Dakota Lodge

A Charming Retreat By The Lake

151 to 200 guests

Holds ceremonies and receptions

Dakota Lodge is a wedding reception venue located in West St. Paul, MN. Enveloped by beautiful nature, this property would be an ideal choice for couples planning a secluded getaway for their big day. Picturesque grounds provide idyllic surroundings while luxurious indoor spaces offer ample room for the wedding party to celebrate and make new memories. A charming and eye-catching building, Dakota Lodge would be more than suitable for milestone celebrations. Out in the open air, everyone can enjoy special moments in bliss as they drink in the beautiful views. The nearby lake is sure to draw admiring glances as everyone mingles with one another and gets into the party mood. Inside, couples are welcome to make use of this blank canvas event space as it may be decorated appropriately for the fairytale event. Conveniently, Dakota Lodge offers a private escape removed from the hustle and bustle of modern life. However, it is still located not far from St. Paul, meaning that anyone can take a trip to enjoy the beautiful city’s many attractions if they so wish. For the magical ceremony, space may be set up outside where the happy couple can join together to exchange vows. Beneath a tall tree, the ‘I do’ moment can take place while guests sit on chairs laid out across the green lawn. For the cocktail hour, a terrace by the lake is available where invitees can enjoy beverages in anticipation of the all-important meal. Inside, there is a lounge function area with an eye-catching fireplace where loved ones can gather as conversations take place. In the main banquet hall, up to 160 people can enjoy a sit-down meal, making it suitable for all manner of memorable occasions. Light, bright, and spacious, this room would be ideal for hosting speeches, festivities, and heartfelt toasts.

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Amenities + details

Amenities

Ceremony Area

Handicap Accessible

Indoor Event Space

Liability Insurance

Reception Area

Wireless Internet

Ceremony Types

Civil Union

Commitment Ceremony

Interfaith Ceremony

Non-Religious Ceremony

Religious Ceremony

Second Wedding

Vow Renewal Ceremony

Guest Capacity

Up to 200

Settings

Ballroom

Park

Trees

Any questions?

Availability

4.8

out of 5.0

18 reviews

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George K

10/03/2022

Dakota Lodge was a great place for our wedding! The recent revitalization of the park it is within made it an aesthetically-pleasing spot for our outdoor ceremony and photos, and the indoor venue was very nice as well. We had about 90-100 guests attend and not once did it ever feel crowded. It was convenient that they had a dance floor included as part of the building design, so we didn't need to worry about renting one to set up ourselves. Lastly, the Dakota County staff was very helpful and very good with communication. The pricing seemed fair as well. I highly recommend this venue for your wedding!

Mariah B

4/26/2020

Super amazing to work with- great response time to our questions . We ended up not having our wedding there due to COVID-19. But during that process, they were incredible understanding and helpful in making our decision. We hope to have a large reception there in the later future.

Any questions?

Tina K

6/16/2019

Absolutely amazing venue for our wedding. Beautiful inside and out. Affordable and great staff.

Carol M

7/21/2018

We used Dakota Lodge as a venue for our daughter's post destination wedding celebration luncheon. The building and grounds are beautiful and our guests were impressed. However we had some issues as the building was not open at the promised time. Also, the building facilitator helped when we directly asked questions but did not offer assistance otherwise. We had a wedding video to show and had much difficulty getting it to work as the HDMI connection did not work properly. It took multiple attempts and multiple appeals for help. Finally the facilitator told us that we could try a different VGA connection that we didn't even know was available. We had planned to show the video prior to the start of the luncheon, but had to allow people to start eating while we frantically tried to get the video running. Not quite the way we wanted things to proceed. If you have a video, allow yourself plenty of time to make certain that it will run properly.

Stephanie M

6/08/2018

We got so many compliments on this beautiful location! Parents appreciated the playground. We loved having the option to leave a vehicle overnight. Can't wait to see our pictures - just overall a gorgeous place.

Jennifer C

6/22/2017

I don't know why this venue is not more popular on The Knot! I had my wedding there this past weekend and it was absolutely phenomenal. My ceremony was outdoors and guests enjoyed being in the shade under the large oak tree, and you can't beat the convenience of then going inside for the reception. They charge the same for Friday/Saturday/Sunday weddings and are SO affordable! Realistically though I would not plan for bigger than 144 people at the venue or it'll be a little squished. The huge windows provide a lot of natural light and the sloped ceilings give it a unique look. You are allowed to cater your own food and drink at the venue, however if you are serving alcohol, that needs to be provided by a licensed caterer. To have total freedom over food services is wonderful - you can even make your own dinner to serve if you want! We used a caterer but baked our own cupcakes for the wedding, and it saved us a lot of money. There are separate rooms for bride's side and groom's side to get ready in, but bring your own mirrors. Planning the wedding was flawless from start to finish. The staff at Dakota Lodge were quick to respond to my questions and very professional. The Dakota Lodge staff that were on site during the day of were also friendly and helpful. Book with Dakota Lodge, you won't regret it!

