Spruce Hill Event Center Wedding Guide: What Couples Need to Know

Imagine discovering a hidden wedding venue just one hour from the Twin Cities that saves you thousands of dollars while offering cathedral ceilings and three ceremony options.

You’ve driven past it countless times on Highway 52 without knowing what lies behind that hill. Spruce Hill Event Center sits tucked away in Zumbrota’s countryside: a family passion project where a retired Army engineer transformed cornfields into one of Minnesota’s most thoughtfully designed modern wedding venues.

After two decades photographing weddings, I can tell you that venues combining rural privacy, studio-quality lighting, and engineering precision are rare finds. Mike and Sierra Barck didn’t just build another barn – they created a space where no neighbors complain about noise, where all-white walls make every photo pop, and where west-facing views provide golden hour magic.

Here’s everything you need to know about this engineer-designed venue and how to make your wedding day here absolutely stunning.

The Family Behind Spruce Hill Event Center

Mike Barck didn’t set out to become a wedding venue owner. This retired Army engineer spent years working on B2 airplane projects before transitioning to construction inspection. But when retirement came, he had bigger dreams than a quiet porch.

He transformed the family’s land in Zumbrota and began the most ambitious project of his career, transforming a cornfield into a Modern Wedding Venue. What started as his retirement passion became a family legacy when his children, especially his daughter Sierra, joined the vision, and his son Kyle is also involved.

Location and Setting

Here’s what most couples don’t realize about Spruce Hill Event Center: you’ve likely driven right past it dozens of times without knowing it exists.

The venue sits hidden behind a hill on Highway 52, completely invisible from the road. The isolation brings a huge advantage – no neighbors means no noise complaints. Your celebration won’t disturb anyone.

The Main Building: Engineered for Weddings

Step inside Spruce Hill’s main building and you’ll immediately understand why Mike’s engineering background matters. The 4,000 square foot reception space features three-story cathedral ceilings that create an almost church-like grandeur.

Here’s what makes me excited as a photographer: the all-white interior design. Mike essentially created photography studio conditions inside a wedding venue. The white walls and soaring ceilings bounce light beautifully, meaning even on cloudy days, your indoor photos will be bright and crisp.

The west-facing windows flood the space with natural light throughout the afternoon and evening. The attached west-facing patio extends your cocktail space outdoors with stunning sunset views across the cornfields.

Venue Layout and Amenities

The paved patio connects directly to the main reception space and faces west, which allows you to enjoy golden hour lighting during cocktail hour, and sunset during dinner.

Note that the venue includes a covered workspace specifically designed for catering teams.

The entire modern wedding venue operates on solar power with reliable electricity and efficient climate control, which should please the eco-conscious clients. The layout eliminates bottlenecks so guests move naturally from ceremony to cocktails to reception (which is not always the case with a renovated barn-type venue).

The Landscaping

One big part of the this venue creation was to completely remodel the landscape.
You will find manicured lawns with strategically placed trees that create natural gathering spots. Mulched borders, gravel pathways, and an old-style fountain anchor the formal areas near the reception space.

Benches surround the firepit area for intimate conversations. Seasonal flower beds add color throughout the property.

The expansive patio connects to a wilder natural section where towering spruce trees mix with prairie grass.

The Getting Ready Room: Stylish

The venue includes two rooms to get ready, which would please both brides and grooms. Note that they both include a fridge to keep your champagne and beer cold.

Bridal Suite: Bright and Chic Place

The bridal suite, in the pink and gold tones, offers everything your wedding party needs with six dedicated beauty stations. No crowding around a single mirror, and your photographer can capture natural getting-ready moments comfortably.

Groom’s Quarters: A Gentleman’s Lounge

The groom’s quarters features genuine leather couches, rich wood furniture, and a coffee table that creates a sophisticated lounge atmosphere. There’s a large-screen TV and an outdoor seating area for pre-ceremony relaxation.

Both spaces are climate-controlled year-round and well-lit for natural photography.

Plus, the Groom’s Quarters has a patio area with mini golf and bean bags.

Three Ceremony Options for Every Vision

The Main Ceremony Site: West-Facing

The primary ceremony site faces west with rows of elegant benches and a striking modern triangular arch. Late afternoon ceremonies capture backlighting and golden hour sunset photos.

