Marcus Center for the Performing Arts

If you're looking for an affordable venue for a large crowd in downtown Milwaukee, the Marcus Center is a great choice. The room is lovely and view from the ballroom is gorgeous. You are limited to using their caterer-- Sazama's, but I have to say, they did an excellent job.

My major complaint is with the bathrooms, they need to be updated--they are the type you'd find at a high school with metal stalls. Not exactly the glamourous feel I was looking for at my wedding. Also, they seemed to also be used by theatre goers during the wedding, which was kind of odd. Aside from that, though, the Marcus Center was great.

We visited the performing arts center when shopping for a ceremony/reception venue. The ballroom is very long and narrow and the only thing I didn't like was that the bar and dance floor are permanently set at opposite ends of the long ballroom - no negotiation. Also, if you don't book within about a year of your date, they can't guarantee you will have the beautiful atrium to hold your ceremony. We were looking earlier than that so if it came down to the day and the symphony needs the atrium for an event, that trumps yours and you have to have your ceremony in the same ballroom as the reception. If you're only looking for a reception venue, you wouldn't need to worry about this. Other than those things, the staff are very nice, the catering menu looks great, and the cocktail hour area is great.

The Marcus Center and Ovation Catering surpassed my expectations for a beautiful, memorable wedding reception. They were always available to answer questions and give suggestions, they had food tastings and wine tastings...I knew exactly what I was going to get! Our guests could not have been more impressed and it is a wedding they will be talking about for a long time to come.

This was the catering group that was recommended to us by the wedding event manager at the Hampton Inn. This worked out well, because it saved us the trouble of finding a carter that we liked and who would be familiar with the hotel reception room layout. It worked out perfectly, too, on the wedding day! The menu that we had decided upon during a tasting was a success! Everyone loved everything, and we ordered (at their suggestion) the right amount of food! The appetizers were good, the main meal was good, and the suggestion of a chocolate fountain with fruits for dessert was really, really popular!

The place was beautiful. I worked with one of their wedding planners, Julie Clemens. I can’t begin to give her the thanks. She made it so easy for everything from the food tasting to the last minute of the reception. If I could do it again it would be the same.

Sazama’s Fine Catering and the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts blend our expertise seamlessly to make your wedding ceremony and reception wonderfully creative and stress free — not to mention deliciously memorable for your guests.

Sazama’s is a full service caterer and our staff has extensive experience in creating beautiful wedding receptions. We are known for exceptional cuisine, impressive service and unwavering attention to detail.

The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts offers an exceptional setting along the Milwaukee River and offers a wonderful variety of sites that will accommodate almost any size affair. For a special flair we can present cocktails and appetizers al fresco on the Fitch Garden Patio, Riverfront or Colonnade.

Sazama's Fine Catering at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts has been rated by local brides and voted The Knot Best of Weddings 2011 Pick