Venue Spotlight: Gate City Events & Lodging in Canton, SD

Are you curious about the venues outside of Sioux Falls that offer some unique amenities as well as endless hospitality? We think you need to check out Gate City Events & Lodging in Canton, South Dakota. It’s a wonderful option and just twenty short miles from Sioux Falls, down south on Interstate 29!

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Opened in 2017, this venue was designed for large weddings and events, holding up to 360 in their 7,200 square foot, modern, industrial building. Gate City is a blank slate for any type of event – not only weddings!

They offer so many amenities including:

bistro lights strung throughout the space
dimmable lighting for the dinner and dance
multiple restrooms for guests
multiple modern, glass overhead doors to open the space to the outdoors
handicap accessible venue + motel rooms
two newly renovated bridal suites to get ready in
a large patio space with two fire pits, a bar, and more restrooms
head table backdrop with lights
staging for the head table
tables and chairs
decorative spool tables
three separate ceremony spaces (2 outdoor and 1 indoor)
table linens
a full-service bar with beer, wine, seltzers, and liquor
a large gravel parking lot that can fit over 300 vehicles
a full kitchen
ATM machine
the ability to choose any reception floor layout
storage space for bags, boxes, totes, and extra decorations
on-site campground
on-site rental house
on-site motel rooms
our personal favorite: the brand-new outdoor ceremony space. Check out this modern, easily-accessible, and symmetrical turf-lawn. Permanently green and beautiful, this scene hosts a stage backed by a beautiful, tall, black fence that prevents distractions and shows off a wedding dress!

photo by Bailee Raye Photography

photo by Dan Thorson Photography

This extensive property, which features so much more than only the beautiful wedding space, hosts a few other unique buildings and spaces. A large rental house is next door to the event building and sleeps over 20 people! It includes a full kitchen and cookware, entertaining area with a billiards table, washer + dryer, and 4 bathrooms. Did we mention there is a full-size saltwater pool?!

The campground has 41 campsites that are all within walking distance and they all have full water, electricity, and sewer hookups. If you need one more lodging option, don’t worry – they have it. There is also an on-site motel with 11 rooms. They all include 2 queen beds, TV, free wireless internet, and other accommodations.

the rental house

the motel

the campground

If you have lots of family and friends traveling from out of town, this venue is made for you and your guests! Although the prime season is in the fall months (August – October), Gate City has indoor + outdoor space, which means it is used year-round. It’s a great spot for winter weddings, too! You can decorate from 8:00am and tear down until midnight the day of your wedding – which is a perfect time frame for getting tons of dancing in! They have a wonderful open-vendor policy. This accommodates for any budget and any style of any couple! Did we mention the event space is pet friendly? Your fur-babies can join you on the wedding day for photos or even make their appearance in your ceremony!

The owners, Tom + Denise Rutten, are always ready to greet you and show you around their 15-acre property. Their daughter, Jocelyn, is their full-time events manager and is the welcoming face of all the weddings at Gate City! These three are at every wedding and always there to answer questions.

This family was so excellent to work with at a recent wedding we decorated in September! They are incredibly accommodating, allowing us to use their sound system for the ceremony, a hot branding iron indoors for the unity ceremony, and full use of their kitchen space the entire day. Due to the wedding’s circumstances, they even made arrangements for the couple to leave their leftover food in the fridge overnight, which is not typically permitted at the venue.

They go above and beyond and treat their couples and clients like family, being there throughout the entire planning process and never leaving your side from the time you book your wedding until the doors lock at the end of the night. These are all the reasons why the planners at Hitch strongly encourage you to add them to your list of venue tours for your wedding! They are a hidden gem in southern South Dakota. This facility and staff are wedding planner approved! We are so excited to work with them again!

We want to leave you with a piece of advice from the family behind Gate City Events & Lodging:

“Our advice for couples is to always prioritize your own desires and preferences when planning your wedding. It’s essential to choose and do things that truly reflect your vision and not just succumb to outside opinions or suggestions.”
The Rutten Family

We couldn’t agree more! Do what will make your wedding memorable for you.

Speaking of memorable weddings, check out some beautiful weddings from this past summer at the venue!