Eat, drink and be married at Copper Ridge

For the past decade or so, Angie Anderson has heard a whisper of a calling. It grew louder as her children got older, found love and started planning their nuptials. More recently, she started seeing it: an expansive space near her husband Rob’s hometown of Newfolden, Minn., filled with hundreds of people celebrating under one gleaming copper roof.

“I’ve always wanted to have a wedding venue. I love venues, I love weddings, I love organizing events and helping people with things,” Angie said. “Our daughter got married in 2022, and after that wedding, at a venue, we both looked at each other and said, ‘I think we could do this.’”

Once they said “I do” to the idea, the Andersons broke ground in 2023 for The Venue at Copper Ridge, a modern rustic wedding and events center nestled on 26 wooded acres north of Thief River Falls, Minn. The development was a successful marriage of Angie’s attention to detail and Rob’s skills as a building contractor. With the help of family, friends and many local building specialists, The Venue opened its doors this spring, hosting its first wedding on June 1.

The Venue boasts beautifully furnished bridal and groom’s suites, two stocked bars, a full commercial catering kitchen, handcrafted wooden tables, a bridal cabin, ample patio space and an outdoor, silo-inspired ceremony site. Angie thought of everything, from a playground set for entertaining the kids to one-way-mirrored overhead doors to expand the party to the outdoors. But she channeled most of her focus into two things that can make or break a great celebration – room for up to 400 guests and a sound system that hits every nook of the event site.

“A big thing for me is sound. At a wedding, I hate it when you can’t hear anything,” she said, explaining that The Venue’s professionally installed speakers and perforated tin ceiling create an echo-free audio experience. “The speakers are out on that patio, on this patio and at the ceremony site. I have cordless mics and I have a mic for the pastor.”

The amenities are immaculate – that’s crystal clear. But what’s already bringing The Venue at Copper Ridge to the top of brides’ wish lists isn’t just the space. It’s the care, industry knowledge and eye for style that comes with the coordinator in chief.

“I work with photographers and we make sure the schedule is right. I work with all of the vendors they bring in: the DJ, the caterer, everybody. I make sure everything is running smoothly and that the bride doesn’t stress,” Angie said. “I’m included in the package,” she added with a bright laugh.

Something old, something new

The search for a site for their events venue didn’t start at the current Copper Ridge’s rural location. The Andersons had a site in mind closer to Newfolden. The owner wasn’t ready to sell, but when she heard what they had planned, she told them she had the perfect spot.

“Her husband had passed away, but his family owned this property,” Angie said, referring to land under her feet at The Venue. “She wanted it to be for something specific. She didn’t know what she wanted the land to be used for, but she was very excited when we decided we were going to do this. She said, ‘The sisters would be very, very happy.’ So, we have portraits of them in the entryway.”

The Andersons continued to find other partners in the community to help bring their dream to life. Red Lake Electric Cooperative (RLEC) helped enhance service to the site by installing a new three-phase service and transformer upgrade, which supports several individual circuits at the facility. Between smart technology systems, 17 security cameras, bar coolers, curling irons and all that comes with preparing a hot meal, Angie says reliable electricity is “100%” a necessity during an event.

“We’re running crockpots, we’re running steamers – every outlet in the kitchen and every circuit in the serving room is on its own outlet. The DJ is on their own circuit, too,” she said. “I wanted to make sure power wasn’t an issue.”

The Venue is prepared for whatever the region needs beyond its wedding weekends. The Andersons have already booked concerts and comedians, and corporate outings will become a part of their event calendar. In November, Angie will help host The Vintage Carnival, a popular junk, antique and crafts market out of Thief River Falls.

This kind of multiuse meeting, marrying and making space is something for which their Marshall County neighbors are grateful. In fact, a member of county leadership personally thanked Angie for bringing the project to life, telling her it was something needed by the community. “That’s neat. That’s nice to hear,” she said.

RLEC board member Colette Kujava has worked with Angie at Wikstrom Telephone Company for more than 20 years. For her, The Venue is a great boost to the economic growth of her member district – but also an exciting development in the lives of her friends, the Andersons.

“RLEC is very proud of our communities and supportive of The Venue and what it will bring to our area. Rob and Angie found a niche and built their dream,” Kujava said. “Personally, I know Angie loves to be attentive to details and make special occasions truly memorable, and I’m glad she’ll be able to share that with our region.”

As Angie speaks with more newly engaged couples and books more wedding weekends, she too is voicing gratitude for the “happily ever after” she’s found.

“I’m living my best life,” she said.

MAIN IMAGE: Angie Anderson, owner of The Venue at Copper Ridge, stands in the main hall of the event venue. (Minnkota/Michael Hoeft)