Monona Terrace Reviews

Monona Terrace was the first choice of venue for our wedding, and it was the best choice.

Apart from being an iconic Frank Lloyd Wright building that can be seen from most places in Madison, the MT team were very professional and organized in helping set up our wedding day.

From the tasting (which was very well executed) to the rehearsal to the actual wedding day, Marcia Terrones (our wedding manager) was friendly, courteous and accommodating of our many questions and requests.

We were married at the Community Terrace which is a lovely room with sweeping views of Lake Monona. The setup and breakdown was seamless, and we didn’t have to do much to the room to make it look good. A big plus of the MT is their in-house catering, and they are experts in this field. From the hors d’œuvres to the drinks to the main course, everything was very delicious. They also packed up any main courses that weren’t eaten by the guests, which I appreciated as we hate food waste.

Overall; we had a great experience with this iconic Madison venue and will cherish the memories of our wedding day here.

(Photos by CJefko Photography; highly recommend her as well)

We had out wedding in the midst of the COVID summer of 2020-- which meant so many last minute changes to plans. Monona Terrace was so responsive and open to ideas; they made a very stressful situation much more tolerable. Jeanette and Micayla are wonderful-- really, every staff member we came into contact with was friendly and helpful and we were so impressed. Our event came together perfectly-- the food and the bar were great and our guests especially loved chatting with the bar staff. THANK YOU to everyone there; we are so grateful we chose Monona Terrace.

We had our wedding ceremony and reception at Monona Terrace last weekend. First, it all started with our awesome tour with Breanne and we were hooked! Breanne showed us around answering all the questions we had that day to make us feel like we were making a great decision to have it at the terrace. Our big day was everything and more that we could have ever wanted at the Monona Terrace. We were very surprised by how often the staff came by to ask us if we needed anything and how everything was. That was a very nice touch. We didn't have to worry about anything not being on time and fully trusted Monona Terrace. Micayla was AMAZING and a rock star. There aren't enough words to explain how helpful she was and how relaxed/at ease she was on Saturday which made me feel at ease. Micayla always answered my (many) emails right away and was thorough in her responses. Every time I asked her if I could do something, she always found a way to make it work. The food was amazing and we got nothing but compliments about the chicken and pork dishes - and the apps. We will definitely recommend the Monona Terrace in a heartbeat!

Perfect wedding day! The food was hot and delicious for each guest. The staff was accommodating and present when needed! The view is phenomenal from the grand terrace and everything flowed smoothly.

The Monona Terrace was a beyond perfect wedding venue! Their staff know exactly what they are doing and made our planning process and wedding day go off without a hitch. From the knowledgeable and helpful staff to the amazing food, I cannot say enough! I highly recommend the Monona Terrace to anyone looking for a wedding venue in Madison.

Photos from Dutcher Photography (also highly recommend)
http://www.robandsamphoto.com/archive-blog/2018/7/14/elaina-nate-a-modern-monona-terrace-rooftop-wedding

We held our wedding reception at Monona Terrace on October 28, 2017, and are very pleased with how our event turned out, as well as with all the planning leading up to it. At the outset, Breanne was helpful and no-pressure as we considered potential venues. Once we chose Monona Terrace, Marcia and her staff provided clear guidance and answered all our questions along the way. We particularly enjoyed the tasting where you get to sample all the food offerings to make your selections! Matt was very helpful finalizing all details the week of, and the night itself came off without a hitch. The service staff was attentive and friendly (they even set aside a few of each appetizer for us at the head table, a nice touch), the food was delicious (a common compliment from our guests), the room set-up was flawless, and things just ran very smoothly. Would definitely recommend!

We had our wedding ceremony and reception at the Terrace. They definitely know their wedding business! Micayla was our representative, and she walked us through everything very thoroughly and clearly. She didn't make us feel stupid when we had to ask questions multiple times (there's so much that goes into a wedding!). What impressed us was the way she was able to get creative to get things to fit into our budget. From switching around meals to mixing up the layout, we were able to hit our budget while still keeping high quality. The food was delicious - not what I was expecting for large batch, catered food. The venue is obviously gorgeous. The team at the Terrace also added lots of nice touches and covered things we didn't even think about (eg, saving the wedding party a plate of appetizers, small gifts as thank-you's, and clearly communicating hand-offs between workers). We highly recommend working with Micayla and the Terrace!

