The Van Dusen Mansion Reviews

We just recently got married at The Van Dusen Mansion and had the absolute best wedding in the world! The venue is stunning with so much character and historic charm that it made us truly feel like it was a one in a million kind of venue. Our wedding was seamless with how it was laid out where the entire day is at one location moving from the mansion, ballroom, courtyard and carriage house. The best part was the team who was there for you every step of the way. When we inquired, we worked with Jenna Zamjahn in the beginning of planning stages, and we connected with her instantly where she felt like an old, trusted friend. Jenna is super knowledgeable, helpful, and just an absolute joy to work with that we knew that this was the place for our big day. Once we decided on the venue, we worked with the wedding coordinator, Monica Sanger and because of her, it was a seamless process. Monica is the best at what she does. She goes above and beyond and made us feel like her top priority, super attentive and always there for us if we needed help. Her strong work ethic, eye-to-detail, compassionate heart are what make her stand out. We are forever grateful for having to work with Jenna and Monica and the whole VDM team for our special day. If it wasn’t for them, none of it was possible. This venue and the people are truly one of a kind and anyone would be lucky to have their wedding here!

VDM was excellent and Monica was such a great contact for the year-plus we were planning along with the day-of. This venue stunned our ~115 guests (and our dog) from beginning to end.

Luckily, the weather cooperated for our 10/21 wedding so we had the ceremony in the courtyard, allowing for a slow but procession through the grounds as the night progressed.

Anything over our guest count would’ve been tight for the ceremony space AND dining hall, so keep that in mind. We chose to add two hours in the morning for $200/hour, very much worth it and the perfect amount of time for a 10-person wedding party (plus parents) to get ready and take pictures before a 4PM ceremony. Otherwise your standard event time is 12PM-12AM.

I’m still in shock from how gorgeous every space looked. The carriage house was recently renovated and new flooring was cute and thankfully not slippery with spilled drinks towards the end of the night.

Of note: clarify everything you can think of with your venue contact ahead of time. There are no stupid questions. We saved a lot of trouble by asking a lot of questions and Monica was so responsive and helpful, even if the answer was no.

Also: they might recommend a Bellagala DJ but our DJ (DJ Hampsterdance) had no trouble with their sound system. There is a ~$500 fee for outside DJ because they also staff an in-house AV technician to guide in case your DJ is unfamiliar with the venue or needing help.

Additionally: They exclusively partner with Mintahoe for catering. If you want a different catering vendor or are dead-set on bringing your own booze to “get ready with” and hate the idea of paying corkage for that (or paying per-person fees for outside cake and/or late-night snack), this might not be the venue for you. We had a fine experience with Mintahoe.

We recently celebrated our wedding at the beautiful Van Dusen Mansion, and we are still floating on cloud nine! It was the night of our lives, a dream come true, and it would not have 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.

The Van Dusen Mansion is a one of a kind venue with rich history and a fairytale-like atmosphere. We held our wedding reception here is August of 2023 and have only good things to say about the venue itself and the staff! Monica was our main event coordinator, she did an amazing job and our event went on without a hitch. She was so friendly and fun to work with throughout the planning process, she made sure we felt informed, prepare and confident in the decisions made for the event and we completely trusted her to carry those plans out! The staff is very professional and friendly all around, Samantha also helped us in the planning process and figuring out pricing and availability for booking our event, another exceptional lady! Mintahoe catering is currently the only option but there is no loss in that, they do an amazing job and have SO many options and flexibility in choices to find something that fits your budget! We worked with Morgan at Mintahoe and were very impressed with her attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile to make our day and experience special!

Beautiful venue, amazing staff ☺️

The Van Dusen Mansion is a truly beautiful venue, with very professional and well-organized staff. They were very responsive, quickly answering all of our questions during the planning 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.

The Van Dusen was an excellent fit for our wedding, elegant while also being cozy, with plenty of dramatic opportunities for photographs and majestic interior spaces that felt comfortable to occupy. The staff were all incredibly professional and friendly, and they were very willing to accommodate any concerns we had in order to assure that our day went smoothly. The Mintahoe catering that is attached to their venue is professional and provides a variety of flexible and delicious options, and are very willing to adjust things based on your needs. We would highly recommend them for future events.

The venue is breathtaking and the whole team of Van Dusen is amazing. Monica is very professional, attentive and detail-oriented, which takes so 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♥️

I don't think I'll ever stop talking about how wonderful my wedding day at the Van Dusen was. Planning with Monica was so fun and easy. Planning with Bellagala (DJ, Floral, Photo booth) was so easy and stress free, and planning and communication with Mintahoe catering was just the best. All the staff were so detail oriented and stress-free the day of, exactly what you need as a bride. My guests won't stop talking about how good the food was and how the venue you makes you feel like you're in a dream or a movie because it is so beautiful. I would give 10 stars if possible!!

