About this vendor
The Buckner-Ragsdale Event Center is downtown Cape Girardeau's premier venue space. This historic landmark on the banks of the Mississippi River provides multiple in-house event spaces, catering services, state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment, and elegant finishes to accommodate guests' needs. Locally owned and operated.
Choose from the four event spaces located within the Buckner-Ragsdale Event Center:
The Ballroom: The largest and grandest space within the venue. The expansive L-shaped ballroom includes a performance stage, towering windows, and beautiful hardwood floors.
The Loft: Overlooking the Mississippi River, the historic hardwood floors and brick walls compliment the modern finishes.
The Cellar: Cozy and warm, this intimate space combines your favorite elements of a historic venue and state-of-the-art technology.
The Board Room: Perfect for small gatherings or your "Wedding Headquarters," The Board Room is the perfect place to host the bridal party or have a quiet getaway during your event.
Why stop with one? Multiple spaces can be easily added to your rental, giving you plenty of space to host your guests for your cocktail reception, accommodate your First Look with your significant other, bring family together for your rehearsal dinner, or dance the night away at your one-of-a-kind reception. The entire venue can host up to 600 guests at a time.
Interested in Catering? The Buckner-Ragsdale Event Center houses a top-of-the-line kitchen available for use by the resident caterer, Top of the Marq. Approved outside caterers have full access to the applicable prep kitchens on each of the three levels of the building.
The Buckner-Ragsdale Event Center is accessible to people of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. The entire venue is ADA-accessible via elevator.
Located in Cape Girardeau, MO, Buckner-Ragsdale Event Center is a wedding venue.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
On-Site Accommodations
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Liability Insurance
Outdoor Event Space
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Ballroom
- Historic Venue
- Loft
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Bar Rental
- Food & Catering
- Rentals & Equipment
- Service Staff
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Reviews
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4.8
out of 5.05 reviews
Review photos
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We recently hosted our daughter and son-in-law’s wedding reception at Buckner-Ragsdale Event Center, and we could not be more grateful for the experience. The venue itself is beaut...
iful and provided the perfect setting for our reception. It created a warm, elegant atmosphere for our family and friends to celebrate, and it photographed beautifully. Throughout the evening, guests commented on how lovely the space was and how welcoming it felt.
From the very beginning, the entire team made the planning process smooth, organized, and enjoyable. A special thank you goes to Jessica M., Lindsay P., and Jessica Y. They were absolutely wonderful to work with every step of the way. They were consistently responsive to questions, accommodating to our needs, and incredibly resourceful whenever details arose during the planning process. Wedding planning involves countless moving parts, and it was such a comfort to know we had a team that genuinely cared about helping everything come together successfully.
What impressed us most was the professionalism and kindness of the Buckner team. They were patient, flexible, and committed to making sure our daughter and son-in-law’s special day was everything they envisioned. Their experience, attention to detail, and willingness to help gave us confidence throughout the process and allowed us to focus on enjoying the celebration rather than worrying about logistics.
We are so thankful for the role Buckner played in creating such a memorable day for our family. The combination of a beautiful venue and an outstanding staff made all the difference. We would wholeheartedly recommend Buckner to anyone looking for a wonderful place to host a wedding or special event. Thank you, Jessica M., Lindsay P., Jessica Y., and everyone at Buckner for helping make their wedding reception truly unforgettable.
The venue itself was great and extremely responsive to my needs. The down side was sticking to a strict approved catering list which limited us. Beautiful space otherwise.
Choosing Buckner-Ragsdale Event Center in Cape Girardeau, MO for our wedding venue was the best decision we made. The venue was absolutely perfect in every way, creating such a bea...
utiful and memorable setting for our special day. The team at Buckner-Ragsdale is exceptional. They went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly and made the planning process stress-free. We wholeheartedly recommend Buckner-Ragsdale to anyone looking for the perfect wedding venue!
Great space and wonderful staff!!
Our wedding was one of the first events in the newly renovated Buckner-Ragsdale building. Where to begin on how fantastic and beautiful this property is. We hosted roughly 250 gues...
ts in the venue and EVERYTHING went flawlessly! We utilized each of the venues-within-a-venue in the building.
Friday night was the rehearsal dinner in The Cellar and then a Welcome Party in The Loft. The rehearsal dinner had somewhere close to 80 people and the Welcome Party had 150 or so. The staff was very accommodating and the caterers were phenomenal.
On Saturday, we returned to the Buckner for our Cocktail Hour in The Loft and the Reception in The Ballroom. We took photos all over the venue during the day and we used every space of the venue Saturday. We even used the board room upstairs to have a private dinner during the Cocktail Hour plus additional storage. The Ballroom was great for the reception because it had plenty of space for two buffet tables, the dance floor in front of the stage for the live band, tables for 250 guests, two bars, and the painter we hired that required a 10x10 area to spread out. The band and vendors used the Cellar for a prep area, green room, and dinner space, too.
It's hard to express how nice and convenient this space is. It's clear great care went into the renovation of this property and no corners were cut. Everything is just nice. Plus the proximity to downtown is a huge upside. I don't know if there is a better place to see the Mississippi River that in the loft.
We also utilized the downtown Courtyard hotel just a block or two away from the Buckner. Both places are operated by the same company and we had the same contact when booking the venue and the room block at the hotel.
Again can't stress enough how easy to deal with the staff was and how great everything turned out. Our wedding was perfect and really special and I think a big part of it was due to the Buckner Ragsdale Event Center.
If you get the chance, you have to check it out!
Contact
132 North Main Street, Cape Girardeau, MO | Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois
Wedding vendors in Cape Girardeau
Buckner-Ragsdale Event Center