The Grand 1858 at Minneapolis Event Centers

We held our wedding at 1858 in August and had a beautiful day. The communication from Minneapolis Event Centers and our event planner Maddie was fantastic throughout the whole process. Detailed notes for our tasting, always keeping us on track with each new step- really helpful and went into the day with complete confidence! Sienna our day of coordinator was great to work with. Very calm presence, followed up on requests, and handle things with care and ease. We received rave reviews of all the food and service. We had passed apps and plated meal service, with a dessert station and late night snacks! I heard positive feedback about all of it! Meal service was seamless and quick too. thank you team at MEC!!

Everything was fabulous for our daughter’s wedding from the meetings prior to the wedding, taste testing, setup, food was great, presentation phenomenal and the wait staff was incredible.. Maddie, our wedding planner, was spectacular and so helpful which laid the day run so smooth.

Maddie and the team at MEC are amazing and helped us plan the perfect wedding day! Maddie's organization and advice made the planning process so much fun and helped the planning and the wedding itself run very smoothly. They helped break down the planning process into manageable steps and had clear timelines along the way. On our wedding day, Lily did a great job keeping everything running smoothly and the day was absolutely perfect. With the venue itself, the catering/food, and cocktail hour, we could not have chosen a better place to have our wedding.

The team at Entourage was AMAZING. We had such a easy time planning our wedding with their guidance from out of state and then the day went off with zero flaws. Maddie wad super helpful when we had a ton of questions before the wedding and walked us through the whole process

An absolutely flawless experience. Couldn't have asked for a better staff and venue!

Maddie and their team were superb in making our wedding great!

We had such a lovely time at The Grand at MEC! The location was lovely, planning process was a breeze with both Maddie and Lily assisting us in both the planning process and day of coordination! They were so timely with answering our questions in a timely manner, and our guests still can’t stop talking about how well run the day was, and how great the food was!

The Entourage team are class acts! They are very knowledgeable, caring, sincere, hard working, and determined individuals that go above and beyond to help make your special day the day you envisioned it. The notice to little details to the exceptional communication and listen skills the team was able to provide made the process seamless and painless. From the clients perspective you can tell that it’s more than just a job to the team, it’s part of their enjoyment and they truly care about what they do. I highly recommend working with Minneapolis Event center whether it’s for a wedding or a corporate gathering.

Really wonderful venue, friendly day-of staff, and excellent event planning staff helped make this a wonderful wedding for me and my wife. Special shout-out to Maddie from the Wedding Planning team, as she was super fun and easy to work with!

We had great communication with our day of coordinator throughout the planning process and the venue made things very easy for us!

We got married at The Grand in October 2020! My husband and I fell in love with the venue because of its character and the ability for guests to be indoors and outdoors. We booked our venue prior to the pandemic and the venue was great at working with us through everything. It was obviously new territory for everyone and they did a great job helping us have our dream wedding given the circumstances. The food was delicious, our guests were very impressed and satisfied. The dance floor was also perfect for those wanting to participate or just watch from their table. I rated my experience 4 out 5 because although the preferred vendors were great (we used haute house for DOC, instant request for DJ, and Rose street patisserie & Nikkolette’s macarons for dessert), the list was somewhat limited and made it difficult for us to cut costs in certain areas due to having to pay a fee if we used a non-preferred vendor— something worth asking about before booking if working with a pre planned budget. Overall, we had a great experience and we’re very happy we celebrated our marriage at the Grand!

MEC was a dream venue. We had 240 guest and they were all able to fit on the patio for the ceremony and inside for the party! The team was easy to work with and very responsive to emails/meetings etc. Moreover, the day of our wedding was perfect. Our Day of Coordinator (booked through the venue) was on top of everything and made sure our day ran smoothly. My only concern was the prices, but we booked very far in advance and used their all inclusive deal to help with our budget.

Absolutely wonderful venue! We loved having separate spaces for various parts of the evening. The ceremony outside was spectacular, even with unexpected heat, the tree coverage made it lovely, and the nature and great grounds keeping made a gorgeous background. We have gotten so many rave reviews about the food!!! Guests have asked if they serve at restaurants! It was great having everything handled in house and prepping with the team was fun. Recommend for a beautiful, centrally located venue!

