How to Find an Affordable Wedding Venue in Minnesota Without Compromising on Style in order to get some good photos!
You might be worried that sticking to your wedding budget means getting married in a low-ceiling, dimly lit basement.
When booking your wedding venue, there are smart moves you can make to get a good-looking venue without exploding your budget.
In this article, after defining what makes a great photogenic venue, we will give you practical strategies and tips to reduce costs while keeping quality, like picking the right day, adjusting guest count, or choosing city-run venues.
We will look at a real-life example to show how some simple factors can greatly influence the final price.
But first, you should already be Defining Your Priorities!
Before picking your venue, decide how much you want, can, and should afford to spend: define your budget and make a list of your priorities.
If you have no clue how much you want to spend, you might need a point of comparison.
Check our article on the average price of a wedding venue in Minnesota.
What you will learn by the end of this article.
Planning a wedding in Minnesota on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing style! This article promises to reveal smart strategies for finding a beautiful, photogenic wedding venue without breaking the bank. You’ll learn how off-season dates, weekday bookings, and exploring city-run gems can lead to significant savings, ensuring your special day is both stunning and affordable.
Table of Contents
7 Points Impacting the Cost of the Venue (and What You Should Ask Yourself)
Here is a list of points to keep in mind when choosing your venue:
1. The Aesthetic Aspect of the Venue
Often, the more beautiful, the more expensive. But it’s not a strict rule (check this article for public venues in Minnesota)
That said, beauty is relative.
You may prefer a cheap, cute barn in a picturesque landscape over a luxury hotel.
2. The Guest Number
Trimming the guest list is one of the most difficult parts.
For reference, the average price of food and beverages per guest is around $85.
But keep in mind that, beyond the additional price for each plate, venues that can welcome big weddings (more than 200 guests) are bigger, require more staff, and therefore are more expensive to rent than a small venue.
3. Fancy New Places in Rich Neighborhoods
As a wedding photographer, I have seen a lot of High-End venues. Some venues that are much more expensive for no other reason than the fact that they are… trendy.
Those are usually located in rich suburbs of the Twin Cities.
Let’s think of Bavaria Downs in Chaska, or The Hutton House in Medicine Lake, MN.
4. Top-of-the-Notch Service, or a More Casual Venue?
It’s about the service you desire and the amount of DIY you want to do.
Are you ready to get your entire family ready at 8 a.m. to set up 20 tables with all the decorations?
And to clean the room until 1 a.m. on the wedding day?
Or would you prefer the venue to do it?
5. Distance from Downtown
No surprise: driving 30 minutes out of the city will usually allow you to find more affordable locations.
The price of land is cheaper, and there is less demand, average incomes of local people decrease, so prices go down.
If you drive even further, say one hour to an hour and a half, and there’s a good chance you can book the best venue in the local area at a much more affordable price than if you had booked it in the Twin Cities. Plus, it will be the same for local vendors and hotels.
6. Choice of Weekday: Saturday, Friday, or Sunday?
Following the laws of supply and demand, the price of most venues varies depending on the seasons (high seasons, April to October) and the day of the week.
Summer dates are in demand, and the prices are higher than in winter. Some venues also make a difference between early seasons (April, May, June) cheaper, and Late season (July, August, September, October). With the Winter Discount, you can easily see a difference of 20-30%. Of course, the “winter discount” can vary from one venue to another.
It’s the same for the weekends and the weekdays.
- On Saturdays, you will pay the full price, given it’s the most in-demand date.
- Fridays are often $1,000 to $2,00 cheaper
- Sundays can be $2,000 to $3,000 cheaper. However, a significant downside of Sunday weddings is that they often end earlier.
- Weekdays (Monday to Thursday) are even cheaper.
This difference could be even bigger with premium venues!
Study cases: 2 Real-life examples of how a choice of date can double the price of your Minnesotan dream venue, with two types of venue an affordable venue, and a high-end venue.
But let’s see some real numbers to give you an idea.
A/ Effect on winter discount and weekday discount on a Budget Friendly Venue: Mayowood Stone Barn in Rochester
Let’s choose the Mayowood Stone Barn, it’s a top venue in Rochester that remains affordable (not the most expensive venues, especially compared to the ones on the Twin Cities). Here is the price of the venue regarding the weekday and the season.
| Day | Summer | Winter |
| Friday | $5000 | $4000 |
| Saturday | $7000 | $5000 |
| Sunday | $4000 | $4000 |
| Monday-Thursday | $3000 |
Effect of the week date:
As you can see, in Summer, the price can go from $7000 on a Saturday to $4000 on Sunday, so a difference of $3000!
