Planning a wedding is stressful, especially if you haven’t hired a wedding planner (which we HIGHLY recommend you do!) There are so many things on your mind – Did we remember everything? When are final payments due? Who hasn’t turned in their RSVP? I need to schedule my hair/makeup trial. What should we wear for our engagement photos? When going through all these details, it’s important not to forget about celebrating and enjoying your engagement. You both built your love while dating, so it makes sense that you need to continue that during your engagement as you get closure to your marriage. Below are our top 5 date night ideas in Minneapolis & St. Paul!
#1: Next Chapter Winery
Visit Next Chapter Winery. Not only is this a beautiful wedding venue, but this is a great place for a relaxing night out enjoying each other’s company! There are always so many events happening from trivia to bingo to special events for holidays (read: dog day!).
Next Chapter has an incredible selection of beer, wine, cocktails, and mocktails for you to try. Not to mention, the owners are amazing people, and you may even get a special visit from their fur-children who are around the property. Located South of Minneapolis and St. Paul, this is a great place to spend an open Saturday and spend it here to celebrate and enjoy your engagement!
#2: Winter Carnival
The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is a historic family-friendly event to celebrate winter! This free event in downtown St. Paul is during a cold time of year, but it gets you out of the house and moving around. Walk through and look at the ice sculptures, grab a beverage in the heated tent, or a snack from one of the food trucks and make it a great date night! It might even be a fun spot to take some couple photos!
Our favorite thing to do is pair the Winter Carnival with a nice dinner at Mancini’s Char House on West 7th for a delicious steak dinner after walking around in the cold.
#3: Centennial Lakes
Located just outside Minneapolis, Centennial Lakes is a lovely outdoor space with so much to offer. Rent a paddle boat, play some mini golf, or just walk around the paths and be in each other’s company. Getting outside and taking a break from the continuous planning of your wedding is a great way to have some fun during an overwhelming time. When you’re ready for a bite to eat, hit up Pinstripes right off the paths for a delicious dinner!
#4: City Festivals
During the summer and fall months, cities will have their own festivals on any given weekend. There are carnivals, food trucks, specials at restaurants, softball tournaments, and even fireworks to close the night! This is a great way to enjoy your community, but also celebrate with other communities in the area. This is a great way to take a day. Go enjoy a parade, take in some good music, watch a fireworks show, and just be with each other. You can even invite some friends and make it a group outing to create lasting memories. Leave the stress at home, and enjoy celebrating at a city festival!
Some of our favorite city festivals to attend:
- Apple Valley Freedom Days (July 4th Weekend)
- Rosemount Leprechaun Days (Mid- to End-July)
- South St. Paul Kaposia Days (End of June)
#5: Apps & Movies
This one we forget – what about staying in?! Yes, you can even date your fiance without going out all the time. Head to the grocery store and play rock paper scissors to see who gets to pick the parts of your date night – apps, drinks, dessert, movie, and/or game. Then head home and cook together, snuggle on the couch, and relax! It doesn’t always have to be elaborate to be a date night.
Whether you’re at the beginning stages of wedding planning making major decisions on all your vendors, or closer to your wedding day getting all the final details in place, make time to date your fiance with these 5 date night ideas! It’s important that you are reminded of why you’re getting married in the first place – you LOVE each other! Don’t forget to take more stress off your plate by checking out our service packages! Contact us here to schedule a consultation and learn how we can best serve you in wedding planning and on your wedding day.