The White Tent

The covered ceremony space sits surrounded by towering spruce trees with a white tent structure that keeps things bright for photography while creating a cozy, woodland atmosphere. Plus in summer, the open walls let the air flow to keep you and your guests confortable.

Indoor Cathedral Space

The main reception room can be transformed for indoor ceremonies. Those three-story cathedral ceilings and all-white walls create an almost church-like atmosphere, or modern architecture (such as a museum) that never feels like a backup plan.

Hidden Photography Gems

Spruce Hill’s property offers several hidden gems for stunning photos.

Mike and his family created winding paths throughout the spruce tree areas mixed with tall prairie grass. These walkways provide foreground elements, multiple planes, and varied angles for portraits.

The tree-lined paths create intimate spaces perfect for first looks with natural shade and flattering light. The older the three will grow the better it will be.

Note that it would be even better during golden hour light.

Photography Timeline: Planning Your Wedding at Spruce Hill Event Center

The west-facing orientation means I recommend ceremony start times between 4:30 and 5:30 PM for optimal natural lighting. Cocktail hour becomes magical during golden hour when those west-facing windows and patio flood with warm light. Check our golden-hour calculator for your wedding day.

The all-white interior and cathedral ceilings create consistent lighting regardless of the weather. Schedule additional couples portraits during golden hour along the tree paths for intimate, naturally-lit images.

Sample Wedding Day Timeline

• 11:00 AM – Wedding party arrives for getting ready
• 2:00 PM – First look on the tree-lined paths
• 2:45 PM – Wedding party and family photos
• 4:00 PM – Ceremony at chosen site
• 4:30 PM – Cocktail hour on the patio
• 6:30 PM – Dinner begins
• 8:00 PM – Dancing continues without noise concerns
• 8:30 PM – Last artistic image of the bride and groom
• 9:00 PM – Photographer departure

If you need more help building your timeline, here is everything you need to know about timelines, along with an example of a 10-hour wedding coverage day for photography.

Investment and Policies

Spruce Hill Event Center offers straightforward pricing, making a distinction between early season and late season (more in demand).

Current Venue Pricing

Holiday weddings add $500 to base pricing.

While this might not be the cheapest venue in the area, it’s definitely one of the most high-end options available around Rochester (if not the most). The price is very competitive compared to Twin Cities venues, and many clients from Minneapolis and Saint Paul are happy to save thousands of dollars and drive an hour to get married in the beautiful countryside.
As you can see below, the easiest way to save money is to choose the right date. Here, a Sunday wedding in early summer would save you $2500 compared to a Saturday during the fall season.

New venue : low price

I presume (and that’s only my intuition) that, like many venues on the market, they offer a very competitive price (for this type of venue) during the first few years (time to get known and build a large clientele), and that in the future they will probably raise their prices. My advice is: take advantage of the low price now.

Spruce Hill allows you to choose your own licensed and insured vendors. The venue welcomes your dogs, permits sparklers and candles, and offers military discounts. No hidden fees, contact them and schedule by appointment.

Conclusion: Should you book the Spruce Hill Event Center?

Mike’s engineering background shows in the structural quality and thoughtful design of this venue. The modern, elegant, almost minimalistic design reminds us of the West Coast and would be perfect for chic photos.
The three ceremony options and studio-quality indoor lighting give you flexibility that the weather can’t compromise, which is a HUGE asset that you don’t have at all venues.
The included getting-ready room for both bride and groom is not only convenient, but also photogenic, sparing you the need to take an extra hotel room to get ready.

Seasonal operations (May through October only) limit your wedding date options, so book well in advance for preferred dates.

Being a newer modern wedding venue means updated amenities and contemporary design with personal family attention.

Tip from your photographer: How to make the most of the Spruce Hill Event Center

The all-white interior makes your wedding colors pop: that’s the concept of the white cube Modern Art Museums, quite similar to the Rochester Art Center.
Bold florals and deep tones create stunning contrast. You just need a bit of greenery on the table.

If you’re considering Spruce Hill for your celebration, I’d love to discuss how we can capture your story. I’m a wedding photographer based in Rochester, but I’m pretty used to working in the Twin Cities as well.
So, reach out today to explore how your wedding day could unfold in this cornfield-to-celebration transformation.

---

---