Absolutely love working at Minneapolis Event Centers!!! As a photographer, this place is a dream! Beautiful indoor spaces with lots of great places to take photos literally right outside the front door! The staff here is always incredible to work with and creates such a stress-free environment for the couples, families, wedding party, & guests! 10/10 love working here!!!

The team at MEC all work together to make sure your event is exactly what you want. They set up lots of planning meetings ahead of time, act with professionalism, and give great advice. We had our wedding here in September and everything turned out EXACTLY how we pictured! We would recommend this venue for anyone’s wedding or special event.

This whole experience at this venue was absolutely wonderful. I really liked having the bridal/groom suites to get ready in the morning of, as it made it very easy to be where you were supposed to be at the right time. Our day of coordinator (Maddie) made the day flow incredibly smoothly and kept us to our schedule without making us feel rushed at all. It is recommended to work with the "preferred vendors" at this location (there is a fee to choose other vendors), but I honestly found this helpful as I did not even know how to narrow down the many choices on The Knot website. That, and all of their preferred vendors were familiar with the venue and were very professional/friendly. Their in-house caterers were fabulous. You get to try the food out at a fun tasting before your wedding, so you get to sample EVERYTHING. I seriously cannot recommend the candied maple bacon appetizer enough, it was soooooo good. The venue space will work for a wide variety of wedding sizes with an indoor dining/dance space, indoor bar, and a beautiful courtyard area to use. All in all, a very magical wedding day!

We had the best experience working with The Grand 1858 at Minneapolis Event Centers. Planning with Kim was so great. She helped with all the touches we wanted to add that made it our wedding. The space is perfect. Guests have room to spread out between the courtyard, bar, and dining room/dance floor. The food at Minneapolis Event Centers is THE BEST. Never have I been to a wedding where the food comes out restaurant quality hot. We got so many compliments from guests on the food. The bartenders were AMAZING! So friendly and interacted with our guests. One bartender even went to find us and congratulated us before leaving for the night. Bartenders were another area our guests made sure to tell us was positive. I would HIGHLY recommend this location to anyone planning a wedding. Our wedding at The Grand 1858 was everything we wanted and more.

Beautiful venue, great staff, best wedding food I've ever had. It was a perfect venue. Can not recommend highly enough.

We had our wedding reception at The Grand on 9/17/22. We had the best time! Throughout the planning process, Emily was super responsive and helpful in answering our questions and requests. She is a pro! Our wedding tasting was fun - for our dishes, we chose Braised Beef with Boursin Mashed Potatoes - plus the mini desserts, yum! Our guests are raving about the delicious food, the great food/drink service, and how much they loved the venue. The Grand has timeless charm and plenty of space for our 100 guests. It was an awesome value and with all the food and drink served in-house, it streamlined the planning process significantly. We would highly recommend Minneapolis Event Centers to any couple looking for their perfect wedding venue. 10 out of 10!

This is long overdue. My husband and I had our venue at The Grand 1858 and it was fantastic! Wendy was amazing, she helped us with all the small details making sure our day was perfect. She was very professional and got back to us on a timely matter. Communication was key for us since we live out of state now and she made sure we were always informed. I was stressing out about my bouquets for the wedding. I really wanted a Cascading bouquet however, as all weddings are, we were on a budget, however, Wendy worked with us and Haute House and made me a beautiful piece for my wedding! The food was very tasteful and they even set aside food for myself as they noticed I was not eating. Everything was how we wanted it and we could not have been happier with Minneapolis Event Centers!

We had an absolute DREAM wedding at The Grand 1858 this October! Wendy and the team made everything truly perfect. Wendy was incredible and such a joy to work with: Professional, communicative, and thoughtful, with an amazing attention to detail. She met with us multiple times to understand our vision, and we felt she listened to exactly what we wanted. She gave expert advise and guidance; we couldn't believe how gorgeous everything turned out! On the day of, I didn't have to worry about anything - There was always a staff member at my side with a cocktail exactly when I needed it! The food was amazing, and all our guests told us so. The space itself was transformed into a dreamy, glowing, autumnal beerhall wonderland. The bartenders and servers were TOP notch, especially Wendy who also helped with our tasting visit. Multiple guests told us it was the most fun they'd ever had at a wedding, and we think the venue, staff, food, and seamless flow at The Grand 1858 had a lot to do with that. Thank you so much for everything, Wendy and team!!

