Winter Wedding in Minnesota | Rice Creek Wedding Venue

Planning a winter wedding in Minnesota can feel a bit overwhelming. Weather is unpredictable no matter when and where you decide to get married, but a Minnesota winter delivers a whole other level of extremes. It might be below freezing. Roads may be icy. It may even be sunny, warm and a ground full of beautiful brown slush. But luckily Jillian and Jesse picked the perfect winter day. Not to mention, they found the perfect Winter Wedding Venue and it just so happened to be in their hometown of Little Falls, Minnesota!!

Rice Creek Wedding Venue, Little Falls Minnesota

Rice Creek has hosted hundreds of outdoor Summer weddings on their property situated in the countryside, but this was the first OUTDOOR WINTER CEREMONY. And they nailed it!! They chose to host the ceremony on the patio near the heated reception venue. Gorgeous snow capped pine trees was the backdrop. Their guests arrived in true Minnesotan style, boots, hats, scarves and winter jackets. And Rice Creek surrounded them with portable heaters kept their guests warm as they exchanged vows.

Why did you choose Rice Creek for your wedding venue? 

“We chose Rice Creek because of the gorgeous property. There are so many amazing locations to take photos. The accommodations were above and beyond and it had the space to fit 300 guests. Jesse and I both have big families, so we knew Rice Creek checked all of our boxes!”

What was your favorite part of your wedding day?

“Our favorite part of the day was the ceremony, it truly felt like we were in a winter wonderland. We had our ceremony outdoors with a high of 23 degrees! Was it chilly? Yes— but it was so worth it!!” 

Any tips or advice for engaged couples planning a winter wedding?

• You need to plan around the daylight. Our ceremony was at 3:00 so that we would have time for sunset photos before 4:30. We didn’t want to feel rushed so a well thought out itinerary is a must. Thankfully Trisha of Xsperience Photography guided us pre-wedding so we could be assured all the important photo opportunities would be captured, while also giving us plenty of time to warm up in-between and enjoy our guests!!  
• If the ceremony is outdoors- you need to remind the guests constantly to dress warm. Put it on the invitation in bold letters and on your wedding site! We also had patio heaters for our guests so they could keep warm during the ceremony.
• Make sure your wedding party is warm. Furs, hats and gloves make for a good wedding party gift. Be lenient if they want to wear boots for photos!
• Build a weather back-up plan- we had another option in case the weather was unbearable.
• Last bit of advice.. PRAY FOR SNOW! …the photos turn out amazing!