In April 2005, my wife and I (who live in the suburbs of Twin Cities) received a phone call from a young man who was dating our daughter. Chad was in the Navy, stationed in San Diego. He called to ask our forgiveness to marry our daughter. “Sure,” we said, “yes.” He also wanted us to ask for a place to marry him. We did this, and in late April, Melanie received her decision.
Her “yes” put the 14-month long process of wedding planning. We know that will be in our church. The size of the hospital for the reception and the desire to dance ruled the dining room of the church as the site of the reception. So the first order of business is to find a place for reception. Among the requirements that led my wife in the search for a suitable place were;
A beautiful facility
A reasonable distance from our church
It is easily accessible from our church
Convenient free parking
Plenty of guests not only to eat, but to mingle at the tables
A place in the choir
My wife got on our computer and googled “Wedding Reception in Twin Cities”. There were plenty to choose from! One of Melania’s early ideas was to have a reception in one of the historic houses or mansions shared in the Twin Cities. We quickly discovered that a few of the house could accommodate the 300+ guests who would attend the reception. . We don’t want to talk about dividing guests into separate rooms, as happens in a few houses; and it was important to us that the guests should be able to mix and roam freely.
Another possibility was a beautiful building on the campus of the University of Minnesota. However, he was struggling with space problems; it would require double use of the rooms, and parking on the ramp would have been expensive or within a significant walking distance.
International Market Square (IMS) has been our choice since we saw its location. Located at 275 Market Street, Minneapolis 55405, IMS is on Interstate 94 near downtown. The General Manager can be reached at (612) 330-9478. IMS was, at one time, the Munsingwear factory where they have been converted into numerous shops designed for people who build and /ordecorate their homes or business. Each shop specialized in a particular area of the home or business décor. The shops are built around a large central opening or court where receptions are held. The atrium itself is a glass roof, a five story area with multiple levels built within those five floors. The area can seat anywhere from 50 guests to 2,000 guests for a reception or other event. For our group of 300+ guests, we used the main floor for dining and dancing. The area above the main raised floor was used for guests who could not be accommodated on the main floor.
By researching the site, we learned that the differences between the different sites are dire. Some have just rented space and groups are free to find their own restaurant or fix their own food and bring it to the venue. Other sites had their own caterers and if they rented a site, you had to use their exclusive caterers.
The second type was the International Market. The exclusive caterer was D’Amico Catering, 275 Market Street, Suite C25, Minneapolis 55405, telephone number (612) 238-4444. We also understand that there was a minimum reception of food, according to the season of the year and the day of the Sabbath. Some days were early days and they had a small charge. Other days are not as demanding and therefore he had less. Whether your guest number was large or small, the minimum charge was the same.
While the arrangement seems to limit the exclusive catering, it actually relieves the client of the burden of finding a caterer or the temptation to provide food for the wedding. We decide what to keep. We assisted in that decision through a “tasting party” where several options of appetizers, side dishes, and cake flavors were presented. . It was a meal in itself and helped us a lot in the final table to receive.
One great thing about IMS is that the courtyard is already decorated with trees and plants. There was no great need to decorate it. We opted for some large decorative umbrellas scattered throughout the area, which were included with our rental.
We go to IMS on the day of wedding centerpieces to set up, but to receive it; all that seemed to be done. Everything and every detail has been taken care of. Oh, one thing: getting served with an accurate dinner party is very important. If you order too much or if more people make reservations and don’t show up, the chef keeps the leftover food, but the customer still has to pay for it. It doesn’t seem fair, but it’s true. Which is not true for everyone, but for D’Amico.
IMS meets all our requirements. it was charming. It was close to the church. It was easy to get. There was a lot of free parking near the building. There was enough space for the guests to eat as well as to roam. And there was a place for dancing.
Apart from the occasional trouble with our contact with the D’Amico man, we were very pleased with the location, the service, and the food.
Source of information about International Market and D’Amico Catering:
www.imsdesignonline.com/catering.asp
