Dream Minnesota wedding venues can be within reach with these tips

So you said yes beneath a July 4th fireworks shower. Or your child popped the question on the end of a dock at a favorite Minnesota lake in early August.

Congratulations! Happily ever after might be right around the corner, but sticker shock could be close to follow.

Data company the Wedding Report revealed in 2025 that the price tag for weddings with 150 to 200 guests in the greater Twin Cities area ranged from $26,240 to $55,288. Add a few premium extras, an in-demand site and 50 to 100 more guests, and the total can quickly climb to $75,677 and beyond.

What’s a couple to do? Two ways to clip costs quick are ditching the big event altogether in favor of a trip to the courthouse or hosting a small soirée in your own backyard with just close family and friends.

But if you’re committed to a once-in-a-lifetime celebration with everyone nearest and dearest present, maybe you’d like to trim some fat without skipping all the buttercream icing.

Wedding and event planners, venue booking agents and brides-to-be agree: Considering alternate days of the week or months of the year can be one surefire means of saving.

Here’s how to make the most of your wedding dollars when it comes to the venue.

“Before you even start seriously looking at venues or vendors — no matter how far in advance you’re planning — sit down with parents, grandparents and anyone who might be contributing to the wedding budget to pull together a ballpark number of what your families can spend overall,” said Kimberly Seymour, co-owner and lead planner with Pink Peony Events.

That’s because it makes little sense to waste time touring venues, slipping into dresses or interviewing vendors whose price points are unrealistic for you.

“For most people, it’s their first wedding,” said Pink Peony Events co-owner Lindsay Kunz. “So having a real-world budget and knowing whether it’s OK to exceed it by 20 percent or having a hard line, like, ‘We’re not going a penny over $80,000,’ is helpful.”

She added: “It’s nice for us to know what your budget is so we won’t show or suggest something that will exceed it. Seeing something you love but can’t afford just sours the whole experience.”

If creating a budget line for “wedding planner” seems like an unnecessary expense, Kunz and Seymour assure: Professional guidance such as theirs might lead to reduced fees in other categories due to the expertise and knowledge they bring.

Competition for popular wedding venues has never been keener, even with pent-up demand for wedding parties after COVID-19 shutdowns a couple of years in the rear-view mirror.

“COVID shifted things a little,” said Christie Altendorf, marketing director for D’Amico Hospitality, which oversees 11 metro-area venues that regularly host weddings.

But families of engaged couples remain eager to bring everyone together for nuptial celebrations. And in Minnesota, Saturdays from May through October are the hottest tickets.

September and October are the most popular wedding months of them all.

“Fall books the fastest,” said Rachel Loon, director of sales and events at the Lowlands, an industrial-chic indoor St. Paul event space with seasonal outdoor patios. “We have bookings and soft holds for most Saturdays in September and October 2026 and some Saturday availability in June 2026.”

“We’re booking into 2027 already, with some couples looking into 2028,” Altendorf said. “The sooner you locate the venue you love, you should lock it down.”

Since Saturdays are hard to come by, embrace the idea of saving money by scheduling your wedding on a different day of the week.

“That mindset is becoming increasingly popular,” Altendorf said. “We’re seeing more Friday, Sunday and Thursday weddings.”

How much savings can a non-Saturday wedding bring?

At the Lowlands, Loon reported a 27% discount for a Friday wedding instead of Saturday and a 32% discount for a Sunday. That’s from May through October. In other months, Loon said Saturday events are 22% less than those during peak season, while Fridays and Sundays are 15% less.

Such a significant discount, which can quickly reduce overall costs by a few thousand dollars or more, is enough to convince couples to consider alternate plans.

“We wanted a Saturday, preferably in the fall, and I was fine with waiting a little while. But I didn’t want a two- or three-year engagement,” said Maddi Woll, 26, of St. Louis Park.

Woll, a nurse at an ambulatory surgery center, accepted a ring from her beau of more than five years in mid-June.

“Even looking 16 months out, we couldn’t find a Saturday at any of the venues I really liked,” said Woll, who expanded her search to more than six sites.

A cost savings of nearly 30% clinched the deal for Woll to choose a Friday in October 2026 at D’Amico’s Edward Anne Estate of Bavaria Downs.

In the wedding world, those who hesitate (in setting dates) are lost — at least if they’re choosy.

“If you’re tied to a specific date — maybe a lucky number or the anniversary of your first date — you can’t possibly inquire too soon,” Seymour said. “If you’re open to just ‘fall,’ you’ll have an easier time fitting in somewhere. And if you’re open to a season rather than a particular date or month, you’ll have more options and likely save money. A little flexibility goes a long way.”

While some venues dictate which decor, rental entities, florists and caterers to use, a space like the Lowlands allows couples to craft their own vibe — an approach that can prove cost-effective.

“We welcome DIY,” said Loon of florals, arches, table settings/decor and even custom lighting. “Couples can work with a variety of vendors or do it themselves. There’s no cookie-cutter plan they have to follow, so you can bring your own flair.”

Pink Peony Events’ planners, with 10-plus years in the business, have experienced all kinds of weddings.

Because while you can tame certain costs with flexible dates, DIY decor and guest counts, other aspects are more fixed.

“A chicken entrée will cost the same on a September Saturday as it will on a Monday in February,” Altendorf said.

And while a wedding day can be one of the best in your life, in the end it’s still only one day.

“You want to have a beautiful day and venue,” Woll said, “but I don’t want to get carried away with everything the industry offers.”