The Riverside at Minneapolis Event Centers

Working with Entourage was amazing. We knew from the first tour that they would help make the wedding planning process easy and smooth and they did! Everything was communicated efficiently and quickly throughout. The space looked beautiful and my guests could not stop raving about the food. The Riverside was an amazing space for my smaller sized wedding. Thank you Entourage!

Minneapolis Event Centers was a great choice for our wedding. The venue (Riverside Room) is gorgeous and the perfect size for a small-mid size wedding. The room is so beautiful that you can keep decor pretty minimal and still have a beautiful space. The team at MEC is fantastic. Our wedding planner Maddie was super helpful for all questions that came up (and there were a lot) and helpful in making decisions during the planning meetings. There are meeting throughout the wedding planning process that made me feel on track and way less stressed. They also offer a day-of-coordinator service that is amazing. Our DOC Lily was so helpful in making our day run smoothly. The venue is reasonably priced/comparable to other options in the area, and the all inclusive food and beverage makes it so easy and simple. Our guests loved the food. This is a great option for couples looking for a beautiful wedding in the St Anthony Main area!

Working with Entourage was such an amazing experience for our wedding. We really enjoyed the attentiveness in trying to understand what we were looking for in our big day. There was no pressure to make any decisions early on, it was a great presentation of everything they have to offer. Wendy was a lot of fun to tour the venues with, she had plenty of arrangement ideas, and really helped visualize the spaces in our minds. You could tell how proud she was of the spaces she was showing. Once we decided on the Riverside we were invited to an awesome event they hosted where we were able to sample all of the dinner and dessert options. This was a lot of fun and a great opportunity to decide on our meal options. Entourage had wonderful communication the entire planning process. They answered any questions we had in a timely manner and were always prepared for our meetings. The entire process was extremely thorough and they provided plenty of ideas for us based on their experience. Entourage was the gold standard on our wedding day. Our coordinator Cassandra was on top of everything and did an incredible job creating our space and exactly to our wishes. She did a great job communicating with us and our wedding party and kept everything running smoothly. She was amazing to have during the craziness that the day becomes. The suites were perfect for the pre wedding events, with enough space for both wedding party’s to get ready. Lydia was also a blessing on our wedding day, being tentative to the suites, and going above and beyond for any requests we had. The surrounding area provided an amazing landscape for our wedding pictures with multiple different areas within walking distance, even in a wedding dress. We have nothing bad to say about our experience and would go with Entourage and the Riverside 100 times out of 100.

We had an amazing FANCY wedding for a very affordable price! Everyone loved the food, which was very important, the staff members were phenomenal, our wedding coordinator Maddie made the day off go by perfectly. It was easily the best organized wedding at an incredible price range. I wouldn’t do anything differently.

Entourage Events Group was amazing to work with. Two things of note: we signed our contract right before they made some staffing and policy changes in 2023, so we got a few things in for our Feb. 2024 wedding that I'm not sure are allowed at their venue anymore (just decor setup technicalities). Additionally, you'll have to find a different venue for the rehersal the day before as they keep the venue open for event space and don't allow rehearsals the day before. There is a quick rehersal for the bridal party the day of just for placement and staging. Cassandra was an additional bonus and an amazing day of coordinator. She was great to work with, professional, and organized. We didn't feel frantic or stressed on our wedding day. She is phenomenal to work with!

We recently had the pleasure of working at The Riverside at Minneapolis Event Centers for day of coordination and event design. From the initial coordination meeting to the day of the event, the team at The Riverside at Minneapolis Event Centers went above and beyond in every aspect. Their meticulous attention to detail, proactive problem-solving on the event day, and seamless collaboration with vendors showcased a level of professionalism that surpassed my expectations. The venue's stunning ambiance combined with the team's unwavering commitment to excellence created an unforgettable experience for both the couple and myself. The Riverside at Minneapolis Event Centers truly stands out as a pinnacle of hospitality, making it a top recommendation for anyone in search of a venue that consistently exceeds expectations.

Beautiful space with event staff that truly cares / goes above and beyond! Really nice to have that on the wedding coordination side!

MEC provided everything we needed. With a very short timeline, 3 months, they were able to help us define details, plan and coordinate. The venue was fantastic! Amazing team and event management.

