14044 220th Street, McGrath, MN 56350 | 320-592-0180

Weddings, Gatherings & Retreats


Are you recently engaged and looking for a special venue for your wedding? Are you looking for a unique or memorable location for your family reunion or retreat? The Shire in the Woods offers a beautiful wedding venue filled with green scenery and unique landscapes. Guests can conveniently stay in one of our seven lodging options and enjoy many of the nearby activities.

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Weddings, Gatherings & Retreats


The Shire in the Woods is a perfect resort destination for weddings, reunions, retreats, weekend getaways, workshops, business meetings, clinics, and more!

Are you recently engaged and looking for a special venue for your wedding? Are you looking for a unique or memorable location for your family reunion or retreat? The Shire in the Woods offers a beautiful wedding venue filled with green scenery and unique landscapes. Guests can conveniently stay in one of our seven lodging options and enjoy many of the nearby activities.

We have had many private weddings at the Shire where we have had 70+ people stay the weekend or longer, and the wedding ceremonies/reception were attended by 175+ guests. We have also had a few smaller weddings which utilized a portion of our places and grounds. During a large event, the entire grounds and cabins would be private to you. This will allow you to plan whatever you would like without interfering with other guests, and we are very flexible with the requirements of private groups. We have hosted a private wedding in which they set up a dance floor with lights and a mega-sound system under the tent, they built a large bonfire, and they ended their festivities with a fireworks display!

We have many unique spaces. The Woodlands and Birches have been the popular choices for the honeymoon cabin. We have a magnificent, large, central meeting space in the Octagon. We installed an Epson 3500 LCD projector and a 120" screen in the Octagon with a home theatre sound system. This set up allows you to connect your laptop for any presentations you might want to do. You can also play any CD, DVD, or Blu Ray movie for a leisure event (it is 3D capable with enough glasses for 11 viewers). We also have many unique places and other diversions. We have miles of trails which include a 550ft boardwalk across the Beaver Pond called the Island Walkway with a stunning view. It is lit with over 80 solar lights for a beautiful night time stroll. We have a Labyrinth, frog pond, rose garden, screened in gazebo with a telescope, and many amazing, lovable animals!

You and your spouse can exchange vows right in the gazebo or near our beautiful rose garden. We also have WiFi/internet available in every place. The entire Shire for a wedding event in which you may also want to pitch tents and park RVs starts at $1350 per day. This includes all of our grounds, trails, cabins, and houses. You may have as many people stay at the Shire as you feel comfortable with. There are many possibilities at the Shire, and we can help guide you in planning your dream wedding!

Basic Event Information:

The basic rate is $1375 a day up to 25 people, and then it is $20 per person per day after that. This is for the guests staying overnight at the Shire only. There are enough for 42 in regular beds (see the website for details). Then there are 2 full size couches, 2 chair beds, and 2 smaller couches in the Octagon. There is a fold out bed in the Woodlands plus a smaller couch. Finally, there is a smaller couch in the Cedar House. That is 51 total beds with 7 of them mainly for kids (or small hobbits like me!). You can pitch tents and bring RVs too!

The tent package is $475 for the weekend which includes an all-white 20ft x 40ft tent or a white and yellow-striped 20ft x 40ft tent (can be put together to form a 20ft x 80ft tent), 75 matching cushioned chairs, 15 3 ft x 6 ft banquet tables, turquoise, white, red, and black table cloths, and white napkins if you choose that design. This price includes tent set up, and the chairs and tables will be inside the tent for you to arrange anyway you like. There is an extra $125 charge if you want the tent in a spot other than its regular place by the Rose Garden Gazebo. You can also add screen sides which help with rain, bugs, or inclement weather for an extra $150. We also have some neat lights that you can add to the tent perimeter ($50 installed). You can program them for any color or sequence you want!

The catering prices depend on several factors. Contact the Shire for details and a basic menu. You can customize our basic meals, or you can create a completely customized menu. All meals are made on site in our commercial kitchen and delivered to serving tables at a location of your choice.

There is also a $475 grounds fee that helps deal with the wear and tear of the added traffic and grooming. This fee applies to all events. There is an extra $475 grounds fee if you have an outside vendor set up tents or equipment. The last fee is $10 per person for those just attending the wedding and reception. This fee helps with all of the extra vehicle and pedestrian traffic for bigger events (We have had weddings with almost 200 people with over 100 cars parked around the Shire grounds).

