A Stylish Banquet Hall in the Gopher State
300+ guests
Holds ceremonies and receptions
AWARD WINNER (1X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Located in Owatonna, Minnesota. Monterey Ballroom is a versatile wedding venue that combines historic elegance with modern charm. Constructed in 1938, this banquet hall has been providing the backdrop for weddings and other special occasions for decades. It is conveniently situated close to I-35, with Minneapolis, St Paul, and Rochester within driving distance. Whether you wish to host an intimate or large-scale celebration, this sophisticated property is a perfect place to exchange your vows.
At Monterey Ballroom, couples can enjoy outdoor and indoor events. Defined by its inviting ambiance, the outdoor patio area can set the stage for your “I do” moment. Decorated with intimate bistro lights, this event space has a romantic vibe that will surely delight you and your beloved. After your ceremony, you and your guests can head into the main banquet hall for dinner and dancing. With ample event space and a contemporary vibe, the hall can be customized to suit your stylistic vision. The staff is passionate about bringing their clients’ ideas to fruition and will be on-hand to provide assistance throughout.
Monterey Ballroom can comfortably accommodate a maximum of 500 wedding-goers. Eager to make sure that every detail of your big day exceeds your expectations, the team will provide you with a list of their preferred vendors. Drivers can make use of the venue’s large on-site parking lot, and vehicles may be left here overnight. There will be ample time for you to decorate before the start of your event. The staff welcomes all manner of wedding types, including elopements, civil unions, vow renewals, religious celebrations, and secular ceremonies.
Woman-owned Business
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
$1,500
Ceremony:
$1,000
Bar services:
$23 per person
Catering:
Contact for price
Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices. Peak season for this venue is May-Jun and Aug-Dec.
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Guest Capacity
300+
Settings
Backyard
Ballroom
Garden
Historic Venue
Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Planning
Rentals & Equipment
Service Staff
Transportation
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Availability
Reviews
4.1
out of 5.017 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
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Bailey O
5.0
7/18/2024
Good communication. Excellent service day of.
Kelli W
1.0
5/02/2024
We have had nothing but a terrible experience with Mike. He made it sound like he didn’t want children there as they “wreck” things “children will need to be monitored at all times”. We have three kids and as a mom I wanted to make it fun for the kids as well as the adults. No kids tables are allowed. Basically anything I thought of for the kids to have fun was turned down. My grandmother ended up passing last year and we decided to postpone the wedding. At first he was ok with switching the date. After I notified my family of the date change he decided to increase all the prices. Because planning your wedding should be stress free and a great time I highly recommend going with another location!
Any questions?
Steve B
5.0
3/05/2024
If you weren’t having fun at the Monterrey, you were trying not to. The owner was great to work with. Very accommodating and invested in the wedding party having a good experience.
Courtney B
5.0
1/24/2024
Mike knows how to throw a party that's for sure!! He's such a pleasure to work with and we are just so blessed by his kindness, generosity, and joyous spirit. He made our wedding truly wonderful.
Marc G
1.0
8/23/2023
I would like to leave an honest review of the Monterey Ballroom for everyone out there thinking about booking their wedding there. The only reason you get one star is because negative ten is not an option.
My family and I flew across the country for a wedding and reception at the Monterey. When we got to the Monterey, which our daughter was the maid of honor in, we had quite some time before the wedding started. While I walked around the inside of the building, it was dark, dank and in the bar area it smelled like a homeless encampment had just moved out. The smell of urine was overwhelming. It was hot as Hades outside and the air conditioning didn’t seem to have the stamina to keep up with the heat. This was before guests started arriving. It didn’t get any better for the rest of the day and into the night.
Once the wedding happened, in the beating down sun, everyone moved inside for the reception. Things seemed to be going fine, but the drink service was atrocious! There were two bartenders, one of whom had the worst attitude I’ve seen in some time, that could not keep up with the crowd. As I sat and watched the bar saga start, I observed them pouring drinks with hardly any alcohol in them. Mike, the owner, actually admitted that he instructed his bartenders to do so when he met with the bride two days later.
At some point, Mike made the decision to throw the wedding party out about an hour before the venue was booked until. At no point during the evening did Mike come to any of the family and say he was having a problem with anything. He just decided that the party was over and we were all going to have to leave. The bride did meet with him on Monday and rather that give her some of her money back, Mike decided that he would tell her that he would throw her a free party to make it up to her, but only if she convinced her friends to write Mike some “five-star reviews”, the more reviews the better he would treat her! Look at the reviews for this place. The ones with five stars and nothing to say are probably the previous parties he is extorting! This might be alright with some people, but this bride does not live in Minnesota any more.
Mike, if you read this I’d like to tell you that you are a horrible person and that the way you conduct business is even worse. You can make any statement you want on here and I guarantee I’ll have a cogent response. Folks, if you read this, I’d highly suggest you run for the hills and find another venue for what is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life.