We had a great experience working with Minneapolis Event Center for our wedding. The food is phenomenal! Our guests talked about it all night (go w/ the tacos and pizza for late night snack!) The venue is beyond beautiful and the outdoor space is a game changer. Will forever be grateful that we had our wedding at The Grand, it was a dream day.

Venue: The Grand 1858 - Minneapolis Event Centers Cost: (+/-) $28,700 - Includes food When we first toured the venue and paid our deposit back in August 2020, it was an amazing experience. We met with Daniel and even the CEO, Steve gave us a personal tour. The customer service was top tier. A year before our actual wedding is when planning started, at the time I was still meeting with Daniel, we got the rough draft planning done. Everything was still great. Fast forward to about 4 months before the wedding, Daniel is no longer with the company, every time I met with someone or emailed, it was someone new. Details previously agreed on were now missing. Prices originally agreed on kept changing. Even up to a week before the wedding, they kept messing up the food items on our chosen menu. Calls to the office would never be picked up, emails would take days/week to be answered, sometimes I had to send another email just to be answered on my original email. I'd ask 5 questions and 1 would be answered. On the day of our wedding, it rained and the doors to the venue were locked. My bridesmaids, vendors, and mothers were calling me in the morning wondering how to get in while they were being poured on by rain. My husband's grandparents ended up having to stand by the front doors all morning to let people and vendors in. Their reasoning was the doors needed to be locked until 3PM so other vendors wouldn't be confused and come to the wrong wedding. (The site has three venues and there was another wedding that day downstairs) Which makes sense but the grandparents were the ones to end up directing vendors to the correct wedding, which in my opinion, is not their job. We also paid a mandatory $350 for a "front door host" which in my opinion, obviously was a waste of money. The space itself is BEAUTIFUL and the waitstaff that day did amazing. Currently in another post-wedding situation with them right now, they are saying a number of things were taken out of the suite cooler. I asked both of the boys and girls and a number of things were taken out but not even remotely close to what they are saying. I'm fine with paying for the stuff we took but not the stuff we didn't. It's back and forth right now so we are waiting to see what the outcome is. No offense but for the amount of money we spent, its a sour taste when they're trying to nickle and dime us for every single thing. Food had to be through them and no one else. You do not have an option of bringing in an outside caterer. The food itself was pretty good, and beautiful. No complaints there.

This venue was beautiful and professional for our wedding. A few negatives were that every menu item had a price increase after we had booked Grand 1858, and the hosted bar promotion removed select liquor at that time as well, without our knowledge. The suite bathrooms were under construction, despite us being assured construction would be completed before our wedding date. All that said, the venue was elegant, and beautifully prepped to every small detail. The bridal and groom suites were great, and the food was outstanding. We would book this venue again, despite being slightly disappointed with some of the service we received.

My husband and I are so thankful we chose Minneapolis Event Centers to have our wedding. It’s obviously beautiful. We used the Grand 1858 Ballroom. Both are stunning. The wedding venue manager, Kilea, is amazing. She is so helpful and was there for me through my whole wedding day. Everything went off without a hitch. The day-of manager for the venue was very helpful as well and help solve any small issues the day of!

The venue is so beautiful, intimate and classic. The staff too are so helpful that beyond our expectations. We were debating if we wanted the day of coordinator, and we went with Haute House, and the wedding turned out perfectly with Kilea’s and Lindsay’s professional and responsive coordination and assistance. We feel lucky that we picked the great venue and very thankful to all the staff.

We got married here September 2021 and it WAS THE MOST PERFECT PLACE For our wedding!!! The staff is AMAZING and so kind and willing to help with anything!!!! I really can't say enough about the venue!!! They helped make Our wedding day Dreams come to life and then MORE!!! Was the most perfect wedding!!!

We had our winter wedding on December 3rd and it was absolutely fabulous. We had our ceremony in the Atrium and our reception was in the Grand1858. We could not have asked for a better venue to marry like Minneapolis Event Centers. Every single person we have worked with was amazing, helpful and professional. This was the first venue we have looked at and we felt in love with. This venue is everything we could have asked for and more. It’s classic, light, rustic, and the neighborhood is beautiful for photos and views of the Minneapolis Skyline, just simply beautiful. Thank you so much for our amazing memories made in Minneapolis Event Centers!