Loved the venue. Loved the people we worked with. Kim was very attentive to our needs. Everyone was super helpful and kind!

Minneapolis Event Centers was the second wedding venue we visited. We fell in love with it as soon as we toured it. I love that they had three spaces available for our venue; we decided on The Riverside because we had a smaller number of guests and it fit better with our wedding vision. Everyone at MEC was a pleasure to work with, from the individual who helped give us a tour and talked pricing with us to the day-of-coordinator and planners. The Riverside was a gorgeous venue for both our reception and ceremony, and we were really excited that we got such a great deal on it as a package bundle. I would highly recommend using MEC to host your wedding, as it is a beautiful location in the city and everyone we worked with was on top of things!

MEC was the perfect choice for my husband and I. We planned our wedding from a different state and MEC was so amazing when it came to communication and accommodation. The wedding day could not have flowed more perfectly; whether it was the room flip or the service, the whole entire experience was incredible. We received so many compliments on the venue and staff, but one person we were incredibly grateful for and want to acknowledge is Letecia. She answered any and all of our questions at any time of day. She was a big part of the reason our experience was so amazing. Thank you, MEC!

We absolutely loved everything about our special day! The team was so helpful in making our day what it was 😊

Minneapolis Event Center/Entourage Events Group were amazing to work with. The Riverside was such a beautiful venue and our guests loved the vibes. We had about 120 people and it never felt crowded, even during cocktail hour when they were flipping the room. All of their staff, during the planning period and on the day of the wedding, were professional and so helpful at every step of the way.

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, but little to our knowledge Minneapolis Event Centers provided one! Our wedding turned out perfectly with Wendy's professional and responsive coordination and assistances. We feel lucky that we picked the great venue and very thankful to all the staff.

Working with the Minneapolis Event Center’s team was the BEST! They literally go above and beyond to make sure everything is how you want. We got married and had our reception at Riverside! It’s so beautiful and elegant with huge gorgeous chandelier!! My husband and I highly recommend this venue! Thanks for everything Minneapolis Event Centers!

I’d give 10 stars if I could! This venue was THE BEST to work with, they absolutely know what they’re doing! Extremely easy to work with, and fun to work with. We, and our guests, had the best day! I can’t wait to get married again :)

Located in my favorite part of Minneapolis (the St. Anthony Main riverfront area), I had been to a wedding here and knew I had to look into them for ours. They were more affordable than I expected (especially on a Friday) and compared to other venues we toured. The space is beautiful, the perfect size, full of rustic brick/wood, and requires very little décor which is a huge plus. We also booked their bridal suite which was gorgeous and had plenty of space for our needs. The food was delicious (if a little pricey, typical for wedding food) and had great portions. Look out for their specials too – when we booked there was a 4-hr free spirits package going on! The day went off without a hitch and was wonderful. However, I took off a star because of some stressful moments during the planning process: -They increased their menu prices at the start of 2022 after we signed the contract (somewhat expected given pandemic supply chain issues), but some of the changes were major – like $5 extra for each salad which were previously included in the entrée price (on top of increasing entrée prices), and increasing the ice cream sundae bar cost from $5 to $9 per person. I had to rework our menu and budget to account for these. -I booked Ben & Jerry's for the ice cream sundae bar instead (it was cheaper!) and got MEC's approval, but at a planning meeting five months later they told me that they wouldn't allow outside ice cream. After discussions with the owners I was able to work it out, but it was stressful and ultimately felt like I was being punished for using an outside vendor. -They fought against one of our guests bringing her service dog, which she was completely within her legal rights to do. It worked out just fine on the day but caused some extra stress in the last month. -Bread baskets were supposed to accompany the meals on the day, but after asking a few guests, it sounds like bread was not served. -In general, they have a large staff that turns over frequently, so that produces challenges and can feel impersonal. I got inconsistent information between individuals and I even had to correct a few on some incorrect details. Having said all this, I would likely still choose them again because of the lovely location and space (and how well the day went), but I would recommend reading everything you sign in detail and keeping written records of commitments made.

