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January 20, 2025
LA CROSSE – Every wedding is an opportunity to experience joy, love and magic.
Celebrations on the River, General Manager/Partner Adam Etrheim said, is at the heart of couples’ special days – especially June through November – delivering a memory-worthy experience in a premier setting alongside Black River in La Crosse.
Etrheim said it’s been a labor of love – literally – for the Celebrations team, whose singular focus is to provide a stress-free, one-stop shop for couples.
Because Celebrations is a full-service wedding venue, planning and executing dream weddings is always within reach, he said.
“One of our taglines is ‘We are Weddings,’ and that’s for good reason,” Etrheim said. “Ninety-five percent of our events are weddings. We are laser-focused on one thing and one thing only – weddings.”
Etrheim said that exacting focus extends to every bride and groom and every wedding, even when there are three weddings every Friday and Saturday and two weddings every Sunday in Celebrations’ three venues during the height of the season.
“While most venues that host weddings may do 30-50 weddings per year, Celebrations tops that with anywhere from 150-200 weddings,” he said. “The team is a well-oiled machine, often descending on the venues after weddings end at midnight and often working until 8-9 a.m. the next day to transform each venue to its original, beautiful state.”
Etrheim said the venues go from a “disaster to perfection” by the next morning.
“And yet, no corners are cut and no details are skimped upon,” he said.
The venues
Etrheim said Celebrations’ three different venues all offer something unique.
“Center Court offers views of the river, gorgeous gardens, an outdoor patio overlooking the riverside wedding altar with 4,400 square feet of high-rise ceilings, elegant flooring, indoor and outdoor bars and more to welcome up to 400 guests,” he said.
Next, Etrheim said Celebrations’ River Park spans about 3,000 square feet.
“That venue can accommodate 275 guests with a built-in stage, high-rise ceilings, a private bar and an attached three-season room that offers 1,600 square feet with floor-to-ceiling windows to showcase the river and woods,” he said. “It also features an outdoor wedding altar for wedding ceremonies.”
The third venue at Celebrations, Etrheim said, is the Court Yard.
“That accommodates up to 325 guests with a timeless black-and-white setting and is complemented with a private outdoor courtyard,” he said.
No matter which venue a couple chooses, Etrheim said it includes designated bride and groom rooms and restrooms exclusive to that venue.
“The only common area shared at Celebrations is the parking lot,” he said. “First impressions matter. We work very hard to separate everything from ceremony altars to bridal suites. It’s your day and everything is separated and exclusive.”
Etrheim said the rooms are transformed with the decor of brides’ dreams, and Celebrations is prepared for whatever theme that takes.
“All three rooms can be customized to you and your vision as there is a ridiculous amount of decor around here,” he said. “Whether you want modern rustic in River Park, a huge wedding with neutral glitz and glam in Central Court or timeless and classic in the Court Yard, we’ve got your thing. We can transform rooms easily – decor is everything.”
A helping hand
To showcase all the options available, Etrheim said Celebrations hosts design showcase events three to four times a year that lay out backdrops, linens and more.
“That’s with 50-60 tables set up with options that brides-to-be can pick and choose from to fit their style,” he said. “In addition, Celebrations’ event planners know what decor is on-site and get to know brides intimately during the year-long ramp-up to the wedding day.”
Etrheim said about six planning meetings per wedding are scheduled.
“That’s so every intimate detail of the wedding is specified,” he said. “They prepare everything and are there the day of to ensure the wedding goes according to plan.”
The event planning team, Etrheim said, includes a director who “rules the roost” and oversees every wedding and assistant planners who manage the nuts and bolts.
“Post-wedding, she and her small army efficiently and effectively transform the room from one wedding end to the next wedding’s ‘once-upon-a-time’ start,” he said.
Etrheim said the same fastidiousness and premier experience extends to the meals served during weddings.
“The number of reviews that mention the food is obnoxious, but in a good way,” he said. “We have signature dishes in La Crosse we are known for, whether it’s the chicken bruschetta alfredo or the beef tips that are unlike any other. Our chef works magic.”
Not much need for marketing
Everything is done with the goal of a happy couple – especially a happy bride – as Etrheim said that is worth more than any marketing spend he could ever do.
“I’d rather spend the money making magic happen for the bride and her mom, as they will do the marketing for us,” he said. “Word of mouth is the best thing in the wedding industry and you can’t buy it. Make the brides happy and that’s where the true magic is.”
Celebrations’ consistent reviews, Etrheim said, such as “magical,” “blew my guests away,” “stress-free,” “attentive staff” and “stunning,” are common.
Having so many amenities under one roof – paid for with one charge – Etrheim said, is a huge advantage.
Celebrations took that a step further recently, he said, with the creation of its VIP vendor packages that deliver services, such as hair, makeup and photography, with vetted vendors at exclusive prices only available to Celebrations couples.
“We only rolled that out a month ago, and it’s a great way to save a lot of money while working with vendors who work with our team we have vetted, versus hiring someone off the internet you don’t really know,” he said.
Etrheim said couples also appreciate Celebrations’ price transparency, which is not typical of the wedding business.
“Prices for everything are on the website so brides and grooms can plan their wedding without financial surprises,” he said. “Then, the event planning team guides the way through a methodical process and takes care of the finest of details. We had one couple say we were the iPhone of wedding venues, and that hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ll take that comparison.”
The offseason is busy, too
Etrheim said the Celebrations team is currently in “working-on-the-business” mode, something that typically occurs after primetime ends in early November and continues until wedding season ramps up significantly come June.
That’s when he said they tackle the winter project list and determine how to elevate the wedding experience even further.
“Since COVID-19, we have also witnessed an increased conscientiousness about cost,” he said. “It matters more nowadays than it ever has in the past. Dollars matter, so we work hard to be efficient and cut out any fat to keep the price down. We have sharpened ourselves to the point that we’re really hustling for it.”
Etrheim said it hasn’t deterred couples from seeking their dream wedding venue.
“Weddings are booked anywhere from nine months to two and a half years in advance – many 2027 weddings are in the books right now,” he said. “Most couples hail from Wisconsin, though Celebrations draws from Minnesota and Iowa and even appeals to families who need a midpoint between Milwaukee and Minneapolis for a wedding. Being located right off the interstate in La Crosse makes for a nice little in-between spot.”
Etrheim said “it’s wild” to imagine that the space Celebrations on the River calls home started as a family entertainment complex.
“The business didn’t really take off as a whole, but the team discovered the 50-person party room was a huge draw,” he said. “That led to the establishment of what is now known as River Park, and it just blew up. We had 76 weddings booked in our first 30 days and knew we were on to something.”
After all these years of wedding-filled weekends, Etrheim said he is just as jazzed about the business and making magic happen as he’s always been.
“We get to celebrate love and families coming together,” he said. “We’re celebrating happiness and love. Many businesses aren’t so blessed and privileged to be a part of the magic that happens, but we are.”
