Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center

Monona Terrace is an amazing venue! All the spaces are absolutely stunning. Every staff member was incredibly knowledgeable, polite, friendly, and kind. Everything went seamlessly. The planning process was simple and hassle free. The food was incredible! We received so many compliments from our guests. The catering staff was excellent. We ordered our cupcakes through Monona Terrace as well. The cupcakes are DELICIOUS! The cost to rent the rooms was ridiculously reasonable for the beauty of these facilities.

Monona Terrace was a great choice for our ceremony and reception! It was more affordable than other venues in downtown Madison. The view was unparalleled - our ceremony was on the rooftop and our reception was in Community Terrace, which both had gorgeous views of Lake Monona. The food was delicious! Staff did most of the cleanup, and we just picked up our stuff from the loading dock the next day!

We had such a beautiful wedding at Monona Terrace in the Community Terrace room! The view of the lake was gorgeous, and the full wall of windows and natural lighting paired perfectly with our floral theme. The staff was great and always helpful, and everything was very timely! The only issue we had was around clean up not being as organized and losing some items. They might have been a little too quick and efficient with that.

We appreciated that Monona Terrace was very organized and helpful when it came to our venue and catering. We had our ceremony and reception in the Community Terrace, which was beautiful and accessible. They were flexible through our two postponements, and Micayla Zapata was particularly competent and attentive.

Our ceremony was on the Monona Terrace rooftop center garden. From start to finish, we were blown away by the professionalism and responsiveness of the staff. They were attentive to every detail. Specifically, Michelle was an amazing coordinator and was so helpful during the planning process as well as on the day of. Mickayla was so helpful in organizing the catering. The lake view is incredible, as is the view of the capital from the rooftop. I would highly recommend The Monona Terrace to any couple getting married in Madison!

We used the Monona Terrace rooftop for our ceremony and the Monona Terrace Community Terrace for our reception. I am blown away by how smooth everything ran and how professional the Monona Terrace staff was until the very last detail of our wedding day! A few highlights: - Marcia was an amazing catering coordinator, it was like having our own personal wedding planner. She walked us through every stage of our wedding day and curated a plan for the day that kept us organized and everything running smoothly the day-of. She really made us feel like it was "our day" and took care of so much in the background: timing the bridal party as they walked down the aisle, cueing our DJ, timing the grand entrance, saving us hors d'oeuvres, and having a cocktail ready to go for us when we sat for dinner! She probably did much more than I am even aware of. It was evident she is an experienced professional when it comes to events, she knew all the right places to get staged and had great timing. - Monona Terrace did most of the set up so we were only responsible for the centerpieces and a few more decorative items. They moved all our decor from the loading dock to the reception space so it was ready to go early! - We received a lot of compliments on the food. I thought my meal (Portobello Wellington) was absolutely amazing! Several people told me it was the best vegetarian option they've ever had at a wedding. Overall, there were great portion sizes and I didn't hear a single complaint. - Monona Terrace did all the cleanup after the reception was over, we just needed to pick everything up in the loading dock the next day. - The building is an architectural marvel. You can't ask for a better view, a better location, or a more beautiful space. I am being 100% honest when I say: the day was all I dreamed of and more. The Monona Terrace may seem like an expensive venue, but we compared the pricing to many venues in the area and it ended up being about the same price. We got everything we wanted by using the basic wedding package, moderately priced meals (pot roast & bone-in pork rather than steak & salmon for example), we had an open bar for cocktail hour and open beer & wine for the rest of the night, and it ended up being less expensive than we expected. With all the extra benefits we received from an event planning standpoint, not to mention how gorgeous the space is, the Monona Terrace is an amazing value. I would highly recommend The Monona Terrace to any couple getting married in Madison!

The Monona Terrace was the perfect place for us to get married. We had always pictured getting married in the place where we first met, and Monona Terrace did not disappoint. The ceremony space is perfectly situated facing lake Monona and it was a HOT, but beautiful day. Although we did not hire a day of coordinator, our site contact, Jeanette Moran, was very responsive leading up to and on the day of the event, and she as well as the MT staff put my mind at ease and helped everything run smoothly. After researching quite a few venues in Madison for our wedding, MT is definitely the best bang for your buck. Our guests raved about how nice the venue and food was too! Thank you so much for everything!

