University Club of St. Paul & St. Paul Athletic Club

We used both rooms the day of the wedding the Terrace room as well as the Summit room, both are lovely with historic details. The food received numerous compliments and rave reviews from all our guests. Day of coordination is a breeze because of Julia their catering director she is amazing and one of the reasons I chose to do business with the club. She is highly detail oriented and responds extremely promptly to all emails. I loved working with her and the club's staff. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone for their wedding reception.

ions/chair covers overnight. Nicole and Julia they really go above and beyond, Thank you for making our wedding day so special.

ring our day was truly "the best day ever".

he look and ambiance of one space for another. It is a gorgeous, grand, unique venue and we feel lucky that we were able to host our friends and family there for our big day. Julia was fantastic to work with. She was extremely diligent and always answered my emails in a very timely manner. I had an idea for a special detail I wanted to incorporate into the social hour, and Julia made sure that they could help us make it happen! When we met to go over final details she was knowledgeable, organized, and answered most of my questions before I could even ask them. Nicole was on-site the day of our wedding. I didn’t interact with her in-person that day, but I was in touch with her via email about a few details I wanted to confirm. She was also very quick to respond and made sure everything was set up just the way we wanted. Her staff was top-notch; well prepared for the event and very professional. The food and beverage service was smooth all evening long. We chose to bring in our own wine, and Nicole and Julia made sure that the drop off was easy and at a time that worked for our schedule. We loved that we could choose 4 meal choices for our guests. It made it so easy to accommodate everyone’s dietary needs. We had several guests comment that it was “the best wedding food” they had ever had! Another major plus, is that Hotel 340 is in the same building. The ladies got ready in the Bridal Suite, we used the Oak Room as “home base” for the entire wedding party, and a lot of guests spent the night. It was very convenient for all of us! If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing about hosting our wedding at SPAC. Nicole and Julia made the planning process easy, and it was truly an amazing day.

nd classy the space was. Would recommend! So happy we picked SPAC!

nowledgeable, prompt, helpful and accommodating. Day of the wedding we worked with Nicole. She did a fabulous job making sure everything went smoothly. I couldn't recommend the venue highly enough.

tours. Nicole executed everything without a hitch the day of. Our guests raved about the food and service was outstanding. The beauty of the venue speaks for itself but the staff makes this place 5 stars.

that as the max and SPAC was PERFECT for this amount, there were no worries about RSVPs since the space could hold even more if needed.... the food: the reviews were so great about the food and everybody was right, it was amazing and so easy to plan since it's all through the SPAC... and the Space, it's BEAUTIFUL....Once the decision was made it was onto planning which Julia made so easy! She was quick to answer any little question as silly as it seemed, she always had great answers and recommendations! And having questions last about a year and a half, I was so impressed that at our final meeting she had every little thing I had talked to her about noted and ready to go. We didn't have a wedding planner and coordinated majority of the vendors ourselves and we were a little nervous going into the day and having everything flow and to have help when needed, but the day of coordinator (Nicole was ours) seemed to get everything done and it looked amazing!!! I could go on but just know if you end up choosing the SPAC for your wedding, you're in good hands!

We liked it because it was everything we needed in one place. We had a lot of family coming in from out of town, so it was really convenient to have the hotel just a few floors above the reception space. The ballroom is beautiful, aside from table decor we didn't hire any extra decor vendors because the space doesn't need it. The food was incredible, and they are very flexible with food options! We were able to customize our menu which is unheard of. Julia and her team were AMAZING! So easy going, willing to help us out where they could, and very quick and responsive to e-mails and requests. They really go the extra mile to make sure your wedding day is everything you imagined it to be. I highly recommend this venue, our family and friends have been raving about it long after the wedding as well!

