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University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union

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University of Wisconsin Memorial Union

About

We vow to make your wedding day perfect. From start to finish, let us take care of every detail. Our professional Campus Event Services (CESO) team provides planning and coordination for any size wedding reception, including offering on-site catering services. Memorial Union offers two distinct spaces to host your wedding - Great Hall or Tripp Commons.

Great Hall: This historic ballroom has been restored to its original luster, while adding modern sound and visual capabilities. Maximum seating using all round tables is 220 (seating 8 each) including a head table. Maximum capacity for a seated meal is 300, set using all rectangle banquet tables in rows (each banquet table seats 6). If the ceremony will be held in the room, the maximum capacity is 200.

Tripp Commons: This space has direct access to an outdoor patio overlooking Lake Mendota and the Terrace. Special care was taken to restore the floor, ornately painted ceilings and rich, wooden panel walls, while preserving the room's original look. Maximum seating using all round tables is 140 (seating 8 each) including a head table. Maximum capacity for a seated meal is 220, set using all rectangle banquet tables in rows (each banquet table seats 6).

Memorial Union also offers on-site accommodations in our unique Club Suites, overlooking Lake Mendota and the Terrace. These boutique suites are the perfect place for the newlyweds and bridal party to stay after the wedding celebrations. Learn more at union.wisc/edu/hotel

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Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

No

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

No

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

2+

Describe your venue:

Ballroom
Banquet Hall
Government Building
Historic Building
Hotel
Waterfront

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Covered Outdoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception

What event services do you offer?

Accommodations
Bar Services
Catering Services
Event Planner
Wifi

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet
Cocktail Reception
Family Style
Hors d'oeuvres
Outside Cake
Plated
Server(s)
Tastings

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
House Beer
House Wine
Signature Drink

What event items are available?

Chairs
Lighting
Tables

Reviews of University of Wisconsin Memorial Union

Write a review
Write a review
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 1
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 2
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 3
+17 User photos
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 4
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Sent on 10/16/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Gorgeous Wedding, Great Team!

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful location for our wedding than Memorial Union. From our ceremony overlooking the water on the Tripp Deck to our reception at the Great Hall, the food was fabulous and the vibes were immaculate. Sam and Sunshine and the Wisconsin Union staff did a great job!
Katie
Katie Sent on 11/06/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Iconic location, fantastic staff, unforgettable experience!

Having our wedding at the Memorial Union was a dream come true for me, a UW-Madison alumni! We were lucky to have Trip Commons, which is a stunning, classic space that needs minimal decorating. The Union Events staff was an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the entire process. They hosted fantastic tastings and worked with us to meet all dietary restrictions, including me, the bride who is gluten free. Chris and Billie in particular were incredibly professional and helpful from planning to day-of needs.

The food was excellent — many of our guests commented on how delicious their meals were. Moreover, we attended weddings the weekend before/after ours, and we both felt the Union provided the best meal options on both quality and quantity of food.

If you’re lucky to get chosen in the lottery, the venue, staff and food will not disappoint!
  • University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 5
  • University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 6
  • +9 photos
    University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 7
Kate
Kate Sent on 10/24/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Our guests loved it (and so did we!)

My husband and I are so glad we chose to get married at The University Club, it made planning our wedding easy (or, at least as easy as wedding planning can be!) They had every detail covered - we dropped off some decorations and our wedding day, everything was set up beautifully. The food is delicious, and the staff are friendly and attentive. It's a perfect location for overnight guests with hotels within walking distance, and we all were able to grab a pitcher at the terrace and bar crawl after the reception!

Also, our guests loved it - they were able to take advantage of the beautiful summer night and sit out on the patio (we also had games out there), socialize in the lounge area, stay in the dining room, or hit the dance floor. The layout is great for allowing people to find their own space to mingle. We had our rehearsal dinner the night before in the basement, which has a vintage hunting lodge vibe.
  • University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 8
  • University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 9
  • +6 photos
    University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 10
Briana
Briana Sent on 08/20/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful venue!

We absolutely loved working with the Wisconsin Union. My husband and I are both alumni and the Memorial Union was the best wedding venue we could have asked for. Everything was set up the way we wanted, on-time, and well done. We did both our ceremony and reception in the same space and they switched the space over quickly and easily between the ceremony and reception. Hattie was wonderful to work with in the planning process and made things easy to understand. Also the views you get from the terrace are unlike anything else. All of our visiting families and friends were in awe! Couldn't recommend it enough!
  • University of Wisconsin Memorial Union - 11
S
Sarah Sent on 07/13/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding at Memorial Union

