Graduate Minneapolis Reviews

Michael was fabulous to work with and always communicated promptly. His calm, get-it-done attitude was such an amazing tool to have on our side.

We had our groom's dinner, ceremony, reception, and guest block at The Graduate. It was an amazing experience and such a beautiful hotel. All of the staff was helpful, courteous, and made us feel welcome.

The vibe at The Graduate is super unique, the best of kitsch and class. It made for the best backdrops for our wedding photos and their food options are unique and fun.

Hands down, the BEST place to host a wedding in Minneapolis! The staff was amazing and soooooo accommodating - quick to return calls and emails and to answer any/all questions related to my son's wedding. 10+++++ stars!!
We hosted the groom's dinner, wedding ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing all in one space and it was the best wedding set-up ever! Guests are still raving about the food and ambience! We had an amazing room block rate. Michael worked with the bride on pricing food, open bar, late night buffet, Topgolf, etc... which made the entire process stress-free. The parking ramp is connected directly to hotel via skyway, which was a huge boon for guests when they arrived for the wedding.
We were able to bring in our own furniture, accessories, cake and rentals. We were also able to set things up as we wished with the help of Michael and his amazing team of energetic, hardworking and overly kind staff!!
We had the pleasure of enjoying the outdoor patio space, which was absolutely perfect for the cigar bar.
I highly recommend the Graduate to all brides & grooms!!!
My family is still raving about the wedding and it's been almost a month since the big event.
THANK YOU GRADUATE TEAM FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR MY SON AND HIS NEW WIFE!!!

Fantastic venue! They did the majority of the work which made wedding planning extremely easy & stress-free. Communication with their event planning team was exceptional! The food was great - we got so many compliments from our guests! We had quite a few guests traveling from other states, and this location was very convenient for our guests.

Planning: Michael was phenomenal from day one. We live out of state and did much of our planning via emails/calls. We were able to see the venue when it worked with our schedule and Michael was quick to respond when we had questions. Michael is great at setting timelines and gives a really easy excel to assist with the food planning.Location: Parking ramp with a skywalk attached and many amenities in walking distance! Our guests had so many compliments about the ease of our location as well as HOW COOL the hotel is. It is so unique and offers something for everyone. We booked the get ready room and that was nice to have the night before and day off for people to meet up in. We also did the Top Golf Suite the morning of and the groomsmen had a blast. Food: The catering package was amazing. Our guests continue to rave about the food. The cocktail hour had amazing snacks! The team even made sure my husband and I got our own plate to enjoy. Dinner was seamless and the portions were huge. No one was left hungry. Our late night pizza was also a hit! Price: You get a lot for what you pay for. The package included perks as well! Overall: I would get married here again in a heartbeat. My husband and I had so much fun and the entire Graduate team was amazing. Do not overlook this amazing venue! Photos by Rachel Lahlum

We are so glad that we chose the Graduate for our wedding this July (2023). Michael was great to work with in getting the day together. Extremely helpful, responsive, and professional throughout the entire planning process. The food and bar were great from the appetizers all the way to late night snacks. We received many compliments on how helpful and friendly the staff were the entire night. And the hotel was a beautiful setting for pictures!

We worked with Michael and his team for a wonderful, stress-free event. Everything was VERY well organized, and Michael kept us on schedule for all of our decisions. Couldn't have made a better choice going with The Graduate!

We knew right away that we had made the right choice when booking our wedding reception at the Graduate. They were always up to date on all of the changing covid policies and always let us know the newest information and how it would impact our reception. They made everything really easy and made sure we didn't overlook even the smallest detail. Michael was extremely helpful through the whole process. He was always there to answer our questions in a very timely manner and kept track of our many, many changes during planning. After all of the planning we did, we were stunned at how great the ballroom looked and how smoothly the day went. Our guests were in love with the uniqueness of the ballroom and had a great experience with the hotel side of things as well.

We got married on 8/6/2021, after postponing it a year due to COVID, and The Graduate's Event Director and staff were so understanding when we decided to postpone our wedding and easy to work with leading up to our wedding. Initially, we looked at several venues, but the Event Director, Michael Wicinski, won us over on The Graduate. He was absolutely wonderful to work with and helped us through all the details to make sure our big day was everything we could have asked for. Michael continued to blow us out of the water with his warmth, excellent customer service, meticulous organization and detail orientation. He made our wedding planning stress free. Our wedding was biking-themed, and The Graduate made sure we had a bike as part of our decor as well as for our photos. They definitely went above and beyond, and we couldn't be more happy with how our wedding reception turned out. We HIGHLY recommend anyone to have The Graduate as their wedding venue!

