The Van Dusen Mansion

ng planning to the day of, staff were so incredibly communicative, organized and response (because we had a lot of questions!) cannot recommend the Van Dusen enough! 

esponsive, and knowledgable. Monica answered our questions periodically as we went along through the planning process and was incredibly thorough. I was planning my wedding remotely from NYC, and this would not have been possible without her excellent guidance. I felt very at ease when at the last planning meeting with Monica, she knew exactly how we wanted things and our specifications for various parts of the evening without any prompting. Our day of coordinator was Shelly and she was also incredible. I was initially nervous having a day of coordinator that I had not yet met, but I can’t emphasize what an amazing job she did! She was so on top of everything on the day of and seamlessly coordinated the vendors, wedding party, and calmly addressed any hiccups during the day without causing alarm. I did not hire a planner for our wedding, and I truly did not need one with the level of support and coordination that the Van Dusen provided. On the day of our wedding, my vision was executed perfectly. I had family members assigned to do various set up tasks, and they would go to do them and they were already completed by the Van Dusen staff! The attention to detail blew me away. I would highly recommend getting married at the Van Dusen, especially if you are looking for an all in one venue that will allow you to forego the wedding planner and spend that money on something else more fun!

top-floor kitchen. And our guests loved the progressive style event, enjoying the ballroom, courtyard, mansion ground floor (with live piano!), and carriage house throughout the evening as the story of the day unfolded. We planned our wedding remotely and appreciated that the Van Dusen stands on its own. Unlike many venues, we barely even had to think about additional decorations. The natural elegance of the venue was enough to set the mood and the tone. Bellagala was a professional organization to work with and Monica, the venue lead, was an excellent communicator before, during, and after. All staff we worked with were helpful, positive, and pleasant. Guests especially loved the Carriage House for the live band (5 members, Bluewater Kings Band). The dance floor felt perfectly packed all the time because of its size for our 120-person wedding. The open second floor gave people enough distance while still making people feel part of the action. Booking our venue was our first major step in wedding planning. We couldn't have been happier with our choice of the Van Dusen!

kind, helpful, and extremely attentive. They truly helped make my husband and I's wedding an unbelievable day to remember. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because of Mintahoe Catering. Mintahoe is the exclusive caterer with the VDM, and we had difficulty with communication leading up to the wedding that ended up being a bit stressful. Mintahoe also ended up being pretty expensive once everything was said and done, so be mindful of the guest count and inclusions with the initial proposal that they provide. I would highly recommend the VDM to others, and feel really lucky to have had such an incredible wedding day there! We also enjoyed the vendors that Bellagala provides as well; we booked the photobooth with Alicia Stamness and DJ Daniel Paszak, and they were both incredible! I would highly, *highly* recommend them as well!

ll our questions, and the amenities and attention to detail truly set the Van Dusen apart as a top-tier wedding venue. They also helped throughout the entire day—needed a steamer? They had it. Help setting up decorations? No problem. Were they able to execute our dream wedding? Absolutely. When you have family and guests still talking about how great it was weeks afterward, you know you made the right choice. Any stress I had was immediately eased after connecting with them. Monica, in particular, went above and beyond to ensure our day was a success. As an out-of-town bride, I was worried about how the logistics would play out. Monica and the rest of the team worked with me every step of the way to make sure we had a perfect wedding. Beyond the venue being absolutely stunning (you feel like a princess!), the service and amenities were above and beyond. I can't thank them enough and would highly recommend the Van Dusen for any couple looking to host a beautiful and stress-free wedding.

e your day perfect. The getting ready space is fantastic. We could not have had a better day!

tentive to emails and helping me with details for my own vendors that I hired. I couldn’t be more grateful to the Van Dusen Team for making wedding day such an amazing experience.

en a happier bride to WIFE!! 🤍🤍

wed thanks to the wonderful staff at the venue. Monica was absolutely amazing throughout the entire planning process!