at SPAC, we knew it was the venue we wanted to host the celebration our marriage at! Julia took over the coordination and communication from our decision to commit to the venue up to the day of our event, and boy were we in capable and amazing hands! Julia is extremely professional, diligent, and provided above and beyond, quality customer service. She was always quick to respond to my constant emails, and very thorough with all the necessary details for the day of plans. The spaces at SPAC are elegant and beautiful, and the staff will work with you to make the reception is personalized. We are SO thankful to all of the work that was put into our wedding day and are so appreciative of the perfect celebration that we we able to have! On top of that, we had a free bridal suite the night of our with Hotel 340 which is connected to SPAC- our family and friends loved that they were able to walk upstairs when the event came to an end at 1am! Thank you, thank you, thank you! The care, effort, and thought put into our day was above and beyond, and we highly recommend this venue for anyone’s event needs!

ly disappointing. The dinner serve was a complete disaster. Some of our guests never received the wine and champagne pour- which was a really important aspect of our dinner to both mine and my husband's family. Plates weren't cleared and waters weren't filled. With only 199 guests, we were unsure what caused such a disjointed dinner serve. The club also promised to make sure our decor was set up prior to the reception. Upon arrival to the reception, we saw that framed signs and menus we had created were not placed, the head table place cards were not on the table and the head table decor wasn't correct. This was a small, but devastating error to me after spending nearly 2 years planning every aspect of our day. If you choose to have your wedding here, I would recommend hiring a wedding planner to help you coordinate with the club and make sure the day runs smoothly!

questions, making sure the day went as planned . David made food and drink tasting a celebration, and as we read in other reviews, the food was outstanding. The day of the event, Nicole was available to answer questions, but did not bother us during preparations or during the reception. If we needed her, she was there. She made sure the tables were decorated as planned, and the whole evening went without a hitch. Also, the acoustics in the room were phenomenal. We've been to many wedding celebrations where speeches were lost, and the band/music made it impossible to have a conversation. This room and sound system was the best we've experienced. The band sounded wonderful (Blue Water Kings) and we still were able to visit in the room. Also, having the Hotel 340 right there made it so easy for friends and family, especially grandparents who were steps from the elevator and their room. The hotel staff was very accommodating, and the hotel rooms were spacious and felt like being in an apartment. Again, we couldn't have been happier with our daughter and son in law's wedding day, it was PERFECT!!

was unbelievable. I actually cannot say enough wonderful things about David, Julia, Nicole, and the rest of their staff. Throughout the entire process – from our first tour of the venue to paying the final bill, they were incredibly responsive, accommodating, genuinely caring, and just outstanding overall. I never waited more than 12 hours for a response to any question, they were super helpful with ideas and tips and always made sure we weren’t forgetting anything (I had no idea what I was doing), and they always went out of their way to make sure their answer was “yes” to anything we asked for. The day of, everything was seamless, and they did cute little things to make the day even more perfect and special for my husband and I. The day was more perfect than I could ever have imagined, and I could not have been happier with our experience with SPAC. If you don’t believe me, reach out to David or Julia – I guarantee within a few minutes of talking to them you’ll see why I loved working with them!

rything our families wanted and dreamed of in a wedding venue. Every space was perfect for our event – the Butler’s Bar hosted after dinner cocktails and a welcome evening on Friday evening, the women’s locker room was the perfect set up for hair and makeup for the bridesmaids and the William Morris and Oak rooms was the perfect set up for the groomsmen. The lobby is stunning and, along with the gorgeous second floor mezzanine, hosted a beautiful cocktail hour space for our guests. The ballroom, stunning as it is, turned out more beautiful than I could have ever imagined with all the elements of our décor and floral added to it. On top of venue, the staff was second to none. For almost an entire year, my husband and I and our parents had the pleasure of planning this event with Julia Struve. Julia was there for us every step of the way, providing guidance and offering suggestions to point us in the right direction. Julia was with us every step and never missed a beat through the constant changes and updates we made along the way. Dave Collins was with us leading up to the wedding and throughout our entire wedding weekend. Dave kept it lighthearted and kept us laughing the whole weekend long and provided exceptional service to us and our guests. The whole staff at the Saint Paul Athletic Club, but especially Dave, went above and beyond for us and we can’t thank him enough. In addition, the wait staff was phenomenal. Serving 285 people is no small feat, but the food was unbelievable and was served quickly and efficiently. This is a true testament to Dave and Julia and their oversight of their staff. The Saint Paul Athletic Club provided every space we needed throughout the wedding weekend and made it so convenient for us and our guests by being a full service wedding venue. We could not have picked a more perfect venue for our weekend!” –Ross & Karen McHugh // 8/13/16 // Saint Paul, Minnesota