We could not have been more happy with having our cocktail hour and reception at the Monona Terrace. It seriously could not have been more of a perfect venue. All of our guests were amazed and kept mentioning that they really wanted to come visit Madison again, and we think this had a lot to do with the Monona Terrace. The cocktail hour on the roof was amazing. The reception in the Community Terrace was amazing. We were pleasantly surprised with how pampered we felt by every single staff member we encountered. Working with Breanne and Marcia was an absolute pleasure; they were definitely our most professional and responsive vendors, and we really appreciated that. We feel so lucky that we were able to hold our reception at a venue so special and so iconic of Madison.

So great, we do not have anything but good to say. Their staff was on point 100% of the time and in always communication with us both. I recommend them to anyone, you will be surprised the value you can get this beautiful venue at with the basic package and building your wedding from there. Be sure to book a year in advance if possible to secure your date and the best room choice.

So wonderful and accommodating. They were super professional and organized. I was planning my wedding from another state but they were able to work with me to set up meetings, etc. and everything was perfect!

We had a fantastic experience throughout the planning process with Monona Terrace. Marcia was our coordinator, and she is extremely knowledgeable and quick with responses. She helped us revise our plans a few times and was calm, professional and patient with us throughout.

The venue itself is beautiful. We were in the Grand Terrace, Hall of Ideas and the Rooftop center (with Lecture Hall as a rain back-up), and all of the areas and grounds were perfect for a wedding. We had a lot of out of town guests who loved the location right downtown on the water.

The food was delicious. I heard from many people that it was the best "wedding food" they'd had. The service was also great - there was a manager there who helped take care of my little nephew by bringing him milk in a lidded cup--such great, personal service like that was common on our big day.

The Madison Monona Terrace is one of the most scenic, historic and beautiful places to get married in the Madison, WI area. We had our ceremony and reception there and loved every minute of it! Micayla Jones was our catering manager and did a fantastic job listening to our requests and helping us through the planning process to the wedding day! She was so personable, accommodating and a pleasure to work with. All of the food at our reception from the hors d oeuvres, dinner to chocolate covered strawberries and pizza was amazing and extremely fresh! We would recommend the Monona Terrace, Micayla Jones and the rest of the Terrace staff to everyone! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all for helping us have the "best day ever!"

My husband and I could not be happier with our choice to go with Monona Terrace for our ceremony and reception venue! Everything about our wedding day was simply perfect. Everyone says one big thing will go wrong on your wedding day and I can honestly say not one thing went wrong. The staff was fantastic in making sure everything got to where it needed to be and we were ready to go. The venue itself is beautiful and the food was fantastic. So happy with our choice!

Working with Micayla in the months prior to our wedding was super helpful. She is extremely kind, detail oriented, and went above and beyond to ensure our wedding day was a hit! I would highly recommend a wedding at the Monona Terrace- their staff was so kind, knowledgeable and our decor was handled with care. Thank you so much for making our wedding incredibly memorable!!! Micayla- you are the best!

We had our reception at Monona Terrace and it was absolutely perfect. Wendy was our catering manager and was incredibly kind and attentive. We were planning our wedding from out of state and yet I never felt that it was difficult since she was so responsive to all of my emails. She was also incredibly flexible with regards to any changes we asked for, and worked hard to save us money where she could. In fact, everyone we worked with at Monona Terrace seemed to genuinely care about making our wedding day perfect. The food was great, the staff at the reception was attentive, and the views of Lake Monona are unparalleled.

We went through the Monona Terrace for our wedding ceremony and reception. They do all of the catering in-house so it was nice to not have to worry about finding a caterer in addition to the venue. The ceremony was on the rooftop in the center circle and the reception was in the Community Terrace. Both locations were beautiful. The food was delicious and served very quickly. They were very responsive to any questions I had and very accommodating to any last minute changes. I can't imagine having my wedding any place else.

Working with Monona Terrace was great! The staff were always very friendly and working closely with our planner was the best experience, she helped us a lot and was always very patient and understanding! We had the community Terrace room and it is so beautiful! The guests really enjoyed themselves and the food that they provided!