h the information she was given. Also, whoever you designate as the day of person is going to have their hands full and will probably get very stressed out because the people we had tons of meetings with did not communicate to the day of team. The DJ Daniel will smoke pot during your ceremony and throughout the night for you and all your guests to smell, will talk crap about your song choices to everyone, offers the bridesmaids edibles right before the ceremony, gets extremely high and can’t do his job, will start drinking during your reception and tell the groom that this day is a special day for him and doesn’t care that this day is not about him as he is working and not a guest at the wedding, will say happy 420 to the kids on the dance floor when it wasn’t even 420. He kept coming up to the bride every 20 ish minutes asking if he could play (x) song. The florist did a god job on the arch but showed up 4 hours prior to the ceremony and told the bride she “changed her bouquet so it matched the theme better”. No prior warning and was highly unacceptable. Also had to pay an extra 500 for the wrong flowers. Florist said we had (x) amount of flowers in our package and the venue said different. The officiant Leslie was terrible she is a Karen, shows up 15 minutes before the ceremony and changes how everything is going to operate. Ex changing who the groomsmen walked down the isle with. Will tell your guests they cannot have their phones out even though the bride and groom wanted pictures from all guests, will make up stories about the bride and groom to tell during the ceremony that are completely inaccurate and inappropriate. For example, telling the guest the bride had a suspended license at one point which never happen. Her boss was at the wedding and when she got offered a promotion at corporation they had heard about it. We had asked for a 5 minute ceremony with our vows in private. It turned into a 30 minute ceremony with us reading vows that she wrote. The photographers Rachel and her assistant where amazing. I couldn’t recommend them enough! Overall it is a pretty venue but not a good team. Also, just an fyi, if you pick the custom package with a Saturday you will be spending 50k and not get everything you want.

rest of the team. When we arrived to the mansion the day of the wedding we felt so well taken care of by the staff and didn’t have to worry about setting anything up or taking anything down at the end of the night. I was a bit stressed the morning of the wedding whether to choose to go with our outdoor ceremony or change it to indoors because the weather channel showed scattered showers all day, but I went with my gut and we ended up with a beautiful outdoor ceremony. All of our guests and wedding party were so impressed by the intricate detail and beauty of the mansion. It was so much fun having a progressional style wedding with each event at a different location within the venue. It truly was the best day of our lives!

help to plan everything and make your dream wedding stress free. The courtyard is beautiful for an outdoor ceremony and the ballroom is lovely. We did a Sunday afternoon brunch tea party wedding and we are so glad we chose to have the wedding here. Be sure to check out the bridal suite…it’s amazing and makes the day very special for pictures and getting ready for your wedding.

ue, along with our bartender being pretty rude to a hand full of our guest, so that’s the reason for the 4 stars. Other than those two things, we loved the venue and our day of coordinator. Was thee best day! :)

eeds expectations and BEATS THE WEDDING MASIONS YOU SEE ON 'LOVE IS BLIND' on the Netflix show. One of the many right decisions I have made in my life is choosing to get married at the Van Dusen Mansion.

mmend them to anyone!

nd booking the Van Dusen as your venue.

creates a really unique experience for guests. Getting ready at the mansion was a fun treat to share with loved ones too. Monica met with us multiple times to discuss our day and really set us up for success and showed genuine care and excitement for our day. Nikayla was one of our day of coordinators and she was the perfect blend of professional and welcoming. She made me feel really well taken care of. The day went by so smoothly and that is really thanks to the skill and experience of the team. We are so grateful to you. Our loved ones and us will treasure that day forever!

only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because it was somewhat limiting to have to work with Mintahoe, the catering company. The food was not very good. I wouldn't recommend this venue if food is really important to you for your wedding. However, this was the only complaint we had about the whole experience. Overall, it was wonderful, and the day went so smoothly thanks to the staff.

u’re in multiple venues at once! So cool and great for pictures.

