Lumber Exchange Wedding Photographer

Lumber Exchange Event Center: The Venue Itself

What the space is actually like — the details couples ask me about before they ask about photography.

Address

10 South 5th Street, Suite 111, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Capacity

Room-by-room figures published by the venue: the Fountain Room seats 50 to 300 for a seated meal on its own, or up to 450 when combined with the River Room; the River Room seats 120 for a seated meal or up to 220 for a cocktail reception; Sawyers on 5th seats 250 for a seated meal or up to 350 for a cocktail reception. There is no reliable whole-venue buyout number to quote: the venue publishes none, and the third-party directories contradict each other. Ask the venue directly if you are taking the whole building.

Ceremony & reception spaces

All documented ceremony and reception spaces are indoors, inside the historic Lumber Exchange Building. The named spaces are the Fountain Room (a nine-story atrium), the adjacent River Room, Sawyers on 5th, Dylan's, and private suites used as pre-ceremony lounges. Rooms can be booked individually or combined. No outdoor ceremony or reception space (rooftop, patio, courtyard, or garden) is described on the venue's website, and Here Comes The Guide lists outdoor capacity as 0 for every event type.

Parking

The venue does not list a parking lot of its own and directs guests to two nearby ramps, the Midtown Parking Garage and the Downtown Autopark. The building has a ground-level entrance and an elevator. Whether any parking is complimentary, or valet is available, is unclear — a third-party listing claims both, while the venue's own FAQ mentions neither.

Catering

Catering is exclusive and in-house. The venue has its own catering kitchen and chef, and outside caterers are not permitted.

• The Lumber Exchange Event Center is located at 10 South 5th Street, Suite 111, Minneapolis, MN 55402.
• Catering is exclusive and in-house: the venue states it has an in-house catering kitchen and chef, and outside caterers are not permitted.
• The venue does not list a parking lot of its own and instead recommends two nearby options for guests, the Midtown Parking Garage and the Downtown Autopark. The building has a ground-level entrance and a conveniently located elevator.
• The Fountain Room is a nine-story atrium filled with natural light, with a fountain that trickles down an exposed brick wall at the entrance and warm ambience from repositioned vintage lamp posts, chandeliers and sconces; it seats 50 to 300 guests for a seated meal on its own, or up to 450 when combined with the River Room.
• The River Room is adjacent to the Fountain Room, showcases the original windows of the building, and can be reserved on its own or as an extension of the Fountain Room; it seats 120 guests for a seated meal or up to 220 for a cocktail reception.
• Sawyers on 5th has exposed brick columns, an original bankers safe, original stone windowsills, and west-facing windows with a view of the sun setting on downtown Minneapolis; it holds 250 guests for a seated meal or 350 for a cocktail reception.
• The Lumber Exchange Building was designed by the architecture firm of Long and Kees in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, and was both listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Minneapolis Landmark in 1983.
• The venue's wedding spaces are the Fountain Room and River Room (a nine-story atrium with original exposed brick), Sawyers on 5th and Dylan's (with floor-to-ceiling windows showing expansive views of downtown Minneapolis), and private suites used as a pre-ceremony lounge.

Best Photo Spots at the Lumber Exchange

• Marble lobby staircase
• Grand Ballroom woodwork
• Crystal Ballroom mirrors
• Hennepin Ave exterior
• Freight elevator editorial
• Original 1885 stair rails
• Chandelier ceremony aisle
• Off-camera flash dance floor

Frequently Asked Questions