The planner(s) we worked with at the convention center for our rooftop ceremony were excellent. They were responsive, helpful, and efficient. We worked without an independent wedding planner, so my husband and I did all the arrangements ourselves. On the day of the ceremony, everything at the Terrace was set exactly as it needed to be and we didn't have to stress at all about the venue. We were very happy about that!

I am extremely impressed with the Monona Terrace staff. Everyone was friendly and attentive from the day we inquired about the facility. Brianne, Eartha, and the rest of the staff made our day one that will live on in our and our guests' memories for many many years!

I LOVED working with the staff at the Terrace. Our wedding ceremony was held outside on the rooftop center and they worked so hard with us to ensure we had the perfect day! The event coordinator, Mandy Mommaerts, was constantly accessible to us via email and phone from the moment we were making the decision to have our ceremony at the Terrace right through the day of the wedding. Everyone was so easy to work with - questions were quickly answered and I never had any concerns with choosing this location. Even when there was a hint of rain in the air on the day of the wedding, Mandy worked with me to lay out what we needed to do to ensure we had our outdoor reception. We received so many compliments about the location of the ceremony and looking back at the gorgeous pictures of the rooftop, I am so thrilled that we chose the Monona Terrace!

Food was excellent, service was excellent. Would definitely recommend to anyone.

We worked with Micayla for our wedding, and we can't give her enough praise, she really is that good! She put so much work into our event and everything went so smoothly! She is so organized, responsive, professional, and accommodating, and she really takes a personal interest in each of her weddings, which is shown in how above and beyond she goes on the day of the event.

Also, the food was amazing! We got so many compliments on how delicious everything was (from the appetizers to the salads to the entrees and every side dish, it all was so yummy!)

All of the staff that worked on our wedding were also so great! I used to work as a server at weddings in Madison during college, and I can honestly say, they have the most organized process there, it really is amazing, and helps keep the bride/groom at ease on the wedding day. Everyone is so helpful and anticipated our needs throughout the day.

Mark, the catering captain is awesome! He is so professional and organized and helped us out a ton on our wedding day! Lester, our head server was great too and really responsive!

Overall, every Monona Terrace employee we encountered really took ownership, was respectful, responsible, polite, and professional and helped put on the perfect wedding day for us! If we could do it all over again, we would definitely do it at Monona Terrace again!

The views at the terrace speak for themselves. They are very professional. We were very surprised at how helpful Micayla, our room coordinator, was the day of the event. It saved us a lot of stress. The only complaint is having to wait until a year out to confirm you have the room, we had a last minute scare.

The staff at Monona Terrace was available for all of my questions and took care of so many small details that it allowed me to worry less and enjoy more. They also treated our guests well.

PHENOMENAL! The views are spectacular. The sunset WAS UNREAL!!!! I couldn't have asked for a cooler reception. Literally, it was kinda cold, but they let us use space heaters outside. lol

The Monona Terrace was great. Not only was the view from the Community Terrace amazing, the staff, food, professionalism, and quick response time to any question or concern was perfect. Our guests continue to talk about how great the food was and some have contacted me to see who catered our wedding because they want them for their own event. Wendy Brown was great and discussed every single detail with us. Our bar bill was over the expected amount but we knew our friends and family would have a good time. The great venue and service was so exceptional, we didn't mind having to pay a little over. Best venue ever!

We worked with Micayla, who was absolutely wonderful! She was very responsive to e-mail for all of our questions leading up to the day, and worked hard to make sure our day was perfect. We had a few issues with A/V stuff, both during the ceremony (microphones cutting in and out) and during the reception (sound not working during our slideshow); otherwise, everything was very smooth the day of. All of the staff at Monona Terrace cared a lot about making our day great, and their attention to detail was clear. The food was also fantastic! We had a fabulous time at Monona Terrace!

BOOK NOW!! If you have ever wanted to get married at The Monona Terrace then book now. They fill up fast and there's a reason why: it's amazing!! The view of the lake on one side and the capitol on the other is breathtaking. Michelle, the wedding coordinator, is super friendly and was very accommodating to our needs. We would recommend this venue to anyone!

