White Winter Wedding at the Garten Marketplatz Perennial Farms in Rochester, MN

If you are planning a winter wedding with snow in Rochester, MN, and are looking for a venue, I will share Alyssa and Andrew’s special day at the Garten Marketplatz with you.

We will see how they organize their day to get the best wedding photos. First, they got ready in a big Airbnb in town. Then they went to a local historic venue to take photos in the snow. Then they went to their venue (Garten Marketplatz Perennial Farms) to get married and got more winter photos!

Quick Presentation of the Garten MarketPlatz

The Garten Marketplatz is a perennial farm (this part is closed in winter) that also serves as a wedding venue for the rest of the year. It’s located 6 miles southwest of Rochester. Built in 1858, this historic farm has experienced several lives. In 1997, the old farm was turned into the Garten Marketplatz Perennial Farms. And in 2018, it was modernized with a huge room for reception, the Carriage House. The Carriage house is the main room to welcome gatherings.

Venue Outdoors options

Of course, the main advantage of this event center is its outdoor gardens, with many options for hosting ceremonies:

• Facing the carriage house surrounded by flowers,
• under the 100-year-old Silver Maple,
• under the pergola with Edison light bulbs.

So, you get it. This wedding venue has its maximum potential for both summer and fall weddings. That said, in winter with snow, this venue is also a great option for large gatherings of up to 150 guests.

Venue indoor decoration

If we had to sum up the decoration in a few words, we could say: clear wall and old solid wood furniture.

One specificity to mention about the Garten Marketplatz is their tables, chairs, exposed wood beams, and candle-style chandelier. If some venue offers some simple plastic (or basic) chairs, they choose some old wooden fashion chairs in a dark wood tone. Same for the table. Check the solid wood used for the main table.

Another point to mention is the big wooden door, adorned by a brick arch that adds an extra layer of solidity and warmth to the building.

It just looks like an old German tavern, which brings two great advantages: it’s photogenic, and you don’t need to add tablecloths or any decoration!

Finally, one last point that is worth mentioning is the detail put into the lighting system. Not only do they have string lights running throughout the room, but the venue also offers white tree LEDs. These lights are discreet and create lovely highlights in the background of your photos.

Why did the bride and the groom decide to get ready in an Airbnb?

The Garten MarketPlatz’s bride’s getting-ready suite is pretty narrow and already packed with furniture. From a lightning point of view, it has big windows but faces north (which means no direct sun).

As a result, the Bridal Suite might not be the best place to get ready with a lot of people. In such scenarios, I always tell clients to book a nice hotel suite room, such as the Hilton or Kahler, or to book an Airbnb.

That’s why they prepared for an Airbnb in the NE of Rochester, MN.
Plus, the bride and groom wanted to stop at another location that had a special meaning for them to get some bride and groom portraits.

Indoor Wedding Ceremony at the Garten Marketplatz’s Carriage House

The ceremony took place in the main room: the Carriage House room.
The ceremony was full of emotion. As you can see in the picture, there were a lot of tears!
The father of the bride, a pastor, was too emotional to celebrate the bride and groom’s union, so they asked for another officiant to perform the ceremony. The groom’s daughter was included in the ceremony, making it truly touching.

During the ceremony, I had a lot of pleasure capturing the emotions and the kids’ behavior. Indeed, kids are always a good subject in wedding photography!

Wedding Reception at the Carriage House

After the ceremony, the mingling time was followed by dinner. One of Garten Marketplatz’s greatest assets is its kitchen, which caterers (or clients) can use.

At the end of the dinner, the bride and groom cut the cake, and they started the first dance.

During this time, I have set up the photo-booth in the Bridal Suite, and guests add fun.

Bride and Groom Photos in the Snow

Finally, it was time to take more pictures in the snow. Winter night falls earlier, but I managed to whisk the newly married couple away for a few portraits in the cold temperatures before it was completely dark.

We took pictures with temperatures below zero Fahrenheit and one foot of snow!

The bride and groom were so brave, and it resulted in some truly stunning winter images!

Should you plan your Winter Wedding at the Garten Marketplatz

In one word: Yes.

The Garten Marketplatz is a great place to hold a winter wedding in Rochester: it can welcome up to 150 guests, is accessible, has private on-site parking, and offers many photography options. The team is incredibly accommodating, very fast responding to email, and providing an old-fashioned, family-style service.

The warm atmosphere of the barn contrasts with the cold Minnesota winter, and with their beautiful wood table and chairs, we just feel like in an old tavern.

On a financial aspect, it’s a relatively affordable venue (more so than the Mayowood Stone Barn, which is more upscale). With such a beautiful venue, you don’t need to spend extra on decoration.

Finally, from a pragmatic point of view, the Garden Marketplatz is one of the few venues that remain open during winter and where you can gather a lot of people inside.

Couples planning smaller weddings might also consider renting a downtown venue like Studio 324 or privatizing one of the many local restaurants for their event.

Conclusion

The Garten Marketplatz is one of the best venues in SE Minnesota. Despite its summer appeal, its brick house gift shop, Carriage House, white barn, and evergreen trees make it equally stunning with snow.

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If you are planning a winter wedding in Rochester, Minnesota, and you like those photos and are looking for a photographer, contact me today! I will be happy to cover your white wedding in the state of the North!