Watson Block

. In our opinion, Watson Block is a hidden gem among all of the venues Minneapolis has to offer. The brick walls, chandeliers, vintage furniture, and the entire vibe of this venue is so classy and magical. We barely needed any decor because the space speaks for itself. To top it all, Amber Matsen, the venue manager is one of the kindest humans. She was so helpful and made our planning process effortless and fun. She went above and beyond her duties to ensure our day seamless. We truly had the most magical day getting married here. All of our guests remarked on how beautiful our wedding was, and a lot of that had to do with how fun and intimate the venue was. It will be a day I will never forget.

arely had to decorate, which was such a plus! They even had a triangle arch that they let us use for free! No one could stop commenting about how beautiful the venue was. Amber, the day of coordinator and contact person, was so helpful. She put up my centerpieces and tablecloths, set up the chair arrangement, and told everyone when to walk and where to be. I, as the bride, didn't have to worry about anything. It was fantastic.

r an October 2020 wedding. We ended up pushing back the wedding a year because of Covid and the staff were more than accommodating. Everyone was a pleasure to work with, our day went smoothly, and any time we needed anything they were quick to meet our request; no matter how crazy the request was. Amber and her staff are simply top notch. The entryway into Watson Block is private and as soon as you step into the venue, you know you are in for a treat. Our guests could not stop talking about how amazing the venue was. I looked at my wife after our wedding and told her we need to find any excuse to host another party at Watson Block. It is that great.

also like to add the venue coordinator Amber is the BEST! she made sure all the details were taken care of, like setting up our decor, lining everyone up, and making sure outside vendors knew the game plan. I would 100% recommend booking with Watson, and know that if you do you will be in very good hands & will have a beautiful day.

iers, and beautiful bar area, oh - and that piano! Absolutely gorgeous! And the venue coordinator, Faith is so easy to work with. She took care of ALL the details, and is a big reason why our wedding went so smoothly! I wish we could do it all over again!

as it. From the brick walls to the chandeliers; from the STUNNING bar to the clear top piano; everything was US. It is an intimate space filled with so much romance, personality and love. We visited the space again a week before our wedding and fell in love all over again. Fast forward to our wedding day and our coordinator at Watson Block, Amber, went above and beyond. There was an instant where my husband and I finished our first dance and he moved into the Mother/son dance. I couldn’t stop tearing up, my father in law was hugging me and out of nowhere, Amber appeared with a napkin to dry my tears. I don’t know where she came from or how she knew I needed her, but she was there. Every guest was blown away with everything at Watson Block. Amber went above and beyond for us - we are forever grateful for everything she did. From set up to tear down she was right there helping everyone.

our wedding! Amber is the absolute best and will make sure your wedding runs smoothly - we could not have done it without her! It was such a low stress and beautiful wedding and was everything I ever dreamed of. 10000/10 recommend!

liments throughout the night. We worked with a few different event managers, Amber and Sarah, who were all wonderful. Amber ensured the day ran smoothly and was responsive and helpful throughout the planning process. Highly recommend-- it was a dream!

th. They made the planning process as stress-free as possible, which was huge during a pandemic. Highly recommend checking out the venue!

ring and everything was so good! For anyone looking for a place to have a wedding this is a 10/10!

r we'd signed our contract as well. They had great recommendations for everything from a pianist to a valet parking vendor. As anyone who got married in 2020 can attest, planning was complicated to say the least. Amber at Watson was instrumental in helping us make informed decisions about the best way to create a safe, socially distanced but still elegant and memorable wedding reception. She so patiently answered all my questions and was a dream to work with leading up to the day of. We had the pleasure of working with Taylor at the venue on the day of our wedding. Taylor was a true rockstar. She helped coordinate deliveries from vendors, oversaw table setting setup, and helped add some of the finishing touches to our tables all while we were busy having photos taken and having out ceremony at an off-site location. She provided helpful, polite support all night long and I don't think we could have gotten through the day without her! Our reception at Watson was so lovely, not only for the decor and event design, but because the venue itself is beautiful. We especially love the bar and lounge areas and the large windows overlooking downtown provide amazing ambience. I would absolutely recommend Watson Block to anyone considering a venue in or near downtown Minneapolis.

were so confident that we booked Watson Block before we even saw the space in-person. It has so much character and beautiful details; it is basically already decorated for you. We received numerous compliments from our guests about how excellent the venue was! The rate was very reasonable for similar type venues. It was less expensive than nearly everything else I’d looked at. We had our wedding on a Sunday, so that helped. The space setup worked great for flipping between ceremony and reception. We were expecting 90 guests and only had about 60, and the venue was spacious without feeling like it was too empty. Beyond that, the staff was extremely helpful. Sarah did an excellent job during the COVID shutdown and Amber was great to work with. We were able to coordinate and bring our decor a day early. They helped with setup and even offered to play the music for our ceremony. Everyone was really responsive. There were a few tiny hiccups late in the evening (ie missing toilet paper in the ladies room, unable to find our boxes to carry items out at the end of the night, mic had feedback during speeches which DJ fixed). In the grand scheme of things these were all very minuscule. Watson Block gave us a beautiful space to hold the most important day of our lives and if we had the opportunity to do it all over again, we wouldn’t change a thing!

