Our friend's wedding was held at the Monona Terrace last weekend. We started off with cocktails on the rooftop. It was a warm sunny day that just enhanced the amazing view of Lake Monona and also the direct view of the Capital. Unfortunately, the food wasn't as amazing as the view. The bruschetta was soggy, the cucumber topped with crab meat had no flavor, and we didn't even bother trying the chicken kabobs because they looked so disgusting.
We headed back inside for the reception. We got to the floor we thought the wedding was on and the staff told us we had to take the escalator down one more flight. We did and felt like we were in the basement. The semi circular room faced the lake, but by that time it was dark so there was nothing to see besides the flood lights outside. Because of the shape of the room nothing flowed very well. There were also huge pillars blocking lots of views. The meal was a filet and chicken breast with roasted potatoes. My chicken was mushy, but the filet was ok. My husband said his filet was tough. The potatoes weren't even that good.
The reception went until midnight, but around 11:00 the waitstaff started breaking down the room! They moved alot of the centerpieces to one area by the door(onto a flatbed cart they earlier pulled through the crowd hanging around the very small bar area) and removed the table cloths from some of the tables. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
The room above the one we were in may be a better choice for an event, but after I saw how the staff acted I would stay away from this place...especially if it's your wedding.