Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question

What does "Dressy Casual Attire" mean?

Answer

Dressy casual attire and semi-formal attire can be used interchangeably. It is also often referred to as Smart Casual. It is dressing between casual and formal. Dressy casual is basically "not-all-the-way-formal-but-please-don’t-wear-jean-shorts". At the end of the day, we just want folks to dress comfortably but still look sharp. Feminine: Blouses made of nice fabric or with interesting details, or a collared shirt or button-up—either short sleeves or long sleeves work great. Wear a blazer over your top for added dressiness. Flowy skirts or pencil skirts all work. Non-denim pants like chinos, silk pants, or dress pants are a great choice for a dressy casual look. Masculine: Button-down shirts are the best way to go, either short-sleeved or long-sleeved. Add a blazer or sport coat over a shirt for extra dressiness. Chinos, dress pants, or slacks are all great choices. All : Sneakers are great if they are clean. Avoid ultra-casual shoes like running shoes or dirty sneakers. Cotton T-shirts or anything with large printed graphics or slogans can be balanced with a blazer or jacket. Accessorize to kick your style up to the next level. When in doubt, it’s always better to overdress than underdress without having to put on your tuxedoes and gowns.

Question

Why do we need boarding passes for the cruise?

Answer

The U.S. Coast Guard requires all guests boarding a water vessel to have boarding passes. This process is an important safety and security protocol required by the U.S. Coast Guard. It ensures that the exact number of passengers are on board on the correct boat. A member of the wedding party will be on hand at Check-In time to provide boarding passes. Please arrive ahead of the Check-In time to ensure prompt boarding for the cruise. See the Wedding Schedule page for details.

Question

Should I bring my own life jacket?

Answer

No, unless your life jacket is part of your fashion ensemble. A safety briefing will be given by the good people of Padelford Riverboats before we cast off.

Question

Is smoking allowed on the boat?

Answer

Smoking is allowed on the outside decks only. No smoking is allowed anywhere in the interior cabins

Question

Are you accessible for the physically disabled?

Answer

Because of their unique design and regulatory characteristics, excursion vessels are not subject to the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG). With that said, every reasonable effort is made to assist and accommodate passengers with special needs. ADA accessibility is provided to facilities and vessels; however, Coast Guard regulations require water barriers (raised thresholds in doorways). All vessels are multi-deck and are not fitted with rail lifts or elevators. Restrooms are outfitted with grab bars and are useable by persons with special needs.

Question

Do the boats sail in inclement weather?

Answer

We sail rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, it is up to the captain of the boat to make the decision on whether to leave at the designated time or to wait a few moments while the storm passes over. All areas where food is served are enclosed, as well as heated and air-conditioned, so you will definitely stay dry and comfortable. The party will happen even if we are forced to stay on the dock.

Question

Is there parking?

Answer

Yes. The Harriet Island west parking lot is adjacent to our facility. It is a free public lot that is available to our guests as well as people enjoying the park and Harriet Island Pavilion. Additional parking is available on Water Street or Lilydale Road. During special events on Harriet Island, a portion of the lot is reserved for our guests.

Question

Can I leave after the boat returns to the dock?

Answer

Yes - but hopefully you can stay longer for one more hour of merry-making. We will not hold it against you if you do decide to leave early.

Question

Will there be food and drinks on board?

Answer

Of course! It's a wedding party! There will be cocktail after the ceremony, followed by dinner on the upper deck. The bar will be open immediately after the ceremony.

Question

Can you accomodate special dietary needs?

Answer

Yes - we can pass any dietary needs to catering and every effort will be made to accommodate them. When submitting RSVP's, guests can note down their dietary needs on the RSVP form.

Question

Can we bring outside food?

Answer

As much as we would want to include your delicious casserole dish in our menu, we unfortunately cannot have outside food on board. It is Padelford Riverboat's policy to only have food prepared by its own kitchen.

Question

Is it going to be a full bar?

Answer

Yes - that will be our wedding gift to you!

Question

What can we do while on board?

Answer

A lot: - Enjoy the sights along the Mississippi - you might even see a bald eagle. - Meet the other guests. We guarantee all the guests invited are certified awesome. - Meet us. Specially if we haven't seen each other for a long time! - Enjoy drinks at the bar. - Dance. We have the best DJ in the Twin Cities - seriously. - Be silly while having your picture taken by the Traveling Photo Booth.

Question

Are there any masking or vaccination requirements around COVID?

Answer

Sticky subject... We will leave it up to our guests to decide if they want to wear masks during our wedding. For the sake of our guests who might be immunocompromised, we would request guests who are ill to please stay home. Also - if you suspect that you may have been exposed to someone sick recently, we kindly request you wear a mask. We appreciate our guests who will come fully vaccinated for COVID. However, we will not refuse our guest on the basis of their vaccination status. We hope our guests will be comfortable with these guidelines. Note that COVID situations may change between the time of this writing and our wedding day. We will inform our guests if we need to adjust these guidelines.

Question

What if we are late and miss the cruise departure - will the cruise leave us behind on the dock?

Answer

Do not worry - we will have kayaks available for you to catch up with the cruise. However, with the limited number of kayaks available, you may need to swim. Luckily, there will be plenty of life jackets so you won't drown. Also - crocodiles or any nasty river creatures are not known to inhabit our part of the Mississippi so you should be fine. We offer our sincerest apologies to guests we may need to leave behind if they are unable to secure kayaks or if they are unable to swim to catch up. Kidding! (But are we though?)

Question

Why is there a logo of Disney on the website?

Answer

Good question and we're glad you noticed that. Our wedding website template is based on Disney's Little Mermaid. We like Disney but we're not super fans. It just happens that the website template we like is Disney-themed. This happens often in life due to influences of capitalism. It is primarily driven by the principles of intellectual property and free market competition. So there you go.