Mad Art Gallery

space itself--everything was fantastic. Our guests are still telling us how wonderful our event was and how much they enjoyed themselves. Mad Art Gallery offerred the right amount of flexibility and experience with hosting events to help us make our wedding and reception exactly what we wanted.

r backwards for a very reasonable cost! Five + stars!

y to cater BBQ for the reception. We were lucky to stumble upon Mad Art Gallery. We had passed by the building numerous times before, but didn’t realize what a gem was hiding inside. The space was perfect for our guest count (we had about 110 guests and they fit very comfortably), had an adorable outside for the ceremony, and had a little jail cell near the bar area that could be used as a nook (we used it to display pictures and set up a candy bar). Oh, and did I mention that they have a BBQ joint on site so we didn’t even have to look elsewhere for catering? Everything worked seamlessly. Taylor was wonderful to work with and was flexible and willing to adjust to our needs and was incredibly helpful with the process. We had no problems getting vendors onsite and Taylor helped coordinate so we didn’t even have to think about it. And to this day, our guests can’t stop talking about the food—the food was so, so good. We opted for the BBQ and were so incredibly pleased with how everything tasted. Being huge food lovers, having great food at our wedding was so important and the team at Mad Art delivered. Overall, the experience was great, the venue was charming, and Taylor was the icing on the cake, making it a seamless, easy wedding. Two thumbs up!

and everything was delicious. The serving staff was extremely hard working and the bartenders kept the line moving all night. Would recommend.

s and the environment we had to mingle and dance. Taylor made sure we didn’t need anything, and If we did, she was sure to get it for us. They even changed event coordinators a few weeks before our big day but everything was really seamless for us. There were a few cons for us, though. While I don't necessarily blame the vendor for this, it was extraordinarily hot in the hallway, where there was a constant flow of people there (photo booth, bar, bathrooms). It was a really hot day for being the middle of October and I know they were trying to keep the main gallery cool, but it felt like a sauna in the hallway! Also, I just learned recently that they ran out of food! Our last table got protein, but the sides were completely gone by the time they got to the last table. I know that there were 4 people from our final count that did not show up, so even if a few people took more food than they "should have", I feel terrible that not all of my guests were able to eat everything. Aside from the fact that they ran out, though - the food was amazing and highly recommended. While overall it was a good day, when you're paying as much as you do for a wedding, there were some things that shouldn't have happened that could have made it a more pleasant day for all. EDIT: Taylor reached out to us after we provided them with some specific feedback to help remedy the situation, which was greatly appreciated. While it doesn't necessarily fix what happened that day - Mad Art did make an effort to make sure we got the most out of our event, so for that I am grateful.

ons of questions. The owner & staff did everything to make our day special! From the beautiful courtyard to the spacious area, we and our guests loved this place! The food was the most delicious I've had in years & gallery space is gorgeous. After seeing 20 other venues, we're overjoyed to have picked Mad Art. I can't thank them enough for making our wedding so magical (& stress free, too!) I'd highly recommend it! It's also in the lovely Soulard neighborhood. We're overjoyed to have our memories made & shared at Mad Art Gallery!

thought of so many details that would have else wise been completely forgotten by me. We always got fast responses and it was actually fun to work with them. The venue worked great--we had an outdoor ceremony in the beautiful courtyard and the reception was inside the gallery. There was a room for the bridal party to stash their belongings/hang out in before the ceremony, plenty of bathrooms, there is a stage in the gallery that was perfect for the band, etc. Would 100% recommend this place to anyone!

and always smiling! Great to have both the ceremony and reception in the same place. The only thing I would change is that (since we had almost 150 people) would have been to have set up a satellite bar to help keep the line short. It was also great to have the green room to put things in. Everybody raved about the food all night! Best venue in Soulard!