my wedding day truly made our day wonderful. They made sure everything went off without any hiccups so that we could enjoy our night! We still have people complimenting us on our food, venue and wedding staff! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our day one we will never forget!

hardly had an decorations because they would have only taken away from the venue itself. Great rooms for getting ready and a park across the street for outside wedding photo ops. The building is beautiful and was in full vine bloom for our July wedding which allowed for great photos.

ream! She answered all of my questions and calmed all of my concerns. She was quick to respond to emails, which was very appreciated. The day of, the staff was very professional and attentive. I didn't have to worry about a thing. We heard many compliments throughout the night on how beautiful the space was, and how good the food was! We also loved that Hotel 340 was just up the elevator a couple floors. It was super convenient for all our out of town guests! We couldn't be happier with how our wedding turned out, and with our experience at the St. Paul Athletic Club!

s the most incredible group of people to work with. Julia, the catering director, made my job as a bride easy. She is so organized and extremely responsive, answering my multiple e-mails within minutes! She, along with Dave (the on-site manager the day of our wedding) worked flawlessly with all of our vendors to make our vision a reality. I cried when I saw the ceremony and reception set-up for the first time because everything was better than I ever dreamed! The service was impeccable - The staff went above and beyond to treat our guests like royalty, even providing special vegetables (that weren't ordered before the event) for our guests' children. Our guests continue to rave about our wedding. The food, the drinks, the service and the elegant atmosphere left a lasting impression in our friends and family's minds. I cannot say enough about The University Club of St. Paul!! Everything - the venue, the food and especially the staff - is just perfect!!!

was in the same building as the wedding! People didn't have to worry about driving anywhere. We're very happy with how the space turned out for our wedding and we loved the classic/traditional feel to it. It was perfect!

r to the banquet manager to the server and bartenders, was accommodating and professional--and the food and drinks were FANTASTIC. The history and character of the building is a perfect backdrop for photography, and it was so convenient to stay in Hotel 340 (located on the upper floors of the building). Many guests raved after the event that it was the best wedding they'd been to. I wish we could relive it! Thank you to the University Club staff for their role in an absolutely incredible day!

ts about the space and food. Parking is a bit tricky, but it is worth the hassle.

ff was superb; we were treated like royalty from the first contact I had with Julia all the way through to the congratulatory note we got from her a few days after our wedding. We could not be happier with the experience; the entire staff went out of their way to make sure we had everything we wanted or needed. The Club itself is elegant and intimate. Our guests repeatedly praised the location, the ambiance, and of course the food. We've already talked about having our 25th wedding anniversary at the Club, so I suspect this will not prove to be the last time we host an event at the University Club! We will want to visit again to recall all of the great memories we made on our wedding day. Thank you to the entire staff for helping make this day a dream come true! Mark and Lynn Jesh

