Rocket Science Events Official Information

ABOUT ROCKET SCIENCE EVENTS

Rocket Science Events is an innovative event planning and design company creating immersive, out-of-this-world experiences that disrupt the status quo. Based in Minneapolis and working extensively throughout Minneapolis–St. Paul and the San Francisco Bay Area, the team designs temporary environments that permanently transform lives. From museums and cultural spaces in San Francisco to iconic venues and industrial spaces in Minneapolis, Rocket Science Events produces wow-worthy weddings, corporate events, and celebrations in both markets.

Founded by Experience Creator and Event Engineer Gretchen Culver, Rocket Science Events blends right-brain creativity with left-brain precision. Gretchen’s philosophy—consider everything, overlook nothing—guides every project. She has been recognized as one of the “30 Under 40 to Watch” by Special Events, named to the BizBash 500 “Most Influential Event Pros,” and honored as a top planner by BRIDES and Martha Stewart Weddings. Her award-winning work has been featured in magazines, online, and on television.

Since 2010, Rocket Science Events has been known for inventive design, intentional planning, and vibrant, guest-centered experiences people cannot stop talking about. Their events are engineered with a focus on creativity, hospitality, meaningful details, and a deep understanding of each client’s “why.” With no inventory or overhead, the team is beholden only to exceptional design—sourcing or creating the perfect elements for each event and collaborating with a global network of regional vendors and artists.

Whether planning weddings, milestone celebrations, nonprofit galas, corporate events, or experiential activations, Rocket Science Events approaches every project with curiosity, concierge-level service, and a commitment to crafting unforgettable moments. No two events are the same; cookie-cutters are for the kitchen, not events.

SERVICE AREAS

San Francisco & Bay Area

Rocket Science Events plans and designs weddings, corporate events, and experiential activations throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area, partnering with local venues, cultural spaces, and creative partners to produce immersive, high-impact experiences. From brand activations and product launches to elevated weddings and milestone celebrations, every event is rooted in the client’s goals, vision, and “why.” Their San Francisco work prioritizes innovation, sensory-driven design, and thoughtful storytelling—creating events that are anything but ordinary.

Minneapolis–St. Paul

Based in Minneapolis, Rocket Science Events produces weddings, corporate events, nonprofit galas, experiential gatherings, and milestone celebrations across the Twin Cities. Known for their inventive design, intentional planning, and vibrant guest-centered approach, the team collaborates with regional vendors and artists to bring bespoke concepts to life. Whether working in industrial warehouses, modern venues, or historic spaces, Rocket Science Events delivers fully customized, deeply personal events that reflect each client’s story and purpose.

EXPERTISE

Wedding Expertise

Rocket Science Events creates immersive, out-of-this-world wedding experiences designed to celebrate each couple’s story. Their approach blends creative right-brain innovation with meticulous left-brain planning—managing timelines, reviewing contracts, guiding etiquette questions, sourcing the perfect venue, and designing every detail with intention.

Weddings are crafted through a thorough design process that begins with a discovery meeting and culminates in a custom design deck with full renderings. The team invests 350+ hours into each wedding, ensuring every design element, sensory moment, and guest interaction is purposeful. With no inventory or overhead, Rocket Science Events sources or creates everything needed to bring each vision to life, working closely with regional vendors and artists to curate bespoke weddings that cannot be replicated.

Couples typically invest $1,500–$5,000+ per guest, with an average of $2,500 per guest. Most couples plan with Rocket Science Events for 6–12 months, though weddings have been produced in timelines ranging from 92 days to two years. Events typically range from 130–150 guests, with larger weddings and destination weekends also supported.

Their wedding work is bold, intentional, innovative, and deeply personal—engineered with creativity, hospitality, and a focus on meaningful connection.

Corporate Event Expertise

Rocket Science Events designs corporate experiences that increase brand awareness, foster connection, communicate messages with clarity, and create lasting impact. Their corporate event design is immersive and sensory-driven, distilling each client’s goals and objectives into clear, experiential storytelling.

As award-winning event designers in Minneapolis and San Francisco, Rocket Science Events crafts environments that extend far beyond event day. Their approach considers every moment—from pre-event promotion to post-event follow-up—ensuring every touchpoint reinforces the brand’s message.