Katie was phenomenal from the very beginning. She is the most responsive and thoughtful, and she makes the entire wedding planning process so much better! We can’t thank her enough for a great wedding.

The Riverside was a beautiful venue to get married in! The food was delicious and the getting ready suites were lovely, but super gendered so probably not the best fit for a same-sex couple. We had a package that overall felt like a good deal. They provided us with endless water bottles, which was nice. The bartender did a great job and the late night snack pizza was delicious. The food you must carter to the bride & groom suites was also really tasty, but overpriced. I would like an exception for guests in the suites to be able to bring their own food if they have medical reasons. I had a bridesmaid who was dealing with health issues last minute that didn't allow her to eat dairy or gluten and she had to leave the venue to eat lunch. My mother was also supposed to be eating prescribed energy bars to manage her chronic illness but we were too afraid we'd get fined for her needing to do this for her health. If I were to do it again, I'd try to make time to grab lunch with my bridal party between hair and make-up. Once other weddings in the building began having their dances, our getting-ready rooms were extremely loud (hard to have a quiet moment together). We couldn't hear other weddings from our venue room, I don't think, but it was really loud in all the hallways and in the bride & groom suites. There are no gender-neutral bathrooms for guests which wasn't inclusive for our non-binary guests. We had some trouble with communication with the staff, I believe due to staff turnover. Many of the meetings were redundant because of that. It all eventually worked out and was a smooth day, but it could've been smoother leading up to the event with improved communication.

My HUSBAND and I recently got married in the Riverside room in February and had the absolute BEST experience! Our wedding guests STILL talk about how amazing the food was - it truly is some of the BEST wedding food I have ever had! Steve, the owner, was great to work with - he helped us stay within our budget and was available for any questions we had! The Riverside is the least expensive room, but THE MOST beautiful - especially for a winter wedding! We got so many compliments on how beautiful the space was! Overall, we had an amazing experience and would choose them over and over again! Everyone we worked with went above and beyond to make our day so special! THANK YOU ALL!

Everyone there was extremely helpful. I was 100% stress free as a bride on our wedding day. Do you realize how hard that is?? They made the process super easy and they added little touches like catering us food and champagne in our suites, so we had awesome food while getting ready! 1,000% would recommend this venue

My wife and I had our wedding reception at The Riverside in December '21 and it was the best decision. The venue is beautiful and in a great location. We had about 140 guests and there was plenty of space for everyone. Our guests loved all of the food options that we chose. The staff was incredibly helpful leading up to the event. Steve was always available to talk if we had questions as we were planning. Everything ran so smoothly on the day of the wedding. The staff went above and beyond to make sure we were satisfied with everything. Overall, I would recommend Entourage to anyone planning a wedding because of the professionalism of the staff, quality of the food, and the timelessness of the venue.

My daughter got married here this last weekend and it was spectacular. Steve was so professional and could not have been easier to work with. Everyone there was professional, courteous and so accommodating. The venue itself is stunning, we had the whole place to ourselves from Friday night until Sunday afternoon and we were all very comfortable. The food we had was so good and everyone loved it.

We had the most dreamy wedding at Minneapolis Event Centers! Almost every guest at our wedding came in from out of town, and we wanted to give them a Minneapolis wedding to remember. This venue DEFINITELY delivered. The views from Minneapolis are absolutely breathtaking. The riverside is very easy to customize and make your own. I would absolutely recommend this venue if you want to wow your guests with Minneapolis as your backdrop!

This venue was absolutely amazing! It was our first venue visit and our last. We knew as soon as the doors opened that this was the place where our happily ever after would begin. Hiring Haute House as our coordinator only made it better. Bridgette’s attention to detail and how they accommodate not only the bride and groom, but the entire party is beyond amazing. She felt more like an amazing friend rather than a coordinator! We would do a party here every year if we could!!

The Minneapolis Event Centers 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 Kilea and her staff. 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!

Everything was perfect. Steve made our day amazing and I am so thankful we went with Minneapolis Event Centers. It was the first venue we looked at and nothing else topped it. Steve made our dream a reality.

Our perfect day would not have been the same anywhere else! The entire team at the Entourage was so easy to work with and accommodating of all our requests. We got married in the Our Lady of Victory and had our reception in the Riverside Room, and it was beyond anything we could have imagined! I would highly recommend getting married here. Thank you again to the entire staff at the Entourage!