to have many decorations for the wedding, because the place was already so beautiful. The months leading up to the wedding were stressful when it came to everything but the venue. The Catering Director, Julia Struve, answered every single question I had. Never once did she make me feel like I was a nuisance, and she was very prompt in every response. She made everything so easy, and even brought up ideas that I had never thought of for the big day. She went above and beyond, and I can’t say enough about her. She is fantastic! The day of the wedding was just as impressive. After the ceremony, the manager, Dave, introduced himself and let us know that he was there to help with anything we needed. He made suggestions that were extremely helpful, and he actually cared about how our day went. He was amazing, and it felt like we had known him forever. The servers were incredible. They were all incredibly friendly and didn’t need any direction, not that I assumed they would, but they made themselves almost invisible. They served everyone quickly, and we were all so impressed. We had a great time chatting with the bartender as well. At the end of the day, he congratulated us and said that he had so much fun seeing everyone in costume, and watching how excited the kids were with all of the cool decorations and candy we had given them. He was so friendly, and the drinks he made were perfect! We chose a brunch wedding for a couple of reasons. We wanted everyone to still be able to go trick or treating in the evening with their families, and having a daytime wedding was more affordable. We had a smaller wedding, 50 people including us and the vendors, and it amounted to far less than we expected for such an amazing venue. I consider myself frugal and have a hard time justifying spending money on a lot of things, but I without a doubt think that every cent we spent on our wedding was well worth it. To be honest, I was so worried that something would go wrong on the day of, or that people wouldn’t have fun (that’s probably a common concern), but I can’t believe how incredible and smooth the entire event went! I couldn’t have imagined a better day, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the staff at the University Club.

e is a terrific coordinator...so knowledgeable and always very quick to respond. She really made every part of the process very clear and easy...which is invaluable to a couple juggling tons of details in the planning for that day. Julia was a pleasure to work with! The venue itself is beautiful and every part of the day was exactly what we had envisioned. Our guests raved about it! I cannot say enough about the staff's professionalism and excellent customer service we received. I would highly recommend the St. Paul Athletic Club as a venue to anyone planning their wedding!

by University Club. The only way to go. Delicious and convenient for the guests staying at the hotel. Saturday we took advantage of the beauty of the lobby for our ceremony, social hour in the Butler's Parlor, and then the Grand Ballroom for the dinner and dance. We have received so many compliments on how beautiful the venue was and the ease of moving between hotel(s) to the grooms dinner, ceremony, social hour, then reception. The event planning with catering coordinator, Julie Struve was easier than I could have expected, as well. Always very prompt and thoughtful answering any question a bride could have, and there are many. :) She is very knowledgeable on any and every question or concern you may have. It was on of the easier things to worry about with such an event of a wedding. The dinner tasting was delicious, all the meetings for the space(s) were easy and convenient, and the day of coordination of everything was seamless. I give great appreciation to all the event and support staff for the service of meals, set up of spaces, hotel accommodations, and so many others. Absolutely worth every penny. The old character of the spaces made an elegant, beautiful, memorable day for the two of us and all involved. Much appreciation to all involved.

, booze options made sense. Book the St. Paul Athletic Club!

remely helpful in facilitating all aspects of the ceremony and reception as well as communicating to us in a very timely manner. Besides being super helpful, their food is delicious. The chef has some really creative ideas that offer unique flavors that we couldn't find anywhere else. I would highly recommend looking into the University Club for your wedding or any event!

s! Venue is beautiful, the staff attentive and the food delicious. Julia was wonderful to work with. She knows her stuff, and never seemed put out when we emailed her numerous times with questions, especially as the special day got closer. She was detailed oriented and allayed any fears we might have prior to the wedding day. She worked with our other vendors (florist, band, etc) seamlessly, making it hassle-free for us. David Collins, the food and beverage manager, as well as his staff, did an awesome job taking care of our needs and those of our guests. He was super attentive, checking in with us throughout the night to make sure we were happy with everything. When he left, he introduced us to another gentleman (sorry, I forgot his name), who also was just as attentive. Our hats off to the chef! We are foodies, so the meal was very important to us. We opted for stations offering a multitude of options, and everything was delicious. We held the ceremony in the grand ballroom. While we had cocktail hour in the lobby downstairs (an impressive room) the ballroom was "flipped" for the reception. The staff followed our instructions for setting up the room perfectly, and it was just as beautiful as we had hoped. The old building is beautiful and oozes with character, making it a perfect and romantic venue. Having Hotel 340 in the same building was convenient for the many guests (including ourselves) who stayed over night. We highly recommend the St. Paul Athletic Club! Thanks for helping make this such an incredible night!

