Bed & Breakfast Weddings

Ideas & Inspiration

Bed & Breakfast Weddings

The whisper of a deep forest, a stretch of rolling green fields, vivid flowers in elaborate gardens, and charming and historic towns; these are the backdrops for bed-and-breakfasts, a Minnesota tradition that offers elegant luxury and simple delight. These romantic retreats also have something for every bride and groom: the settings for beautiful destination weddings, intimate elopements, festive groom’s dinners, or a long and relaxed honeymoon. And the morning after the big day, waking up on a wide feather bed to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and hot scones provides the perfect way to welcome those first moments of marital bliss.

Berwood Hill Inn
Lanesboro
Berwood Hill Inn stands out as a bright jewel in the crown of Lanesboro’s scenic bluff country, with grounds for romantic summer weddings and intricate flower beds bursting with tangerine, fuchsia, crimson, and violet blossoms against a lush green backdrop. With acres of award-winning gardens designed by owner Fran Scibora, many couples seek out this flowery paradise to exchange vows under a blooming trellis that overlooks the Minnesota countryside.

“We have acres and acres of phenomenal gardens, especially in the summertime, and that’s what really draws people,” says Jan Engstrom, special events coordinator. “The gardens are very innovative.” 

Bride Jaclyn Roverud McMurray was overwhelmed by the beauty of the gardens, and chose to hold an outdoor ceremony at Berwood in July. “Our guests were seated on little white folding chairs and we were under a canopy of trees in the garden overlooking the valley. It was just such a beautiful setting,” she says.

Roverud McMurray took advantage of the multihued scenery during her outdoor reception as well, serving fresh mojitos and using the wide lawns for lively wiffleball games, a wedding tradition among her husband’s friends. The festivities later moved into Berwood’s Lu Lu Belle’s Roost, a reception space dreamily adorned in tulle and white lights, which comfortably accommodates 120 guests.

Much of Berwood Hill Inn’s charm comes from the restored 1880s Victorian farmhouse, available to host the bridal couple and guests over a long weekend. Impeccably decorated with fine furnishings and antiques, the inn offers five cozy sleeping spaces, including the intimate Owl’s Nest. “That’s where I got ready with my bridesmaids, and it was really very romantic,” Roverud McMurray says. Many brides don their gowns in this old-fashioned attic suite before walking down a rose-petal aisle in the most colorful summer ceremonies.

“The gardens are amazing,” Roverud McMurray recalls. “We knew we wanted our wedding there just because it was so beautiful. We’re hoping that in 10 years we could come back and have that be our anniversary location.”