Lauren & Scott Wedding at the Loring Social Minneapolis Mn

Lauren and Scott held their wedding, on an autumn day, and I covered their exceptional ceremony at the Loring Social, a famous venue in Minnesota. It was a great wedding, with good music, delicious food, and a cocktail hour long enough to socialize with the guests.

In this article I will tell their story and speak about their venue. So if you are thinking of booking the Loring Social, that’s the kind of picture you could have.

A couple of months before, I covered Lauren and Scott’s engagement session during the blooming season. Their photo shoot took place at the Landscape Arboretum and I already knew they would be a good couple to photograph.

First Consultation in Minneapolis

Lauren and Scott were looking for the best photographer to capture memories of their ceremony. I first met Lauren and Scott close to Lake Harriet. Her mom was helping her daughter in this huge planning work. After they requested the pricing that obviously matched their budget, they explained to me the perfect wedding they had in mind: a social wedding with people enjoying the dance floor. And that’s exactly how it was!

Preparation

The wedding day arrived. The bride and her bridesmaids got ready at Lauren’s parents’ house in Bloomington (in the suburbs of the Twin Cities, MN). It was a very relaxed getting ready session. Before the wedding, Lauren did a great job creating the perfect timeline. I was afraid she would be a nervous bridezilla on her special day, but actually it was the opposite. Everything was well organized and on track. As a consequence, she was extremely peaceful and I could do my photography as I like, taking time for the details and capturing raw emotion. The groom got ready in a hotel in the city with his groomsmen at the Grand Hotel. The groomsmen are best friends from the university’s wrestling team.

Given we were quite far away from the warm July temperatures and lush greenery, the couple decided on a warm indoor wedding. That’s how they decided on this historic venue located on the west side of the city. The wedding venue was charming, made of old red exposed brick walls that worked pretty well as a background and created amazing pictures of Lauren in her wedding dress. The Loring itself belongs to D’Amico Catering (if you are looking for the right place, they hold several stunning venues in the Twin Cities). Of course they had the best wine, paired with a succulent dinner (and, as you know, being French, I am picky regarding the food). After supper, the DJ turned the room into a dance club, where many friends, but also family members, enjoyed the dance floor!

Loring Social: a Stunning Venue

The Loring Social is one of the few wedding venues that offers several rooms which are big enough to host a large event. Furthermore, the Loring Social also has a dressing room including a makeup table! Pretty convenient, isn’t it?

It’s located in front of the Basilica of Saint Mary, surrounded by highway 94 on the left side, some old industrial streets on the east side, and Loring Park to the south. It is divided into three major parts offering a variety of atmospheres.

The marble bar with its cozy atmosphere

In the center stands the marble bar, offering a variety of alcohol. Some black leather couches create a kind of booth to drink your beverage. It’s an intimate space which is ideal for mingling with your guests, as required in the wedding tradition. With the neon and the white tiles, it reminds me of NYC nights and its subways. It’s an intimate, night atmosphere between two larger spaces.

The Waverly and the Chelsea

They are two large event spaces that can handle a lot of people. What’s more, their post-industrial aspect, mixed with modern furniture, creates an urban-chic style that can be used for photo shoots. Having two such rooms is convenient, allowing you to easily host the cocktail hour in one room while the other one is flipped into the reception room. What’s more, you don’t have to spend a lot on flowers and greenery for the decoration; the place is already beautiful. And if you need directions for the decorations, you might be happy to learn that the Loring Social team recommends a bunch of vendors (decoration, floral design, videography, etc.).

Photo Shoot in the Brick Alley

Behind the venue stands an old-looking narrow street. We took advantage of it for group pictures. We also used the vintage garage glass door to stage a memorable bridal party picture. Afterwards, we wanted to go to Loring Park for a couple’s session. Unfortunately, time was running late, so we made it quick (it was pretty cold, and thus Lauren was freezing).

Lauren and Scott had a lot of complicity. And with the blue sky, the sun rays, and shades, the brown-red historical industrial street gave us great pictures! Finally, it was time for us to go back to the venue for a short rehearsal and hide before the guests started to be seated.

Tying the knot under the chandeliers

The ceremony was like the entire wedding: simple and elegant. I especially liked the pictures of the way the father was calling the ushers to escort the family at the end of the marriage ceremony. Then the cocktail took place at the marble bar, and that was the opportunity for me to take most of the guests’ pictures.

Romantic Spirit

Then dinner time came. The room was wonderful. The floral design did a great job, and the room was lit mostly by candles. The result was a Christmas spirit: warm, homey and romantic.

All the bridal party was seated at the same table. Then came the emotional toasts. I moved between tables to catch guests’ reactions.

The Artistic Picture in Front of the Waverly Room

I asked the new husband and wife to sneak away from their reception for a few minutes. I brought an off-camera flash with us, and we used the old industrial narrow street for a quick styled photo shoot.

We staged stunning silhouette pictures in front of the Waverly room, and finally, we took advantage of the adjacent park fireworks which gave us the feeling of a wedding celebration.

Conclusion

I am so glad Lauren and Scott trusted me for their wedding. It was a nice event, organized well, with all the ingredients that a photographer can wish for to compose an intense reportage.

---

Other Venues in Greater Minnesota

You can easily find a charming restaurant for an intimate wedding in Minneapolis, but not for large groups.

You could also choose no venue and just hold a marriage ceremony in a park. Or choose a venue in the middle of nature.

Outdoor venue

Choosing to host an outdoor wedding is taking the risk of having your memories ruined by the rain, and doesn’t allow you to have a photo booth. If you love D’Amico caterers, they have a bunch of other amazing wedding venues with urban and chic style. What’s more, they handle much more than just the food and beverage and would be happy to give you directions for your events.

Historic Venue

The beautiful Historic Concord, located in St. Paul, MN, offers a large makeup room and works with a lot of vendors. The great advantage of historic venues is that you don’t need to decorate them; they’re already good looking and have soul.

Modern Club Venue

The modern venues, such as the Town and Country Club, allow you to host your rehearsal dinner in a luxurious environment. Modern also means more amenities for more convenience.