nds to emails very very quickly. The food is great we had multiple guests say they loved the food and there was so much they didn't leave hungry (so don't be scared away by not being able to bring in a different caterer). I would recommend anyone to have their wedding there it is a beautiful venue, great group of people to work with and fabulous place to start your wonderful life together with you new husband/wife.

ed at the classic Cedar Street entrance, which was illuminated with dozens of ice candles. The cocktail reception was held in the beautiful, two-story lobby, where guests mingled or enjoyed cozy seating by the fireplace. It was elegant! Wedding guests proceeded to the third-floor ballroom, where tables were elegantly set for 325 people. The dinner was amazing, and it was served by cordial, experienced wait staff. We were thrilled with every detail of this special event!

ke care of everything now. Whatever you need, tell me.", the SPAC was an excellent choice for our wedding reception. Thank you so much, we were beyond happy with everything!!!

wedding, Julia the coordinator was extremely helpful, she would email back any questions right away, and was so accommodating and professional. Julia is an expert at what she does and she made the planning process as easy as it could be. Working with the hotel 340 was also great, they assisted us whenever we needed anything and the rooms were so beautiful, the guests were happy that they could go upstairs to their rooms at the end of the night. We also loved the banquet manager Dave, he made sure that my worries were completely taken care of beforehand, his crew handled everything and I was able to completely focus on what mattered on my wedding day. When I walked into the reception for our grand entrance, I was blown away at how gorgeous the ballroom looked with all the warm lights. The athletic club is so classic and charming, you can not go wrong with it and pictures are timeless. I would definitely recommend this venue, having a seamless and stress free wedding day is so valuable!

e food) They are excellent at helping you along during the planning stages and made the process so incredibly enjoyable. I couldn't have asked for a better place to celebrate our marriage - picture perfect day thanks to Julia and the amazing SPAC team!

cally liked that she answered my email questions quickly and thoroughly. We selected the venue simply because it was close to the wedding ceremony venue (The Stepping Stone Theatre). Even at the 11th hour when I changed my mind about the table cloth length, Julia said, "no problem consider it done"! The service at the dinner was phenomenal too. The buffet table was always filled. Their Truffle Mac and Cheese is still being talked about. The BBQ Ribs were amazing too. We had a New Orleans theme and the seafood gumbo had the freshest seafood in it! The presentation of food was beautiful too. The dessert and coffee bar was their idea and we loved it. I was over the top happy when I learned at the end of the night that we did not have to pack up our things and centerpieces. The staff packed them and I picked the boxes up the day after the wedding and their staff helped carry the heavy boxes to my car. The Venue and view was unbeatable. We had a small band and they were able to get in early and set up-- as was I the morning of the dinner to decorate. We did hire Valet Parking as there is only minimal street parking. Once again The University Club arranged all of that for us. One final note: This is a members Club only (we are not members). What that meant is that there were members there that evening too. This initially concerned me but they had their own places to dine etc and our room and the porch area that we rented was exclusively ours. I would highly recommend the St. Paul University Club for any event. My daughter in law said that night "this was so awesome it could have been our wedding"! Thank you Julia and the University Club of St. Paul.

! I still dream about how perfect and magical my wedding day was. The staff was absolutely incredible as well! So helpful, we barely had to do anything on our own because they set everything up! The food was delicious. Everything about my experience there was perfect! I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Especially winter weddings, so beautiful.