Amazing venue! Gorgeous inside and out. Everyone was so friendly from the first phone call to clean up at the end of the night. They helped us create the wedding we wanted. Wouldn't have wanted to get married anywhere else. We got married in January of 2022.

The Van Dusen staff made wedding planning easy. The venue is beautiful and so much fun for guests but the real love for us was the care the staff showed us from the tour through the wedding day and beyond. They worked with us on centerpieces and timelines before the wedding day. Bonnie, the day of coordinator was amazing and made sure all vendors knew the plan and executed it. She worked with us to make sure we made a good decision about where to hold our ceremony (rain was in the forecast). They did a BEAUTIFUL job setting everything up and making it wonderful inside the ballroom. Bonnie was absolutely amazing and so helpful with everything throughout the day. The greeters could have done a much better job telling people where to put cards and presents (we had people handing us presents directly and cards as the night went on which was a bit cumbersome). But overall it was a wonderful day to remember and I am really thankful for Bonnie and her team who made me feel stress free on the wedding day and really made sure all the guests had a great time!

The only downside to the Van Dusen is the requirement of MinTahoe catering. They were okay but their pricing was more than the quality of their work. That being said, I still think we make the best choice with the Van Dusen.

Our wedding at the Van Dusen Mansion could not have been better!! The flowers were beautiful, the cake was delicious, the photographer and videographer were fun and fantastic, Bonnie the coordinator is AMAZING, and the mansion itself is breathtaking. It was a dream come true!!

Our experience with The Van Dusen was amazing, I plan on recommending them to everyone! We were so happy that they were offering a petite wedding package which ultimately fit everything we were looking for when wedding planning. We were also blown away by all that was included for the cost. Even after my initial call with Samantha, I knew that it would stay at the top of my list when venue searching. From the time we booked our date through when we said our goodbyes on our wedding day, every single person that was involved was amazing and so easy and great to work with. I'm still in shock that we actually did it and it went so smoothly. You guys make wedding planning look so easy!

The Van Dusen provided us with everything we could have wanted for our special day. From start to finish the entire staff was professional, courteous and prompt with all of our needs. Getting married in the middle of a pandemic wasn't ideal, but they made it so we were still able to have our day and it was still as beautiful as ever.

Oh my goodness - absolutely wonderful! Staff was there as soon as we arrived to take our guest book, place cards, etc. and set everything up for us. Christy was instrumental in helping our day run smoothly and we are so grateful to her! We truly couldn't have asked for a kinder, more helpful group of people to make our day perfect! Thank you!

Honestly, we are just tremendously grateful to everyone at The Van Dusen for working so hard to make our day so perfect and special. It was so wonderful, and we wouldn't have changed a thing!

This is definitely the best wedding spot in Minneapolis. The Van Dusen Mansion is a stunning place to have a wedding, and their process is unlike any other venue. Being able to progress through the grounds was a huge hit with our guests, and everything was immaculate. I’m so excited to get our pictures back! Christy was a lifesaver and walked us through everything we needed to know all day and really kept things running smoothly when we ran into some obstacles.

The bridal suite was beautiful and spacious enough for my four bridesmaids, the moms, and all of our supplies. The groom’s lounge was a great place for the guys to relax before the venue and for the guests to explore during cocktail hour. The carriage house was the perfect dance floor size and having two levels, one for dancing and one for drinking/lounging/watching, was a great setup. Outside of the rooms that guests saw, there were even more rooms perfectly set up for gorgeous pictures of us and our bridal party.

Van Dusen really has it all: it’s a beautiful venue and its staff is very good at what they do. Booking the Van Dusen Mansion will save you a ton of stress and will leave your guests in awe.

Before raving about the venue itself (gorgeous!), I want to make sure I say that Christy was a dream to work with. She was professional, kind, enthusiastic, and ready to make everything work somehow. She made planning from far out-of-state a breeze. The venue speaks for itself from the photos above. It is a beautiful historic mansion - exactly what we were looking for. The guests loved being able to explore its many rooms - as did I and my bridesmaids in the early morning as we were getting ready and enjoying the bridal suite - memories I will always cherish. We ended up moving the ceremony indoors due to rain (good wedding luck?!), but the day-of sudden change went off without a hitch and all of the vendors were aligned and on point. The guests and my family also enjoyed how the carriage house for the dance had two floors, one for socializing and one for grooving and moving. Those who wanted to dance could, and those who wanted to socialize had space to do so but could watch the dancing antics from above. So fun! Thank you, Van Dusen team, for all of your help in making our day wonderful!