COVID-19 concerns, they still enabled us to experience a "normal" celebration. Thank you to Amber and all.

agers, Amber, who was so sweet and attentive and made sure that everything went smoothly! 10/10 would definitely recommend!

ts paid but it is not enough and she needs a raise! Even in a pandemic she was able to make our wedding day perfect! Not to mention how beautiful the place is, everybody is still commenting on how beautiful Watson Block is😍

ers make this a beautiful space. We worked closely with Amber in days leading up to the wedding to finalize details and day-of, she coordinated vendor drop offs and timing of our ceremony and reception so I didn't have to sweat the details. Even in the middle of COVID-19 and constant changes, they were with us every step of the way! 10/10 would recommend!

catering (Watson Block provided three options of caterers they work with) and venue staff went above and beyond to ensure the safety of us and our guests to the best of their ability! Overall, a lovely venue that was easy to plan a very stressful wedding with.

and Bria was amazing throughout the planning process. We had quite a few vendors (Claire Ward illustrations, North Mallow s’mores bar, Mirror Me Perfect photo booth, Adagio DJ) and Bria was incredibly helpful in figuring out how to maximize the space. She even sent a floor plan so we could visualize how everything would look. I highly recommend taking advantage of the beautiful piano and hiring a pianist. Sharon Planer played the piano throughout the ceremony, room flip and dinner. The price point was awesome and much lower compared to other venues we looked at. The best part - our dog Leonard was able to spend the entire day with us. I would recommend Watson Block to anyone!

ect touch (we had someone come in and play it❤️) We had enough room for The magic mirror photo booth as well! Everything was picture perfect. No doubt that this venue will make it quickly to the top of Minneapolis’s favorite venues in no time!

intage feel to it. It feels like there are separate spaces even though it’s one room. We had our ceremony as well as our dinner and dancing there. Bria was wonderful to work with. She was very prompt about answering emails and calls and very flexible so we could get into the space to figure out decorations. The night of our wedding she made sure she had people outside shoveling because it was very slushy and snowy. The turn around of the room after our ceremony was seamless and not disruptive. Everything looked beautiful with candles and white flowers with greens. Our guests even commented on how pretty the toilets were (they are silver). Bria and her team helped with timing our ceremony and kept things running smoothly. They were also very helpful at the end of the evening. We used deco as our caterer and they exceeded all our expectations. Not only were they the nicest people, the food was delicious and the presentation was elegant. Also their desserts are AMAZING. We felt so lucky to have found a gem in this venue. As more and more people find out that Watson Block exists I am certain it will be even harder to book. I can’t emphasize enough that our wedding was everything we hoped it would be!

guests about the space and decor. The brick interior gives such a warm, home-style feel to such a big occasion, and it helped our guests settle in right away. The bar was very easy to coordinate and was quick to accommodate a couple of special requests we made. If there's anything we would have changed in retrospect, it would have been establishing some sort of off-site shuttle option. Luckily, our Sunday afternoon event was on a weekend where the Vikings were out of town and street parking was readily available. Still, this isn't any fault of the venues — just a logistical thing to consider for your day. We can confidently say we would have our event at Watson Block even if given a do-over.

ing. The space is so beautiful minimal additional decoration is needed, we only brought in a few floral centerpieces. The exposed brick, big windows and chandeliers really lend themselves to beautiful backgrounds for pictures (even ones the guests took turned out so lovely). The downtown location was wonderful and easy for us to do some outdoor pictures near by. Bria made sure the planning went smoothly and there wasn't anything to worry about the day of as she had it all under control. I can't recommend Watson Block enough and all our guests commented on how beautiful it was.

had hoped for. Plus working with Bria to plan the event was a breeze. She was great to work with, answered questions quickly, and made everything run smoothly on the day of the event. We can't thank the staff enough for making this day so special. I would recommend Watson Block to anyone.

us through the whole planning process to get things exactly how we wanted them from the set-up to the last moments of the wedding, everything was just perfect. Bria is just lovely to work with! The catering options were great, our food was outstanding and the bar set-up at Watson Block is fantastic! Honestly, I cannot say enough good things about this place and all of our guests felt the same way!

