Castle Weddings:Spicer Castle Bed & Breakfast Inn, Minnesota
Interview by Grace Sydney

Located on Green Lake in Kandiyohi County near St. Cloud and Minneapolis, Spicer Castle serves as a quiet getaway for romantic couples -- and as a unique wedding venue.Take a trip back in time at this nostalgic, family-operated bed and breakfast. In an interview with Mary Swanson, find out about romantic activities at the inn, and how you can be embraced by a legacy of love at a Spicer Castle wedding.

Spicer Castle was built by your great-grandfather and has been in the Spicer family for years. What made you decide to turn the family home into a bed and breakfast?

The home sat empty for many years and was in need of TLC. Also, there are not many historic buildings in our area and it would be a shame to destroy such an interesting piece of history.

What do you feel are some of the advantages of marrying in an intimate bed and breakfast as opposed to a large hotel?

The advantages of being married at a B&B are numerous. Here are a few: a) personalized service that larger hotels can not offer, b) Our food is made from scratch at our Inn - just like grandma used to make. Even our cakes are homemade. We get lots of compliments every week on our food and gracious hospitality, and c) an atmosphere that cannot be duplicated at a large hotel. Many guests comment on the peace and tranquility of our Inn - feels like staying at grandma's house.

Decorated with antiques pass down through the generations, Spicer Castle Inn has an air of a bygone era which would be perfect for Victorian-themed weddings. Have you ever hosted any type of theme wedding at the castle? What advice would you give to brides hoping to instill elements of the past into their ceremony?

We have hosted theme weddings in the past. My advice to brides that want to instill elements from the past is to begin planning as early as possible -- nine months to a year ahead at a minimum, to the special day. Attend area festivals and become acquainted with people who offer unique services, i.e. medieval jousters and musicians.

What special touches does Spicer Castle Inn provide for brides?

We take pride in our personalized service. We meet with the brides and listen to them describe their dream wedding and then we do the best we can to make that dream a reality.

Your venue offers Murder Mystery Dinners, which have become increasingly popular in the past few years. What do you feel is the appeal of this genre of entertainment, and what can guests expect from an evening of intrigue at Spicer Castle Inn?

I feel the interest in our murder mystery dinners begins when the guest makes their reservation and receives their character description and costume suggestion. Our guests have so much fun putting together their costumes and that builds to the excitement of the evening. People enjoy being someone different for the night. It is a grown up opportunity to dress up and have fun being someone else for an evening.

What other romantic activities does your venue provide?

We offer candlelight dinners for two, dinner cruises and special occasion baskets for their rooms. The baskets can include candles, lotions, oils, cheese, crackers, chocolates, sparkling cider, etc. anything that will make their evening enjoyable.

What other attractions near your inn would you recommend for a romantic day trip?

Our area offers a variety of activities from biking, hiking, boating, swimming, andIs there anything else you would like to tell our readers about Spicer Castle Inn Bed and Breakfast? skiing to scenic drives, theaters and unique shops, i.e. Mr. B's Chocolatier.

We are located on the Southeast shore of beautiful Green Lake. The Inn was built by John Spicer, who selected this location for the spectacular sunsets. We have 16 guestrooms along with dining for 100 inside and 250 outside (seasonal). We have kept the Inn original so that guests can get a sense of how things were in the late 1800's, of course we have added modern conveniences such as whirlpool tubs, gas or wood burning fireplaces, etc. Many guests have commented on the warm feeling they get upon arriving at our Inn and how it reminds them of grandmas house. Upon departure guests tells us how refreshed they feel and to not change a thing about the Inn. We take great pride in our foodservice, we make our food from scratch and present it beautifully to our guests. We get rave reviews from our guests on the quality of our foodservice and gracious hospitality of our staff.

For more information on weddings at Spicer Castle:

• Email: spicercastle@spicercastle.com
  
• Telephone: 800-821-6675

Photos courtesy Spicer Castle