When to Send Your Save the Dates for Your Minnesota Wedding

When to Send Save the Dates: Advice from a Minnesota Wedding Venue

There’s something thrilling about the moment you drop those first little envelopes into the mailbox. Save the dates are basically your wedding’s first mic drop—your way of saying yes, it’s happening, clear your calendars, and get ready for a good time.

At Adler Ranch, a privately owned wedding venue just outside Alexandria, MN, we’ve hosted hundreds of weddings over the past six years. We see couples stress over timing, we hear the questions from their families, and we watch the ripple effects of sending save the dates too soon—or too late. Our recommendations aren’t copy-pasted from a wedding magazine; they’re rooted in real Minnesota weddings we’ve lived through, complete with lake season traffic jams, packed resort weekends, and blizzards in April.

MN Wedding Venue Planning 101: Why Your Guest List Should Come First

How Adler Ranch MN Wedding Venue Helps Couples Plan Smarter

You’re newly engaged, still staring at that sparkly ring, and the next logical step? Find a wedding venue, right? It’s the first thing most couples do. They start Googling “Central MN wedding venue” or “MN wedding venue” and scrolling through Instagram for those picture-perfect ceremony backdrops.

But before you get swept away, here’s a reality check: weddings in Alexandria, MN, cost significantly less than weddings in Minneapolis. That’s a huge advantage for couples willing to step outside the city — but you only see the savings clearly if you start with your guest list first.

Because here’s the mistake we see over and over at Adler Ranch: Couples book their venue before they finalize their guest list.

It sounds harmless, but your guest count dictates everything — budget, space, and the overall vibe of your day. Get it wrong, and suddenly your “dream venue” feels crowded, or your catering bill balloons. Get it right, and you’ll actually enjoy the wedding you’ve been picturing. Learn more about Adler Ranch Wedding Venue located two hours from both Minneapolis MN and Fargo ND, near Alexandria MN and miles away from basic!

Wedding Venue Costs Explained: What’s Included, and Why It Matters

What You Get with a Wedding at Adler Ranch in Minnesota

When couples—or their parents—first start planning a wedding, one of the biggest and most common questions is: Why do wedding venues cost so much? It's a fair and honest question, especially for anyone who hasn’t planned a wedding in decades. If you’re comparing today’s pricing to the cost of a community center rental in the '90s, it’s easy to feel surprised. And for newly engaged couples, this might be the first time they’re seeing just how many decisions and moving parts go into a modern wedding day.

But here’s the truth: wedding venues today are expected to do a lot more than simply provide a space. Couples are looking for a seamless experience, not just a place to gather. They want a beautiful, functional location with a team behind the scenes who can help bring the day to life. And that’s exactly what your venue cost helps support.

Adler Ranch, near Alexandria, MN, is located two hours from both Minneapolis and Fargo—and we are miles away from basic. Alexandria itself is a hidden gem for couples looking for a memorable wedding setting.

👉 Want to explore the area? Read more about wedding locations near Alexandria, MN.

10 Creative Ways to Reuse Extra Fabric from Your Wedding Dress Alterations

Keepsake Ideas Inspired by Real Adler Ranch Weddings

At Adler Ranch Wedding Venue, we’ve seen a lot of wedding gowns—and we mean a lot. From vintage lace showstoppers to sleek satin modern gowns, they all come in with a dream and leave a little trail of fabric scraps behind after alterations. But here’s the thing: that leftover fabric? It’s not just debris from your seamstress’s scissors—it’s memory-laced material waiting to become something meaningful.

Over the years, many of our Adler Ranch brides have surprised us with what they’ve done with their dress scraps. We’re talking baptism gowns, custom boutonnières, handmade ornaments. One even wrapped her bouquet in lace from her mom’s old wedding dress and her own altered train—cue the ugly cry. These ideas aren’t just adorable; they’re deeply personal, practical, and rooted in real-life love stories that unfolded right here at the Ranch.

So before you toss those trimmings in the trash, read this list of creative, heartfelt ways to repurpose your wedding dress alteration fabric. You might just find the perfect keepsake idea to carry your wedding memories into the future.