Such a wonderful venue! The staff was fantastic from sales to catering. The entire process was easy and very well organized. On our wedding night the catering manger and staff made sure to set aside food/cake/late night snacks for me and were extremely attentive. I would highly recommend hosting your reception here. The entire planning process with them was stress free!

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.

We had our wedding reception at Monona Terrace this past September. The communication was stellar, from the email response time in the year prior to the wedding and with onsite coordinator on the day of our event. Every little details was accounted for and we were able to relax and enjoy the evening with our guests. Marcia was an excellent asset to have in the wedding preparation and it was so great to have her their during our reception as well. We had our dinner in the grand terrace overlooking the lake and our guests raved about the excellent view during cocktail hour!

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!

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!

Natalie D. and her team at Monona Terrace were fantastic and helped our reception go on without a hitch! Food was fantastic, drinks were great! One minor thing is to note that all of your decor boxes are clearly marked with your name and room name so they all end up together when you pick them upthw following day!

We had our wedding ceremony and reception at the Monona Terrace, and we could not be happier with how it turned out. Our ceremony was in the Grand Terrace and our reception was in Ballroom A/B for our wedding of 184. Since we were planning our wedding from out of town, it was so convenient to be able to have everything (ceremony, reception, decoration placement, caterer, drinks, bakery) 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. Early on, she went through all of the line items with us and made sure we knew about all of the options and possibilities that the Terrace offers. Later on, she went through the agenda with us to make sure things would run smoothly. 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. She could not have made our planning any easier or stress-free. 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). We got the Premium Wedding Dinner Package. We received a lot of compliments about the Green Peppercorn Sirloin, which was the entree that most of our guests ordered. Though I didn't have it, I was relieved that the chefs could perfect cooking steaks for the masses. 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.

WOW! I cannot say how amazing Monona Terrace was for our big day. I never worried about a thing, and we got so many compliments on the beauty of the Community Terrace and how good the food was. I cannot reccomend them enough!!

We LOVED every part about our wedding at the Monona Terrace! They were so easy to work with, our event coordinator was very responsive, knowledgable, and had experience. This venue holds their expectations higher than any other place we were considering, they take the experience of us and our guests very seriously. All staff, bartenders, event planners, etc. were so accommodating and flexible. We truly appreciated all the work they did. I would highly recommend this venue to any couple looking for the perfect wedding! We had our ceremony on the Rooftop and reception in the Grand Terrace, just gorgeous venue! :)

Great venue! We had our cocktail hour on the roof and our reception in the community terrace and it was beautiful. Wendy was great to work with. They did not have any hidden costs we found out about later. Our guests were very impressed.

Ever since the Terrace was built, I told my mother it would be a dream to have a wedding here. While my mom, bridesmaid and I were viewing the rooms, she asked if we dead set on our date. When I asked why, she mentioned that the west circle on the roof was open and the community terrace room for the Friday before. I called my fiancé right away and told him. He said that was a deal we couldn't turn down. As I walked through the community terrace ballroom, I pictured my fairy tale wedding. The staff was beyond friendly from the start. Breann and Marcia walked us through the entire process and answered all our questions within a timely manner. Our day was truly magical and the food was fantastic. With the terrace being already so beautiful, we didn't need that many decorations. Why change perfection. Thank you everyone at the Terrace, it was a dream come true.

We held our wedding here in the community terrace. The room is so beautiful and when the sun goes down! It just got better. They provide free unlimited votive candles. and it really lit up the room. EVERY person I worked with was so amazing. Micayla was the greatest. She was there through everything. Answered my phone calls and emails right away and was with us the day of. If we did it all over again we would choose the Terrace every time! We got so many compliments on the food, drinks, room, and the view. We also go access to the roof top to take beautiful pictures with their fountain, looking over the capital building, and the lake! Could not have been happier.

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.

We had a great experience using the Monona Terrace as our wedding venue. The food was great, and the event manager was incredibly helpful. She did EVERYTHING possible to keep our ceremony outside despite the potential of rain. They also made the day so much easier, even when we forgot to order food for my sister-in-law and didn't even find out until that morning!