Originally we were planning on getting married June 2020, but for obvious reasons, had to postpone. The Graduate was incredible with helping us postpone and plan for our new date. The service staff was really nice and helpful and the venue and food turned out great! Planning a wedding during a pandemic is stressful, but working with the Graduate was one of the least stressful parts of the planning. Would highly recommend the venue as their packages and the people that work there make it a great place to have a wedding!

Everything about the graduate was absolutely wonderful. Very professional, very helpful. Every interaction with them made our prior planning and day of celebration easier. Great experience and great value. Would definitely recommend using them for you wedding venue!

We were so happy with The Graduate Hotel for our engagement party! Everyone there listened to us, were quick to reply and very accommodating/helpful. Especially Michael, he was really great! The location of the ballroom was nice as well, many of our guests had the option to be inside or outside on their patio which worked out well for a Minnesota summer!

Our event was amazing! Great food, beautiful venue, and excellent staff. We had a lot of guests from out of town and the classy, Minnesota-themed hotel was the perfect place to host them. We also had our rehearsal dinner in the Top Golf Suite, and it was a casual, fun balance to an elegant reception dinner the next day.

The best service!! We had our dream wedding come true because of the graduate, cassie was such a great person and directed us and made sure everything was perfect, highly recommended, thank you graduate!!

The entire staff at the Graduate were very friendly, helpful, and extremely flexible. Once you make your reservation for your wedding block, they continue to keep you updated and are very willing to help in any way. Kate P. was our point of contact and she is absolutely awesome in assisting all of our guests. Enjoy your stay at the Graduate!

The most important things for my husband and I when we were planning our wedding were location (lots of out of town guests), food, music, and cost. The Graduate gave us the perfect balance of all things--the chef is amazing and is willing to work with you to adjust your menu to provide culturally inspired dishes they may not typically serve, though we ended up selecting food from the menu. We are shameless foodies and everything was delicious.

Everyone we worked with at the Graduate made the planning process easy, though of course the MVP was Michael, the director of catering and events, who we were lucky enough to work with to plan our wedding. He was always responsive and a total pro--he thought of everything and made sure everything was prepared for the day of. He even found Pisco (a very important Peruvian liqour) and worked with the kitchen to make a hosted cocktail during our cocktail hour. Our event took place in the Meridian ballroom and it is a beautiful enough space that it doesn't need much sprucing up (which was huge for me and my miserly budget). There is also an outdoor patio, which was an awesome way to spend some of the event/evening outside while also not having to depend on good weather to make our break your event.

The Graduate staff does a lot to show you what they can do with the space--there was an opportunity to see the event space set up with different options and meet their suggested vendors. Though we ended up going with different vendors, it was a great chance to see the space, try some of the food, and pick the brains of everyone there with the many questions my mom and grandma had. :)

We are a Minnesotan-Peruvian couple--let's just say that dinner was served a bit later than Minnesotans typically eat and the serving staff was cognizant of the fact that the kids were getting peckish. They brought out some of their food a little bit early.

Essentially, I could not say enough good things about this venue and the wonderful people behind making your wedding day the way you want it to be.

The Graduate Minneapolis was the DREAM venue for our wedding ceremony and reception! They went above and beyond on absolutely every aspect of our event. From day one they were detail oriented, timely, and great communicators throughout. The Pinnacle Ballroom was the perfect choice for our intimate ceremony and cozy reception. Michael was the greatest coordinator to work with. He partnered with all the hotel preferred vendors I hired leading up to our event to make sure nothing was left out. The food was definitely the main attraction for several of our guests, the portions, dishes, and variety they offer is outstanding. Our wedding weekend was absolutely flawless, and we are still getting rave reviews from all our family and friends who attended.

I highly recommend you visit the Graduate Minneapolis! If you are planning wedding or other event festivities, this is a gorgeous venue and is the place to book! Michael and all of the staff are extremely responsive and go above and beyond to make sure that your wishes are met and your event goes smoothly. A must see!