I do not even know where to begin with this review. Minneapolis Event Centers and their team are the best of the best. From the first time I met Daniel-I knew the venue was a perfect fit. He is kind, personable, and extremely helpful :) The day of our wedding was more spectacular than I could have even imagined. Their vendors wowed not only myself, but our guests as well. (sooo many compliments on the food) Kilea assisted the day of and were so helpful from the time we entered the venue. I honestly wish I could relive this day over and over, and I know none of it would have been possible without Kilea and her team. If I could give them 10 stars I would!

I had my wedding here on November 21,2021 all I can say is WOW! The staff is incredibly wonderful and very understanding! They made my wedding so beautiful, it was just magical. From just the setup to the pricing, to the food, I just don't have words! Everyone who attended loved it! I would definitely recommend and will always keep them in mind for future events! Thank You All For Making my Day So Special!!!!

I cannot say enough good things about Kilea and the banquet staff at Minneapolis Event Centers! I am someone who does not usually give up control very easily, but Kilea and her team put any worries I had at ease. Kilea was quick to respond to any and all email questions I had. She also took the time to clarify information, instead of just assuming what I was saying. The banquet team the day of made everything go so smoothly! One of the managers came up to me and asked what I could get to drink, even before I got one bite of food in. That is service :) The food was delicious and many guests said it was some of the best wedding food they have ever had, and I had some pretty notorious picky guests. One last thing that I loved was the never-ending amenities. My guests loved being able to go outside on the patio and get to enjoy conversations with family/friends without having to speak over the DJ. Wholeheartedly recommend Minneapolis Event Centers! :)

The Grand1858 was the perfect place for our intimate wedding ceremony. We were treated so well and everything was perfect. The grounds are amazing for the best photo opps and the staff did everything they could to make the day an unforgettable memory. The Patio was the best location for a small ceremony and it was amazing! Kilea was amazing and helped us every step of the way! We highly recommend having your special event here and can't wait to come back!

My husband and I recently had our wedding reception here, and it was PERFECT! The venue is a beautiful historic building. It's in Saint Anthony Main and close to Downtown Minneapolis Hotels, which makes it super easy for out-of-town guests. This venue also provides almost everything you need! They provide the food (which was delicious) and bar service as well tables, chairs, linens, etc. It made the planning process so much easier. Niki is the wedding coordinator at Minneapolis Event Centers, and she did such a great job in helping us plan our event! She was super responsive and very accommodating. All of our guests had a great time! You need to check this place out!

We hosted a wedding at Grand 1858 in last month and had a great experience. The staff is attentive and easy-to-work with and takes the initiative on guiding the bride and groom through different options and handling last minute details. The room comfortably held 160 guests with dance floor and vendors. There was also an outdoor patio area that was popular because of COVID. We were looking for a medium-to-large wedding venue at a moderate price point with an attentive staff and Minneapolis Event Centers was a perfect fit.

I love this venue! Attended a wedding here a week ago and the fact that you can have ceremony, cocktail hour and reception in the same space is amazing! I don’t want my guests to worry about having to drive from one location to the next, so this is a perfect venue! Highly considering Minneapolis Event Centers for my wedding!

Many thanks for an extraordinary wedding celebration at Grand 1858. The evening was magical! Ceremony in the historic courtyard, reception in the bar area, delicious dinner in the grand hall, with music and dancing adjacent, and guests able to linger and lounge in outdoor seating under the stars. Fabulous food, service managed to perfection, and every promised detail delivered as expected and beyond. THANK YOU, Minneapolis Event Center (Niki Napiwoki), Haute House Studio Day of Coordinator (Julia Jakubiak and Brigette McConnell), and Edg Productions (Jenni). You made it fun, you helped us relax and enjoy and with your expertise, our dream wedding really did come true. We strongly recommend Grand 1858 and their team to anyone seeking expert advice, attention, and service.