aff were so great to work with! The space itself is gorgeous with huge windows, exposed brick and a beautiful bar. No décor was needed aside from the floral arrangements from our florist. We had around 120 people and didn't feel cramped at all. We had a cocktail hour immediately following the ceremony while the seating was flipped and tables were set up. Our food was served "station" style and we used 4 tall bar tables, 8 large round tables and had a lounge seating area which was plenty of seating for people to eat, mingle and enjoy each others company. We would absolutely recommend Watson Block to anyone looking for a great wedding venue in Minneapolis!

s fabulous as the venue manager and made sure that we were well cared for and made us feel comfortable asking any questions or requests. We decorated with simple floral centerpieces and candles scattered throughout the space, no need for more since it’s such a natural beauty on its own. Thank you! Kim and Ron.

top of her game . She listened to every detail and remembered it all. I was so impressed !!!! I would definitely recommend this venue time and time again

eally helped everything go to plan. We had just over 70 guests, and held both the ceremony and a seated reception here, and there was more than enough space for us. The venue is beautiful and the perfect blend of old and new, rustic and elaborate; It can really be whatever you want it to be for your event.

d the location and all the chandeliers. The managers and caterers were wonderful to work with. Would absolutely recommend!

making the day of the event run smoothly. We had 120 people for a cocktail hour, a sit-down dinner, and then a full dance floor. The acoustics were great for both live piano music and a DJ. Our guests raved about the Watson Block space and how easy it was for them to access downtown. We would absolutely recommend for your next event- we were thrilled!

We worked with Bria and Sarah throughout the process and they were fantastic, and responsive! Bria was an absolute hero to us because she took the initiative to persuade her bosses to remove the oversized TV that hung above the ceremony space. I can't describe the relief we felt to see the TV gone and not have to worry about trying to cover it up anymore. They were so open to helping us achieve our vision by letting us move other venue items around and get the exact layout we wanted. They even let our florist (Richfield Flowers) hang 50 ft of smilax vine along the ceiling beams, which completely transformed the space! Bria worked with our other vendors and our day-of-coordinator (Emmy Ross of Posies and Poise) to ensure the evening went smoothly. Having Bria there on the day-of was such a huge bonus that made things run so smoothly! We went through one of Watson Blocks preferred caterers, Sterling Catering, and couldn't be happier with how well they worked together. The food was delicious and working with one of their own caterers made it so easy because they already had a good working relationship. The venue came with so many items you don't often get at other places, such as beautiful lounge furniture, large area rugs (which we incorporated into the ceremony decor), tables, chairs (though we opted to rent different ones), and little decor items such as decorative books and small planters. We had a DJ who brought sound equipment, but Watson Block has a built in sound system that we could have used if we wanted to DIY the music. The preferred caterer we used (Sterling Catering) provides linens and dinnerware, in the cost, though we chose to make our own linens to fit our vision. But it's a huge cost saver if you use their linens! While they don't have their own parking at the venue (because it's downtown), there are plenty of options for self-parking, valet services, or opting to use public transport. A lot of our guests used Uber or Lyft, and some parked at the Ramp C parking garage, which is just a 3 minute walk from the venue (and you can leave the car there overnight). The aesthetics of this venue are what ultimately sold me on it. So many places just weren't to my taste, but Watson Block had the perfect elements that made it aesthetically pleasing, while also being easy to transform into your own unique design vision. We loved the huge walls of windows, the wood floors, the brick walls, and the fact that the other colors used in the space (deep red curtains, and gray-blue walls) went well with many other colors. The only sore spots were the TV (which Bria managed to get removed) and the 6 frames pictures that hung on the wall (which they allowed us to replace with our own art during the event). So with those things amended, it was ideal for us! Thank you so much Bria, Sarah, and everyone else affiliated with Watson Block who made our day so perfect! We have heard so many rave reviews from all of our guests and couldn't be happier with our venue choice!

how beautiful the venue is. Bria was fabulous as the venue manager and made sure that we were well cared for. We used Eat for Equity as the caterer and the food was perfect and Todd was amazing. The evening was perfect. Couldn’t have asked for more.

