Wedding Locations in Downtown Milwaukee
These five fine establishments, four hotels and one public memorial space, offer a range of services appropriate for wedding ceremonies and receptions. The hotels, of course, also provide a convenient, attractive place for overnight guests.
1. The Pfister Hotel
424 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Considered by some to be Milwaukee’s finest hotel, the Pfister offers an elaborate Victorian setting. As a wedding venue for over 100 years, the posh Pfister is known for its impeccable, detailed-oriented service. With two wedding consultants on staff to plan rehearsal dinners, ceremonies, and receptions, this hotel provides a comprehensive and arguably unparalleled venue for your wedding.
The Pfister has three main rooms which can be selected depending on the size of your event. The Grand Ballroom can hold up to 600 guests, the Imperial Ballroom can accommodate up to 300 guests, and the warm CafÃ?© Rouge is ideal for smaller affairs. The Pfister’s rooms are more than comfortable, and wedding guests do receive a discount on the princely accommodations.
In addition to its guest rooms and ballroom spaces, the Pfister is reputed for its food, as it the home of the fabulous Celia restaurant. Accordingly, the chefs can prepare a traditional menu or something more striking and unique for your wedding. White-gloved butlers are even available to pass hors d’oeuvres. An extensive beverage service is offered, featuring fine wines, champagnes, and sparkling wines.
To see the grandeur that is the Pfister, visit their website: www.thepfisterhotel.com
2. Hotel Metro
411 East Mason Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Hotel Metro is a sleek yet refined location for a wedding event. Based on 1930s European dÃ?©cor combined with an understated art deco look, the Hotel’s accoutrements feel both modern and classic. English linen covers the ballroom walls, Italian silk is draped through the chandeliers, and the floors welcome guests with warm bamboo plank.
With a capacity of 100 guests for a traditional seated dinner or 150 guests for a lighter reception, Hotel Metro’s ballroom strikes a beautiful balance between worlds. Though it cannot accommodate as many people as either of the Pfister’s large ballrooms can, there is a quiet warmth and sophistication that will make a smaller wedding tasteful and lively. Hotel Metro has a balanced visual appeal, whereas the Pfister, lovely as it is, can look slightly overdone.
Offering a wedding menu package with a four-hour bar service, Hotel Metro makes wedding planning at a desirable location remarkably simple. Their special events coordinator will assist with all the details.
Visit www.hotelmetro.comto see pictures and learn more about this unique Milwaukee downtown hotel. It offers an atmosphere that will surprise, charm, and ultimately please wedding guests.
3. Milwaukee County War Memorial
750 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Whether or not anyone in your immediate coterie has ever been a member of the armed services, the Milwaukee County War Memorial, adjacent to the Milwaukee Art Museum, offers excellent facilities for a lakefront wedding.
Memorial Hall, which can seat around 250 for a wedding reception, is an architecturally unassuming yet bright and attractive space. The loveliest sights are just outside, as floor-to-ceiling windows provide guests with views of Milwaukee’s downtown.
Though the War Memorial does not offer its own catering service, this may be a plus if you’d rather shop around for a menu that meets your taste and budget. Browse the list of approved caterers on the website, www.warmemorialcenter.org.
If you’ve dreamed of an outdoor wedding ceremony in an idyllic lakefront setting, the War Memorial can also offer its services. The Fitch Plaza allows you to use Lake Michigan as the backdrop for your exchange of vows while the Calatrava extension of the Milwaukee Art Museum remains in view for guests. The setting is crisp and regal.
The combination of the War Memorial’s two wedding-appropriate facilities will allow you to have your ceremony and reception in the same stunning part of Milwaukee’s shore, and downtown hotels are only a short distance away.
4. The Astor Hotel
924 East Juneau Avenue
Milwaukee WI 53202
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, you will find the Astor Hotel, a landmark on Milwaukee’s Lower East Side. Just a few blocks from Lake Michigan, this 1920 building is a notable hotel and apartment building, providing not only a well-recognized Milwaukee address for its residents but also a charming spot for wedding receptions. It has an attractive interior, but the dÃ?©cor is less posh than the Pfister’s and less sophisticated than Hotel Metro’s.
With the Grand Ballroom seating 300 guests and the Renaissance Room handling smaller events of 50-150 people, the Astor offers two choices for a wedding reception. The extensive menu options and banquet policy are available through a link on the Astor Hotel’s web portal, www.theastorhotel.com.
Your wedding guests can stay overnight in the well-appointed, affordable rooms, making the Astor a convenient place for everything except, perhaps, the ceremony itself. That said, the delightfully quaint neighborhood is home to some lovely churches (including a Unitarian Universalist Congregation) that might be appropriate for a ceremony, depending upon the nature of your intended union.
5. Hyatt Regency
333 West Kilbourn Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53203
Though the exterior itself is a bit dated and unappealing, the downtown Hyatt Regency, just west of the Milwaukee River, is another excellent wedding reception location.
By far the largest of the four hotels presented here as wedding locations, it also has the greatest number of pre-packaged options. Capable of accommodating groups as large as 500, the Hyatt touts three basic wedding packages, each well-delineated on the www.milwaukee.hyatt.comwebsite. You may choose from silver, golden, and diamond packages, with options such as butler-passed hors d’oeuvres and lavish, color-coordinated table accessories available with the more advanced packages.
It is worth noting that the Hyatt staff is experienced with various ethnic traditions, including Indian and Pakistani, and can help with a wedding outside traditional American norms.
