The Complete Minneapolis Wedding Planning Guide
From wedding vendor recommendations, to a full planning checklist, here's everything you need to know to plan a wedding in Minneapolis!
If there’s one certainty that comes along with weddings it’s that there is a LOT of planning involved. Between choosing your venue, finding your vendors, coming up with the timeline of your day, and a whole lot more, it’s so easy to get overwhelmed with all of the decisions. As a wedding photographer, and a bride who’s gone through the process of planning her own wedding, I know firsthand just how stressful this can be, which is why this blog exists. Today we’re going to take a look at everything you need to know when planning a wedding in Minneapolis. We’ll look at some of my favorite vendors in the area and go through my planning to-do list so that you have everything you need to bring your wedding day to life!
Some of My Favorite Wedding Vendors in and Around Minneapolis
Easily one of the most stunning, gorgeous, and breathtaking wedding venues you can find in Minneapolis, The Minikahda Club is a must consider for your wedding day! This chic, lakefront country club is one of the most beautiful settings you could choose for your wedding. From the grounds of the country club which are pristinely maintained, to its stylish and elegant interior which makes for the perfect reception space, there is SO much to love about this wedding venue!
One of my favorite wedding florists in Minneapolis, Green Goddess Floral is one of those incredibly talented wedding vendors who is able to single handedly elevate the look and feel of a wedding day. Whether you’re looking for full wedding service with your florals, or ala carte florals to pick and choose from, the locally grown flowers of Green Goddess always take the level of beauty for any wedding to the next level. Take a peek at some of her work showcased in this styled shoot!
Another amazing Minneapolis wedding vendor who was part of the styled shoot at The Aisling is Epitome Papers. Your wedding invitation suite is a crucial component of the overall wedding experience. If you think about it, it’s the first piece of your wedding that your loved ones interact with, and the first moment where their excitement for your wedding is realized. As such, having a unique and beautiful invitation suite is so important. Epitome Papers excel in this area as they create custom wedding suites to bring your exact vision to life!
Love Letters MN - Wedding Stationary and Calligraphy
Molly of Love Letters MN is an expert in wedding stationary who specializes in gorgeous calligraphy. Her services include invitation suites, but also extend to envelope addressing, on-site luxury lettering, spot calligraphy and illustration, and hand-lettered signage. All of Molly’s work is legitimately breathtaking, and she adds SO much to every wedding that she’s a part of!
Another favorite wedding vendor of mine who also helped create the magical setting of The Aisling styled shoot is Boho Rental Co. Leslie of Boho Rental Co is a master curator of vintage and bohemian inspired tabletop décor. Her selection is phenomenal as she seems to have options for every wedding color palette imaginable!
Delicious dessert options are ALWAYS a hit at weddings, and if done right they can even add to the style of the day itself. Hey There, Cupcake are masters of finding this balance of taste and beauty with their desserts. From massive, jaw dropping wedding cakes, to smaller cupcakes and other dessert options, Hey There does it all and they do it SO well!
Finding the right wedding dress is a very common stressor for a lot of brides, so it’s important to find a bridal shop that has your back through the search. A&Be Bridal Shop is one such shop, as every bride I’ve had the pleasure of photographing who has chosen them has had nothing but rave reviews for them. With plenty of stunning options from some of the best designers in the industry to choose from, and a client first approach to ensuring that you find the dress that’s best for you, A&Be is a lovely bridal shop option for your wedding in Minneapolis!
Another one of my favorite bridal shops is The White Room, who actually provided the dress for one of my styled shoots! Much like A&Be Bridal, The White Room aims to provide every bride with an unforgettable dress shopping experience with the end goal of finding the perfect wedding dress. Where The White Room excels is in providing every woman with unique options that fit their personal style, not just what’s trending in the industry at the moment. It’s this commitment and distinct approach that’s led them to become one of the best bridal shops in Minneapolis, and a must consider when searching for your wedding dress!
Your To-Do List Before Your Wedding Day
Make a Vision Board
Start brainstorming with your partner about what you two want for your wedding day. What does it look like? How big will it be? What is the flow and feel of the day you’re after? Create a vision board using Pinterest to gather ideas as you daydream about your day so that you have a clear vision in mind when you start planning out the details.
