Overview:
From DJ Mike H:
Semple Mansion is a popular wedding venue about a mile from the uptown area of Minneapolis and about six miles from the warehouse. Clients typically choose Semple Mansion because it has a very historic theme to the building and they are given options about where they can have the dance/dinner/cocktail.
The load-in is a little bit of a pain. It's not horrible, but you'll bring your equipment in from the back of the venue and then use an elevator to bring it up to the third floor, assuming that's where your dance will be. The elevator is ancient. It is very slow and it will take some patience. Give yourself some extra time with this load in.
This venue often times leads to people having to set up in multiple locations. Sometimes, your cocktail hour is downstairs, dinner is upstairs on the third floor and then dance is downstairs. However, sometimes you'll be all set up on the third floor, sometimes you'll be all set downstairs. You'll have to ask ahead of time about where you're going to be set up.
Ask ahead of time to ensure they have a table for you. We've had issues about this venue not supplying a table in both locations. If you have to set up both upstairs and downstairs, you need two tables and the venue needs to know that. Be sure to cover this in the client call, it's very important and can make a world of difference for both you and the venue staff.
Load In:
Give yourself extra time. You'll come in from the back of the venue and use a slow-ass elevator if you have to be set up on the third floor (which happens about 75% of the time).
Challenges:
This can be a challenging venue because of the different locations for different elements of the night. Think about how you want to mitigate these challenges. For example, if you have to do a cocktail hour downstairs, dinner upstairs and then dance back downstairs, set up all your gear downstairs except for one speaker which will be upstairs with the wireless microphone for speeches. Then make an announcement with the wired microphone at the end of cocktail hour to let people know you're going up to the third floor for dinner. Once you get up there, plug an iPod/laptop into the speaker for background music and then move the speaker back downstairs for the dance.
Feel free to give me a call if you're going to be at this venue and we can game plan.
Etc:
Here is Matt explaining the Semple Mansion from a client's perspective.
Extra Venue Call Questions:
I need to make sure I will have a table available for my equipment in the locations I will be set up.
Where is the cocktail hour taking place?
Where is the dinner taking place?
Where is the dance taking place?
Do you have a venue microphone for speeches? (I don't believe they do, but I can't remember for certain)
Website:
http://www.semplemansion.com
The Knot:
https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/semple-mansion-minneapolis-mn-481759
I love this place, but I swear that an ice-age passes every time I use that elevator, not to mention sharing said elevator with the caterers and beverage handlers. Instead, I haul my gear up the side-stairwell, up to the 3rd floor and through the kitchen. Call me crazy. Between that and the multiple set-ups on the different floors...I definitely earn my dinner when I work here. What I love about this place, though, is the CHARACTER of the building, and the quality of the clients. Each set-up I've had there, over 3 or 4 shows, have been different: it's a blast.
ReplyDeleteAND: take down your gear and exit as FAST AS POSSIBLE. The Semple Mansion staff want you out within a half-hour or so- or closest to it that you can. I navigate this by playing the last song a few minutes early if possible and making sure I end ON TIME. I immediately tear-down and haul the pieces out!
I love this place, but I swear that an ice-age passes every time I use that elevator, not to mention sharing said elevator with the caterers and beverage handlers. Instead, I haul my gear up the side-stairwell, up to the 3rd floor and through the kitchen. Call me crazy. Between that and the multiple set-ups on the different floors...I definitely earn my dinner when I work here. What I love about this place, though, is the CHARACTER of the building, and the quality of the clients. Each set-up I've had there, over 3 or 4 shows, have been different: it's a blast.
ReplyDeleteAND: take down your gear and exit as FAST AS POSSIBLE. The Semple Mansion staff want you out within a half-hour or so- or closest to it that you can. I navigate this by playing the last song a few minutes early if possible and making sure I end ON TIME. I immediately tear-down and haul the pieces out!