Our reception took place in the Grand Terrace and Ballroom. It was an amazing experience and we continue to get compliments of how beautiful the space was. You can not beat glass windows lining the back hall with an overlook of Lake Monona. Breanne and Wendy were with me every step of planning and made sure the day ran as smooth as possible. Everything was perfect and I couldn't ask for a better experience!

As a venue, the Monona Terrace has a massive advantage over many other locations in Madison because of its spectacular view of the lake and its elegant Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. The service by all the members of staff was also impeccable, from the moment we first toured the venue, all through the booking process, with excellent wait-staff on the evening itself who also packed the last slices of (externally catered) wedding cake for us to take home at the end of the night. Our only suggestion to future couples is that you DO take them up on their offer of a free tasting of their meals before selecting your menu. As with many other full-service venues, they do not allow external catering, and we were disappointed by the quality of their fish on the evening (broiled champagne tilapia). We might have been able to avoid this if we had done the tasting, so please learn from our experience. Otherwise an excellent venue and an excellent experience.

We chose Monona Terrace for our ceremony in August 2014. We got married on the West circle rooftop garden and the views were spectacular! Monona Terrace is one of the most iconic and beautiful places in Madison. The staff were good to work with and responsive, especially the catering staff (we had strawberry lemonade available before the ceremony). There was initially some confusion/ conflicting answers around when the space was available, as they have quite a few weddings there every day. This was difficult initially, but we didn't any other communication problems once it was resolved. Overall, I'm glad we had our ceremony there. However, I didn't love the ballrooms, especially for a wedding of our size (130), so we ended up having our reception elsewhere. Because the space is so beautiful, they book up very fast, so make sure you contact them early!

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!!!!!!

We chose to have both our ceremony (Rooftop Center) and our reception (Community Terrace) at the Monona Terrace. The day was absolutely perfect and our catering manager Micayla couldn't have been more helpful! To anyone getting married at the Monona Terrace I'd make a special request to have Micayla take care of you. From the moment we said we were going to have our wedding at the Monona Terrace they were nothing but welcoming and helpful. They sent numerous "thank you for choosing us" notes in the mail which was a nice touch and went above and beyond when it came to being organized. The groom and I had no worries or stress the day of the wedding because we knew Micayla would take care of everything and make sure it was exactly how we wanted it. Everyone at our wedding raved about the food - and you get so many choices! We were able to offer our guest 4 choices (no extra fees)! We did a dessert bar with all desserts coming from the Monona Terrace and they displayed it in such a beautiful matter. The wait staff was awesome and the crew who set-up all of our decorations did it exactly how we wanted. We couldn't have ask for a more perfect day! I would highly recommend the Monona Terrace to anyone getting married in Madison - you couldn't ask for a better venue with exceptional service!

The beautiful building and views will pull you in, but the staff, attention to detail, and professionalism will keep you there. We have used the Monona Terrace for several other charity events and fell in love with their friendly event staff. Every e-mail and phone call is answered immediately. Every effort is taken in advance to make sure the day is perfect. And on the day of the staff is more than helpful and ensures everything runs 100% smooth. The food from Monona Catering was outstanding, and the waitstaff extremely polite and helpful. Our waiter Lester treated us like royalty! We will continue hosting events at this amazing venue, and are so lucky it is in our hometown of Madison. Thank you Eartha, Breanne, Greg, and Lester!

The people we worked with were wonderful and our ceremony had a stunning lake view!

Food was mediocre and expensive. Kegs were way over priced. Everything was handled and professional. Employees very friendly and helpful.

The Monona Terrace staff will take care of you and all the details. They are more than happy to accommodate any requests you may have and they are very coordinated as they are pros in this field. They are one of the more pricey places to hold a wedding reception, but it was worth it for me to not have to worry about any details the day-of.

The rooftop of the Monona Terrace is a beautiful setting for an outdoor wedding. A back up rain space is provided in case the weather is less than ideal. Michelle is very easy to work with and they have options to fit a variety of budgets. They won't set up for the wedding rehearsal though including audio. Overall recommended!