To reserve a spot for next year, we just need a 35% deposit. When you have decided your event choices, we will supply you with a quote and deposit amount. We would love to give you a tour of the Shire! The best time is after 1 pm on a Sunday so you will be able to see most of the cabins and houses. Please let us know if you need any help with anything, and we hope to talk to you soon!

Group Retreats and Workshops

Group retreats are a great way to bond with members of your group, contemplate motives or purposes, and work on specific goals. Unlike a normal group meeting or training, it is held off-site and at a location that is different from usual company meeting places. When you're looking for the perfect spot to hold your next group retreat, remember Shire in the Woods. Why should you choose Shire in the Woods for your next retreat? The answer is simple. We provide comfortable lodging at affordable rates, with plenty of attractions for you and your group. When you hold a retreat at an off-site location, it eliminates any distractions that may arise when you are at your normal office or location. Advantages of group retreats include building enthusiasm and commitment among your group as well as giving you uninterrupted time to solve some problems you may have. Through shared experiences and bonding, you and your group will learn to work better together while relaxing in a casual environment. Shire in the Woods offers groups an atmosphere that is more conducive to teamwork and creative thinking.

We hope that you consider the Shire for your weddings, workshops, reunions, business meetings, teaching retreats, yoga retreats, clinics, etc., and we look forward to hearing from you soon. Please give us a call (612-423-4562 or 320-592-0180) if you would like to discuss details further, or you can schedule a date to come out for a visit!

Features


Amenities

  • Home theatre video/sound system - 120" projection screen, Epson Home Cinema 3500 3LCD projector, Blu-ray player, and 11 pairs of 3D glasses (located in the Octagon)

  • Free Wi-Fi

Available for a fee:

  • RV and camp sites (see Special Rates table below)

  • On-site catering (see Special Rates table below)


Special Rates

Children age 14 and under are $15/day per child when accompanied by an adult. This may not apply to special events.

Weekend and Holiday stays are a 2-night minimum. There may be exceptions so please contact the office.

For reservations or questions, call 320-592-0180 (OFFICE), 612-423-4562 (CELL), 612-423-4720 (CELL), email us at shireinthewoods@outlook.com, or fill out our reservation form. Text messages are welcome for CELL numbers only.

Price Comments

Catering

Available upon request

Catering must be arranged with prior notification. Basic menu options are available upon request.

Large Party Tent Package

$475.00 for three days and two nights only (weekends only).

Sides with windows or screens for 1 tent is an extra $150.00. Screens for both tents is $225.00.

String Lights decor (programmable and remote controlled, color-changing lights that wrap around the perimeter of the tent) come installed for an additional $50.00 for 1 tent ($75.00 for both tents).

Each large 20' x 40' party tent comes in either all-white or white and yellow-striped (both can be put together to form a 20ft x 80ft tent), with 15 3' x 6' banquet tables (with turquoise, white, red, or black table cloths and white napkins), and 75 folding chairs.

Tents will be set up for you when you arrive on Friday and taken down when you leave at 1pm on Sunday. If you would like to set up your own tent or vendor's tent, there will be a $525.00 extra Grounds fee.

Yoga Retreat or Other Events

$175.00 setup fee

We free up the entire space in the Octagon for Yoga retreats and other special events which require the majority of the Sacred Space. We then set up a dining area in the Cedar House for 26 or more to keep the Sacred Space free your entire event!

Rent the entire Shire*

$1375.00 per day plus $20.00/day per person (beyond the 25th person)**

$525.00 Grounds fee

$1375.00/day for groups of 25 guests plus $20.00/day per person beyond the 25th person and $525.00 Grounds fee. $10.00 per guest attending the wedding and reception only.

Complimentary RV and camp sites available. You may bring your own tent, vendor's tent, or RV (included in Grounds fee).

Call for rates for groups of less than 25 guests.

Read our reservation policy.

* Lodging is available for weekends or a single weekday only. It includes all of our grounds, trails, cabins, and houses, except any private spaces. You may have as many people stay at the Shire as you feel comfortable with. The only other fee, besides the $20.00 a day fee for groups of 26 or more guests, is state sales tax at 6.875%. The deposit amount is 35% of the total cost, and it would apply to the final lodging cost.

** Prices are estimates which may vary based on occupancy and circumstances.


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