Wow- where to start! Our wedding at the Graduate Hotel was everything we dreamed of and more. We planned our wedding in 4 months and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Michael, the Director of Catering and Events. He went above and beyond and made the process fun and easy! Our wedding was in February so everyone loved the convenience of being at the hotel for both the ceremony and reception while having the option to stay the night. The hotel accommodations were incredible. We loved the restaurant (The Beacon), Starbucks, the Top golf suite (where we had our rehearsal dinner- so fun!), the amazing hotel rooms, rooms available for storage, and the expansive event space, which was large enough for our band. We had so many compliments about the food- so good! We were also able to host a brunch the morning after for our out of town guests. If we could do it all over again, we truly wouldn’t change a thing! The ambience of the Graduate Hotel, the accommodating staff, and all of the amazing details make it a one of a kind wedding venue that we highly recommend!

We were so incredibly happy with our wedding turned out at the Graduate Minneapolis! The food was absolutely amazing. They really catered to the options we were wanting. The whole experience from start to finish was just fun at this venue! From our food/wine tasting, to the constant communication with any updates and reminders, to the decor, ceremony, reception, and an awesome bridal suite! Everything was just a flawless process with this beautiful Minnesotan hotel! I would have our wedding there again in a heartbeat!!! Thank you Graduate Minneapolis!

This hotel is absolutely amazing. Every single part is outstanding. From the very beginning of booking your wedding to planning stages to the absolute perfect execution of the wedding itself, they make the entire experience fun, enjoyable and great. I could not have produced the same wedding anywhere else without the impeccable staff and management. Thank you so much Graduate Minneapolis for such an amazing wedding experience!!

Book your wedding weekend at The Graduate Hotel! It was a fantastic venue. From the initial tour and early planning to the details the day of the wedding; the people, service, details/finishes (it's been newly renovated) and food were all top-notch. They were also very willing and interested to work with our desired budget. We would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone consider a wedding in the Twin Cities area.
Michael and his team were very attentive and accommodating for all of our requests throughout the entire weekend, including those that came in last minute). We held our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception here. I/we cannot stress enough the value of having everything in one location, and all things coordinated through a single point of contact (as opposed to separate vendors and coordinators). It made the entire process so much simpler than I imagine it would have been otherwise.
A couple extra perks:
- Incredibly convenient/accessible central location, yet not right in the middle of either of the downtowns, making it very easy to get to/from.
- The hotel rooms; every one of our guests that spent the night commented on how much they loved the hotel (and staff). Its unique decor is truly one of kind and quite memorable (in a good way).
- Large venue; We had 230 guests, and were still able to have a large dance floor without relocating tables after dinner. It would have fit plenty more people comfortably, and given the room partitioning possibilities, it would allow such that a smaller event would feel very intimate as well.

The two Michaels and the rest of the team at the Graduate made our wedding an awesome experience. All of our events went off without any hitches and furthermore were smoother than we could've imagined. Can't say enough good things about having had our wedding at the Graduate Minneapolis!

My husband and I had our Wedding ceremony and reception at The Graduate Hotel at the end of May and they were AMAZING! It is the perfect all in one location, we could not have been happier with how everything went. Working with Michael and the rest of the hotel staff was fantastic, the food was great, and the recent updates to the entire hotel really added to the feel of our wedding. - Liz & Hunter

My husband and I are wedding "Graduates" of the Graduate Minneapolis. A new boutique hotel in the heart of Minneapolis that encompasses historic and modern characteristics of our great state, Minnesota. On the day of our wedding, we walked across the head table stage and received the best day of our lives. (Better than a diploma) :) Working with Michael, Connor and Andrew was seamless. They went out of their way to do everything they could to make all our wedding-day-dreams come true. Here's what our guests said about their experience at the hotel that made my husband and I proud of Michael's team, and all the hotel staff who served our guests: "I never leave reviews for anything but I'm leaving a review for the Graduate. Best service I've had at a hotel in a very long time!" -- "The beef you served literally fell apart. Best wedding food I've EVER had!" -- "Your wedding was at the coolest hotel I've ever stayed in. We LOVED the unique Minnesota design and for that reason, your wedding was truly one-of-a-kind!"

Beautiful space, amazing staff, delicious food, world-class service and all centered around Minnesota. Every bride deserves this kind of experience for their guests. You can't find all of these amazing characteristics anywhere else. If you're looking to give your guests the BEST Minnesota wedding experience, contact Michael and his team so they can show you the space and help you paint your wedding day picture with their BRILLIANT and unique brush. Every stroke on your wedding day will be PERFECT!

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you Michael, Connor, Andrew and all of your hotel’s staff for giving us the wedding night of our dreams...and truly...so much more.

-Kassie & Jake