Venue Feature: The Guthrie Theatre
With floor to ceiling views of Minneapolis and the Stone Arch Bridge, the Guthrie Theater is the ideal venue to give your wedding that âwowâ factor! Weâve had the pleasure of planning several weddings at the Guthrie and we cannot stress enough what an amazing and flexible space it is. With the renowned theater, you can expect amazing service and Karen Scher and her staff definitely deliver. We asked Karen to elaborate on what she feels makes the Guthrie Theater such an amazing venue. Here, we raise the curtain on the Guthrie Theater and share one of our favorite venues with all of you. Enjoy!
1. What do you think draws in couples most to the Guthrie for their weddings?
I think two things mainlyâcouples looking for a unique space or couples that have a place in their hearts for theater or just the building itself. I hear a lot of first date stories. The first wedding in the new Guthrie space was a wedding give awayâa fantastic couple from NE Minneapolis who spent a lot of their dates watching the Guthrie be builtâfrom the groundbreaking to the opening day. Weâve had a couple that were architectural interns on the building who made a super cool save the date card that was mini model of the building, with their faces as the portraits on the outside of the building. We also had a couple whose entire reception was the full works of Shakespeareâin 90 minutes.
2. Tell us more about your unique spaces: Endless Bridge, Pohlad Lobby and the Dowling Studio. What sets them apart from each other and what are their unique features?
The Endless Bridge is for more intimate ceremoniesâabout 50 guests work very nicely on the outside portion of the Bridge. The Pohlad Lobby & Dowling Studio have the same fantastic views of the river but on a much grander scaleâup to 180 guests for a ceremony and reception. We combine both spaces with larger ceremonies in the Pohlad Lobby, cocktails on the Endless Bridge, and dinner and dancing in the Dowling Studioâmaking it a great overall Guthrie experience.
3. Because couples have to work around the Theaterâs schedule, is there a time of year that works best for weddings?
Typically we have a month in the summer and the month of December.
4. Being a space of performance, what does this bring to weddings held at the Guthrie?
The Dowling Studio is a black box theaterâa blank slate! You can do so much with lighting and dĂŠcor. Soon Iâll be working with our Costume Rental department to add even more options for dĂŠcor and themed weddings. Iâm looking forward to some really interesting options for couples.
5. What suggestions do you have for couples looking to host their wedding at the Guthrie Theater?
Be flexible and creative!
