Lussier Family Heritage Center

the entrance area made a great space for the bar/buffet tables. The groomsmen also used the unoccupied area downstairs for getting ready, and the wedding party was able to hang out in that space while waiting for the ceremony, etc. We were looking for affordability, so we did the 1 day rental. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get in for decorating until the late morning, and we only had about an hour for cleanup after the reception. We had a ton of friends and family who helped us with decorating and cleanup, but without all that help it would not be possible to prepare the space/cleanup with the one day rental. Overall, it's a beautiful space and is relatively affordable, you just have to make plans to do decoration/cleanup yourselves.

couple's personal decor and Lussier Family Heritage Center's team had done an incredible job prepping for us. They continued to provide excellent assistance throughout the day and evening as well. I cannot recommend this venue enough - brides and grooms - do your coordinator a favor and go with Lussier Family Heritage Center!

and the old oak tree out front was a gorgeous setting for our ceremony. Highly recommend!

patio, and burned a bonfire both Friday night for the rehearsal dinner and Saturday during the wedding. Handfuls of guests commented on how beautiful the surrounding fields and nature preserves were, and the giant oak tree out front made an outstanding first impression. Being able to rent the entire building to ourselves at an affordable price with the option of bringing in our own food and alcohol was also a huge plus. Linda, the head coordinator, was very easy to work with and responded quickly to any questions we had during the planning process. The Lussier Family Heritage Center is definitely Madison's hidden gem.

ace and Sunday for take down. It's a convenient location and guests commented on how nice the space is. It's great for those wanting a more down to earth (read not stuffy) celebration. We had our ceremony at Olbrich, but this would also be a beautiful space for a ceremony.

(for no extra cost) in case it didn't clear up. It did, and then it was easy to set up outside as well. Having the versatility was key! Also the staff was friendly, easy to work with, and responded quickly to my emails!

or you can pay to have things catered and have everything taken care of for you. You can decorate as much or as little as you want. The prairie and surrounding area are beautiful and let people enjoy the outdoors. We had our ceremony outside in the back, and had yard games and a bonfire outside. It made it so that there were SO many options for people to decide what they wanted to do. People were dancing or hanging out inside or doing any of the options outside. We were planning from a distance, and I think it would have been a bit easier at times to plan if we were closer. Overall though, Linda is quick with responses when we had questions and helped us figure things out. Something for others to think about-- We decided not to rent the venue the Friday before our Saturday wedding or the Sunday after because we did not want to pay for the extra days when we were not using it. It would have been useful for us to get everything set up/decorated the day/night before or to be able to do the final clean-up the next day. In hindsight though I'm still not sure if we would have paid the extra for the extra day(s) or just had a better/more detailed set-up/cleanup plan. :)

atch out for mosquitos! This was the perfect venue for our simple, classy wedding with a hint of vintage charm.

other vendors we wanted. They are very flexible in that respect and you can even buy your own alcohol to be served at the bar which is a huge money saver. The biggest problem was that all setup and take down had to be done the day of the wedding. It was a lot of work. This is definitely more of a DIY wedding spot (you bring in all of the decorations, plates, bartenders, caterers, etc.) so if you are up for a little extra work it is great.

site and were not overly impressed but went to see it anyway. The website totally undersold the space! (this has since been fixed) The location offers a nice view of the prairie and local marshland. It is far enough from the city to be quiet and close enough that we found hotels within a mile or two. Linda, the events coordinator, was very helpful and answered our many questions patiently. We rented the entire building and were able to have the ceremony and reception bar in the lower level, the dinner in the upper level, and the reception band on the outdoor patio. I would recommend this space to anyone who is looking to mix the outdoors with the indoors and a lovely view!