We cannot thank Minneapolis Event Centers enough for such a special event!!! Steve and all the staff at the Entourage went above and beyond from initial meetings to our tasting and most importantly the amazing wedding reception night!!! It was gorgeous from top to bottom and some of the best service I've had in my life. If you're thinking of using a downtown location with impeccable service, great food with a great value, and with some history - The Riverside is your venue!!! We searched dozens of venues and nothing compared to Minneapolis Event Centers. Our guests still rave about the food!! It's true! Even our videographer that eats wedding food ALL the time said it was extremely good - he was impressed! Happy wedding planning!! Enjoy every moment and partner with Niki. It will be a night you'll never forget.

We hosted our wedding Last Friday in the Riverside room and it was Amazing everyone had wonderful comments on how beautiful it was in there and with my decor and flowers. The whole Minneapolis Event Centers staff is amazing they are all so friendly and attentive to all of our needs. When thought we had to postpone out wedding due to covid the staff was by our side every step of the way. Thank you for everything

We hosted our wedding Last Friday in the Riverside room and it was Amazing everyone had wonderful comments on how beautiful it was in there and with my decor and flowers. The whole Minneapolis Event Centers staff is amazing they are all so friendly and attentive to all of our needs. When thought we had to postpone out wedding due to covid the staff was by our side every step of the way. Thank you for everything

I had my wedding here about less than a week ago. I started planning this 2 years in advance and it has been the smoothest planning ever! Daniel took really good care of us. Every time we had to meet here, we were always offered water, hot or cold coffee, etc. Parking arrangements are awesome. We had to park across the street at a self-park garage & the tunnel leads to the venue. The place has SO MUCH to offer to make your wedding perfect! From decor, to floor plans, to what to offer your guests, etc. You guys should really check it out & take a tour. It is such a beautiful venue & Daniel is on top of it with scheduling your food tasting, final details, when each payment is due, etc. You won't regret it :)

Magnificent venue, staff very professional and easy to work with especially Kilea and food and service were excellent. Wedding was a fairytale! Staff makes everything run so smoothly and really pampers the family.

The whole team at Minneapolis Event Centers made our wedding weekend one to never forget! They were flexible to make our wedding vision a reality from getting us the right vendors to ensuring our group had all the food and drinks we need during hair and makeup. The property is beautiful and everyone working at Minneapolis Event Centers was responsive, flexible and professional. We had an incredible Wedding and I recommend it whole-heartedly!

This place is such a hidden gem in the Minneapolis area! Upon first glance of the building, you would be pleasantly surprised to find the most beautiful space for any wedding! Minneapolis Event Centers are the absolute best and our wedding day was the best day of my life, thanks to all of them. All of our guests have been raving on and on about how much fun everything was, I would definitely recommend this place to anyone!

The team was just amazing and attentive! Our wedding hit some road bumps along the way and they were more then willing to accommodate. All my emails and questions were answered within couple hours of sending. This place is just the most classiest, rustic, and magical place to be married. All the wood pillars and amazing chandelier, the area, are just gorgeous. MEC's team will take what you have in mind and exceed your expectations

Minneapolis Event Centers and staff exceeded all of our expectations! It is a beautiful venue, and the area it's located in you have breathtaking views of the city and river! The coordinators were very helpful in the planning of our wedding and provided us with the referrals we needed. The staff was very accommodating and responsive. Everything was perfect despite COVID and our family and friends had a blast!!