Effect of the season:
As you can see, the price of the venue goes from $ 7000 on a Saturday in Summer to $5000 on a Saturday in Winter, so a difference of $2000, only due to the seasons.
Conclusion: A price fluctuation of more than 50%.
If you look carefully, the cheapest date is at $3000 for the day, compared to $7000 for the more expensive dates.
You will also note that, for this venue, there is no difference in price between a Sunday in Winter and a Sunday during Summer. So, unless you want a white snow wedding, you might not have any interest in getting married on Sunday in winter at this specific venue, compared than a summer wedding.
A/ Effect on winter discount and weekday discount on a High-End Fancy Venue: the Equestria West at Bavaria Downs.
(For reference, the picture above is an AI-generated photo taking inspiration from a German Castle, not the discussed venue.)
Let’s take an example from an expensive venue, the Equestria West at Bavaria Downs. And Let see the effect of weekday and season.
| Day | Summer | Winter |
| Friday | $11000 | $7000 |
| Saturday | $15000 | $9000 |
| Sunday | $7500 | $4500 |
| Monday-Thursday | $4000 | $3000 |
Effect of the week date:
The price of this top high-end fancy venue goes from $15000 on a Saturday during Summer to $7,500 on a Sunday. So a difference of $7,500 which represent a 50% discount!
Effect of the season:
The price of this top high-end fancy venue goes from $15000 on a Saturday on Summer Saturday to $9000 on a Saturday in Winter.
Conclusion: A price fluctuation of up to 80%!
If you check the cheapest price (a weekday during winter), the price is $3000. Compare the $15,000 for a Saturday during summer. This represents a discount of $12,000, which means 80%! Yes, that’s a heck of a discount!
Of course, nobody dreams of getting married on a Monday, but this example shows how important the date is.
Conclusion: The choice of your wedding date is the easiest way to save money and keep the same venue!
As we have seen, the price of some venues follows the law of demand and demand, and that can result in a huge price difference.
Note that it does not apply to all the venues, especially the cheapest ones, which usually don’t see their price go significantly lower.
Where to Look for Venue Information
Today, thanks to the internet, looking for your perfect venue is easier than ever.
Here are different ways to search smartly:
- Use our website! We have a lot of articles on venues:
– alternative types of venues in Rochester
– ways to save money on your venue - Use wedding venue search platforms such as:
The Knot, Wedding Wire, Zola, Eventective, Wedding Spot.
You can quickly send dozens (if not hundreds) of price requests.
Of course, be ready to spend time analyzing those quotes carefully. - Use Google Maps:
You would be surprised by the number of small venues you can find that aren’t on the big platforms. - Use Google search:
Especially to search for alternative types of venues mentioned earlier (like breweries, museums, etc.). - Use social media:
Instagram and Facebook are great for finding visually attractive venues. - Attend wedding shows:
Wedding expos, where couples meet vendors, are perfect for discovering venues:
(Examples: Minnesota Bridal & Wedding Expo, Minnesota Wedding Show by Minnesota Bride). - Ask wedding vendors:
Photographers often know hidden gem venues that are not widely advertised.
Final Thoughts
There’s no magic:
Getting the fanciest, biggest, brightest, and most beautiful wedding venue on a Saturday in summer at a cheap price is not possible.
However, if you are ready to make a few concessions (such as getting married on another day than Saturday, out of season, or outside the city), then you have a good chance to book a very photogenic venue at an affordable price.
Our best advice:
Look at historic locations managed by cities or counties, or modern institutions managed by the public sector, because they are not focused on maximizing profits.
Finally, you can plan different types of weddings:
- Brunch weddings
- Alternative venues like breweries, museums, churches, lodges, or even camping weddings.
Thinking creatively can help you find a beautiful and meaningful space, without breaking the bank.
This article was created to help future brides and grooms find the right venue by focusing on what truly matters to them.
Once your venue is booked, the next big decision is often choosing your photographer. If capturing beautiful memories is high on your list of priorities, I would love to hear from you. Let’s make magic together.
