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Best Places To Take Wedding Pictures In Minnesota

By Linda Cameron

As we know, seasons have little to do with tying the knot. In Minnesota, weddings take place all year despite abrupt changes to the weather. For picture taking, couples often choose locations also popular for wedding ceremonies, regardless of the season. The more photogenic the setting, the better for a wedding album collection.

The Van Dusen Mansion 
1900 Lasalle Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(651) 788-9818
www.thevandusenmansion.com

As bride and bridegroom, you can enjoy a royal wedding for a day or more at the Van Dusen Mansion. Medieval-inspired and once home to a prominent family, the mansion is a magnificent castle of definitive and intricate architectural detail. The interior is 19th century with contemporary touches. Outside the mansion is a courtyard where couples can exchange wedding vows. A fountain and gazebo grace the front lawn, providing the ideal photographic backdrop. Inside the castle -- that is, the mansion -- is a modern ballroom with illuminative chandeliers. One can only wonder if those brilliant crystals are actually LEDs. The nearby carriage house, now a private function room, is perfect for wedding parties, formal receptions, and more picture taking.

Minnesota Harvest
8251 Old Highway 169 Blvd.
Jordan, MN 55352
(952) 492-2785
www.minnesotaharvest.net

Apple orchards are some of the best places for wedding pictures. Many couples tie the knot under an apple tree and sample the best harvest picks. Minnesota Harvest is more than an apple orchard. It's an all-year venue for weddings, graduations, private parties and business events. When apple picking is in season, the orchards light up with red, gold and green apples in encyclopedic variety. The overhanging fruit forms a splendid outdoor canopy in sun-lit surroundings. You can choose from among a sea of orchards for your outdoor nuptials and wedding photo ops. In fair or inclement weather, you can also shoot wedding photos in the grand cathedral barn. The lighting is excellent and the rooms tastefully decorated.

Twins Wedding at Target Field
(credit: CBS)

Target Field 
One Twins Way
Minneapolis, MN 55403
(612) 659-3870
www.minnesota.twins.mlb.com

If an outdoor athletic field seems an ideal platform for wedding photos and a ceremony, Target Field is the place. With attractive "home run" wedding packages, Target will handle the wedding photography and the ceremonial event. Packages include a baseball plaque with standing room for the bride and groom. Target also has a wedding photo package without the Target Field trimmings. If you choose to snap your own pictures but need an event suite for the wedding reception, Target has this, too.

Related:  Best Places To Host A Wedding Reception In Minnesota

Falconer Vineyards 
3572 Old Tyler Road
Red Wing, MN 55066
(651)388-8849
www.falconervineyards.com

A wedding is an occasion for wine and champagne toasts. Why not photograph a wedding at a beautiful winery? Falconer has a collection of carefully aged homegrown wines, meant for family gatherings and weddings. You would definitely want to host a wedding picture session and ceremony here. The Mississippi Bluff valleys are a natural backdrop for picture taking. The picturesque pergola, small pond, and the 6.5-acre vineyard and colorful gardens make for great camera moments.

Day Block Brewing Company
(credit: CBS)

Day Block Brewing Co.
1105 Washington Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55415
(612) 617-7793
www.dayblockbrewing.com

Beer is often associated with a hard day's night, not romantic wedding settings. But Minnesota, imaginative and pragmatic, does have wedding venues at local breweries. Whether you choose to exchange vows at a brewery or with home brew, you can arrange a wedding venue with Day Block Brewing Co. The venue is at the scenic Riverfront District. A short distance from landmarks such as the Stone Arch Bridge and not far from the Mississippi River, the district is steps away from panoramic views of the riverfront and historic and modern Twin Cities sites.

Related: Guide To Great Photo Locales In The Twin Cities

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