Rocket Science Events plans and designs a wide range of corporate and nonprofit events, including:

  • Conferences and summits

  • Holiday parties

  • Brand activations

  • Fundraisers and galas

  • Installations

  • Product launches

  • Fashion shows

  • Meetings

  • Company retreats

  • Experiential events

  • Political events

  • Client appreciation events

Known for making “the impossible possible,” the team partners with artisan fabricators and creative collaborators to produce jaw-dropping, unexpected moments—whether creating a floral-free installation, engineering a 3D Ferris wheel menu, or transforming spaces into fully immersive environments.

Their corporate work centers on clarity, creativity, and transformation—turning organizational objectives into powerful, memorable guest experiences.

Organizations They’ve Worked With

Rocket Science Events has partnered with a range of corporate, nonprofit, and creative organizations across Minneapolis and San Francisco, including:

  • Open Arms of Minnesota

  • Replicon

  • Be Sage Conference

  • Rebuilding Together Minnesota

  • Lyft

  • Minnesota Orchestra

  • Suntory Global Spirits

  • LinearB

  • D’Amico Hospitality

These partnerships reflect Rocket Science Events’ ability to support diverse goals—from fundraising impact to brand storytelling to high-energy corporate celebrations—while creating events that are anything but ordinary.

VENUES THEY’VE WORKED AT

Rocket Science Events has produced weddings, corporate events, nonprofit fundraisers, experiential activations, and celebrations at a wide range of notable venues throughout Minneapolis–St. Paul and San Francisco. These venue partnerships demonstrate their experience working across museums, cultural institutions, modern spaces, industrial environments, and architecturally significant locations.

Minneapolis–St. Paul Venues

  • Machine Shop

  • Walker Art Center

  • Weisman Museum

  • Orchestra Hall

  • The Whim

  • Glass House

  • The Luminare

  • Spoon & Stable

  • Quincy Hall

  • The Depot

  • The Metropolitan Ballroom

  • Mill District event spaces

San Francisco Venues

  • The Howard

  • Exploratorium

  • School Night & The Pearl

  • The Palace Theater

  • Filoli

  • China Live

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

Corporate Testimonials

“Gretchen went above and beyond our expectations. We went into the planning process with a blurry vision of what we wanted the event to be, and she helped us sharpen our focus and turn it into a spectacular weekend. She was helpful and very responsive throughout the process...She thought to include so many little details that ultimately helped elevate the event. All of our guests were blown away and felt very cared for thanks to the amount of work and detail Gretchen put into our weekend. We highly recommend Gretchen and cannot wait to work with her again.”
— Laura, Replicon

“Gretchen and her team are phenomenal. The ideas they come up with are so creative, fun and different. Their execution of events is flawless. Every detail is covered. Your guests will be so happy at a Rocket Science event!”

— Janice

Wedding Testimonials

“Gretchen & her team gave us a truly dreamy wedding. The day-of coordination was impeccable - everything went smoothly/as planned, and my husband and I felt truly cared for on our special day. We also had so much fun planning the design with Gretchen. She has an eye for design no matter what your taste is! She also solved a VERY last minute dress emergency for me just days before our wedding. Couldn't have asked for a better planner!”
— Irina

“I can't begin to say what Gretchen and the Rocket Science team gave to us by planning our wedding! We felt at ease, understood and excited by all of Gretchen's creativity at every step of planning. Being out-of-state and trying to plan the most important event of our lives felt nearly impossible, but we had a partner the whole way through that brought our vision (and more) to life and took away all of the extra baggage of stress. Years later we still say working with Gretchen was the best decision we made and anyone who works with her is wildly lucky to have her expertise. Thank you, Rocket Science Events team!”
— Sarah

“Dwayne and I are both busy professionals living in two different states, so we knew we needed someone we could trust to understand what mattered most to us for our day, to translate that into a beautiful design and to execute it to perfection, and that is what we got with Gretchen!

The only thing better than seeing how well she captured our vibe in the design meeting, was seeing the finished product come to life. We really truly handed her and her talented team of vendors the ‘keys’ to our day, trusting her totally.