ery detail and really went above and beyond to make our day special! Ron (the chef and owner) made us a customized and delicious meal and was willing to make separate plates for a few guests with dietary restrictions. We had our ceremony in the courtyard and then our reception in the large event space. We about 80 guests and there was more than enough room for everyone. The transition between the buffet and the dance floor was seamless. Guests raved about the food and how neat the space was – they loved the artwork in the main space and the fact that they could take photos in the holding cell! I would definitely recommend this venue to the couple looking for a virtually all inclusive space (you do have to provide your own sound system and table decorations) that is a little quirky but still feels special. Our pictures came out really well with the natural light for the ceremony, and the reception photos weren’t too dark.

ad our ceremony outside and moved straight inside for the reception with no lag time or travel required. Our guests loved that we put a photobooth in the jail cell and used the cell bars as the backdrop for the pictures. While we did not get to choose the art that was displayed for the wedding, it was distinctive black and white abstract paintings. Overall this is a great venue and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a less traditional venue.

sons we loved it. It has tons of parking and lots of good photo opportunities. Two notes the lightening is challenging for photos and you have to bring in your own sound system which is just an added cost. Overall incredible place and awesome staff.

eremony on the patio, and it was perfect! We were able to seat about 140 people out there. I loved the venue because it was so different. My favorite parts were the bar, the jail cells (we made one into a photo booth), the fact that they had all the linens we wanted, plus centerpieces! The venue is different, which is exactly what I wanted. The food was good, and I loved that Carrie was there they day of, making sure things went smoothly. I also loved the fact that they had ample parking for our guests. The price wasn't much different from other venues we looked at, and it was nice that the bartender and food were already there and that we didn't have to go to outside vendors. Overall a great venue!

preferred vendors" are great. Carrie is the on-site coordinator and she is both very helpful and somewhat difficult to work with at the same time. She is very communicative and responds to emails within 24 hours, but often earlier than that. She was flexible even when we wanted to change things close to the wedding date. On our wedding day itself, it rained on and off and we went back and forth several times between having the ceremony outside or inside. She helped dry the seats several times and brought out big umbrellas so that we could still have the option of having an outdoor ceremony. (In the end, the rain held out for exactly 20 minutes!) However, Carrie sometimes seemed to forget details we had already agreed upon (such as arrival times for other vendors) and this added a little bit of stress. Overall, having the alcohol, food, ceremony, and reception all in one spot made everything easier for us. We highly recommend Mad Art!

ly. She always answered emails and phone calls within 24 hours and was always willing to help. I have received non-stop compliments about how delicious the food was, how prompt and polite the staff was and how unique the location was! Many of my family members are smokers and could go into the courtyard and still feel connected with the rest of the party. They even opened the garage so that the outside and inside were one. I had to force people out at closing time because they were having so much fun! Not a single thing went wrong with the food, set-up or party. How many brides can say that? The pricing was really reasonable and even though we only had 60 guests, Carrie made sure the room felt full. It's right by the highway so it is really easy for guests to find and there is a secure lot available which was very reassuring. I would 100% recommend this location.

nt's desk (it's an old Art Deco style police station). We loved the outdoor space. They also catered or offered you the opportunity to bring in outside caterers. We loved the food, so we stuck with them. We were able to use the old jail cell as a photobooth. Everyone complimented us on our fun and fantastic venue. Rose was the catering manager who helped us on the day, and she was fantastic. She checked on us often and kept the DJ and ourselves informed of things. Cons: There was a change in event manager while we were under contract, and we didn't find out until we sent an email to see why we hadn't heard from them in a while and got an automatic reply that she wasn't there anymore. Once we got a hold of the new events manager, she had nothing but excuses as to why she didn't have any information about our wedding. Now, we really wanted to be patient because we knew that changing a major position while there were several pending events is not easy, but 2 weeks before the wedding we still were getting the runaround and after a while we just got really stressed out about hearing again and again about all the reasons they didn't have the answers we wanted. We'd have to email and call several times to get a response and I started to really worry about the day. After all the stress that we had do deal with before the wedding, someone asked me if I would still recommend Mad Art Gallery to others. After all the fantastic treatment that we got on the day of the wedding, especially from Rose, we would say yes. I realize that job reshuffling is stressful and I hope that now that it's been a while that they have found their stride.

