Best Intimate Wedding Venues in Minneapolis & St. Paul

If I did my wedding all over again, it would be an intimate, vibrant, eclectic celebration. We loved our wedding, which was in a gorgeous museum ballroom. But soon after we got married, the wedding industry shifted to a “do whatever the F you want” mentality, rather than following as many traditions as possible. Pair that with the pandemic-induced mandatory intimate gatherings, and we now have so many options and inspirations for the BEST small weddings. I love that the industry has shifted to be more accepting of intimate wedding venues. At the core, these celebrations are a way to share joy and thank those who have supported your relationship.

So if you don’t feel the need to share an incredibly emotional day with a large number of people, here are some of the best intimate wedding venues in Minneapolis and St. Paul that just have too small of a maximum capacity to fit your mom’s book club members. Whether you envision a back yard or a fancy restaurant, I’ve got you covered.

My biggest tip, regardless of if you’re booking a huge venue or a 20-person restaurant: venue maximums are a fire-marshall related number. Even if something SAYS you can fit 100, that might mean 100 incredibly crammed dinner tables with no dance floor unless you remove tables. Estimate your guest list as close as possible, think through your priorities in terms of the flow of the evening, and ask for multiple iterations of floorplans from the venue sales lead.

1) “Traditional” venues

These are spaces that have a primary focus on hosting events, and very in-tune with your likely breakdown of events.

Hewing Hotel – historic, North Loop neighborhood, modern Scandanavian design.
The Annex – a long and narrow space, one half with a gorgeous skylights and plants galore in Uptown.
Aster Cafe’s River Room – features a gorgeous sandstone wall, antique doors, and lots of window light in St Anthony Main, restaurant-owned.
Jefe’s Hall of Kings – underground, wood-beam adorned medieval feeling in St Anthony Main, restaurant-owned.

2) RESTAURANTS

Just a few of my favorite spaces, but any restaurant you love enjoying together would be happy to talk about renting out space!

Cafe Lurcat – an ornate, French feeling gem! Featuring checkered floors, pintuck leather chairs, metal grating on windows and chandeliers, and surrounded by windows on the edge of Downtown Minneapolis.
Spoon & Stable – award-winning food, an open-style kitchen, this space in the North Loop really focuses on the art of dining.
Copper Hen – a cozy, Pride and Prejudice-feeling space with charming wood beams and wallpaper, on Eat Street.
The Lynhall – feels like the most amazing cottage living room, but bigger, with its crafted wooden tables, fireplace, and soft blue walls with box molding in Uptown.
Centro – if you know me, you know tacos and margaritas are my FAVE! I literally threw myself a party here. Fun & funky, modern Mexican decor in South Minneapolis.

3) breweries / distilleries / cideries

A Minnesota staple, these types of venues define a lot of culture in the Minneapolis scene. Chances are, if you’re looking for intimate wedding venues, you’ve already spend a lot of time in these locations!

Inbound Brewery– featuring floor to ceiling windows, a mezzanine, and a wrap around bar in North Loop, Minneapolis.
Bauhaus Brewery– in addition to a huge tap list, they have an outdoor covered patio with string lights and eclectic murals. A perfect spot if you’re looking for the *vibes*. In Northeast Minneapolis.
Minneapolis Cider Company – they have pickleball courts, a gorgeous patio with string lights, and CREPES! On the border of the University of Minnesota campus and Northeast Minneapolis.
Norsemann Distillery– a gorgeous, light filled, rust-accented modern space in Northeast Minneapolis. You can use their main tap room, or they do have an extra small side event space.

4) RENTAL HOMES OR YOUR OWN BACK YARD

There are so many options when it comes to rental homes, it’s hard to choose! Are you looking for a 4-person A-frame cabin, or a 20-person dinner with a shoreline view? Do you like historial charm or modern marble countertops? Feel free to ask for any advice as you narrow down your search! But most importantly, if you are going the backyard route, consider the four following items:

Where will everyone go to the bathroom? Do you want to rent portable toilets?
Do you want a tent in case of weather? Or would you rather shuffle people indoors?
Pick up trash stickers from your city hall to dispose of additional bags on garbage day!
For amplified music, excessive car parking, and/or a formal event, you may need permits through the city