Laura H

2/01/2017

Cannot say enough good things about the Dakota Lodge at Thompson Park. From first email showing interest in booking this venue, email responses were almost immediate, super diligent and friendly staff. Tour was exceptional, any random off the wall question we had, the tour guide answered thoroughly. The on-side coordinators the day of the wedding were also amazing. We had no worries that anything would go wrong for our big day!

Jennelle K

8/26/2015

This place is great when you're on a budget. Its HUGE and they are very flexible with what you want out of the place. We had our ceremony outside in the park (beautiful scenery) and the reception inside. We were able to set up early, get ready there and have all our vendors arrive there when they were needed. I recommend them to anyone with 160 or less guests!

Amber M

11/13/2014

We had our ceremony and reception at Dakota Lodge. They were easy to work with, affordable and the space was perfect for our group. Deposit refunded quickly. Beautiful backdrop for family photos.

Mindy

8/02/2014

This was the perfect reception spot! We were so happy to have found it-- when we went there to tour, we knew it was exactly what we were looking for. It's at a park on a lake and it was such a great gem while still being close to the cities. The staff there was also wonderful and they got back to my emails/questions right away!! This alone was such a relief compared to other sites we were looking in to... It would take FOREVER for some of them to get back to us (if they even bothered in the first place-- hey, I guess they didn't want our money...). This place doesn't need much as far as decorations go... but can be spruced up quite nicely if you do decide to be more decorative. We loved this location and we definitely recommend it to others.

Cheryl R

10/14/2013

Loved this location! Couldn't be more perfect!

Kim C

8/23/2013

My daughter wanted a rustic, casual site for her reception. Dakota Lodge provided a beautiful and relaxing site for the reception. The grounds were beautiful. The lobby area was big enough for the Irish band, hor d'oeuvres, bar, and wine tasting. The fireplace is beautiful and there was comfortable furniture for guests. We used one of the small conference rooms for a "photo booth." The staff was helpful before the event.

Katherine C

8/10/2013

We chose this venue for our wedding for a number of reasons. The location was perfect as it was not a long drive from our church. Also, it held the correct amount of people. Since it is the only event venue in the park other than the park shelter, we had a very private event. Also, there were windows everywhere, which allowed for natural light. Beth was very nice to work with, and very easygoing. The grounds were beautiful, and we did a lot of our photos at the park. I highly recommend this venue! It would be beautiful to have the ceremony outside here, too!

Angela F

7/17/2013

Dakota Lodge was perfect for my smaller wedding. The location was fabulous. Right on a lake with a playground only feet away, all of our guests loved it! The program services assistant was phenomenal with communication. I had a billion questions and she answered each one almost immediately via email. The price was great too! I highly recommend this venue for your wedding reception!

Erin M

11/01/2012

Everything about this location is and was fantastic. It's beautiful, the staff are very nice, and there's tons of parking!

Elizabeth B

10/23/2012

The Dakota Lodge was a perfect spot for a wedding - especially when you are trying to watch your spending. The cost to rent the Lodge is reasonable, and were able to select any food/drink vender we would like, which allowed us to keep the cost down. We had planned to have our ceremony outdoors, but were unable to because of the weather. However, the indoor ceremony was still beautiful and cozy in front of the large fireplace. We would also like to mention how wonderful Beth Baker was to work with. She was so patient with our MANY email questions and answered immediately. This quick and friendly service was so important through the whole planning process.

Jenny F

8/22/2012

So highly recommended! Our July wedding was beautiful and we received so many compliments on our venue. We had the outdoor ceremony and indoor reception. We had the perfect weather, the natural outdoor view was gorgous and the looked beautiful after just a few decorations. Beth Baker was also fabulous to work with!

EmilyAnne E

8/07/2012

We got married at Dakota Lodge in West St. Paul. The location was beautiful since it was mostly surrounded by trees and had a lake on the other side. We were lucky to have a mild summer day, so our ceremony was outside under a large oak tree. If small children come to the wedding, there is a great playground out front by the lake! The building was great. Very spacious with lots of places to sit and relax if needed. Beth, our contact, worked with us to create a great layout for tables and such. She was very helpful and responded to emails quickly. Not only was the venue beautiful, it was reasonably priced. We didn't feel like we had to spent our entire budget just to have a great location. Plus, since it's already a great looking location, you don't need to spend much on decor for inside and out!

Location

1200 Stassen Lane, Saint Paul, MN

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Contact

(952) 891-7000

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