Of course every place has a couple things here and there, but over all the MEC was incredible to work with, especially during a pandemic. Food/drink = awesome (you HAVE to get the coconut curry shrimp app, the bacon, the walleye, drooling now), a lot of people who have been around the block said our wedding had the best food they've ever had - venue = awesome, the vendors that they work with and connections are awesome - Cayla from EDG went above and beyond to make sure the room was perfect and how we envisioned it. I know my mom - who is extremely detailed and knows what she is doing - caught some billing mistakes, etc - but like anywhere - you just have to go over every detail, multiple times. First world problems: it was a little annoying having to have the bridal/groom suite far away from the actual room in heels ha, having to walk a ways and go up and down two stories - but not awful! And you could hear everything in the other wedding upstairs when you were in the bridal suite. In our actual room though you'd have NO idea other weddings were going on. I think the only other thing is they don't have a great handicap entrance; so something to think about. Weddings are totally a group effort. From the family, to the venue, to all the vendors you work with - the MEC is beautiful and wonderful, and also Dough and Russ from Linen Effects, Cayla from Edg Productions, Adam Kennedy Photography, Anderson Videography with John and his buddy, Allie from Instant Request and with out a doubt Bridget from Haute House- flowers and she was also my coordinator; SHE MADE IT HAPPEN! - they ALL make it the 5 star I gave it. Team Effort. It is so nice that everyone we worked with knows the MEC well and it shows in their work/product. Trust the vendors that MEC recommends. We started with Tracy at the MEC who we loved and she left, then with Carly. There does seem to be some turn around, but at least people know what they are doing. I really appreciated Mary at the MEC. She was on top of it and to the point; need that personality to get things done. Okay that's probably long enough. Overall, 5 stars. It was the perfect day.

The team at the venue was a dream to work with - they listened to what we wanted and help us get exactly that! They were helpful and a joy to be around!

It was beautiful classy and the price was right. It has a GREAT vibe.;I recommend it to anyone with either a big or small wedding. Everyone there is so accommodating.

Wow. When my husband and I first saw this venue, we fell in love right away!! Not only was it the beauty of this venue, but also because of the coordinator, Carly. She was amazing from start to end!!! The day could not have gone any smoother and I thank her SO much for everything she did to make our day the best day of our lives! I love the ceremony space, which doubles as a cocktail area and the reception area is nothing short of perfect. Highly recommend this venue and the ladies who make the process so easy and flawless!

Riverside was simply gorgeous and amazing! I've attended many weddings in many different venues and have not come across anything like this. Carly is very pleasant to work with and she go above and beyond what you request to make you happy. On the wedding day, Carly was there making sure everything was perfect. Our guests were astonished at the venue and the quality of their food. If I could get married all over again, I would do it again here!!

What a gorgeous venue! We had both our ceremony and reception at Riverside and were absolutely stunned with how everything turned out! Needless to say, our guests were very pleased with the food and bar service they all received! Thank you to Carly for being such an awesome venue coordinator throughout the process; worked well with my coordinator and of course myself through all the changes! Highly recommend Riverside!

If you are looking for an all in one venue, look no further! Minneapolis Event Center has an in-house representative to help with all your on site needs and planning, on-site catering, bar services, and the option for additional decor (centerpieces, lighting, etc.) all from on representative. It makes planning a breeze, and really helps to calm nerves and stress. Not to mention all the services they offer are Top-tier quality. They have a large variety of photo location options; multiple venues to choose from for reception, cocktail hour, and even the ceremony; and a huge varied menu of delicious food far above your traditional "wedding food". Our wedding was amazing and the Minneapolis Event Center venue was a huge part of making it so perfect!

We got married October 2019. We had a blast and are still thrill With our wedding day at Riverside. We had our ceremony at the Minneapolis and reception for 160 people. The awesome views of the Minneapolis and place made it even more spectacular! Everyone was well accommodated. Our family and friends were so happy and pleased with the service the Minneapolis Event Center team provided that day, especially during cocktail and dinner time. Carly C., her assistant and the rest of the team did an awesome Job! So thankful to the coordinator~ Carly C. For all her hard work she did for us from the pre planning to the day of wedding. She answered all of our questions thoroughly and was very considerate of our requests. We can’t be more appreciative for how well all turned out, well organized, and especially, on reducing our anxiety for the great planning they did to bring about our wedding day.

We knew Riverside was our venue the moment we stepped on the property. It was so beautiful and resonated so much with us, not to mention the incredible staff! Our on site coordinator Melissa was wonderful! She was always very attentive and organized, and made the entire process stress free. Even when it was scheduled to rain on our wedding day, she helped to ease out worries and was very patient in hopes that we could continue outdoors, which happened without a hitch!

