Frequently Asked Questions

We want you to have all the answers you need, when you need them.

Is there climate control?

Yes, the entire barn has heating and air conditioning.

Is the venue available on my target date?

Please refer to Availably Tab to view our calendar with available dates.

What is the capacity?

The total capacity is 500 with a State Certified sprinkler system. Our average wedding is around 250.

What is the catering situation?

Please contact us for a list of approved caterers.

Can I hold the ceremony here?

Yes, you can! We have beautiful indoor and outdoor ceremony options.

What is the bathroom situation?

We have main floor bathrooms with handicap accessible stalls to include baby changing stations in the male and female bathrooms. There is also a full bathroom in the bridal suite and a bathroom in the second-floor grooms room.

How's the parking?

We have parking for 167 cars as well as handicap parking

Would we be able to gather our things and take them Sunday morning instead of Saturday night?

No, our cleaning company comes through right after your wedding and they work until about 6am cleaning the barn. They cannot have anything in their way or it won’t get cleaned. The set up crew comes in at 6 am until 9 am the next morning to set up the barn for the next wedding and the next bride/groom/family arrives at 9 am. Your items will be in their way and slow them down so things will not go well and we have to think about the next couple coming through.

Is there a day that we could do a rehearsal on-site?

Rehearsal can be done the day of your wedding, on site. Or If there is nothing booked the day prior to your wedding, you may rent the space to have your rehearsal and bring in your personal items.

What are the dimensions of the accomodations?

Barn:

Dimensions of the wood beams 24 ft long (4 beams) and 18 ft between beams
From the floor to the top of the wood beams 9 feet 2.5 inches
Harvest Table – 5 feet wide x 20 feet 7.5 inches long and seats up to 30 (Comfortable 10 per side 2 on the ends. Maximum – 12 per side and 3 on the ends)
Dessert Table – 3 feet wide x 9.5 feet long by 34 inches high
Bar rail on second-floor mezzanine is 90 ft x 24 ft x 24 ft
Window Opening for Bar – 85″ wide x 37″ tall
60 inch round tables seat 8/table
8 banquet tables 8 feet long x 34 inches wide
13 high top bar tables – 24″ round by 43″ tall
Doors behind the head table. Door Frame 80.5 inches wide. Between the lights 8 feet 3 inches. Height 96 inches.

Is there a freezer in the barn at all?

Yes, the bridal suite has a kitchen size fridge/freezer.

Are candles allowed?

We do not allow real candles; LED candles are allowed. Sparklers are allowed ONLY outside of the barn.

Is smoking allowed?

We have a designated smoking area 50 feet away from the main entrance.

When decorating, what can't we do?

We do not allow real candles, silly string, glitter (inside or outside), confetti (inside or outside), balloons aired with helium, and you cannot put any holes in the walls. (no nails, tacks, or screws), no tape or glue.

What time do the cars need to be out of the parking lot by the next morning?

Cars will need to be removed by 8:00am the next morning

When it comes to vendors (hair/makeup/etc), do they need to provide a copy of insurance?

Yes, anyone running a business or licensed in Minnesota is required to have insurance. Please click here to view our Insurance tab for more information.

What are the barn dimensions?

130 feet long by 36 feet wide.

What are the back patio dimensions?

Approximately 65 feet long x 45 feet wide. The patio is larger, but this is the size of the main, center space. The back patio typically seats up to 350 people.

How long is the back patio aisle?

The back patio aisle is approximately 50 feet long

What are the deck rail measurements?

4 ft
17 ft
Inside rail 13 ft
Front upper rail 27ft
Ends 21 ft

What is the size of the dance floor?

The dance floor is approximately 20 ft x 30 ft

What is all included?

Please click here to view our Amenities sheet under the Services tab.

Is the location convenient?

Your guests should be able to easily travel to our location. We are in the southeast metro of the Twin Cities with plenty of hotels within 10 miles of our farm.

Do you have a cross available?

We have an Outdoor Cross available. The dimensions are 4 feet across x 6 feet tall.

Who will be my main contact?

A staff member from The Madison will be onsite the day of the wedding to answer questions and direct vendors.

What's the rain plan?

We have an indoor ceremony option in case it rains

What time does the DJ stop playing music and what time does everyone have to be off the property?

The DJ will stop playing music at 11:30pm Friday/Saturday and everyone will have to be off the property at 12:30am. Sunday-Thursday, the DJ will stop playing music at 10:00pm and everyone will have to be off the property at 11:00pm.

Is it required that your catering companies provide all liquour and bar service, or can we bring in our own liquor?

You have to go through our caterer as they hold our State liquor license for this property, which is a full liquor license.

Do we have to go through your caterer for desert?

No, you can use any licensed and insured baker. It cannot be homemade.

Do you have an average price range for catering?

No, you will have to contact the caterer for a quote as it depends on what food and beverages you order.

Is there any way we can come before 9:00am the day of our wedding? Or even earlier, to do a rehearsal?

Yes, we charge $100 per hour

Are we allowed to have late night snacks delivered, even from a non-approved caterer?

You do not have to use our exclusive caterer for late night snacks. Most of our couples like to order pizza or use a food truck. You cannot bring in anything homemade to serve to your guests.

Insurance Requirements

Please email us at info@themadisionmn.com with any questions.

Couples:
We require all couples to provide Day Of Wedding Insurance. You must go through Wedsure and have the following requirements.

$1 million per occurrence
$2 million aggregate
Must include liquor liability (this should be automatically included through Wedsure)
Must list us as the Certificate Holder:
The Madison MN LLC
7310 Lamar Ave South
Cottage Grove, MN 55016

Vendors:
Vendors who will be on the property need to provide a Certificate of Liability with the following requirements. Vendors are not covered under the couples Day Of insurance. Please contact your insurance agent and have them email this to us with the below requirements. Once you have provided us with the proper insurance, we will add your business name with a link to your website under our Vendors Tab on our website so that future couples can find you. We hope to see more of you in the future!

$1 million per occurrence
$2 million aggregate
Must list us as the Certificate Holder:
The Madison MN LLC
7310 Lamar Ave South
Cottage Grove, MN 55016

Why do we require you to have Liability insurance?

We require that each couple provides day of insurance to be on the property, this covers them and their guests, but does not cover vendors. That is why each vendor needs to provide a Certificate of Liability for themselves. While on our property, if you get injured or injure another person, you could sue us and/or the person you injure could sue you and us as well as the couple. Everyone needs to be covered. We have thousands of people on our property each year and if we did not require everyone to have their own insurance, our insurance would go through the roof with all of the possible claims and we would not be able to afford our insurance. It is no different than driving a car, you need to have car insurance and if you get into an accident, you would certainly hope the next guy also has car insurance.