Summit Manor

nning and we didn't worry at all about any day-of details. David and his staff handled everything. He told us before that he wanted us to feel like guests at our own wedding and we sure did. I can't recommend this place enough!!

ible , but has a wealth of experience you can draw on when you don’t know what to do. We appreciated how much was included through the venue, decreasing the need to juggle multiple vendors. We also appreciated how smoothly and seamlessly the day went, which was due to the professionalism of the staff. David was able to make sure things progressed on time, while keeping a natural flow to the event. We loved the venue and appreciated the ability to transition to an inside ceremony quickly if required by the weather – thankfully not an issue for us. We also enjoyed the historic character of the venue, and guests seemed to like the ability to transition easily between indoors, the front porch, and the yard. The food was very good. It reminded us of home cooking (in the best possible way) and was well executed. The quality of the food was something that numerous guests made positive comments about. We also recommend ordering the cake from Buttercream, which Summit Manor has worked with before, since they delivered the cake at no charge, and the entire process was very low hassle. From start to finish, David and his team made our wedding day one to remember!

mit Manor!

. Julie, mother of the bride!

ded that we wanted to postpone the big party we'd put down our deposit for. David was very flexible about letting us decide on a new date whenever we're ready, with no penalty. In the meantime, we decided we'd like to move forward with a ceremony on our original date. We almost didn't even ask David, since we assumed a second event would be out of the question, but he was kind enough to let us have a small ceremony on-site free of charge (except for a small cleaning fee). The beautiful location (that oak tree!!) really shone in the early fall setting and we were able to safely have the ceremony we'd dreamed of. David is so kind, comforting, flexible, and human in his work as a host here. We were so grateful to have chosen Summit Manor and have him in our corner when things got difficult this year.

onds and more. David’s recommendation for dessert was also a hit for us and our guests. I couldn’t see having our wedding anywhere else besides Summit Manor.

plan a wedding amidst a global pandemic. Many of my friends getting married this summer did not have similarly pleasant experiences with their venues, so I'm incredibly grateful that we chose such an accommodating vendor!! If you want an intimate and unique wedding, I highly recommend Summit Manor!

ue to the changing COVID landscape. He was patient with us being indecisive, gave us great suggestions, and made sure we had everything we needed to have a wonderful, intimate wedding! I totally recommend this venue for a wedding, or any other event. Especially if a classic, gorgeous manor could help the vibe!

ance floor all night and loved taking breaks down in the speak-easy. It was a second marriage for both of us and so just wanted it elegant and fun and that is what we got. Everyone was great to work with and being able to bring your own alcohol was a big savings. We had to do literally no decorating, the place is amazing. I have never written a review on anything before and so not sure what else to say besides we both wish we could give more than five starts to Summit Manor and their whole team. Highly recommend.

ing with David and all the Summit Manor staff. David was very easy to work with and very responsive to our questions. He guided us through the planning process and helped to ensure everything ran smoothly on the day of the wedding. We felt David and his staff really went above and beyond to help our wedding be stress free. I would highly recommend Summit Manor.

ared for. We had our ceremony under the huge oak tree and reception inside throughout the three levels. Our guests seemed to really enjoy the various spaces and uniqueness of the venue. David was an excellent resource throughout the entire planning process. He was always very prompt in answering questions and had excellent suggestions for us when we asked for ideas. David was there the entire wedding day, and he along with his team went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect for us. The day flowed smoothly and without any issues. We truly loved the venue and highly recommend Summit Manor!

ngs so much easier, and took lots of stress away. The house and yard are beautiful, charming, and well maintained. There was plenty of space for guests to roam around, mingle, eat, and dance. The setting was great for photos as well. At the time we signed the contract, there was a designated caterer (Mintahoe) we had to use which was pretty good since it saved us time doing research. The speakeasy bar downstairs and adjoining rooms were a big hit with the guests. I highly recommend this venue. Thanks David for making our daughter and son-in-law's day so special!

