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About this vendor

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111 years in business

We speak English

Small team (2-10 members)

Varsity Theater is a wedding venue located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Boasting a distinctive style, elegance, imaginative baroque decor, and colorful surroundings, there truly are so many appealing features about this space.

Facilities and Capacity

As soon as you step into the Varsity Theater, you will be struck by the eye-catching design, the bright splashes of color, and the inviting ambiance. There is a main floor and a mezzanine available for you to utilize for your big celebration.

Overall, the venue measures 4,834 square feet in dimension, making it suitable for mingling and enjoying drinks as well as being ideal for a sit-down meal.

Entering through the lobby, guests can take a seat on leather armchairs or make their way towards the main bar. Here, they are greeted by warm stonework, sleek tiling, and rustic decor offset by modern lighting and a polished bar top. Up ahead, the main floor beckons.

On the main floor, mood lighting and a rustic plaster finish are both embellished by the candelabra chandeliers and hanging fairy lights. A dance floor is available for the wedding party to boogie the night away, while ample seating is available on either flank. At the top of the room, a stage is present, which is ideal for the couple’s entertainment to set up.

Upstairs, a mezzanine bar area is available for everyone to gather, lounge, relax, and listen to the live entertainment. With leather chairs, bar stools, and colorful carpeting, you are made to feel right at home here.

The first floor can accommodate 600 people for a reception or 200 for a banquet-style meal (the dance floor area can easily be transformed to house round tables and comfortable chairs).

The other floor can welcome 150 for a reception and 50 for a banquet.

A beautifully designed restroom is also available to make use of - ideal for freshening up throughout the celebration. You can even order a drink from the bar while in the restroom!

Services Offered

Such is the versatility of this venue that it could accommodate either intimate or lavish wedding celebrations. Assisting with venue setup and arrangement, the Varsity Theater’s staff is happy to eliminate much of the stress for the happy couple. They can help you coordinate your event so that it runs smoothly and according to plan. Whether you need help setting up the lighting, preparing the sound system, or more, they can assist. What’s more, the Varsity Theater can help source your entertainment for the big day.

Cuisine

Varsity Theater can help create a personalized menu that suits your tastes and preferences, ensuring that there are no unwanted surprises on your milestone day. Our list of catering partners is the best in Minneapolis, and we will also consider caterers outside our list!

FAQ

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during peak season?

$5,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$6,500

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$1,500

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$1,500

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Bridal Suite
Chairs
Clean Up
Event Planning
Lighting/Sound
Set Up
Tables

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$12

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartender(s)
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Limited Bar
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine

What is the minimum number of guests required to book your venue?

50

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

2

Describe your venue:

Ballroom
Banquet Hall
Historic Building

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party
Elopements
Rehearsal Dinner

What event services do you offer?

Bar Services
Catering Services
Clean Up
Event Planner
Event Rentals
Get Ready Rooms
Liability Insurance
Outside Vendors
Pet Friendly
Wifi

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Dessert
Family Style
French Service
Hors d'oeuvres
Outside Cake
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Cash Bar
Champagne Toast
House Beer
House Liquor
House Wine
Limited Bar
Liquor License
Open Bar
Premium Liquor
Signature Drink
Specialty Beer
Specialty Wine

What event items are available?

Aisle Markers
Audio Equipment
Chairs
Dance Floor
Furniture
Lighting
Tables

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware
China
Flatware
Glassware
Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Valet

What months are included in your peak season?

May
June
July
August
September
October

What months are included in your off-peak season?

January
February
March
April
December

Still have questions?

Reach out about anything you didn't see answered here—no question is too small!

