Juliane James Place
THE PROPERTY
The middle of the woods, in the middle of Minnesota…
Juliane James Place is a modern vacation rental and wedding venue located on 40 acres situated between Finlayson, MN and Willow River, MN. The space is a canvas for creative gatherings of genuine folks.
The property consists of a main house and a cabin for sleeping quarters, a large pond, and spaces for wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours, and receptions. Junebug Weddings honored us by naming us to their World's Best Weddings Venues and we've been lucky to be named a MN Bride Best Of Finalist.
The main house and cabin are included with wedding rentals for both getting ready and overnight accommodations.
The Outdoor Spaces
Juliane James Place is 40 acres of forest, garden, ravines, and ferns galore. The property is set back off the road a bit, giving it a secluded feel. The pond is large enough for canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boating on. The trail around the pond is about a half mile and the depth of the pond varies. The ceremony stage overlooks the pond.
The Wedding Spaces
Juliane James Place was made to be a unique, gathering space for weddings in the middle of the woods. The ceremony area is carved out of the the woods, adjacent to the pond, with a stage and seating for guests. Next to the ceremony area is a 40‘x 60’ frame tent with a dance floor, string lights, harvest tables, and vintage folding chairs for receptions. A cleared space for cocktails with tables and a bar bumps up to our pond.
The Main House
The main house is the primary indoor gathering space on the property. The first floor consists of the main gathering and dining areas, a non-commercial kitchen, a bedroom with a queen bed, and a full bath. The upstairs is a loft space and master bedroom with a king bed, chaise lounge, and vanities. Outside the house is a deck and porch with seating.
The Cabin
The cabin is nestled up to the pond, about a quarter mile from the main house. It sleeps up to eight people in its two double beds, one queen bed, and another two people in twin beds. The cabin is rustic but comfortable, with a wood-burning stove and electricity, but without running water. Folks staying in the cabin can either use the adjacent outhouse or the bathrooms in the main house.
A place made for possibility & positivity…
Juliane James Place is owned by Alyson Newquist and managed by the Bigger Picture Solutions team.
Alyson bought this land in 2010, a year after moving to Minneapolis from Brooklyn. After unexpectedly losing her parents a couple of years earlier while still in her mid-twenties, she wanted to make a place where happy things happened - a place where families, including her own, could make new memories. She also wanted to marry the woman she loved, and together they wanted to make a place where people felt comfortable getting married, regardless of ballot outcomes or court decisions.
So, guided by being broken wide open by loss, and the belief that the Universe brings healing, magic, and meaning to those who can open themselves to it, they began turning two cabins and a whole lotta woods into what was soon accoladed as a MN Bride Best Of venue. More than that, though, it brought relationships in the form of employees, vendor partners, clients, and neighbors; relationships so meaningful they became the scaffolding of both the business and the life of the owner.
The most meaningful of these relationships led to collaborating with Jessica & Kastina, the venue management geniuses of Bigger Picture Solutions. In 2020 BPS took over onsite operations and management of Juliane James Place. Then, in 2024, Alex, who helped Alyson create and run JJP from 2012-2018 returned from living in Los Angeles, she joined the BPS team and it felt like a new, improved version of the band was back together.
In addition to owning Juliane James Place, Alyson co-owns Nucky’s Speakeasy & Social Contract Supper Club in downtown Anoka. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three-year-old son.
BPS is passionate about holistically managed spaces, building relationships, logistics, and coffee. They love that their job is making dreams come true, for business owners and the couples and clients who occupy the spaces they nurture.
Curious about their other event venues around the state? Visit them https://www.biggerpicturesolutions.com/