Wow ! First off I want to give and say a BIG Thank You to the entire staff at the Entourage. We just had our wedding there Saturday night 11-21-20 It was a great afternoon and into the night celebration. The Minneapolis Event Centers is a unique place with rustic and stone accents. Planning a wedding during a pandemic was a challenge not only for us but especially for the Entourage. They did the very best in helping us plan everything especially with all the weekly changes due to the Covid Virus. Our numbers kept changing due to cancellations and they were very understanding and accommodating. They were very concerned about providing the very best experience while protecting our guests and there staff. They knocked it out of the park on every step. From the planning to the incredible food Chef Juvenal and his staff provided to the bartenders and the wait staff. I have not had one complaint from one guest which to me speaks volumes and I can be very critical, I actually asked guests afterwards what they thought and they said everything was great from the selection of hor d’oeuvres, to the strawberry and beets salad, then to the main course of filet and chicken marsala. I could keep on going but really I just want to give a Big Thank You to Kaleia, Daniel, Chef Juvenal and the rest of the entire staff. You all made our Wedding Day Great and we will be forever grateful. Go check it out. I highly recommend it.

The Grand1858 is absolutely incredible. Daniel helped my husband and I so much in such a short amount of time. He made our planning so easy, and the day of was perfection! The food was fabulous, the service staff was a joy to work with. I can not say enough good things about Minneapolis Event Centers and all the wonderful people that work there!

Minneapolis Event Center's staff are incredible! We just held are wedding and reception here, our guest keep telling us that this was the best wedding they ever attend. That is due mostly in part due to the professionalism, personal service, and attentive service provided by Minneapolis Event Centers. I would highly recommend anyone wanting to hold a first class event to use this venue and group! Exceeded all our expectations and desires, thank you for making our wedding day so incredible and memorable!

Had our wedding here this past April 2021 and it was great! Everything was taken care of. Since the day we booked our date i felt like i was in good hands. I have worked with many brides as a bridal stylist and the stories i have heard form them about their venues some good but some for sure bad. So i knew how good i had it choosing the right venue. Thank you so much to the entire staff for making our day wonderful and for running everything so smoothly! I for sure mention you guys to my clients when they tell me they are looking for a venue. Thanks again!

I don’t even know where to begin! I had my wedding on November 14th this year on the The Grand. It was everything we could have hoped for and more. Originally, we were set to have our wedding on May 23rd this year, but when Covid hit in March, we suddenly faced planning a whole new wedding. I had read horror stories from brides and grooms losing money on vendors during COVID, but the staff at Minneapolis Event Centers was nothing short amazing. They were flexible and understanding. They helped me throughout the months in creating the wedding of our dreams set for November 14th. We ended up with an intimate and beautiful wedding, just as glamorous as originally planned. Despite the difficulties of this year, we could not be happier with how our wedding turned out and it was done in a fun but safe manner and was the highlight of everyone’s year.

We had our ceremony on the patio at The Grand 1858 and the reception inside. It was a wonderful space that had plenty of space to accommodate guests during COVID-19. The staff is attentive and prepared from touring to planning to day of execution. Caterer is onsite which makes for seamless execution. Minneapolis Event Centers coordinates with a rental company and florist to create a white-glove experience if desired - It made our wedding day perfect! My husband and I 100% recommend this venue and staff for all couples planning a wedding!

Everything ran smoothly. There were no mistakes and everything looked perfect clean orderly and well prepared. My venue was breath taking and my vendors performed just as they promised.;The parking can fill up very quickly.

Very impressive! The wedding on 12/14/2019... Obviously the venue is beautiful and well maintained, the layout wonderful for the flow of a wedding including a suite to get ready, ceremony area, cocktail hour area w/ nice bar setup, dinner & dance area. Highly recommend!!!

I want to start by saying thank you from the bottom of my heart to Carly and the staff at the Grand 1858. We held our wedding reception here and there are absolutely no words to describe how amazing everything was. To start, from the minute our guests stepped into the venue the staff provided exceptional service to us and all our guests till the minute we stepped out. They knew how to help us and what we needed before we even had a chance to ask. The headwaiter, I don't know how he did it, being in a million places at once, but he was wonderful, thank you! Then the food! The food was incomparable!! Absolutely top-quality, our guests are still raving about it, saying it was the best they've ever had. And of course, the beautiful venue itself, the design and lighting system can’t be described in words how stunning it is. Even after being there for hours, you still want to look up and enjoy the lighting... That day it wasn't just a venue provided to us, it was soooo much more! They helped our whole wedding run smoothly, even helping with things that they didn't have to help with... Again, thank you Carly for helping our dream wedding become a reality, without you and your exceptional staff it wouldn't have been possible!!!