dern lounge seating area, colorful rugs, the long bar with a beautiful backdrop of shelving cute decor and greenery, and chandeliers - show stopper! Like the rest have said below, you literally don't need to bring any decor, the venue itself is stunning. Quite possibly the best hospitality, we've experienced. The venue's Operational Managers, Sarah Carter and Bria Stenzel were so accommodating and made things stress-free. We fully entrusted them and were relaxed and confident that our day would go smoothly, and it went even better than I imagined. They went the extra mile setting up, coordinating with our caterers and bar staff, and took the time to learn not only what some of our close family members liked to drink to stock the bar, but also were putting fresh drinks in our hands when we were too busy talking to guests or enjoying our dinner. We had 115 guests that fit comfortably, allowing space in the back for a lounge area and a buffet line in front. Since we had a winter wedding we didn't want to make the guests travel outside, so got married at Watson. After the ceremony, Bria and Sarah flipped the room into seated dinning with a buffet line. They were efficient and helped organize our caterers to help too. I can't say enough great things about this place and the management. The price for what you get is a steal! Not to mention all my guests kept commenting on what a stunning place it was. Bria and Sarah thank you!

work with, they both made planning and the day of a breeze. We were a smaller group (70 guests with offsite ceremony) and Sara assisted in designing our floor plan and helped reassure me that my vision would work out. We were able to have our dining, lounge area and dance floor set the whole night and the flow worked out perfectly. We trusted Sara and went with the venues preferred vendors for catering and DJ and they were both spectacular, plus they had all worked together previously which meant less organizing and coordinating for me. We had a room block at the AC hotel a block away, so we skipped the valet, but if you have a lot of guests driving I think it would be worthwhile. I literally can't say enough good things about this venue and the people working there. 11/10 recommend Watson Block.

ption. We had a capacity (120) seated dinner reception and it was very comfortable. There was definitely enough space to walk around, to chat, to eat, and to dance! The space is beautiful. Tall ceilings with big windows and wonderful brick walls. This space really doesn't require you to do a lot of decorating - but if you should want to, I bet Sarah would help you with your needs in a heartbeat. We opted to use a valet service for our 120 guests, but there is also ample street parking and a few lots/garages near by. (Make sure to checkout what events are happening at Target Center just in case you are concerned about traffic downtown.) I would recommend Watson Block to anyone and everyone. So many of our guests have raved about how beautiful it was. I'm so sad I can't get married there again!

ve us great ideas while totally respecting our vision. The rest of the staff was also wonderful! The space is gorgeous so extra décor can be minimal! All of our guests just gushed at how amazing the space was! If you are looking to host a beautiful wedding reception in downtown MSP I would definingly check out Watson Block! You will not be disappointed!

ccommodating and it made wedding planning a lot less stressful than it could have been. We had 120 seated guests, so it did get a little crowded (with a photo booth at one end, and some lounge furniture at the other), but that's to be expected. Without the lounge furniture (or photo booth), there would have been more than enough room. Regardless, it was an enjoyable time and all the guests really loved the space! We're glad that we found Watson Block and were able to work with them. I would definitely recommend it!

people), we were able to set-up ceremony seating. The staff was very efficient in flipping our ceremony space to include a lounge and bridal party table for our reception while guests mingled during our social half-hour. During the reception, we had a live full band, and the acoustics sounded great. Sarah worked closely with us to make our dream day a success! She patiently and promptly answered all of our questions and was flexible with customizing our day (for instance, allowing our cat to join the bridal party!). All the staff scheduled for our wedding were phenomenal and pleasant. The space is gorgeous and unique and close to some awesome photo spots (we stopped by the Hennepin Avenue Bridge for a lot of our pictures). We have no regrets about having our ceremony and reception at Watson Block! We were truly very happy with the outcome and absolutely recommend Watson Block for your next event!

is transparent- truly, no hidden fees. The food was excellent, and the bar was great. Due to the number of guests, we had a 'stations' style food service. There was a total of 2 stations, plus appetizer table (which we converted to dessert midway through the night). For 145 people, we used 4 small cocktail tables and 11 large round tables. This worked very well. We did very little to decorate because the space itself is so well done. Exposed brick, chandeliers, leather couches, piano-it's all there! We brought flowers, and that was that. Our guests had an amazing time- danced the night away. Our only constructive feedback is that it got a bit hot while dancing-not unbearably hot, but hot. This being said, we had 145 people in the space- near capacity- so that played a role. We feel so lucky to have found Watson Block- it really is one of the best deals in town. If you are on the fence, jump off right now and book Watson Block! You will thank yourself later.

ed brick, floor to ceiling windows, hardwood floors, gorgeous bar and a custom built lit piano( 3D lights inside, a replica of the W in Times Square in NYC). Crazy cool factor!! Our guests raved about the beauty of the venue and what a wonderful time they had that night! One end of the room is perfect for lounging with a living room set up, leather couches and chairs, etc. while the other end was lively with our piano player singing and keeping the guests entertained in the bar area. Perfect blend of chill and party atmosphere. Felt intimate and first class all the way. Can't wait for the next event we can think of having here to recreate the magical evening!Read Less