Our wedding went without a hitch thanks mostly to the staff at the Monona Terrace. They have so many large events and weddings that they definitely know what they are doing and everything runs smoothly. We were assigned a sales manager who we met with before the wedding, was our point of contact throughout the whole process, and was there on the evening of our wedding. She was very responsive and made sure everything was going according to plan. They have some policies in place that they can't work around but when possible they were flexible. Overall, I would definitely recommend them!

We worked with Micayla who was great. Had no real issues, the venue is a bit pricey but worth it in the end!

Anyone who knows Madison knows that the Monona Terrace has it's work cut out for it - it's a goregous venue in the heart of Madison. But even more than they, they provided us with astounding service. The wedding day was so easy - we didn't have to worry about a thing. Everything worked and was in order just like we asked.

Admittedly, it's a bit pricy, but honestly for the space there wasn't really anything to complain about. They weren't any different than any of the other convention areas or hotel spaces we could have used.

One other thing, which may be a little silly, but I think it really speaks to the place. It was spotless. Many of the ladies went barefoot during the reception and we were shocked by the end fo the night to find that our feet were still clean.

It seemed a little expensive at first, but not when compared to other sites in downtown Madison. Worth it for what you get, beautiful location. Food was excellent. Staff was very helpful and easy to work with. Several staff went above and beyond what I expected. Very pleased. They do charge extra for some things, like dance floor, stereo, piano etc.

I absolutely loved the Monona Terrace for my wedding venue both for my ceremony on the rooftop and my reception in the community terrace overlooking the lake. I worked with Wendy Brown-Haddock and she went above and beyond as a wedding coordinator. The only reason that this did not get a perfect review is because of the many additional costs for things that we ended up not having because of price. Such as uplighting, which our dj would have provided for free but the terrace wouldn't allow unless we paid for their lighting. Also, having a slide show would have cost way extra so we just played ours from my laptop at the gift table. Overall the price for food and such was pretty comparable to other caterers and venues around town and I had many people tell me that it was both the most delicious wedding food they have had as well as the classiest wedding they have attended.

The Monona Terrace was a great place to have our wedding. Our ceremony and reception were beautiful, and the staff were very helpful and prompt in their responses to us, especially Wendy. The only thing that was a problem was the cost of alcohol. I think the prices were a bit ridiculous. The room rental and food was appropriate though. Overall, we had a great experience!

Totally professional and gave me the confidence I needed to have as relaxing a day as is possible. They were flexible with us on some of the timing and allowed us to take some pictures even though things weren't set up yet. The room and view were beautiful and they did the centerpieces exactly to my specificaitions. They also worked well with my other vendors. Only thing was you definitely paid for it and everything was extra. The liquor especially really hit our budget.

Loved this venue right away because of the location. Downtown Madison right on the lake; beautiful views! Service was great, from the sales manager to all the way to the day of greaters/servers. All of our guests commented on how great everything was. Would highly recommend!

We had our ceremony and reception at the Terrace in the Community Terrace room. It was beautiful. The view of the lake was an amazing background for the ceremony and reception. The staff was so helpful and the food was delicious. I hope to host our renewal ceremony there in the future.

We hosted our wedding reception at Monona Terrace in the Community Terrace room. Absolutely breathtaking view! Our experience started about 6 months before our wedding with a group tasting of food at from Monona Catering. Delish! We met our Catering Manager there: Micayla Jones. Separately rating her performance and professionalism: 5 stars+++ She was AMAZING! She always responded quickly, always professional, and was there every step of the way no matter what the question was. She was also there on our wedding day to make sure everything went smoothly. I can't say enough good things about Micayla. Monona Terrace staff was also very pleasant. They set up our space to exactly what we wanted....nothing was out of place!! We had wonderful feedback from our guests on the wait staff as well. Very polite and efficient! My only complaint about this venue were the bartenders. We paid for 3 bartenders for the entire night. We thought by using 3 bartenders, working for a great venue, (with a 20% gratuity included) they would be top notch. We had numerous complaints from our guests of them being extremely rude. My husband and I had very few drinks throughout the night, and when we were greeted by the bartenders...(keep in mind the BRIDE and GROOM!), we were asked "What do you want" in a very rude tone. I am hoping new staff are hired, or the current staff is trained better. They were my only complaint of the entire venue. However a HUGE Thank You to Micayla and everyone else on the Monona Catering staff, you were all wonderful!!!!!!