We just had our wedding at Grand 1858 and it was great. Everything was perfect. The best thing about Grand 1858 is that everything was included in one package: venue, rentals, catering and drinks. That made the organization super easy. The other great thing about Grand 1858 is that everyone there is super friendly and responsive. Melissa, the coordinator, who worked with us, is super nice and was extremely accommodating, helping us setting-up the wedding exactly how we wanted it (many places don't do that!) in terms of decor, food, organization and drinks from the first to the last day. She was always available even when we called her or emailed her at the craziest hours with the most weird requests... The day of the wedding everything looked immaculate. The organization and the service were impeccable. The food was great, of great quality, prepared well, and abundant (so were the drinks...). Everything went very smooth. Considering the service we received, we had a great value for our wedding. Everyone enjoyed the food, the venue and the party, including us! Thanks Grand 1858!

I was so happy with this venue! My husband and I had wanted to marry in July, and I really wanted a location that felt like a garden. Grand 1858 had that beautiful, green secret garden feel and on the day off it was perfect temperature for my wedding party and guests, no heat strokes! The woman I worked with, Carly, was fantastic, she was always knowledgeable, and prompt in replying to my many questions and bridal freak outs as I planned. At one point, my now husband and I realized we had overestimated how many guests would be attending. We could not get a refund for the things we had already booked, but Carly offered to use the money we had put down to upgrade the menu for our guests. It really made an already lovely event spectacular. The food was delicious, and the decor was exactly what I wanted. Everything was straightforward and we had no unpleasant surprises when the bill came. Thank you again to the Grand 1858 staff!

My husband and I set aside a Saturday to venue shop. We had four locations in mind and Grand 1858 was our first stop. It was also our last. The venue itself is picturesque. The barn makes a perfect backdrop for those brides who want that rustic backwoods wedding, while the garden offers an enchanting vintage, easy-beauty feel. We fell in love. The staff works incredibly hard to make your day about you. You don't feel like an item on an assembly line. Minneapolis Event Center is extremely organized and your participation is key. They have an online planning site that is very user friendly and allows their vendors & staff to communicate to ensure everyone is on the same page. Planning a wedding takes time and effort. I saw our big day unfold even better than I had imagined. A party planner myself, I put so much heart and soul into all of our little details. Minneapolis Event Center staff brought them to life. The venue is worth every penny. Our wedding was nearly two months ago and we still have people talking about how beautiful our day was.

We knew we would have a hard time picking a wedding venue in Minneapolis, but as soon as we walked in the doors at Grand, we were sold. This place really has the whole package. The venue is spacious and accommodating. The food and the wine are incredible. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to bend over backwards to give you everything you want and need. If you are considering Grand at all, stop deliberating and pull the trigger. I promise you will not regret it.

I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Everything from the food, lighting, accommodations, and the dedication of wedding coordinator Sarine was beyond expectations.

had my wedding in March 2019 and everything was beautiful. All our guests raved about the food, the drinks, and the venue. As I write this, I’m thinking about all the other events I can have here or convince others to have here so I can attend. Melissa and the staff were great. Every interaction with them was easy and pleasant. Even though they didn’t have to, they accommodated a vendor of mine who was confused about delivery time on the day of the wedding. I loved that I could pick the layout and especially that we didn’t have to worry about buying alcohol for the reception since we selected the open bar option for our thirsty guests. You definitely get bang for your buck here-we visited a number of other venues and no other place compared in price, food or alcohol.

My fiancé and I have our wedding reception booked at Grand for April 2019. So far, my experience with Grand, particularly with Carly, has been so wonderful! She has been so sweet and so helpful throughout all of my planning, and she has been there ready to answer any questions I have had through this process. In this short time that we have known her, Carly has made us feel like family! I can’t wait to have my wedding at Grand!