ave been possible without the Van Dusen team, especially Monica, who made every moment perfect. Monica, the wedding coordinator at Van Dusen, deserves all the praise in the world. She went above and beyond to ensure that every detail of our special day was perfect. Her dedication, passion, and warm-hearted approach made us feel like we were her only priority. She listened to our ideas, offered creative suggestions, and executed everything flawlessly. With Monica by our side, we felt like we had a trusted friend guiding us through the entire wedding planning process. The Van Dusen Mansion's team demonstrated an unmatched level of professionalism and attention to detail. From the delicious menu choices to the seamless flow of the evening, everything was executed to perfection. Our guests raved about the food, the service, and the overall experience. It was a night filled with laughter, love, and unforgettable memories. If you're considering the Van Dusen Mansion for your wedding, we wholeheartedly recommend it. We are extremely grateful to the Van Dusen Mansion and its wonderful team for making our wedding day the most special and memorable event of our lives. Thank you, Monica, and thank you, Van Dusen Mansion, for making our wedding the night of our dreams. We couldn't be happier, and we'll cherish the memories made in this beautiful venue forever. It truly was a fairytale come to life.

experience with the staff, especially as a couple planning their wedding from out of state. They made things easy and provided all the support that we needed. Monica was so vital to our day running smoothly- not a single thing went wrong (at least that we were aware of) which shows how great the staff is! Our day was entirely stress-free. Another important note is that the venue was queer-friendly! We never felt othered by being a queer couple, the staff respected our pronouns, and were overall great! Their initial forms had "Husband" and "Wife" but after we met with them, they changed everything to either gender-neutral terms, "wives", or just our names. They also worked with us on alternative ways to walk down the aisle, and gave us the option of walking down two aisles at the same time. Overall we loved our experience with the Van Dusen and so appreciate all of their work to make our day so special!

ion itself, dinner in the glittering ballroom, and dance in the 2-story carriage house, the venue offers the ultimate combo of convenience and variety. Our wedding felt like an absolute fairytale, like we were getting married at a castle. Monica, our coordinator, was absolutely fantastic to work with and answered all my questions throughout planning. And you don’t have to spend a ton on decor because the venue itself is so beautiful already, and gorgeous gold decor and table settings are included in the essentials package. I can’t recommend this venue enough. Our guests were absolutely raving about how unique and enjoyable the whole wedding day was. We loved loved loved our experience!

s elevated even more by the extraordinary staff! I have never seen such a beautiful, well maintained historic home before and yet it is so much for than that. The Van Dusen became our home for a day while we got ready for our wedding ceremony and enjoyed exploring and Lou going in the multitude of rooms inside the Mansion. Meanwhile, the staff at the Van Dusen and Mintahoe Catering staffs were busy at work, quietly and efficiently, preparing for the festivities that evening. Our guests LOVED the venue and the food and drink! I did not have a single bad experience throughout the planning process. Both the Van Dusen team and the Mintahoe Catering staff were responsive, helpful, super friendly, genuine people that you can tell enjoy their work and care about you. I had full confidence that our wedding day would come together as we had envisioned and planned, the staff knows what they are doing and want to make your day even better than you imagined. We are SO happy we choice the Van Dusen for our wedding reception!

s. The day of our wedding went so smoothly and we owe that to the team. Our guests loved how warm, cozy and beautiful the venue was, even on a cold Minnesota night. The different buildings for different events kept it interesting- but our guests never hd to travel or leave. This is way better than one big event space. The intricacies of the mansion, ballroom, and carriage house really wowed our guests. Best night ever!

so easy and painless. On the day of Monica and her team were SO helpful, I was able to just relax and enjoy every moment during our wedding. We heard so many compliments all day about how gorgeous our venue was and how lucky we were to have found it! I would recommend the Van Dusen to anyone who wants a beautiful, stress-free wedding!

first time during wedding week - it exceeded all expectations! Our guests haven't stopped talking about how it was one of the most beautiful weddings they've ever been to. We absolutely loved that it offered so many different spaces throughout the evening - it made it feel more magical that we got to progress through the venue as the night went on. On top of that, the staff is just incredible. Super easy to work with and there to make your wedding dreams come true. We couldn't be more happy with our experience and would recommend it to everyone!