for our daughter and new son-in-law. He met our every need and concern with the utmost care, concern, and professionalism. David was so easy to work with and truly everything he said happened just as he described. If we would of done anything different, it would have been to trust David more than we already did. He and his staff we hidden in the background making it all work flawlessly (I had 2 drink spills and I don't think anyone even knew because the staff was so attentive!) We had about 75 guests and there was room for plenty more in this stately mansion. We enhanced the already magnificent structure with a few candles and some greens with pine cones. It was not even necessary but certainly was a reasonable option instead of spending lots of money on decor. The Speakeasy in the basement was everyone's favorite place to spend some of their time visiting and catching up with one another. I cannot recommend this venue high enough for satisfaction, value, food, service, DJ and the wedding experience in and of itself. We had a couple of unique requests (you'll have to ask him!) and he was able to accommodate them. If you want an elegant, yet can be simple, perfectly orchestrated event, then Summit Manor is your choice! This was as close to perfect as it gets!

sure our vision for our wedding materalized day of. We showed up with everything taken care of--the day could not have gone more smoothly!

ents per day plus restricted when you could access the space to get ready. The only requirement was that we let them know in advance when we wanted to arrive so that someone would be available to let us in. We also appreciated that everything was included rather than a la carte. There were no extra charges for having both the wedding and the reception at Summit Manor or for them to set up chairs outside for the wedding, or for them to move the wedding inside if the weather changed, or to use the bride's dressing room or for the groomsmen to use a dressing area. The bride's dressing room was perfect. The bride, bridesmaids, flower girl, and mothers could all get ready at the same time -- even with someone doing the bride's hair and makeup and another person doing the makeup for the bridesmaids. David was fabulous to deal with. He was extremely knowledgeable and provided the guidance we needed to pull everything together. He met with us (parents of the bride and bride and groom) multiple times and kept in contact with us to keep our plans on track. He was always available to answer our questions and address our concerns, even those unrelated to the venue. David volunteered to review the vows since the bride and groom wanted to keep them secret from each other (and everyone else) before the ceremony. He was ready to provide help in writing the vows, although that wasn't necessary as both vows were perfect and complemented each other, no revisions necessary. An hour or so prior to the ceremony, we had a rehearsal. David walked us through everything and put everyone at ease with his calmness and sense of humor. He also told participants that he was going to touch them before touching them to move them into place. Since not everyone likes to be touched -- especially if they don't know someone is going to touch them -- I thought that this was very considerate -- as well as typical of the way that he conducted everything related to the wedding. One of the things that David had told us was that Summit Manor was a stress-free place; we weren't to stress about anything, he would guide everything. Rather than setting specific times for events (cake-cutting, toasts, etc), he observed what was happening and when the logical flow said it was time to move on and then he quietly rounded up the appropriate people, no announcements or disruptions. When we arrived, he gave each of us a card with his cell number and told us that if we needed anything, we should call him and not waste time/effort trying to find him. We never did need to call him; magically he was somehow right there whenever we needed anything or had a question. David requested feedback; he asked what they could have done to make the wedding better. I can honestly say that I can't think of a single thing that David or Summit Manor could have done to make the prep or the wedding better. Pat (MOB)

a great photographer and it was so nice we could book the venue and photographer together. We wanted something easy but memorable and personalized, and that's just what they provided!

eed one. David guided us through each moment, giving us excellent advice and helping us run a party with more grace and ease than we could have done on our own. Summit Manor also does all the set up and clean up of the space. It was great not to have to ask our bridal party to come early or stay late to set the scene. Furthermore, this place is much more budget friendly than you'd think. They have a venue fee and then a menu fee, but you will save a lot of money here - especially if you don't care about too much about matching décor. Here are the many ways you will save money: 1. The liquor store they work with allows you to buy your own alcohol and return the unopened cases. We provided a full open bar with opens catered towards our guests including some gluten free beer for two VIP guests. And we did it all for about $3,000 less than open bar costs at other venues. 2. They provide all linens, tableware, flowers, vases and decorations for set up and staffing. We only purchased flowers for the bridal party - and we purchased no extra decorations. They had both potted plants outside and vases of farmer's market flowers on the inside. The space is also just beautiful, so you don't need much else. 3. They have light jazz music running through dinner, so you don't need to hire musicians or a dj for dinner music. They also have many partnerships with local vendors - we got a discount on our DJ through them. 4. It's an all inclusive venue, so you can get married there and then move right into the reception. We did get married at our church - costing us a little more in space fees, but we would have saved another $1,000 just to pay the honorarium and have our priest come to the venue itself. The one thing to note is that the food they provide I would definitely describe as stereotypical wedding food - not really anything to write home about. However, none of our guests seemed to care too much about that, and there was plenty of food for people to eat, which was more of our concern. If you care deeply about the food, don't choose this venue. If you care deeply about throwing a party all of your guests will rave about, choose this venue. Finally, Summit Manor has an in house photographer. She was generous in her time, her pictures are awesome, she really knows the space - a separate review will come on her page, Amber McLaughlin Photography. Hope this helps you plan an awesome day! Cheers!