Our wedding in Tripp Commons at Memorial Union was absolutely magical! The venue was awesome and the staff working the event went out of their way to make it a great night. Our event coordinator made sure everything went smoothly, was organized and communicated with us about our preferences, which made the whole planning experience feel manageable. The bartenders were fun and the waitstaff efficient...food was excellent and you cannot beat the views and location! We LOVED having our wedding here!
L
Lindsey Sent on 09/09/2018
5 out of 5 rating
The University Club is a Fantastic venue. It provided great food, great service, and flexibility. I have a complicated diet restriction that was accommodated beautifully. Sarah does a great job communicating and responds quickly to requests. My guests were so impressed with the quality of the food that was served from the appetizers to the their dinner options. (However the cake that they provided was not good-we ended up being reimbursed for the low quality of the cake, Sarah did a great job communicating to us after the event.) They did a great job working well with other vendors. The beauty of this building can speak for itself and does not need many decorations to make it look like a wedding venue. The location is perfect and the ability to reserve rooms at the Lowell center (which is a block away) makes the UW club one of the best wedding venues in Madison. There is no food and drink minimum which allowed us to stay on budget. Overall great experience!
K
Katherine Sent on 06/20/2017
5 out of 5 rating
The University Club was wonderful. We had our reception here. They had worked with most of our vendors before, and handled all the setup arrangements without needing my middle-man-ing at all really. Patrick Bailey is the new catering/events manager and while he wasn't there when we booked the venue, he was super responsive and fantastic. We had about 90 people total and that was a good number--the space can accommodate more but I think it would be tight if you went over 125 seated guests.

The food was delicious, the venue had everything set up exactly as I wanted, and they were awesome. When you are a wedding there, you've rented the whole building, and there are back rooms and lounges that you can use for more intimate moments. We arranged for a special toast in honor of my husband's late father, and the U club handled setting that up in a back room. The patio was also perfect for my family members who don't like crowds to sit and smoke a cigar.

Having my reception at the University Club was everything I hoped. Thank you!
M
Mikaela Sent on 11/27/2016
5 out of 5 rating
We had our wedding reception in Varsity Hall of Union South, and were very pleased with how everything went. We went with the union because of the connection to the UW, the location near downtown Madison, and the reasonable cost compared to nearby venues. We had a fairly large guest list (180 total), but they were easily accommodated in two sections of the room. The food was great, and we appreciated having so much choice over the beer as well! We really like the room, and it was especially beautiful during the appetizers when the sun was shining in the big windows. We also really liked that there was so much “overflow” space outside of the ballroom – our guests who were bothered by the music could go relax on the patio or out on the tables/ couches right outside of Varsity Hall.

Hattie was our wedding coordinator, and she was great to work with. The union changed their catering menu between when we signed the contract and our wedding, but she was flexible with us and allowed us to pick off the old menu as well. There was a slight miscommunication about the cost of the bar on the day of the wedding (in our favor), and they were very flexible and honored the lower price that we had been told. Overall, a great pick for a venue!
G
Gertrude Sent on 05/04/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Everything was exceptionally good. The service was excellent. The general manager was very professional, patient, courteous and very responsive. He was readily available throughout the planning process until the end of the reception after 11pm. The food was very good and we will forever be grateful to all the staff who our wedding day very memorable.
L
Lukas Sent on 10/28/2015
5 out of 5 rating
My wife and I had our wedding reception in the Great Hall at Memorial Union in summer of 2015. Everything about the venue, staff, amenities were fantastic! We had around 160 people total in the Great Hall and there was plenty of space for a harvest style head table surrounded by tables of eight for our guests. The hall also comes with a side adjoining room at no cost where we set up a photo booth and cocktail tables for guests to enjoy in case they needed a break of dancing. The staff was fantastic and we heard numerous compliments from our guests on how polite and accommodating the waiters and servers were. The venue also includes a small service fee for getting the space ready and cleaning afterwards but there is no hidden cost for tables, chairs, linens, napkins, dishes/glasses... which was amazing! The venue also includes a contact person who helps you make all the tough choices on room setup, food/drink choices, appetizers, late-night snacks which helped to take a lot of the pressure and planning off of our plate. The venue holds a once a month food tasting that may be different each month so it is good to look ahead and plan which tasting you would like to try (one tasting per couple is free and included). For any current or future Badgers looking for a wedding venue right on campus, this is the place to be and would highly recommend the Great Hall!
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Awards

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University of Wisconsin Memorial Union frequently asked questions

The space offered by University of Wisconsin Memorial Union for wedding events is known for:
  • Ballroom
  • Banquet Hall
  • Government Building
  • Historic Building
  • Hotel
  • Waterfront
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Covered Outdoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Accommodations
  • Bar Services
  • Catering Services
  • Event Planner
  • Wifi
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Chairs
  • Lighting
  • Tables
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union is recommended by 97% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.9 in quality of service, 4.9 in professionalism, 4.9 in value, 4.8 in average response time and 4.8 in flexibility.
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