Weddings

Ceremonies

Ripon College offers a few different venues for a ceremony on campus. It is best to reserve one space for your ceremony and another for your reception if you plan to enjoy our campus for both events. We are unable to accommodate a reception and ceremony in the same location on campus on the same day. The Benstead Theatre or the Demmer Stage in Rodman Center for the Arts is available for indoor ceremonies. The Martin Luther King, Jr lounge in Harwood Memorial Union or the Dahm Heritage Room in the Pickard Commons are perfect locations for small ceremonies of 100 or less.

The summer months provide a beautiful prairie background for outdoor ceremonies. We can accommodate smaller groups in the Ceresco Prairie for an outdoor ceremony among the trees and plains that provide nature’s best colors. We are also able to entertain guests in a tent placed on a variety of different areas as well as an outdoor fire pit to provide additional sparks. This tent option can provide a magical ceremony or reception site.

Ripon College is a secular institution, therefore does not have clergy or officiants on site to provide for your ceremony. The on site coordinator has a variety of options for an officiant and can provide recommendations to each couple.

Receptions

Several venues on campus are available for wedding receptions. Great Hall is the most popular venue, but more intimate celebrations may be held in Bovay Terrace or the Dahm Heritage Room. The Main Dining Hall of S.N. Pickard Commons presents a larger option. Discounted package rates also are available when booking rehearsal dinner, reception and gift opening. Discounts are also offered for Friday and Sunday weddings.

Included in each reception rental are round tables with table capacity of eight guests each. Also included is a rectangle head table and tables for gifts, memories, the cake, and anything else you wish to display. Different tables in a variety of configurations is also available for an additional fee.

Capacity and Fee Schedule