Stopped by to see this place. It was last minute and they were going to have a wedding but the girl still gave tour and we saw the food on the table. Very nice place and it looked clean, professional and so much food.

My fiancé and I have our wedding reception booked at Riverside for April 2019. So far, my experience with Riverside, 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 Riverside!

We had our wedding last week at Riverside Ballroom. We worked with Melissa and she basically made sure we didn't stress over any detail. She is a rockstar. Food and service was amazing!! If you want your people to talk about your big day for years to come make sure you book Minneapolis Event Center!! Thank you!!

Our experience with MEC and the Riverside was incredible. Our coordinator Melissa was great. The venue was beautiful and the staff did a great job with everything. The bar staff also did a phenomenal job treating our family great and making our wedding day awesome. Overall we would definitely recommend MEC and the Riverside venue to anyone. Also being located on Saint Anthony main allowed our photographer so many options for wedding photos. Overall everything was amazing

We couldn't have been happier with our experience in the Riverside Room. Tremendous help from the on-site team, led by Ashley Nelson who was great to work with. The space was set up beautifully, and we received multiple comments on how great the space was from our guests. This site and the team that works for it made our wedding day extremely stress-free and fun for all that made the trip to celebrate with us. Oh, and the food is pretty tremendous too!

The Riverside Room at MEC was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT for our special day! The space is so classy, elegant, premium, and beautiful! If you like a warehouse type feel, high ceilings, wood, exposed pipe and beams, this space is for you! We worked closely with Ashley Nelson throughout our planning process. Ashley is an absolute sweetheart. She made us feel so at ease, we trusted her in every aspect, and she even provided us with game changing ideas (indoor sparklers for our grand entrance for example) that helped make our day so unforgettable. The MEC Staff is also top notch, so many times at weddings you will experience a line at the bar, plates clinking during speeches, etc. Not at MEC...Everyone at MEC strives to make your day as special and as worry free as possible. Again, major shout out to Ashley Nelson for her assistance with our special day. We will forever be grateful for Ashley, and the rest of MEC's crew for making our day the BEST EVER!!! Choose the Riverside room at MEC for your Wedding, you will not regret it!

Our experience with Ashley Nelson of MEC was exceptional! From the start, we were well informed and our meetings kept us on track and helped the event go smoothly. Ashley and her entire staff helped us get through the day pretty much stress-free! We were able to enjoy our guests, dance, and have a great time ourselves. We have had many compliments on the room, the service, food, and the dessert (cannolis). We're so happy we went with MEC and the Riverside Room. It was gorgeous at night with the chandelier changing colors. We are recommending MEC to anyone who asks! Thanks for a great experience and a great day!

Minneapolis Events Center was wonderful to work with. Ashley and our coordinator Melissa were professional, transparent, thoughtful, accommodating and truly cared about our needs. Both us as a couple, and each of our parents were treated so well. Communication was consistent, clear and timely and everything ran so smoothly the day of our wedding. We are SO HAPPY with our choice and would highly recommend to others! Additional Benefits and Positives: Day-of coordinator included to help with planning, day-of timeline, vendor communication, scheduling and setup (HUGE help!). This would cost a lot of money to hire out so the fact that this is included was hands down the most amazing benefit MEC offers. -Estimate/costs were clear and transparent -Large bar -Food was amazing and the tasting event was so fun! -Recommended vendor list given to us was very helpful -Riverside room had large dance floor, chandelier and overall gorgeous look/feel. We didn't feel like we had to over-decorate. Our only feedback regarding our experience was that over the course of a year we had three different day-of coordinators. While this was a little frustrating, our final matched coordinator Melissa was AMAZING!

We just had a winter wedding at the MEC and we cannot say enough great things about the venue, staff and food! First, Becca and Ashley were so helpful and so responsive to all of our requests they really made the process so easy. Things came up in our wedding planning, which they always do, and both of these women went above and beyond to make things work for us! On the day of everything went so smoothly, our guests LOVED the venue and the food. Our photographer said it was the best food she's ever had at a wedding. Not only is the space stunning but it is in just a great area for photos, even in the winter! Can't recommend the MEC enough, which ever space you choose you can't go wrong because the staff will do whatever they can to give you the wedding you are envisioning!