industrial or rustic, and my husband didn't want something too minimalist or all white. As soon as we found the Van Dusen, we knew it was the perfect combination of both of our styles. The venue was a dream, we had plenty of space to get ready in, and our guests loved exploring during our cocktail hour.

ful. They always got back to us quickly, were fun to plan with, and genuinely love what they do. They have lots of experience and are knowledgeable on how to run an event. A huge thank you to both of them for their insights, help, and for making it such an incredible day for us! The venue was stunning. Our guests absolutely loved the ceremony in the courtyard. Our pictures were stunning because the venue is so gorgeous. Our guests loved the different areas you get to celebrate - the courtyard, the mansion for cocktail hour, the ballroom room for dinner, courtyard for dessert, and the carriage house for dancing. The staff the day of had everything running smoothly. We loved it so much, we couldn't be happier with the Van Dusen.

n exclusive catering contract with Mintahoe Catering, and stood idly by when we were being taken advantage of by their sales team. Prices, policies, and fee structures were completely changed with no supporting language in the contract we signed or any of the supporting documents. At one point things got so tense that Van Dusen's COO had to get involved, and she agreed with us that several of the fees we were being charged were strange and unsubstantiated in our contracting language. She joined a Zoom meeting between us and the catering sales team, but ultimately left it entirely to us to negotiate our way into a fair catering plan. We had to get the city of Minneapolis involved to find resolution by confirming Mintahoe was misrepresenting permitting requirements. When we finally did, Van Dusen's COO told us to sign a non-disclosure agreement to keep us from discussing our treatment which really added insult to injury. Luckily we knew we had no legal obligation to sign. We cannot recommend Van Dusen as a venue because they do not protect clients from predatory practices of vendors they require for services.

ning process, and helping us make sure all necessary logistics were figured out well before the day of the wedding. It is also great that the venue includes beautiful decor pieces that we could use during our reception, and with the unique nature of the mansion itself, we did not have to worry much at all about adding to the space because it already feels like a romantic and welcoming wedding setting.

very start. We loved the charm, look, staff, and arrangement of the site. We didn't have great timing as we had to push twice due to COVID. The VDM Staff was very accommodating and understanding. It was relatively easy to move dates. VDM Staff made themselves very available during the entire planning process but especially closer to the big day. And day-of, everything was effortless! It was such a fun event and everyone loved the location/venue. One thing that wasn't great- there was a (seemingly) homeless man that shouted really loudly nearby during our ceremony, which was non-ideal. Our officiant reacted well but we didn't love that bit. All in all, it was a great event and we loved it!

ails were answered incredibly promptly and were incredibly helpful. I scheduled a meeting a couple weeks before the wedding just to make sure everything was good to go and they were so helpful and were clearly knowledgeable and able to answer all of my questions easily. On the actual wedding day, wow. Just wow. Everything was so smooth, I literally had nothing to worry about. Everything was on time, if we needed anything it was easy to get ahold of people and figure things out, it all ran so smoothly! There were a couple times where we were wondering if had needed to take care of something (like setting up our candy table or taking down the gift card box after the ceremony) but the Van Dusen team had already taken care of it. At the end of the night when everyone was gathering their things we found that everything had already been taken down and was boxed up AND they helped load up the car. I can't even believe how smooth and efficient everything was. And on top of that, you could not find a place more gorgeous! It was just as beautiful as I had imagined and a lot of our guests commented on how beautiful everything was, how they loved the transitions to different areas as we moved through the night, and how well everything was put together. I cannot say enough praise for this venue and for the people working there. Absolutely loved everything, 1000% would recommend to anyone looking for a venue for anything!

o much stress off of your shoulders knowing that your wedding is in the best hands. They all made the day run smoothly, always making sure that all of us had everything we needed and that our wedding day came true just as we had always dreamed. Our guests loved the mansion as much as we do, and we received numerous compliments on how perfect and beautiful the wedding was. This definitely wouldn’t have been possible without all the work behind the scenes! I could not recommend the Van Dusen Mansion enough! Thank you Monica and the whole Team for helping us make our dream wedding day come true♥️

t have wanted to get married anywhere else.