enue. We booked a little over a year in advanced, but when it came down to figuring out all the details, Mad Art was extremely difficult to get a hold of. They went through three different managers in the time my husband and I worked with them. When the managers left, we heard nothing from anyone about what was going on. More often than I would have liked, it took several attempts to get a hold of someone to get a question answered. Then my husband and I had to send our final bill back multiple times to get fixed because it was never correct. We also paid to have the fireplace lit during the reception and it was not lit until my husband went and told the bar tender. It was only lit for the last 30 minutes of the reception. I wish I could say more for the services here, because the venue really is amazing and beautiful. Our guests had a lot of fun here.

t immediately and all of my questions were answered. We scheduled a meeting and met with the coordinator and while it wasn't exactly what we wanted it still was beautiful and had a lot of character and potential. The menu looked great, they were very flexible and it looked like this was going to be our place. After receiving an estimate later that day we noticed there were some adjustments needed such as adding a few extras and reducing the beverage package and so an email was sent back within a few days requesting these changes. Almost 3 weeks, several emails, and a phone call later I have not received a response from this venue of any kind. We assumed that they really weren't needing the $15K+ that they wanted from us and took our money else where.

tments: first, we used an outside caterer who showed up late (only 40 minutes before the ceremony!) on the day of the event--this took Lesley away from her usual tasks, so the venue was not really ready for the ceremony (outside speakers not hooked up, 'reserved' ribbons not placed on front row for grandparents, sewer grate not covered). The biggest disappointment was the bar service. We bought the $28pp full bar, and added a 'toast' of beer (rather than champagne)--the latter never happened. The bar was not opened when we were told it would be, and the service was VERY slow. I would highly recommend Mad Art, but would also suggest that someone be in charge of keeping the staff on task to ensure that everything you asked for got done! (the lights were never dimmed as we'd requested, for example) I'd also be strict on what you expect from the bar--number of servers, what to do when the line gets long, etc.

several brides. Samantha handled it with grace and ease. She really helped pull everything together, she was always available by phone or email; timely and thorough in her response. We got mad props on Mad Art! We happened to have awesome artwork on the walls for our wedding, but heads up -- it changes! It's usually pretty cool stuff though. The building used to be the old District 3 St. Louis Metropolitan Police precinct, so it still has the old sergeant's desk (used as a bar!) and a jail cell! That makes for killer pics! This space is definitely for someone who is anti-ballroom! We had 200 guests and it was tight -- comfortable -- but I wouldn't want any more. There's also a really great outdoor courtyard for cocktail hour, etc. and inside, a small stage where we put our cake and DJ (big enough for both). Mad Art is also responsible for your bar. I think their prices are pretty comparable. It's hard to note "total cost of service," because obviously that's going to depend on how many guests you have and what type of bar you decide to go with. If you do a signature drink though... make sure they advertise it!! I was surprised to see that it wasn't on the drink list!! Overall, great stuff :)

ail cell for gifts/pictures/kids room/whatever you want! Unfortunately, we had a severe problem with a member of the bar staff. There is a strict no outside alcohol policy. The coordinator allowed us to store a case of beer left over from the party bus in her office, and when the bar closed, someone in the wedding party must have grabbed the beer and handed one to the father of the groom (who assumed it came from the bar). If the member of the bar staff had said something along the lines of, "There is no outside alcohol, please remove it from the premises," everything would have been okay. Instead, the member of the bar staff was incredibly rude to the parents of the groom, and wouldn't even tell them what they were doing wrong. And then he pushed them outside, and locked the door. When a guest let them back in, the mother of the groom asked him for his name, and he said, "I do not have to give you that information." And when she asked for his supervisor, he just ran off. We received no apologies from the manager. I am in shock at the amount of disrespect given to my family, and despite Mad Art being a neat location for a wedding reception, I could never recommend it to anyone. I would hate for someone else to be treated in this way.