Vendor Review: Madison Event Center

Not too far from our hip little corner of Phoenix lies an event center that we had never heard of! So when they had an open house earlier this month, we stopped by to introduce ourselves and see their event space. And brides, the Madison Event Center is actually pretty cool!

The pluses are many:

• One of the largest venues in Arizona with table seating for up to 600 guests
• Outside vendors are welcome, so no food and beverage minimums!
• Awesome lighting and decor options
• 2:00am event time, so your guests can party well into the night!
• Cool urban look and feel–the lobby was super hip, and the event space itself is an old warehouse with high ceilings and limitless possibilities for lighting, bands, a screen to show your favorite memories, etc.
• We think it's definitely perfect for budget brides, as they offer great packages that include lighting, sound, music, projection screen, tables, chairs, linens, ice and even an on-site-coordinator. This is one of the most complete packages we've seen! Dare we say, this is a cheap wedding reception spot!
• They also have a screened outdoor space, though we didn't see it.

Not so great things:

• It's next to a jail.
• It's downtown Phoenix, and next to a jail.
• Did we mention the location? Well, they do offer security for your guests, as well parking in their own lot (though you're left with just metered spots once those are gone), but you really gotta love the urban feel (which we do, of course, but we just like to give full disclosure!).

Brides and grooms, when you drive up, don't be disappointed. Just know that it's actually super cool inside. Check out their website for an on-line gallery of photos. And ask for Amber–she was the event coordinator that we met with, and we loved her enthusiasm for weddings!