Backyard Wedding vs Wedding Venue in Alexandria, MN: What’s the Real Cost?

Why Couples Are Choosing Adler Ranch Over a Backyard Wedding in Alexandria, MN

So you're thinking about hosting your wedding in your own backyard. Maybe your parents’ place has a big open field, or your best friend’s cousin has a farm “they don’t use anymore.” You’re picturing string lights in the trees, tables under the stars, a dance floor in the grass, and a budget that somehow stays magically low.

Buuuut before you go full boho-DIY-fairy-tale, let’s talk reality. Because while backyard weddings seem like a money-saver at first glance, the actual cost and logistics? Not so dreamy. Let’s break it down line by line—chaos by chaos—and compare it to booking a real venue that does this every single weekend in season.

Adler Ranch is a private, independently owned wedding venue near Alexandria, MN, known for our high standards, extensive experience, and authenticity. We don’t just rent you a space—we offer a fully curated experience rooted in years of doing this right.

The Banquet Barn at Adler Ranch Wedding Venue

Don’t let the word “barn” fool you. This place doesn’t do dirt floors or string lights from Amazon. She’s clean, cool, and lit with vintage neon from every angle.

Amanda Becker Photography

1. Tables, Chairs & The Setup Saga

Rental companies will happily deliver chairs and tables to your house… and then leave them in a pile in the driveway. Set up and teardown? That’s your job now. Which means you’re wrangling friends and relatives the day before and the day after your wedding to lift, haul, and sweat through their dress clothes.

💡 Venue Reality Check: At Adler Ranch, your tables and chairs are included. Set up? Handled. Tear down? Already done. You’re not chasing Uncle Bob with a folding chair at 10 a.m. the next morning.

2. Restrooms: Welcome to Septic Panic

Unless your property is equipped to handle 100+ people using the bathroom all night long (spoiler: it’s not), you’ll need:

• Luxury restroom trailers or porta-potties (don’t forget ADA-compliant ones!)

• A cleaning attendant during the event

• A backup plan when an unsupervised 12-year-old flushes a sock down the toilet.
  (True story. It flooded. It was gross.)

💡 Venue Reality Check: Our real, fully functioning restrooms are clean, stocked, maintained, and sock-resistant. And yes, they’re included.

Kristen Jyrkas Creative

3. Catering Chaos

Caterers don’t just show up and magically plate gourmet meals in your backyard. They need:

• A clean work area

• Access to water

• Electricity

• Service tables

• Parking for a trailer or van

💡 Venue Reality Check: We’ve got dedicated catering areas, electricity, water hookups, and plenty of space for their setup. They show up, do their thing, and you don’t have to loan them your garden hose.

The Grain Bin Bar at Adler Ranch

Not your average bar setup. 🍻 Once a 1950s grain bin, now a one-of-a-kind wedding bar experience with professional bartenders, outdoor seating, and plenty of ice (because you can never have too much ice). The Grain Bin Bar is where stories are swapped, toasts are made, and the party never runs dry.

4. Let’s Talk About the Bar (and Ice)

Ah yes, the bar. Everyone’s favorite part—until you realize how much ice it takes to keep drinks cold on a hot summer day. You’ll need:

• A full bar setup

• Licensed bartenders

• Coolers, bins, and ice chests

• Hundreds of pounds of ice

💡 Venue Reality Check: Our Grain Bin Bar is not just adorable—it’s functional. Staffed, stocked, iced, and ready to serve. You just sip.

The Cabin

The Cabin and The Kurt’s Gas Station are our getting ready suites for the wedding party at Adler Ranch

5. Where Are You Getting Ready?

Unless you want your wedding party getting dressed in a garage or Aunt Carol’s guest room, you’ll need:

• A private, well-lit space with mirrors and outlets

• A second space for your partner

• A way to keep snacks, nerves, and hair tools organized

And don’t forget your glam squad! That hair and makeup artist you booked? They need a clean, well-lit area with space to work—and ideally, air conditioning that doesn’t come from a box fan wedged in a window.

💡 Venue Reality Check: Adler Ranch offers two beautiful, climate-controlled getting-ready suites: The Cabin and The Gas Station. Private, stylish, full of outlets—and perfect for the hair and makeup team that’s about to make you look amazing.

Behind the Scenes of a Picture-Perfect Wedding Day

All this? It doesn’t mow itself. 🌾 Behind every perfectly placed chair and blooming wildflower is 17+ hours of mowing, trimming, weeding, spraying, and sweating—so your wedding day looks effortlessly beautiful (because someone else did the work). Nestled just two hours from both Minneapolis and Fargo, Adler Ranch is the destination that feels like a hidden gem right in the heart of Minnesota.

6. Landscaping & Lawn Drama

Want a beautiful outdoor ceremony? You’ll need:

• Fresh flowers

• Trimmed trees

• Mulched beds

• Lawn mowed, weeded, edged, and mowed again
  (Our average? 17 hours of mowing a week. Not a typo.)

And don’t forget mosquito spraying—unless you want your vows to be drowned out by guests slapping their legs.

💡 Venue Reality Check: From wildflowers to hydrangeas, our landscaping is maintained all season long. It’s not just pretty—it’s photogenic perfection. And yes, we spray for mosquitos so your guests aren’t dinner.

Not Your Average String Lights

Fairy lights are cute, but Adler Ranch after dark is something else entirely. ✨ From towering vintage gas station signs to neon that’s been glowing since the ’30s, our one-of-a-kind lighting collection turns your wedding night into a full-on experience.