The Van Dusen was the first place we looked and we fell in love. The venue is gorgeous, the staff was so kind from the very beginning and we knew right away it would be our choice. Mary Jo and the Mintahoe team were excellent. The tasting was informative and a great way to talk to other couples and share ideas. The details meeting with Mary Jo was extremely helpful and we felt very ready to go after that meeting. The whole team was great and answered all our questions right away. The day of could not have gone any smoother because of this fantastic team. Responses to emails were very quick and planning was a breeze with this venue and staff. Mary Jo and Christy were amazing and guiding us through the process and making everything easy. All was fantastic. We have no complaints! Everyone was great, the staff was friendly and helpful to all guests and the bride and groom. The day ran so smooth with no hiccups. We honestly could not think of anything that went wrong or we wish we had. Our experience was great and we thank the whole Van Dusen and Bellagala staff for that! Thank you thank you thank you! We are SO happy we chose this venue!

There are no words to describe how perfect the mansion was. Everything from the suites to get ready in to the progression of the evening to different areas was perfect and better than we could have expected. We stepped foot in the mansion for the first time and knew right away that we wanted to get married there - it was exactly what we were looking for and blew the other venues we had looked at out of the water. During the planning process, all emails were responded to promptly and they were very patient with my requests for tours for family and our photographer. Christy was super helpful on the day of! She helped everyone get their things set up and helped make the day of worry free. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

Talk about a PERFECT wedding venue! I fell in love with The Van Dusen the moment I walked in to the gorgeous historic mansion, then almost cried when I entered the stunning courtyard where our ceremony would take place. The amazing staff went above and beyond from the planning process, ensuring every detail was taken addressed. Then, throughout our entire wedding day, they stunned us as they took care of EVERYTHING from set-up, taking care of our guests, ensuring we were comfortable all day long, to clean-up and making sure everyone and everything was accounted for at the end of the night. The pricing was great for the amazing venue and experience we had, and I was so relaxed and happy throughout the ENTIRE experience. I cannot say enough great things about The Van Dusen Mansion and it's fantastic staff. They make a great team with Mintahoe Catering to create a perfect wedding experience.

Unbelievable. Their service was flawless. Above and beyond anything we could have ever asked for. Well worth the money.

Best venue ever! From the minute we walked into the venue, we knew it would be our wedding venue. We are completely taken by the beauty of the mansion and the charm and expertise of Jennifer Anderson. If you are considering this venue, just pick it already! It is truly a magical place with superb staff.

We absolutely loved our wedding at the Van Dusen Mansion! We received so many compliments on the amazing & unique venue, the impeccable service and the excellent food. I was beyond impressed with the staff's level of detail and how they truly made every moment magical. Being able to move throughout the mansion as the ceremony and wedding progressed kept guests so engaged and it was as if you were in 4 different reception venues; both indoors and out!

Additionally, we were very excited to have an outdoor ceremony and having been in several weddings prior where we were used to the "we will decide at 10am that morning if you can be outdoors" routine. This was NOT the case with the Van Dusen. They were so thoughtful in watching the weather (on 5 different radars) and decided at 3pm that they would take the chance to go outside per my wishes, and it worked out wonderfully. It goes to show their flexibility, organization and how much they care about making your day perfect.

Lastly, there were so many items that the Van Dusen had on site that we were allowed to use which made the additional money well worth it and they managed our crazy family with ease! I would highly recommend this venue to anyone looking for a gorgeous outdoor or indoor location!

I can say only the very best about this venue. Jennifer, Elizabeth and their staff were exceptional . The planning and execution of the wedding was flawless. Everybody had a great time and I, as the mother of the bride, received many compliments about the van Dusen venue and their staff from our guests. Thank you for a great wedding and a beautiful memory

The Van Dusen staff and venue are the best in the "biz!" I just had my wedding there and from the moment I inquired about the venue as a potential wedding location to the day I picked up my last centerpiece from the wedding, they gave me nothing by top notch service. Their staff had a solution for everything and no matter what was asked, they always answered with a "yes." Jennifer and her staff, as well as Elizabeth and the Mintahoe staff, took care of every detail that even I, a "type A, planner and organizer", didn't even think about! Every one of our guests complimented the ease and flow of the entire night. My bridesmaids were awestruck by the fact that it was SUCH a stress free day and we could just enjoy the day because of all of the details the Van Dusen staff took off of our plates. The food from Mintahoe was just as good as the original tasting we had which knocked our socks off! Guests were so impressed and said that they had never had a better "wedding dinner." The bartenders were amazing- always accommodating and outgoing while keeping up with demand. There was never a line! The Van Dusen made my wedding an absolute fairytale and I would recommend this venue to anyone who wants to truly remember and enjoy their big day to the fullest!