Book Your Vendors
Once you have the vision of your wedding in mind, it’s time to start searching for the vendors that will make it a reality. If you intend on booking a wedding planner for your day you’ll want to book them first. They’ll be able to help you find and select other vendors that can help to create the wedding experience you’re after, as well as take a lot of the planning off of your hands!
Finalize Your Menu
Your reception menu is a crucial piece of your wedding day. Whether your venue provides the catering for your day, or you book with an outside catering company, you’ll want to finalize your menu early so that you can send food options to your guests on their RSVPs.
Choose Your Décor
If you intend on having additional décor added to your wedding venue you’ll want to choose it early on in the planning process. Are you only renting tableware, or additional furniture and larger décor for the space? Make this decision as well as the specifics that you’ll be renting well in advance of your day so that you can rest assured that your rental company will have everything ready for your wedding!
Find Your Wedding Attire
One of the most important and exciting steps of planning a wedding is finding what you’ll wear! This is another area of the planning process where acting sooner rather than later will be a life saver for you. You’ll likely need a few fittings and alterations done before your wedding day comes around to ensure that your attire fits perfectly. Choose and order the dress or suit you’ll be wearing early so that you can schedule those fittings ASAP!
Book Your Hair and Makeup Trials
It’s SO important to book trial sessions with your hair and makeup artist(s)! Trial runs allow your artists to bring your vision to life without the stress of it being the actual day of the wedding. This way you can know whether the style you’re going for is exactly what you want for your wedding, or if you want to make some tweaks or take a new approach to get it just right.
Book Your Fittings
As mentioned earlier, dress and suit fittings are an essential part of the wedding planning process. Get these scheduled early so that if you need multiple appointments to get things right you’ll have plenty of time to do so!
Build a Timeline
I can’t overstate just how important the timeline of your wedding day is. It’s the roadmap to your day. The guide that keeps you, your vendors, your wedding party members, and your family all on time and exactly where they need to be. If you’ve booked a wedding planner they’ll help you put this together. For those that aren’t booking a planner you can either plan the timeline yourselves, or plan it with the help of your wedding photographer. I recommend the second option as we photographers will be able to tell you what will and won’t work, how the day should be laid out, and what needs to be done in order to make your wedding day flow exactly how you want it!
Break in Your Shoes
This gets overlooked by SO many couples, and it's easy to see why. There’s already so much planning and preparation to take care of that it can just slip through the cracks of your to do list. Trust me when I tell you to make this a priority though, your feet will thank me later!
Delegate Your Day of Tasks
You have a loving group of friends and family, each wanting to help make your wedding day the best it can be. Delegate some of the tasks of your wedding day to your loved ones to help keep things running smoothly! You should be able to actually enjoy your wedding day, and you can’t do that if you're running around handling every little detail yourself!
Set Aside Your Wedding Details
In the weeks leading up to your wedding day you’ll want to set aside and pack the details for your wedding day. Whether you’re doing a DIY wedding day, or keeping things simple and only need to pack a few details, doing so ahead of time is crucial for your sanity. You don’t want to be scrambling looking for something the morning of.
Pack Your Bags
Just like with your wedding details, putting aside and packing your wedding bags early is a great way to make sure you don’t forget anything. From phone chargers, to spare clothes, and of course your wedding attire, make sure you have everything in order and triple checked so that you don’t forget anything for your wedding weekend.
Plan in Activities Aside from Your Wedding
Last but not least, you’ll want to plan some activities for your wedding weekend while you’re in Minneapolis! Minneapolis, and the greater Twin Cities area is home to so many businesses, activities, and attractions, it’s no exaggeration to say that there is something for everyone here! Here’s a quick list of just SOME of my favorite things to do while in Minneapolis:
This only scratches the surface of what you can do in Minneapolis too! There are so many events to take part in, breweries to check out, small shops to enjoy, and more. That’s why I strongly encourage you to make a weekend out of your wedding in Minneapolis so that you can enjoy some of what this incredible city has to offer aside from your wedding day!
And there you have it, the complete guide to planning a wedding in Minneapolis! Be sure to check out some of my other planning resources like how to prep for your photos, deciding what size wedding is right for you, and why you should book the same photographer for your wedding and engagement photos. If you’re ready to book me to document your day send me an inquiry to reserve your date ASAP.
58