgeous lakeside views, and the vines are a wonderful backdrop for your portraits. The outdoor ceremony site is lakeside, spacious, and a very short walk from the ballroom. The ballroom can be used as a ceremony and/or reception space, and you can really make this space your own – it’s a blank slate for your wildest wedding dreams!
Some amenities include two separate getting ready spaces, tables and chairs, wine from the winery, and access to the bar/restaurant for you and your wedding party to escape to during your cocktail hour. I just love this venue after being a photographer at two weddings there!
Whispering Pines Event Space | Luverne, MN
Whispering Pines is a newer venue just outside of Luverne, MN that is a perfect blank space for your wedding! It’s not a traditional barn, but it’s also not a downtown city vibe either. It is a great in-between for those who want the space of something out of town, but don’t want a barn either. Indoors, the reception space can seat around 240 guests so it is plenty big enough for even a large wedding. You will also have access to a golf cart on the day of to help get you around the property for photos!
*Photos taken from venue website
Fox Lake Event Center | Sherburn, MN
This is another gorgeous space that has a modern rustic twist to it. This space is large, accommodating up to 400 people, with plenty of amenities to make your wedding day run 100% smooth! There is a large suite for getting ready, a full bar, a full prep kitchen, and a pizza kitchen. Along with all of that, you have the wide open spaces for photos, and the sunset view from the venue is gorgeous!
One thing I especially love about this venue is it still has some character with the large beams and dark wood accents so you don’t need to go all out on decor, but you can still fit any wedding colors or theme in this space and it won’t feel overwhelmed by your decor.
*Photos taken from venue website
How to Choose the Right Venue for You
If you are having a tough time choosing the right venue for you, here’s some considerations to keep in mind:
- Guest count: of course you know this already, but guest count has a lot to do with choosing a venue. You want a venue that is proportional to your guest count. A venue that is way too big will feel empty and a venue that is too small won’t fit your guests or won’t feel comfortable. Thankfully, there are plenty of options for both big and small Southern MN wedding venues!
- The colors and vibes you want to bring to the venue: think about specific visions you have for your wedding day and try to envision them while you are on your tour. You will either see it and feel it or you won’t. Follow that gut feeling!
- Sunset views: This one is definitely photography related, but your guests will also enjoy hanging out outside (yes, even if the dance floor is popping) and having a great sunset to view is a definite plus for the guest experience.
- Logistics: Do you need two getting ready spaces? Does your caterer need a prep kitchen? What happens if it rains? Vibes mean a lot, but sometimes logistics have to play a role in choosing your venue too.
If you are in the search for a Southern MN wedding venue, chances are I know more than just these 5 listed and outlined. Once you decide to book with me, I would be happy to help you narrow your search and give you the ins and outs of the venues I’ve worked at previously!
Do you like what you see from my work at the top 3 venues on this list? Click this button to see how you can book with me!