The people at Monona Terrace were professional and easy to work with. The venue was a bit pricey; however, it offered a great location and the perfect backdrop for my ceremony and reception!

Monona Terrace was great! We did both our wedding and ceremony there and everything was perfect. They did a great job organizing everything and making it move smoothly. I had to move the ceremony inside due to rain which was hard, but they gave me an extra hour to make the call since it was "iffy" in the morning, and everything turned out wonderful inside. The food was fantastic. The only reason I give 4 stars is because they're very strict in what you can bring in (no cupcakes, no mints or anything open), and they get you with costs of extras such as up-lighting. It came with the DJ package for free, but he had to be around the dance floor. He couldn't do the up-lighting on the pillars around the room. Overall everything was great.

Perfect place to have a wedding. Half our guests were from out of town and the ease of staying at the Hilton and being footsteps away from the festivities is so convienent. Food is amazing and you can't go wrong with any choice. Service was outstanding. Nothing went wrong the entire day and guests commented that it was the best wedding they've ever been to. Thank you Monona Terrace!!!!

We had our ceremony on the rooftop garden which was incredibly beautiful. The staff set-up and took down all the seating and they provided water for guests free of charge. We used the Hall of Ideas for our reception and the Grand Terrace for our cocktail hour. Although the carpet is kind of ugly, the food was excellent. The staff was great at serving in a timely and organized manner and we heard so many great things from our guests.

What an incredible venue looking over Lake Monona! The scenery was breath-taking, the service incredible. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful venue for our fall wedding in Madison. The staff was professional and courteous. Everything was set up exactly how I wanted it. Food was delicious. Our caterer was incredible - made sure our day was exactly what we wanted.

While Monona Terrace was a great location and venue, they fell down on a couple of things when it came to our wedding. One big was not getting the right dates of home University of Wisconsin football games, which greatly impacted getting hotel rooms blocked for out of town guests. We also weren't told that at least 2 other weddings were taking place at the same time as ours. The service from our event coordinators was very professional and they were very flexible in working with us when we had a last minute floral change. The wait and bartending staff was not very friendly. They seemed less than enthused to be servicing our guests -- I went up to get a glass of wine from the bar and no one greeted me or smiled. It was quite strange. Overall, I was happy with the venue and service, but the few missteps along the way dissuaded me from selecting 5 stars.

We were so pleased with our choice of venue and we wouldn't have had it any other way. The location was so beautiful. We were in the Community Terrace which over looks Lake Monona so the view was amazing. The staff did an excellent job of working with us both prior to our event as well as the day of and after. They knew myself and my mom (our contact person) by name and they were so helpful with any request we had. The Monona Terrace had a great way of assuring us everything was under control and they were absolutely right. Also, we had so many comments from our guests about how great the food tasted. We had a customized buffet with East Indian and American food and everything on the buffet was delicious! We were also surprised that our bill came in at the price it did with having the customized buffet. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone in the Madison area not only for weddings but for any large event.

The Monona Terrace was perfect for my wedding! I got married in the center circle on the rooftop and it was beautiful. We planned the ceremony and reception to be outside, although due to the cold weather we had to move the reception inside. The staff was very professional and did everything they could to make my day easy and perfect. Side note: if you do want to get married on the rooftop, be aware that you cannot have any open flames (the material the roof is made of is flammable) and you cannot put a dance floor up there due to the tiles. Also, to reserve the space doesn't cost much, but be aware that if you are paying for an open bar, and food, and a few rentals the cost will add up. My wedding was 115 people, open bar, stations for food. We did not do a cake, but also know that they do not provide tiered wedding cakes - and if you bring one in they charge you per slice to cut it.

Monona Terrace was wonderful for our wedding. We had the Community Terrace and the view simply cannot be beat. The staff is wonderful and very attentive. The waitress that was tending to us noticed my husband and I weren't eating so she put together a box for us to eat once we got hungry! I highly recommend them!