The Monona Terrace is not only a beautiful venue to have your wedding, but the staff and catering contacts are phenomenal. Everyone was extremely helpful and accommodating. I can't say enough wonderful things about the staff. Everything was perfect the day of my wedding.

We used the rooftop for our ceremony and cocktail hour and held the reception in the community terrace. The setting was beautiful! The staff was very professional and everything ran smoothly. People raved about the setting and the food.

The Monona Terrace is one of the most historic and beautiful places to have a receptio in the Madison, WI area. My daughter had her reception there and loved every minute of it! Marcia Terrones was our catering manager and did a fantastic job listening to our requests and helping us through the planning process to the wedding day! She was so personable, accommodating and a pleasure to work with. All of the food at our reception from the hors d oeuvres to dinner amazing and extremely fresh! We would recommend the Monona Terrace, Marcia Terrones and the rest of the Terrace staff to everyone! Our guests were so impressed with the reception, they could not stop raving! Thank you all for helping us create a great wedding reception!

The Monona Terrace is beautiful! We had such amazing photos of our ceremony in the center circle with the beautiful capitol backdrop! We worked with Wendy who was wonderful and had great recommendations and allowed all of our requests and decorations. She was there day of and very responsive. My only complaint was a few glass blocks that were unattractive that were used to hold down our aisle runner and now are in some of our photos. Which is probably my fault for not thinking of my own anchors for it. Besides that the staff was great, very quick food service, and my family and friends raved about the food. We would highly recommend the terrace and found it a lot of bang for our buck out of all of the Madison,WI choices. Definitely a beautiful and picture-esk spot of a wedding and ceremony. The dinner and dance facing the lake in the community terrace was amazing. We couldn't have picked a better spot! Also, the sliding scale that can reduce your rental fees with food and beverage purchases was great! We even got money back after the wedding, which we were very excited about! For the most beautiful wedding in Madison, pick the Monona Terrace.

I had nothing but a positive experience at the Monona Terrace. The sliding scale really worked in our favor and it was nice to get some money back after the wedding that we put toward the honeymoon.

Great venue and turned out beautiful. Staff was very helpful and wanted to help make our day special. Only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is some minor details were missed by the staff (like setting up specific items, etc.) that were not a big deal, but can be spotted in some of our photos.

Knowing we had so many out of town guests traveling to Madison for our wedding we looked for a venue that was in downtown Madison that was convent to hotels and all that Madison has to offer. We needed a place that we could hold our wedding ceremony and reception at so we didn't have to worry about guest transportation. Monona Terrace was on the top our list when we checked out our options as it met all of our criteria. We were surprised how affordable and comparable it was to other Madison locations. We are so happy we were able to secure a date at this excellent venue!

From the moment Brianne showed us around the Monona Terrace we were impressed by the professionalism and of course the beautiful location. We had our ceremony and cocktail hour on the center rooftop, there is no other view like that in Madison! Our reception was held in the Community Terrace Room (the only room I wanted). The room was perfect because of the gorgeous views and we could have music in the same room as the dinner (guests didn't have to attend our dance in a different room).

Wendy was our catering contact and she was so great to work with. She was always fast to get back to e-mails and answer the many questions we had. She worked hard to make sure our wedding day at the Monona Terrace was perfect, which it was. You can tell she knows her job well and loves it. All the staff were so professional, kind and excellent to work with.

Great venue!! Costly but well worth it!

Monona Terrace was not only a beautiful location, but we were treated with professionals who cared about our day, and who genuinely cared about us. We planned the entire wedding from abroad, and the people at Monona Terrace were in constant contact with us every step of the way. They took the time to ensure we had a perfect day, and they even postponed the ceremony to let the rain pass so we could get married on the rooftop!

The Monona Terrace is in my personal opinion the most beautiful place in Madison to have a wedding. The windows and views overlooking the lake give the terrace an ambience that can't be beat. Our out of town guests who had never seen the Terrace before were snapping photos of the interior non-stop, and we received so many compliments about how beautiful our reception was. The food was delicious, and the wait staff was incredibly attentive and professional.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience with the Monona Terrace - our wedding coordinator was helpful and very attentive to details. She went out of her way to get us in for additional tastings when we had trouble finalizing our dinner selections.