Kristen Jyrkas Creative

6.5 Let There Be (Incredible, One-of-a-Kind) Light

Remember those string lights you pictured in the trees? Cute. But if you're dreaming of a glowing, romantic, jaw-dropping evening vibe, your backyard won’t touch what Adler Ranch brings to the table.

We’re not talking about a few bistro bulbs and a floodlight. We’re talking about an irreplaceable collection of vintage neon signs, towering gas station lights, restored lighted beer signs, and Americana glow—all placed for max ambiance and photo ops.

This isn’t rental lighting. It’s a 30-year passion project, hand-sourced from across the country, matched with original poles and lighting elements, and lit to perfection. When the sun goes down, the ranch transforms into something cinematic.

💡 Venue Reality Check: Your photos will glow. Your guests will rave. And you won’t need to run extension cords through the bushes to make it happen.

7. Garbage Bags, Dumpsters & Day-After Doom

Big weddings = big mess. You’ll need:

• Trash cans

• So many trash bags

• A dumpster or extra garbage pickup

• Someone to clean up that spilled beer, tossed bouquet wrappers, and late-night taco carnage

And unless you have a designated smoking area, expect to find cigarette butts, chew pouches, and other charming surprises scattered through your flowerbeds and stuck in your lawn for weeks.

💡 Venue Reality Check: We handle all cleanup and trash removal, including providing a designated smoking area near vintage gas pumps. No one’s scrubbing chew spit off their deck the next day.

8. Parking, Permits, and Police

Can your guests park on the street? Will the neighbors call the cops? Do you need signage? What about overnight parking? Can anyone even stay overnight?

💡 Venue Reality Check: We’ve got on-site parking and a private drive. No public streets. No crabby neighbors. And yes, cars can stay overnight if needed.

9. Music, Power, and Noise Complaints

Love the idea of a live band? Great! But does your home have:

• Enough power to support amps, speakers, and lighting?

• A flat space for a stage?

• Neighbors who won’t call the cops at 9:30 p.m. when the dance party kicks off?

💡 Venue Reality Check: We’re wired, powered, and built for parties. No blown circuits. No angry lawn-mowing neighbors revving up mid-ceremony. No police visits.

The Blonde & The Bohunk

Want a good time? A live band is a whole extra thing at a wedding!

10. Maintenance Is Why We Say “Not Yet”

Ever wonder why venues don’t let guests arrive early or bring relatives to “just stop by the day before”? This is why.

We're:

• Mowing for hours

• Spraying for bugs

• Cleaning, dusting, staging, and prepping

• Resetting tables and chairs

• Running electrical checks and light testing

• Doing all the things that make your day perfect

You’re not renting a space. You’re reserving a weekend-long transformation—and every hour counts.

Where Dinner Turns Into Dancing at Adler Ranch

The banquet barn isn’t just a place to eat—it’s where your guests raise glasses, laugh a little too loud, and then hit the dance floor under the glow of vintage neon. Reception-ready, stress-free, and unforgettable from the first toast to the last song. And the best part? YOU don’t have to do any of the cleanup! We handle it all!

Final Thought: Backyard Isn’t Always Cheaper

By the time you rent all the pieces, coordinate vendors, pay for power, water, toilets, bar, staffing, parking, and cleanup—you’ve easily spent more than booking a full-service venue that already does this every weekend.

Adler Ranch isn’t just a wedding venue—it’s a turn-key experience designed to save your sanity, your weekend, and your wallet.

The S’more Bar at Adler Ranch

That’s right! Cook the S’mores on the side of a 1950’s Studebaker Gas Truck! ONLY at Adler Ranch!

Abby Dahlberg Photography

Ready to Make the Smart (and Beautiful) Choice?

📍 Come see Adler Ranch for yourself.
✨ Schedule a private tour, ask all the questions, and see what a wedding space looks like when every single detail is handled by people who live and breathe weddings.
📅 Our calendar books fast—Remember we’re a seasonal venue, operating between May and October only—so don’t wait.
💌 Inquire now and let’s make your dream wedding feel like a breeze.

👉 Planning your Minnesota wedding? At Adler Ranch, we love helping couples create celebrations that feel unforgettable from the very first save the date. Schedule a tour and let’s make your wedding one for the history books.

At Adler Ranch, we’re proud to be an independently owned and operated wedding venue tucked in the scenic lakes region just outside Alexandria, MN. When you celebrate with us, you’ll experience the kind of care, hospitality, and attention to detail that only a family-run venue can deliver. We host a limited number of weddings each season so every couple receives our full focus—and every moment feels intentional, not rushed.

What truly sets Adler Ranch apart is our unmatched collection of original vintage signs—treasures we’ve been collecting for over 35 years. These authentic pieces add history, personality, and a glow you simply won’t find anywhere else. The result? A backdrop that elevates your entire wedding day and turns your photos into timeless keepsakes.

For more wedding inspiration, planning tips, and engagement advice, be sure to follow Adler Ranch on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. Let’s make your dream day a reality! 💕Thanks for stopping by! ~Marlys

We are thrilled to support wedding venue owners from around the country with a weekly shout-out in our blog: The Felt Estate, The Old Barns at Dry Run Farms, The Bella Rosa, Notting Hill Farm, Events by Bliss Barn, Green Clover Farm, The Venue at Murphy Lane, Talula Mesa, Oaks of Devonaire, Bluestone Estate, Eden Farms Weddings