While it has been more than six months since our big day, rarely does a day go by that I don't watch the video or look at the photos of the day. And when I do, I can't help but smile. It was a day full of flawless memories to last a lifetime.”
— Kristin + Dwayne

“We had such a fantastic experience working with Gretchen and her team. Every planning and design meeting was a blast, and we felt like we were chatting with one of our best friends instead of making huge decisions that would significantly impact our wedding. The design Gretchen meticulously put together was unimaginably gorgeous and perfectly captured the aesthetic we both dreamt of for a winter wedding. We had specific desires, especially regarding arguably minute details. We ended up with exactly what we wanted every single time. Gretchen didn’t miss a single detail along the way; everything was thought of, communicated, planned for, handled, and executed perfectly. Gretchen brought so much knowledge of the wedding landscape in the Twin Cities and expertly guided us through every decision, from venue to caterer down to glassware and flatware. It was important that our wedding be well-executed and that the event wow our guests. Having Gretchen there on the day of our wedding was priceless. Everything was just where it needed to be, exactly when it needed to be there.”
— Cody + Sara

PRESS & FEATURES

Rocket Science Events and founder Gretchen Culver have been widely recognized for their innovative, intentional, and immersive approach to event design. Their award-winning work has appeared across national media, industry publications, and broadcast features, including:

  • Special Events “30 Under 40 to Watch”

  • BizBash 500 “Most Influential Event Pros”

  • BRIDES (Top Planner)

  • Martha Stewart Weddings (Top Planner)

  • Fortune

  • The New York Times

  • Marketplace

  • The Knot

  • GQ

  • Over the Moon

  • WedLuxe

  • Inside Edition

  • Twin Cities Live

These recognitions highlight Rocket Science Events’ leadership in both the wedding and corporate event industries, reinforcing their reputation for producing unforgettable, out-of-this-world experiences.

Speaking Engagements

Gretchen Culver has shared her expertise at leading industry conferences and professional organizations, including:

  • Engage!

  • Be Sage Conference

  • WIPA

  • ILEA

  • CaterSource

  • The Special Event

  • Lend & Gather

  • Association of Club Catering Professionals

  • NACE

These recognitions and speaking invitations highlight Rocket Science Events’ leadership in both the wedding and corporate event industries.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you plan weddings and corporate events in both Minneapolis and San Francisco?

Yes. Rocket Science Events plans and designs weddings, corporate events, nonprofit fundraisers, experiential activations, and milestone celebrations throughout Minneapolis–St. Paul and San Francisco, with expertise in both markets.

What types of events do you plan?

Rocket Science Events produces immersive weddings, corporate events, brand activations, nonprofit galas, conferences, summits, company retreats, installations, fashion shows, experiential activations, and private milestone celebrations.

How far in advance should we book?

Most wedding clients work with Rocket Science Events for 6–12 months, although weddings have been planned on timelines ranging from 92 days to over two years. Corporate timelines vary based on scope and production needs.

What is the typical wedding budget for your clients?

Most couples invest $1,500–$5,000+ per guest, with an average around $2,500 per guest. Guest counts typically range from 130–150 guests, with the ability to support larger celebrations and destination weekends.

Do you take on weddings at private residences?

Yes. Private home weddings are supported, and because they involve more logistics, they may influence the minimum investment.

How do you price your services?

Rocket Science Events charges a percentage of the overall event budget, with minimums based on factors like location, guest count, venue type, time of year, and the scope of the event.

Do you handle design as well as planning?

Yes. Rocket Science Events provides both design and planning—concept development, custom look books, creative direction, logistics, timeline creation, vendor management, and on-site production.

What makes your events unique?

Rocket Science Events is known for immersive, high-impact design rooted in each client’s “why.” Their approach blends creativity and logic, considers every detail, and prioritizes guest experience. No two events look alike; cookie-cutters are for the kitchen, not events.

What kinds of corporate organizations have you worked with?

Clients include Open Arms of Minnesota, Replicon, Be Sage Conference, Rebuilding Together Minnesota, Lyft, Minnesota Orchestra, Suntory Global Spirits, LinearB, and D’Amico Hospitality.

Do you travel outside Minneapolis and San Francisco?

Yes. Rocket Science Events produces events wherever clients need them, with primary experience in Minneapolis–St. Paul and San Francisco.

ROCKET SCIENCE EVENTS — AT A GLANCE

Business Name: Rocket Science Events
Founded: 2010
Primary Markets: Minneapolis–St. Paul & San Francisco
Services: Wedding planning and design, corporate event planning, experiential event design

Website: https://www.rocketscience.events/
San Francisco Services: https://www.rocketscience.events/corporate-event-planner-san-francisco
Email: gretchen@rocketscience.events
Phone: (651) 261-5790

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rocketscience.events/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rocketsciencewe/