Wedding couple

Reviews of Varsity Theater

Weddingwire
4.8/5 25 reviews
Google
4.5/5 1615 reviews
S
Sara Sent on 03/07/2017
5 out of 5 rating
If you want to blow your guests away and have the night of your life, this is the place to do it. My husband and I wanted to make sure that our wedding felt like a big party, and this venue was definitely the right choice for that. The food was amazing, the drinks were good, and the setup allowed us to easily have a live band which put everything over the top in the best way. Lori and Elise were great to work with, and helped make our night perfect. We have had so many guests contact us in the 3 weeks since our big day saying it was the best wedding they had ever been to! It was incredible, I cannot say enough good things about this venue!
U
User2167091 Sent on 06/07/2015
5 out of 5 rating
"This was the best wedding I've ever been to, including my own." "Best wedding ever." "Amazing venue." "Wow." "This food is incredible. Wedding food shouldn't taste this good!"
These are some of the things we heard from our guests that attended our wedding ceremony and reception at the Varsity Theater, located in Dinkytown in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If you've driven past the venue, which is a regular concert venue for indie and other unique music acts, you've seen the marquee. But on Your night, you get to see your name and wedding theme or phrase up on the marquee, which is included in the venue price!
While it is not one of the most "affordable" wedding venues in Minneapolis, you get the most bang for your buck. And what a bang! The venue is so unique looking, that you don't need to spend a lot of money (if any at all) bringing in decorations or flowers. Plus, the Varsity Theater has so many beautiful props, linens, and decorations that you can use free of charge, which is what we did. You get ten hours of free wedding planning (Joel did a fabulous job), so they can handle all of the details that you would normally need to hire a separate wedding planner for. And because it is a concert venue and they handle events year-round, they handle all of the linens, setup and take down, lighting and sound. With a live band, it becomes an experience like no other. Last but not least, the venue is owned by the Loring Pasta bar, so they will cater the entire event. We did a buffet, s'more bar, and late night snack with absolutely rave reviews. I personally have not been to a wedding with better food.
Even before the wedding, anytime that we or our guests would tell someone that we were having the wedding at the Varsity Theater, people (often time complete strangers) would rave about the time they went to a wedding there and how amazing it was. It is obvious that the Varsity Theater consistently lives up to its reviews. I know we couldn't have picked a better venue!
D
Diana Sent on 04/25/2015
5 out of 5 rating
We hit the jackpot with Varsity. Sure, it's not cheap - but it was totally worth it. Jamie helped us figure out a date and went over all the fine details of the contract with us. She told us we would work more extensively with our captain in the month before the wedding. I'm very...project oriented, so I wanted answers sooner. Jamie was extremely patient and good natured and met us to go over all my questions. When we got our captain, Charisse, we finalized everything else. Charisse even put up with my parents randomly showing up to our meeting (they were early for the tasting to follow) and smoothly dealt with everyone. She and I coordinated everything over email. We were always welcome to come to Varisty to see it being prepped for a wedding or just to remind ourselves what the space was like. They were always willing to try to make what I was asking for work. Charisse even volunteered to go pick up a case of mead (weird beer request) for us. Since I was doing all the flowers, she pulled a selection of vases they had in storage (I asked for just a mix of bud/small vases with some bigger ones for the guestbook and escort tables) and lent them to me in advance so I could arrange the flowers right in there. I mean, she just made things easy! Charisse and her team handled ALL the venue set up according to what we discussed and my instructions I dropped off the night before. The food was delicious, and all the coordination was completely handled by her and her team. It all made for a very relaxed bride - we were able to just kick back and have fun at the wedding!
K
Kelsey Sent on 03/02/2015
5 out of 5 rating
The Varsity Theater was PERFECT! It was exactly what my husband and I were looking for! Fun and unique, and the staff were wonderful to work with! We keep hearing compliments about how different and beautiful the experience was from our guests!
D
Deborah Sent on 10/09/2014
5 out of 5 rating
