Your wedding day will always be one of the most memorable and happiest days of your life. But it’s more than just your wedding day, it’s your wedding weekend! And to kick off the festivities, you have your wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. And while your “big day” is still the biggest day, there’s something uniquely special about the rehearsal events. This smaller, more intimate gathering typically involves just the wedding party, your family, and your closest friends, giving you an opportunity to connect, reminisce, and anticipate what will happen tomorrow. Trust us – you’ll be spread thin on your wedding day, so take time to catch your breath and enjoy the meaningful moments of the rehearsal activities.
Even if your wedding won’t be held here at Monona Terrace, wedding couples often choose Monona Terrace for their wedding rehearsal dinner venue because of our ability to provide a sophisticated, lakefront event venue and our flexibility to accommodate virtually any need or requirement.
Lakeside Vista: Begin Your Wedding Weekend with a View
Whether you’ve lived in Madison your entire life or just visiting for the first time, when you see Monona Terrace, it is simply breathtaking. Rising magically from the waters of Lake Monona and terracing elegantly to the bucolic rooftop garden, it stands as a pinnacle of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural mission to organically blend a structure with its natural surroundings. Imagine you and your guests enjoying the skyline of beautiful downtown Madison and mingling with cocktails before the wedding rehearsal dinner. As far as lakefront event venues are concerned, we are tough to beat.
Thanks to our convenient lakeside location, Monona Terrace is the ideal rehearsal dinner venue for pre-wedding celebrations, from a sunset reception on the terrace to a sumptuous multi-course culinary event in one of our versatile indoor spaces. You can relax and connect with your family and friends before the wedding day and let us worry about everything else. The views are literally “on the house.” You’ll quickly realize why Monona Terrace is the perfect wedding weekend venue in Madison.
Spaces Designed for Rehearsal Dinners of Every Style
We’ve been doing wedding weekends for decades, and we pride ourselves on our flexibility to cater to just about any style, genre, or vision you might have. First, we will start with the size of your rehearsal dinner guest list. This helps us find the ideal space for you and your guests. If outdoors is your heart’s desire, the versatile rooftop garden is perfect for a small, more intimate gathering with just your wedding party, or it can scale to accommodate a more extensive guest list.
For indoor celebrations, we have a wide range of spaces to choose from depending on your party’s size. For a smaller celebration with close family and the wedding party, we recommend private rooms like The Dane Room or The Hall of Fame Room. The Dane Room is ideal for groups up to 15 with magnificent views of the lake. For slightly larger rehearsal dinners, The Hall of Fame Room accommodates 24-27 for a sit down dinner and up to 48 for a reception.
If your wedding rehearsal celebration is trending towards more robust arrangements, we have several spaces to choose from, depending on your guest list and culinary needs. The Madison Ballroom, while massive, can be divided into sections appropriate to the number in your party. The Grand Terrace can be divided into two sections and boasts sweeping views of Lake Monona. But if the view is driving your desire, let’s find space on the rooftop terrace, which combines jaw-dropping vistas and ample room for larger guest lists.
Once we’ve found the ideal space for our wedding rehearsal dinner and celebration, we’ll work with you to design the perfect dining experience. Choose from a plated dinner with dedicated servers, a buffet-style meal, and/or a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres of your choice. We are also delighted to accommodate any family traditions or culinary requirements that are unique to your vision. Take a look at our catering selections, but be forewarned, it might stir your appetite!
Regardless of what space you choose, you’ll always get the full attention of our award-winning staff and delicious catering services. Explore all our event spaces here.
Picture-Perfect Moments: Capture the Start of Your Celebration
Thanks to our one-of-a-kind architectural details and spectacular lakefront views, Monona Terrace is a highly sought after location for pre-wedding photos. Our rooftop garden offers a variety of options, with a wide array of native plants, pollinator habitats, and annual “Art of the Rooftop” sculpture exhibit, all of which provide an abundance of backgrounds for your portraits. Another favorite outdoor spot for couples is near the glass walls overlooking the water, which gives a sense of scale with the compelling visuals of Wright’s architecture.
Pre-wedding photos are ideal for sharing on social media to build excitement for the big day and to showcase the impressive locale. Combine all your photos into a slideshow, welcoming your guests as they arrive to the rehearsal dinner or the wedding, if you’ve selected us as your wedding venue too. And, once the weekend is over and your lives together as a married couple commence, you’ll have an inspired collection of photos documenting the beginning of the wedding weekend.
Plan Ahead: Wedding Weekends Book Quickly
Just like your wedding, planning your wedding rehearsal event far in advance is paramount. As a wedding venue, Monona Terrace frequently has weddings booked as much as 2 years in advance. So, booking a place for your wedding rehearsal can be just as crucial as the wedding venue itself. Of course, if you’re planning to have Monona Terrace handle the entire wedding weekend, it makes things much more convenient!
Here are some tips for planning a successful wedding rehearsal celebration:
Finalize the guest list and dinner format early: Identify who will be coming and how you want the day/evening to go, from the time you expect guests to arrive until the event is over. Also, select a dinner format, such as a table service or cocktails only.
Coordinate catering and bar service: Once you’ve selected a dinner format, we can help you select from the various options we provide, based upon your guest preferences. This could be a full bar to wine and beer only, and we’ll also dive into our comprehensive dining offerings to ensure you and your party are delighted and overjoyed.
Identify any AV requirements: Monona Terrace provides cutting-edge equipment and a state-of-the-art technical infrastructure. We’ll collaborate with you based upon the agenda of your evening, which might include speeches, music, dancing, and any cultural traditions you may have. Then we can set up and manage the event, from the PA system and projector/screen to lighting, a dance floor, and whatever else you have in mind for the perfect wedding weekend.
Check out our Event Services to learn more about all we provide.
Don’t Forget! Start Your Wedding Weekend at Monona Terrace
One of the most overlooked “big things” when planning a wedding are the pre-wedding logistics, which includes the rehearsal dinner. You know you need to plan for it, but it keeps getting pushed to a backburner because of higher priority items, like the invitations, the photographer, and yes, the actual wedding venue.
Get started now and partner with Madison’s premier choice for wedding rehearsals – Monona Terrace. There is no other location in Madison or the Midwest that combines breathtaking architecture and views with versatile event spaces and a flexible catering operation. Let our dedicated, full-service team help you bring your vision to reality. Start your wedding weekend in style at Monona Terrace, where elegance meets the lakefront.
Contact us today to begin planning your wedding rehearsal dinner at Monona Terrace.