The University Club Of Saint Paul Wedding Photos

In the previous article, I boasted about my talents of advertising photographer in the Twin Cities, Edina or Minneapolis, and how it helped me to capture natural images of my clients. Today, we will see how I used them to make Sam and Ben relax and feel at their ease in front of my camera to create impacting images.

We will discover their preparation that took place in one of the most luxurious hotels in St Paul. Then they had their couple’s pictures and family pictures taken, their civil marriage at St Paul City Hall, and finally stunning reception at the University Club of Saint Paul, MN.

A Wedding Placed Under the Label of Elegance

Sam and Ben didn’t leave much detail to chance! He is an engineer reading poetry, and she is the artist organizing events and creating partnerships (among other things) in order to raise money for the Minnesota Department of History. Both characters are complementary to each other.

Given they had family coming from other states, and wanted to make everything as easy as possible, they decided to host their rehearsal dinner in town. They also took a suite at the luxurious Saint Paul Hotel (behind the Saint Paul Rivercenter).

None of them wanted a religious wedding. Instead, they preferred to go to the city hall to get married. Sam reserved an appointment with a judge (a friend) to sign the marriage certificate. She also booked a small and luxurious restaurant to hold their reception. It was located in front of the Irvine Park, where the bride and groom planned to have their pictures taken.

Unfortunately, two months prior to the event the restaurant closed and canceled their reservation (yes, only two months!) In less than one week, the bride and the groom found a great alternative for their reception by booking the University Club of Saint Paul.

Powerful memories

When I first met Sam and Ben in a cafe in the Twin Cities, they were looking for a professional wedding photographer to cover their once-in-a-lifetime event, a non-denominational ceremony at St Paul City Hall. They wanted a true and authentic reportage. They loved and cherished the inherent value of veracity carried by the photography medium. What’s more, they also appreciated aesthetic pictures and were eager to have artistic images.

After meeting them, I covered their engagement session. I lasted all the afternoon! In the beginning, they were not very confident, but in the end, I finally managed to win their trust. As a result, they relaxed and just had fun. That’s how I manage to have great expressions on their big day despite the fact that they are shy: because they knew me and trusted me.

Then we worked together to design the best wedding timeline ever. As a result, on their wedding day, I had all the time and all the locations I needed to cover one of the best wedding days ever.

Some of my best recalls from their day:

• The detail shots in their magnificent room, helped by the bride’s sister
• The emotion while the bride had her makeup done, and the continuous support of her mother
• The groom preparation, full of excitement with his brothers and emotion when he read his fiancée’s letters
• The first look at the Rice Park, how the groom hugged his fiancée
• The limousine we used for the bride and groom pictures
• The grandmother, during the family pictures
• How they both started to relax during the photo session
• The amazing St Paul Courthouse (that is more beautiful than a lot of venues)
• The City Hall grand exit with the bubbles and the wind
• The pictures we took on the rooftop just after
• The intimate cocktail hour they had, and how it allowed me to shoot pictures of everyone
• How the bride and the groom were always motivated when I required them for pictures
• The sublime decor offered by several rooms of University Club of Saint Paul
• The romantic dinner lit by candles
• The delicious food

Should you plan to get married at the University Club of Saint Paul, MN?

The venue

This Tudor-Style building is perched on top of Summit Hill, at the intersection of Summit Avenue and Ramsey Street. The private club was built in 1913 and reminds me of a Harry Potter school.

Besides their sports activities (fitness center, swimming pool) they offer 4 rooms for events and receptions:

• The Summit: It’s the biggest one with its spectacular ceilings and stained glass windows. It’s the main one used for ceremonies. It can handle up to 200 people standing, and 150 guests seated.
• The Terrace: With its sweeping views of the city, it’s the one chosen by Sam and Ben for their small reception. After the dinner they turned it into a ballroom. It can handle 48 people seated.
• The Library: Significantly darker (with a lot of wood panels and wood furniture), it can handle up to 40 people seated.
• The Varsity Grill: Its vault ceiling reminds me of a European basement. It can also handle 40 people seated.

The Service

I have seen and heard nothing but good reviews about this venue. They were able to set up the wedding in less than 2 months, taking care of the decoration. The food was succulent, and as a French guy, I am very picky about food. Each time I contacted them, the staff members showed responsiveness and flexibility, especially Julia Struve the manager.

A strong company

Finally, you might be interested to learn that this venue belongs to a big company, the Commonwealth Properties (also hosting the New Villa Maria, The Stout Island Lodge, the Hotel 340, the adjacent Davidson Hotel and the W. A. Frost Company). In other words, they are a big company who will not go bankrupt two months before your wedding (which happened to Sam & Ben).

Would I recommend University Club for your wedding celebration?

Sublime decorations, good location, responsive staff, amazing food are all essential qualities required to be a great wedding venue and offer great pictures. Nevertheless, this club might not satisfy all situations, and thus not satisfy every couple. So here is a list of the club’s limitations:

• The club does not have any garden or lawn to host an outdoor event. They do recommend 3 adjacent parks to do so: the Cochran Park (bordered by fences and car parks behind), Boyd Park (and its kids’ playground), the immediate Nathan Hale Park, at the intersection of the street which does not offer any shade during a sunny day. In my opinion, you would have much better pictures if you do it at Irvine Park.
• The venue doesn’t have any parking. If you have a lot of friends and family invited, they might struggle to park on Summit Avenue.
• The venue does not have a bridal suite which is not a big problem. You just need a nice home, or to book a spacious hotel room.
• If you want your fur animals to join you, it won’t be possible, which is also the case in most venues.

Adjacent locations to the University Club of St Paul for your pictures

A variety of venues you might also consider

It’s always great to compare in order to really judge the quality of something. So find here six venues in relation to this club.

Conclusion:

Depending on your expectations (outdoor space) and your number of guests (150 maximum seated), the University Club of Saint Paul could be the perfect place for your once-in-a-lifetime event. But it’s for sure one of the most beautiful venues in Minnesota!