Loring Pasta Bar was able to accomodate out small budget while making sure people had more than enough to eat. We have had so many people call and e-mail us to tell us how excellent the food was. They go above and beyond to create a beautiful layout for the Buffet while providing out of the box dinner ideas. Leave your usual wedding dry chicken/fish at home, Loring Pasta Bar delivers perfection.
M
Megan Sent on 10/06/2014
5 out of 5 rating
We cannot say enough good things about our wedding experience at Loring Pasta Bar and Varsity Theater. We had both our rehearsal dinner + ceremony and reception at these venues and it was so nice to know our ceremony coordinator (Kimberly) and our reception coordinator (Luci) had everything under control from the first day we met them until even after the wedding. The location of the two venues made it easy for guests to walk straight to the reception rather than dealing with parking twice. The fact that we didn't have to worry about setting up or taking down (tables, dinner, decor, etc.) was worth all the money in the world. Our entire family and friends were always in the moment, leaving the rest up to the great staff at LPB and Varsity. Thank you for making our wedding so easy and perfect! Love, M&A
A
Aly Sent on 09/22/2014
5 out of 5 rating
We LOVED having our rehearsal dinner here. The upstairs is incredibly gorgeous, with plenty of space for a LOT of people. The food is also incredible, of course :).
U
User1946725 Sent on 07/07/2014
5 out of 5 rating
We couldn't have asked for a better reception venue. The space is beautiful and unique. They provide all of the linens, chairs, center pieces (candelabras), lighting, sound techs, bartenders, staff, and an event captain. You get to have your name on the marquee outside—and be sure to get the large posters made for the window!
Everyone was so nice and accommodating—we truly didn't have to worry about anything the day of the reception. Our event captain was Kimberly, and she did a great job and had an awesome attitude, and always responded to emails in a timely manner.
We had a band in this space which made it even more fun, since it's a concert venue as well. The dinner buffet from the Loring tasted great!
We had our reception on a Sunday, which is much cheaper than Friday and Saturday.
Cupcake13
Jessalyn Sent on 11/18/2013
5 out of 5 rating
Charisse and her team did a fantastic job on the wedding. Everyone is still talking about it and I love going through the pictures. My husband even said the other day that, "we will never have venue remorse, there is no place better." I agree. The food was excellent, the decor top notch, the staff amazing and the planning was so easy. You have so many decor options you can throw away your decor budget (you don't even need flowers) and still have an amazing space. When they say, "let us throw you a party," they mean it. Everyone was so easy to work with and things ran smooth the entire night. I would do all over again in a hearbeat just for the amazing experience we and our guests had at The Varsity Theater. If you want a worry free event, The Varsity Theater is the place to go.
U
User1449053 Sent on 10/11/2013
5 out of 5 rating
AMAZING! I'm so obsessed with this venue. Our wedding would not have been as fabulous and as fun as it was if we would have held it anywhere else. The staff was phenomenal. The venue and ambience was beyond words. If you are looking to have a fun/party vibe for your wedding reception I would check out the Varsity Theater!
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

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Varsity Theater frequently asked questions

Varsity Theater includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Bridal Suite
  • Chairs
  • Clean Up
  • Event Planning
  • Lighting/Sound
  • Set Up
  • Tables
The bar service starting price at Varsity Theater includes:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Champagne Toast
  • House Beer
  • House Liquor
  • House Wine
  • Limited Bar
  • Open Bar
  • Premium Liquor
  • Signature Drink
  • Specialty Beer
  • Specialty Wine
The space offered by Varsity Theater for wedding events is known for:
  • Ballroom
  • Banquet Hall
  • Historic Building
Varsity Theater offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
Varsity Theater offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
  • Elopements
  • Rehearsal Dinner
Varsity Theater offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Bar Services
  • Catering Services
  • Clean Up
  • Event Planner
  • Event Rentals
  • Get Ready Rooms
  • Liability Insurance
  • Outside Vendors
  • Pet Friendly
  • Wifi
Varsity Theater offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Aisle Markers
  • Audio Equipment
  • Chairs
  • Dance Floor
  • Furniture
  • Lighting
  • Tables
Varsity Theater is recommended by 96% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.8 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.9 in quality of service, 4.9 in flexibility, 4.9 in professionalism, 4.8 in value and 4.5 in average response time.
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