Westwood Hills Nature Center

close to nature, and we got everything we were looking for. When we found Westwood Hills we had looked at what seemed like every single option within the Twin Cities and first-ring suburbs for a park venue that would meet our needs. Westwood Hills had it all! The ceremony was held at the upper picnic area. It looks like a run of the mill picnic pavilion from the outside, but the bright wood of the ceiling and the way the ceiling vaults is very romantic and elevated. Although the park is literally right next to 394, you can not hear traffic sounds (although this may be different in non-summer months). And, there is a beautiful water feature/gazebo right next to the upper picnic area that is great for taking photos- this is where we signed our marriage license. Speaking of photos, the park has endless beautiful spaces in which to take pictures. We took our engagement photos here, which turned out wonderful, and there were so many amazing photo spots. In terms of the reception venue, all of our wants and needs were met. We were able to rent out all three rooms to make one large space; as well as rent the patio and the lobby which was a fun space for guests to wander around and check out the different natural elements. It was about 100 degrees on our wedding day, so I was so happy that we decided on renting the extra indoor space- although the guests were able to enjoy the patio once the sun went down a little! The reception space was definitely enough room for our guest count of 120, including seated dinner and a dance floor. The bar was in the small hallway area between the multipurpose room and the lobby and there was a good flow of the lines for the bar, etc. no one was cramped. In terms of the planning process, Heidi Batistich (the venue coordinator) was amazing to work with. She was extremely proactive about reaching out to me to set up a call to talk about what we were looking for in a venue space, and then closer to the date she was super helpful in setting up a walk through and a final call. One thing that set Westwood apart from other venues, even other park/community center venues, was the open catering/bartending policy- you can use any licensed caterer/bartending service. We saved a ton of money this way and we were also able to have exactly the catering/bartending experience that we were looking for- instead of being hemmed in by a venue's preferred catering/bartending. All in all, I am so happy we found this venue for our wedding, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a wedding space (ceremony and reception) for 120 people, and I can't wait to visit this special place for years to come!