Lindsay C
5.0
8/25/2021
Wonderful to work with. Beautiful table settings. Quick responses to all our questions. Great prices, and bar rates. Overall made our special day awesome!
DeAnn V
5.0
5/12/2021
I was so happy with the Monterey Ballroom!
The decorations, the staff and Mike the owner was amazing .
Abby O
5.0
5/12/2021
Great Place! Mike was so easy to work with and made our day perfect. Would highly recommend!
Michelle M
5.0
11/14/2020
Planning a wedding through this pandemic has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do and they (Mike & Denyse) made it as easy possible. Very responsive to emails, open communication and outstanding service. This venue is totally gorgeous, the reception hall is spacious. We were able to have our separate cocktail hour area, large bar and guest seating all in one room without feeling cramped. I could not speak anymore highly about the Monterey Ballroom!
Connie K
5.0
11/12/2020
I couldn’t more more pleased with our choice to use the Monterey Ballroom for our daughter’s weddings. So far we have had two of our three daughters wedding receptions and one wedding unexpectedly at the Monterey. The day of our daughters wedding that was in our back yard it started to down pour 20 minutes before the service was ready to start. We called the Monterey and Mike said come on down without any hesitation. Let me say, not once did I feel overwhelmed with the details of two different personalities and styles in my daughters wedding visions. One wanted up lit cocktail tables and centerpieces with club dancing and lighting. The other wanted a rustic wood feel the with slabs of wood with candles and babies breath and oars as a guest book and line dancing, the Monterey staff accommodated our requests and had the dance floor packed!
chris g
5.0
11/03/2020
The Monterey Ball room is a beautiful venue. My wife and I got married and had our wedding reception here. The food was great and all of our guests were commenting all night on how good it was. We went with the house DJ and there sound system was awesome. The DJ was very entertaining, played all of our requests and played great music. The staff was outstanding and made our day the best.
J W
2.0
2/24/2019
My son and daughter-in-law held their reception at the Monterey and I would not recommend the venue. The night started out nice, but went downhill as the evening progressed. The main entree was fine, but the kids meals were cold and inedible. Pop was $2 a cup and wait staff would come around and clear off table while people were out dancing, taking a half full cup of pop. Mike allowed people to take cups on the dance floor, which was soon gross - he announced it's OK to take glasses on the floor, just don't spill. As we were cleaning up, Mike came over and started yelling at parents for using aluminum foil tins for carrying the leftover cupcakes out - there were never served by the wait staff - he complained we were 10 meals over, which we paid for. The DJ that was paid for didn't show up. On the plus side, the venue is large enough to accommodate a large group and it is decorated nicely.
Séverine P
2.0
4/20/2017
I went to a wedding at this venue and was unimpressed. The wedding took place in September a.k.a full wedding season. The flowers outside were dead. There were cobwebs and other spider crap all over the outside entrance. Then, the toilets weren't working and they were out of water. They did serve some water from the place during dinner while it was still available and it was yellow and tasted metallic. Floors felt like they were going to collapse. The ceiling where the buffet was had loose paint and water damage all over.
IMO, this place needs some serious renovations. It could be beautiful but looks like the owner(s) don't care.
Mag F
4.0
9/10/2014
The Monterey Ballroom is absolutely gorgeous! They do a great job lighting the building and making the place look wedding-worthy. They do charge you for the ceiling drapings, which they leave up year round, but they look great and add to the feel of the ballroom. I'd definitely recommend doing the chair covers, it helps the ballroom blend together as a whole and look unified. The majority of the compliments we received was on how great the ballroom looked.
The food was absolutely delicious! We had several compliments strictly on the quality food. Due to the size of our reception, we had a buffet which I was nervous about but it moved quickly and they did serve 4 tables (Grandmas, Grandpas, Photographers, etc.) which was very helpful. The price per plate was comparable to other venues (both buffet and plated). They also served sandwiches at 9:00pm which was a hit for both the kids and adults! I would recommend doing that to everyone!
We were allowed to bring in a DJ (not their option), but they couldn't use the sound system at the Monterey so the back of the ballroom couldn't hear any of the speeches. That was the biggest downfall for us that we weren't expecting.
Denyse is very easy to work with and gets back to you right away. She works within your time frame to meet and go over what they have for you. I would recommend the Monterey to anyone looking for a ballroom for any event!
Brittany
5.0
9/07/2011
Denyse does a great job decorating so you won't have to do a thing, other than adding your personal touches. Everyone ranted and raved over how good the food was. We also utilized her DJ that she has there, he was so good at keeping the crowd until they couldn't no more! So glad to have had our Reception here.
Kira S
5.0
9/14/2010
Monterey was great! She was always available to answer questions. The food was amazing! They made my big day very stress free. Everyone should use them :)
Shanae J
5.0
6/10/2009
EVERYTHING! The food was amazing the staff was awesome and the dance floor was definitely big enough for me and my dancer friends to cut a rug.
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