Struve who is the catering coordinator. As I bride, I would think of details at random times, Saturday evenings, Sunday afternoons, I would send Julia an email and she would get back to me within the hour. Sometimes in minutes. She knows her stuff. She is kind. And she is so willing to help. She made everything so smooth and easy. Worked with us to have what we wanted. And I could not be happier with where we chose to get married. Also, the coordinator at the Saint Paul Athletic Club, Dave, who helped run the show the days leading up to and on the wedding day was flawless. He went above and beyond any expectations I had. I didn't have to lift a finger or worry for a second about the details at the reception. He had everything under control from decorations, to the grand march to the food and cake. They were on the more expensive side with my budget, but well worth the money spent as I continue to get compliments on the wedding reception and the venue and the service. Impeccable. I could sing their praises for days.

ic Club, but there were a few things the day of that were not what I expected. The space rents out until 1 am, which is what we told our DJ. When we arrived, our DJ pulled us aside and informed us the Athletic Club said he had to shut down at midnight. We said no... flash forward to 11:30 pm and they are literally STRIPPING the linens off the table and the police officer they have on duty is saying everyone is too intoxicated and they are shutting us down. When we asked after the wedding why they were taking the linens off the table, we were informed it was because some of my aunts were taking flowers off the tables (because they were taking the flowers home with them when they left). Regardless if we took our property off the table, that is not an appropriate reaction of the staff or is it a legitimate reason to give us .I didn't let it bother me the day of, but it retrospect it was completely inappropriate to be breaking down the room at 11:30. The police officer was pretty rude and kept insisting people were out of control. While people were certainly having fun and drinking, but there was no vandalism, fighting or anything like that. Just dancing and being goofy. I wouldn't be too bothered by this if the DJ hadn't told us at 7pm that he was told to wrap up at midnight. We believe they had already decided to shut the place down at midnight. Twenty minutes before dinner they hadn't set out the place cards. We found the banquet manager and he finally put them out (having no idea he needed to do so or that we had them??). We also reminded him to put out the menu cards, but he never did. The Athletic Club did reimburse us for half the cost of the menu cards. They also forgot the personalized cocktail napkins. The positives: the food is outstanding and the space is gorgeous. They also have a boutique hotel that was recently renovated in the building. The waitstaff was very nice. They let us bring in our own wine for a $15 corkage fee too. Julia was great to work with before the wedding. I wish a few things the day of would have been different. I am not sure where certain things like putting out the placecards were lost in translation. It was still such a wonderful day and our pictures are gorgeous. The space is great, but I would be prepared to have a wedding planner with the venue.

eam player attitude made our job much more enjoyable. The requests we had on behalf of our wedding couple were taken seriously and given the attention they deserved. We appreciate all the extra time they took to make the wedding day exactly as they wanted it. We look forward to working with them again soon or in the future. -Jennifer and Megan Something Blue

enue offers a large ballroom, hotel rooms, and lobby area allowing for enough space and transition which allowed us to have all of our events (lodging, ceremony, social hour, and reception) all in one place!! The food is absolutely amazing, the bartenders were great, servers were efficient and polite, and the rest of the staff were attentive and professional. If I had to do it all over again, I would choose this venue again!!

lace where we could have the ceremony and reception in one, with in-house catering. The food was fantastic. We had cabernet-braised short ribs and walleye. The guests appreciated the great service from Ryan at the bar. They were very supportive us us as a same-sex couple.

t. Table service was flawless for our wedding & everything was perfect! The room is a bit small, but perfect for a group of 110 or less! Parking is limited, so get the valet, or find shuttle service.

