Saying ‘I do’ to the Washington Pavilion creates memorable, one-of-a-kind events

This paid piece is sponsored by Washington Pavilion Management Inc.

The third-floor lobby of the Washington Pavilion turned into a banquet room and dance floor for Joe Drake and Mackenzie Pfeifle’s wedding – and more than a year later, their guests are still talking about it.

“We have friends who go to the Pavilion for different things, and they say they always think about our wedding reception and how much fun they had there,” Pfeifle said. “The Pavilion really helped make my wedding reception and day better than I could have ever dreamed up.”

While brides and grooms might not instantly think of the Pavilion as a wedding venue, it’s simple to see the vision once you learn a bit more about the options.

“The biggest thing we hear from people is that they didn’t know you could do these kinds of things in our building,” said Allyson Kasch, event sales manager at the Washington Pavilion.

“We have several rooms and additional spaces throughout the Pavilion that are perfect for weddings and many other types of events. We try to make it as easy as possible so you can come in, have everything ready to go and let us worry about the details.”

Third-floor transformation

Pfeifle knew she wanted a downtown venue for her December 2021 wedding, taking advantage of the lights and decor, and its location near hotels where her guests were staying.

Drake-Pfeifle wedding photos by meganography 

When the Pavilion team showed her the third-floor option, “I loved how open and customizable it was for an event space,” she said. “It was able to accommodate our wedding of 200 people, and Allyson walked us through multiple options for layouts for our wedding reception and helped us with what would fit our vision the best.”

Their wedding included food stations instead of a traditional buffet, which minimized lines and gave guests lots of choices. There was seating for guests on either side of the head table and a dance floor in the middle.

“I loved that no matter where you looked out at the third floor you could see the lights downtown,” Pfeifle said.

“The third floor was perfect for our vision of cozy but open for the reception. There was plenty of room for people to spread out and talk to each other if they wanted, or tear it up on the dance floor, all while never feeling you left the areas of action.”

Guests even commented on how smoothly everything went, she said.

“The biggest thing was how easy and less stressful Allyson and the Pavilion made planning the wedding reception,” she said. “The feedback we got from our guests was that this was one of the best and most fun weddings they have gone to!”

Multiple spaces deliver variety

The Washington Pavilion played an “outsized” role in Emily Gullickson’s childhood, from attending South Dakota Symphony performances with her parents to volunteering in high school and even playing on stage as a student-musician.

“When my husband and I decided to get married in Sioux Falls, it was basically a foregone conclusion that we’d get married at the Pavilion,” she said. “We dropped in to look at a few additional venues to get a sense of current wedding trends and vendors, but my husband and I are active in music and arts in Boston, so even if the other venues had been available, the Pavilion felt like the right fit.”

The majority of her and Andrew Walker’s guests were making a first visit to Sioux Falls for the September 2022 wedding, so the variety of spaces offered within the Pavilion allowed them to get a full look at this downtown gem.

“We had the ceremony in a corner on the third-floor balcony, which felt very intimate but also took advantage of the beautiful afternoon light,” Gullickson said.

Walker-Gullickson wedding photos by Luke & Savannah

“The cocktail hour was in the Everist Gallery, which offered a fun, modern vibe for our guests to mingle, have a drink and get to experience the Pavilion a little.”

And finally, the Sommervold stage was perfect for dinner and dancing, she said.

“Our guest count was small enough that we were able to make additional space on the stage for guests to also relax and take photos. We had the lighting on the Cyclorama match the lighting outdoors, transforming from dusk to a starry night, which really helped with the flow of the evening.”

Being in multiple spaces throughout the event made each element of the day unique, she added.

“Our guests loved the art exhibit at the time in the Everist Gallery and the drama of the Sommervold stage,” Gullickson said. “It was easy for them to move around freely and alternate between catching up with people and having fun on the dance floor during the reception.”

The Pavilion team was “fantastic” to work with, she continued.

“They were organized, thorough and highly responsive to our questions and ideas. They were also transparent about what has worked well for weddings at the Pavilion in the past and what they wouldn’t recommend, so it made the planning very easy,” she said.

“We had a few things go wrong with some vendors both in the months leading up to the wedding and on the day of, and they handled it all so smoothly that we didn’t stress about anything. My husband and I wanted our wedding to be a giant party that brought together friends and family from various aspects of our lives and give them an unforgettable experience, and our partnership with Allyson and London at the Pavilion made that happen.”

Additional options

That just gives a glimpse of the options the Pavilion offers for your big day.

Other venues include the Belbas Theater, which is beautiful for a ceremony, and the Schulte Room, an intimate space with tons of possibilities.

The Paladino Hohm Sculpture Garden is an ideal outdoor setting for wedding events, and Leonardo’s Cafe has hosted events such as rehearsal dinners.

The Pavilion also books the Anne Zabel Studio at the Orpheum Theater Center, offering another downtown venue that’s newly updated with lots of potential for events.

“The summers are able to be booked pretty far out, but we also have options for those looking to get married even yet this year. We typically don’t open up our fall and spring dates until we have announced that year’s Pavilion Broadway Performance Series, so this is a perfect time to reach out,” Kasch said.

“Our quickest timeline ever was six weeks to do a full wedding and ceremony, so we’re used to being flexible!”

The Pavilion offers multiple caterers as preferred partners, and “we love working with event planners, or we are happy to work directly with the client,” Kasch said.

All wedding packages at Pavilion facilities include the following amenities:

• Room rental.
• 16 hours of coordination time: four hours of planning plus 12 hours the day of the event.
• Up to 10 hours of event security.
• Bar service setup and liquor license fee.
• Choice of white or black full-length linens for head table, gift and escort tables.
• Choice of white or black 90-inch round linens for guest tables.
• Table and chair setup.
• Linen napkins, choice of color.

And it’s not just weddings: The Pavilion regularly hosts everything from employee appreciation events to nonprofit fundraisers, corporate functions and even birthday and graduation parties.

“If you can dream it, we can do it,” Kasch said. “I like to tell people we’re a theater, and we don’t like to be held back. We love executing out-of-the-box ideas.”

The one constant: The goal for all events is a seamless experience where you as organizer simply attend and enjoy.

“If you are considering holding an event there, go for it!” Pfeifle said. “You will not be disappointed.”

To learn more

The Washington Pavilion has made it simple to learn more about hosting a wedding, with details about all the options online – including pricing. Click here to begin browsing.

For further information or to discuss a corporate or other special event, reach out to Allyson Kasch at [email protected] or 605-731-2363.