I will start on a positive note. The Grand 1858 at the Minneapolis Event Center is absolutely beautiful and is a dream location for any wedding. The patio is lovely, the atrium is perfect for social hour and the dining room is so inviting. The day of servers and bartenders were so accommodating and friendly. The process leading up to planning my wedding at The Grand 1858– absolutely awful. We went through 5 different coordinators (if that’s not a reflection on the business I don’t know what is) in the year we had the venue booked and after each coordinator, it was as if we were starting the planning process all over again. We had to re-explain all the details that we wanted to which each coordinator had a different reaction. Some coordinators told us things couldn’t be done while others said it could which caused so much confusion. A specific example would be that our first coordinator told us that we could have an Instagram feed up on the TV screens that would update with photos after one of our guests posted a photo using our wedding hashtag. Cool, right? It was on our Event Order from day one of the planning process. After the many coordinator changes, we sat down for our final meeting a week before our wedding and when I asked a question about the Instagram feed our coordinator told us she had no idea what it was. How could that be?! Even worse, she gave me a number of their AV person and made me call him who ended up being an absolute jerk. What is the point of a coordinator if I have to make all the calls? In the end, they figured out the Instagram feed but it wasn’t after many frustrating emails days before the wedding. Also, there is a fee for absolutely everything. Even if you pay for the Pretzel Bar which is about $6/person, it is an extra $50 for the pretzel stand. To try to make up for the hassle we had days before the wedding, our coordinator organized having wireless microphones for speeches and then sent us a $170 bill for the microphones two weeks after our wedding. All in all, the coordination leading up to my wedding created so much extra stress that I would caution anyone who is thinking about booking with the Minneapolis Event Center. Another note, they promised final invoice 6-8 weeks after the wedding. It’s been 16 weeks and I still haven’t heard a thing from them.

We can’t say enough when it comes to the MEC. We feel in love with the venue when we visited the first time and after getting married and having the reception there, we would absolutely recommend their space! When the MEC says you get an included day-of coordinator – that is the truth. Melissa, our contact at the MEC was the best. She made everything happen without any hitches (or if they happened neither me or my husband knew about it). From the start the MEC was great to work with. They share pricing, have timely meetings where you can discuss timelines, food, etc so you continually feel like you are making forward progress. When we had questions, we could always reach out and Melissa would get back to us in a very timely manner. And, the food tasting – it was great! We were able to bring up to four other people with us, which is a HUGE bonus. This way our families could join and provide their input (which parents love to do). The tasting was fun, the food was great and provided us a glimpse into what the night might look like. The week of, we did a rehearsal at the venue. As there was an event on Friday, we were able to do a rehearsal on Thursday and it allowed our families and bridal party to see the space ahead of time. Melissa walked us through everything so we would be ready the day of. On the day of, the bridal suite at the Grand was perfect. All the ladies got ready there and Melissa helped set up all of the personal items (place cards, guest book, bathroom baskets, etc). This made our lives so easy as we didn’t have to do any crazy running around or setting up. Melissa also managed our vendor load-ins and when the ceremony started, she helped manage our spacing and then oversaw the timeline all night (cocktail hour to dinner to cake cutting to first dances). The appetizers and dinner were also tasty. Everything came out hot and all the guests enjoyed their food. It was truly an incredible night! Melissa and the MEC team, thank you for all you did to make our wedding the best day!

I cannot say enough great things about this venue! Needless to say, the space is absolutely stunning, and we LOVED that the Grand 1858 has three separate spaces to break up the event and provide options for your guests to spend their evening in. But that you can tell from pictures! Our ceremony was outside in the courtyard and let me tell you, this space looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale! Our wedding ceremony was at 6 PM on a Friday evening and there was absolutely no sound of traffic or construction that you might think there would be in an outdoor downtown Minneapolis setting. This space also fit our 210 wedding guests with ease! Outside of the physical space of the venue (which again, both my husband and I and ALL of our guests couldn't stop raving about how beautiful it is), the team at Minneapolis Event Centers and Entourage Event Groups is absolutely incredible. The communication from the moment we toured the venue to the weeks after our wedding was nothing short of flawless. Our coordinator was Ashley Nelson, and we met with her at least 5 different times for planning sessions that typically lasted 2 hours each. The attention to detail and care that the team at MEC displays for each of their couples is so genuine - they made this wedding planning experience much easier than it would have been without them. Ashley was with us starting the night before at our rehearsal dinner (which was hosted at another one of MEC's property's - The Mansion at Uptown, see separate review) and all day on the day of our wedding. She took care of all the little details, from communicating with our vendors, to helping set up decor, to queuing our wedding party down the aisle, to ensuring dinner went so smoothly. Her effort and time made this day so special for us. All of our guests raved about how delicious the food was (we offered the Champagne Chicken, Beef Medallions & Mushroom Risotto), how beautiful the space was, and how helpful the staff was. All in all, booking our wedding here was the best decision we made throughout the entire planning process!