A couple smaller complaints - our wedding coordinator was out of the office on vacation and then at a conference for a while and my husband and I were not told. After multiple e-mails went w/out a response, I had to call the terrace and speak to someone else to get some of our questions answered. Not a huge deal, but at crunch time, this would've been rather stressful. Regarding the food, the terrace's meal and alcohol services are rather expensive, but with their sliding scale policy, overall I think the catered reception at the terrace was a good value.

The last thing I have to mention is an error that was made on the night of our reception. I hate to mention it because it honestly didn't tarnish our evening at all, but for some, this may have beee a crucial error. I won't go into specifics, but my take on it was that it happened, it all worked out, and Monona Terrace acted quickly and appropriately to fix their error. Their response to it was super professional and I was very pleased that they were able to remedy the situation quickly and effectively.

I had my ceremony at the Ballroom, and I wasn't 100% happy with it. The way the room was set up didn't look as good as I thought it would be.
My reception was at the Grand Terrace, and was beautiful. However, we had a table mixed up and their staff weren't able to handle the sittuation the way we wanted and it should have done. Also, their table linens are way to short to the tables. Event is their business, I think they should provide the appropriate material to their customers, so we dont have to pay extra money to rent them. Besides that, we had a great time!

Very beautiful location and delicious food, however WATCH OUT because they will nickel and dime you for every little change away from their standard template. The employees were all very pleasant and professional and overall was a very wonderful experience working with them. I would pick them again if we did it all over again.

The catering was fantastic, and the waitstaff was very attentive and professional. The venue is beautiful and very elegant. The only problem we ran into was that we were told that we could use the side meeting room attached to our room as a changing room for the bride. However, the day of the wedding, the maintenance staff kicked us out of the room (saying that we couldn't use it) and locked it so we couldn't get back in. We tried to contact our event coordinator, but she was no where to be found and was not answering her phone messages. I ended up having to change in the bathroom in the hallway with guests traipsing through to use the bathroom before the ceremony. Everything else, though, was wonderful.

Beautiful venue, with excellent food/drink in the heart of Madison, that has the wedding reception process down pat! Word of Advice: If planning a wedding without a wedding coordinator, expect to work extra hard to communicate with the catering sales staff to get exactly what you want on your big day!

We had our wedding ceremony and reception at the Monona Terrace, and we could not be happier with how it turned out. Since we were planning our wedding from out of town, it was so convenient to be able to have everything handled by a single point of contact. We were able to plan the entire wedding without visiting the venue once.

Unexpectedly, the Terrace essentially provided us a day-of coordinator, Micayla Zapata. She played a crucial role in making sure our day was planned and executed flawlessly. She never made me feel like a burden no matter how many questions I asked, and I always felt as if our wedding was in good hands. She thought of everything that I didn't even know I had to think about.

As for the on-site staff and servers the day of the wedding, they were incredible. We received numerous compliments from our guests about how friendly, attentive, and perceptive the staff was. They were also amazing at coordinating with our outside vendors (officiant, DJ, and photographers).

As expected, this venue comes with a high price tag, so this is not the place for a budget wedding. But the price is well worth it if you want a perfectly planned and executed wedding with great food and amazing service without a lot of stress on your part.

We had many positive comments on the beauty of the space and the food.

Monona Terrace did us a great service, our origional venue went out of business 3 months before our wedding. Because we chose to have our wedding on a Friday night many of the fees were waved or discounted. The food was good, if not great and the view was beautiful.

Great food, easy to work with.

We used had to move our wedding date to a Friday to be able to get the room we wanted (the community terrace room) It was beautiful but it seemed there were a lot of hidden costs. There are a lot of things they restrict you from bringing in as well. If we were to do it again we would find a different location and save some money. With that being said they were organized and worked well with our wedding planner. The location is the only reason to choose this place in my opinion.

We loved our view for the cermony and our reception...its gorgeous...it is a hassle to book though cause you have to be the first on a certain date to call and then you can be booted out of your room for 6 months after the call...they says its never happened...but we were the first this summer and it did...and it sucked. We then were forced to take the one Friday they had open in the summer.
Then they were on hand at the wedding for everything and the food was amazing and serving staff was great.
But we had some problems we wanted resolved afterwards and once they got the money...which is a hefty amount...they never called us back.