n care of. He is a master at coordinating weddings and other events in his unique venue and is there to answer every question. Another bonus: he is not afraid to give advice! He gives great advice and has great recommendations for all of the vendors. Even when the wedding was months and months away, he answered all of our questions and was always available. The day of the wedding, all of the Summit Manor staff was extremely professional. Everything flowed wonderfully! Every issue was taken care of, and it was nice to have David there who already knew our style and preferences. We are so happy with how everything turned out! Now another bonus of Summit Manor goes without saying--it is gorgeous! You will get very unique pictures, and many of our guests commented on the beauty and uniqueness of a “mansion wedding.” At first, it was hard for us to visualize, but David had great advice for what works at this venue. In addition, having a summer wedding, we wanted a space that had a place for an outdoor wedding (which Summit Manor has, and it is beautiful). Many venues we visited, however, had nice outdoor spaces, but their rainy-day backups were very sad. Summit Manor has a great back-up space on the steps indoors as well as the outdoor locations. Finally, Summit Manor will save you money. You have to pay slightly more for the venue upfront, but what we learned is that this was totally worth it. They won’t “nickle-and-dime” you. Things like cake-platters and glassware aren’t extra like at many Twin Cities venues, and they even give you free floral centerpieces! On top of that, our decorating bill was zero dollars! It is already gorgeous, so why change that? Also, as a pro-tip, some vendors that work with David have a special Summit Manor rate (Buttercream, A Ran Music Service), so check those out if you choose Summit Manor! We highly recommend that you check out Summit Manor and meet with David to see what it is all about!

mmit Manor truly brought that dream to life in a different way. This grand old mansion with all the inside and out for guests to explore and visit was so different than the drab wedding we feared. It was amazing. It is the perfect venue for those who want to "get away" and have a different experience. Our wedding was amazing under the great oak and reception was just beyond words. We could not possibly recommend them enough. Everything was done for us and we just enjoyed our day. There were plenty of planning meetings, but the day of seem to just flow. We loved moving around the mansion and the grounds talking to guests. Perfect. The food was phenomenal. ! So many compliments from guest to even count. We loved it. We had a cake from Buttercream and A Ran as our DJ. Everything was just so nice. I even took their advice and got a new suit from Heimie's. Just like other reviews have said, go with their recommendations! All were great! So much could be said, but let me just say this... as a groom you wouldn't expect so much praise, but I loved it and so did my amazing bride. Extra bonus... when we got our pictures back... WOW yes Summit Manor is the place for the most amazing pictures you could imagine.

nor and let us know they had never been to a wedding like it. Made us so proud and happy of our choice. From the first planning meeting until the moment we left for our honeymoon all was taken care of and planned. We felt like friends and family to the Summit Manor staff. On the day they took care of every detail. David our planner was there, but we also met others who just made us feel at home. We did take all of their advice and used their DJ, Judge, Bartender and Photographer recommendations and they all worked seamlessly together. We ordered a Buttercream cake and loved it. We also opted for the photo wall, really funny (and embarrassing) pictures. So glad we did. The food was fantastic! The menu choices were a bit overwhelming, but David and his staff helped us pick. We went with the Salmon and Roast Beef. Many, Many, Many compliments from our guests. Highly recommend the salmon!!!! A big thank you to David and all the Summit Manor Staff. We are so grateful.

he way of decorating. The food is phenomenal. Overall, I could not have imagined a better day. I wouldn't change a thing.