We had our entire ceremony at the Monona Terrace (ceremony, cocktails, dinner and dance). I worked with Wendy, and she was very patient with me. The prices were a little bit crazy in terms of what they wanted for things. I did a lot of negotiating to get things more affordable. It took a lot of time, but I did get some prices down, but not all. I was surprised for how much they wanted to nickel and dime you for everything. I was doing most of the work, but I felt like I was paying them for it all. Once I got the prices figured out, things were fine. Their catering staff was very nice to all of our guests, and they followed my instructions for set up, which was important. I would just caution anyone having cocktails/dinner there to make sure that people keep their drinks with them. We had people who placed their new drinks on the table to take a picture, only to have the drink taken away by a waiter/waitress. That left them going up for another drink and us paying for many drinks that were not even touched! The place was beautiful (other than the carpet) and is a wonderful place for a beautiful lake overlook. I would recommend that if you have the time and patience to negotiate with people there, it can be very much worth it.

The Monona Terrace is a gorgeous place to have a wedding reception. We used the community terrace which has breathtaking views of Lake Monona. The staff was incredible and bent over backwards to accommodate us on the actual day. We worked with Eartha as our catering contact and I can't say enough good things about her. She was approachable and always available for questions. She was extremely helpful and spent the entire evening on site to help out. The site was perfect and I couldn't have asked for more.

I liked having my wedding there. The only thing that bothered me was I did have wedding crashers show up. They started cleaning the room while the wedding was still going on and getting rid of peoples drinks who were dancing. otherwise I had a good time

Eartha Armstrong was amazing as our catering manager. she made the process so smooth and easy I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Great location. Rooftop garden was beautiful overlooking Lake Monona. Little decorations needed due to natural beauty. Only downside is having to pay for parking.

What a great decision for a reception hall! The Monona Terrace was in constant contact with us and walked us through planning out the day, step by step, down to every last detail. All staff was personable and saw to making our day as special as possible. The catering crew was excellent, giving just enough time for each course, and the food was delicious! The bartenders were a hit. Our room offered a great view of the lake, and we were even able to go on the roof to take pictures. I would HIGHLY recommend this venue for any wedding reception.

The Monona Terrace is a wonderful location to host a wedding and / or reception. My husband and I had our ceremony and reception in the Community Terrace which turned out to be perfect for our guests. The staff were very attentive and the food and drinks were delicious. It is a bit on the pricier side but with the location and being lakeside it is worth the cost.

We booked the Community Terrace room at the Monona Terrace for our reception. It was very nice. Great view, within walking distance from the capitol building, beautiful architecture... They were pretty easy to work with and its an amazing location. The food was very good. We also had them set up a gourmet coffee/hot chocolate/cider station since the wedding was in November. We got rave reviews about that from our guests! It was a little pricy, and you don't get a choice of caterers - they have in-house catering so you have to use them - but compared to some of the other places we looked into for our reception it was worth it. If you want to have your reception there I would definitely recommend getting one of the rooms that looks out onto the lake instead of an interior room. For us, that awesome view and the large windows were part of the draw - the interior rooms aren't really anything special in my opinion - at least not for the cost. But yes, I do highly recommend the Monona Terrace!

Beautiful views and extremely helpful staff.

My husband and I are both fans of Frank Lloyd Wright and so using Monona Terrace was a no brainer. I love the location and the staff were great. The only reason I didn't rate it a 5 is because of its limitations in bringing outside food but they tell you this going into it. Other than that, they were fabulous and were quick to make sure everything was the way we wanted.

The waterfront rooms are exceptional, the staff was very helpful and very professional, the day-of coordination exceeded my expectations. I was not impressed with much of the food at the taste test, but we were able to select a menu that ended up being great.

The view and facility of the Monona Terrace are amazing. They cannot be beat! That said, the food is not the highest quality and the taste is not the best. But, you can look past this given the facility. Moreover, while the service is strong, I did not find that they went above and beyond. There are also stringent rules, many of which we learned of the day-of the wedding. The value is okay - you pay wedding prices for everything!

The room we choose had a beautiful view out to the lake and it was the perfect size for our 150 guests. It also had a great view of the capital from their room terrace. It was connected by sky walk to a very nice hotel and the food was excellent;I wouldn't warn them about anything, just to take into consideration that the room we were in was very sunny, so there wasn't much ambiance for dinner because it was still light out. Also, the carpet is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. Orange, green, and red swirls and leaves. It kinda distracts from the type of setting you are trying to create.