s were answered. She was a great source of advice and her recommendations were awesome! On the day of the wedding, everything went exactly as planned. Set-up was complete well in advance and the space was incredibly beautiful. As someone who grew up in St. Paul, this location epitomizes historic downtown. Our guests could not get enough of it! For those that hadn't been to the space before, they said it was a hidden gem and we couldn't have picked a better place to get married. Our reception featured a heavy appetizer buffet and the food was out of this world! I just wish I had more time to indulge myself because guests were going back for seconds and thirds - literally saying it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding! Julia made great recommendations on the menu and there was not one crumb left at the end of the night. The service was phenomenal - I didn't even notice the staff around the room as they took care of all the details. We set up an additional bar in the ballroom which was a great suggestion of Julia's. It really helped with traffic flow and making sure no one had to wait for a drink. Lastly, we stayed in hotel 340 (upper floors of the downtown clubhouse building) and the rooms were stunning. Most of our out-of-town guests stayed there as well and they loved it as well. Overall, this experience was an absolute 10 for me. Everything went so smoothly - I trusted the staff entirely and didn't think about one detail on the day of the wedding. It allowed me the opportunity to really thoroughly enjoy the best day of my life. Thanks to Julia and everyone that made it possible!!

oking for: 200 guests, vintage look, and hotel within walking distance (Hotel 340 and Crowne Plaza). The service leading up to the event was great. Julia was always very helpful, and prompt in responses. However, I was a little concerned about how things would turn out a couple of days before the wedding and the day of. We set up the day before our wedding and there was no one on site to help us with where to find things, or to answer questions. Everything turned out great, and the staff handled everything wonderfully, even though it wasn't apparent that this was going to happen. But in the end they did a beautiful job. They managed everything from preparing the meal, lighting the candles, setting out mints, serving 200 guests warm meals within a reasonable time, clearing plates, plating dessert, and more! I loved our wedding reception here, and I am sure you will, too!

ront desk. We lucked out and got the best service on the day before the wedding. Our guests raved about the service. The chairs in the ballroom are hideous, the carpet atrocious and the servers a bit slow or maybe they are understaffed. THAT SAID, wouldn't have wanted our reception anywhere else. With chair covers, the place looks 100 times better and Julia, our event coordinator was there whenever we needed her throughout our planning. The carpet should be replaced, however, as it could be a hazard to guests. Don't count on the continental breakfast starting on time.

ver, after we considered the lag time between the church service and the reception. Therefore, we decided on the U. Club. We could not be more happy with the decision. Our guests raved about the location. It was beautiful for pictures. The location was not stale like most hotels and wedding venues. Julia was really good to work with. We were pleased with her responses. Jeff at the front desk was awesome. He even offered to park our priest's car who just had knee surgery. While the rental price may seem a bit high initially, the venue ended up being cheaper than most hotel options. Plus, you can cut costs on decorations because the venue is so beautiful with all the marble, big windows, mahagomy and fireplace. We brought our own wine and just paid a cork fee. The food was very good for a big party. The food was warm and tasty. I highly recommend the cocktail hour in the lobby. It was so fun! It is hard to beat this location and price.

s had gone out, things were just much more stressful than I would have hoped for. For as much money as we spent at this venue, I guess I hoped for a little more than what we got.

o matter of fact and so helpful from the get go, that I knew we made a great choice. The food was delicious, the bartenders at the attached bar were friendly and the location was right in downtown St. Paul. During the reception, everything went off without a hitch. I would recommend the U Club to anyone. My only reason for giving this place four stars instead of five is that you are forced to go with Buttercream bakery for your cake if you don't want to pay a fee, and the initial customer service at their attached Hotel 340 was ATROCIOUS. They have since turned it around under new management, so others may have better luck.

k you Julia!

as grand chandeliers and gorgeous ceilings! They also have a built in stage which was great for the band. The food was amazing; the wait staff was very attentive and incredibly nice. We had a guest with a pepper allergy, and also a vegan request and the staff took the time/care to make sure it was correct. The staff was always there to help, very polite and helpful. They (specifically George the banquet manager) did a wonderful job of helping us stick to the schedule in a way that was not pushy or rude and I'm pretty sure that we wouldn't have had first dances if George hadn't gently suggested we get a start on that as we were so busy catching up with our 290 guests. (!) Although the entire staff was great, we LOVED Ray in particular. Ray was assigned to the head table and to the king table that sat our parents/grandparents, and he was hilarious and incredibly attentive. He is definitely in his 80's! But he was cracking jokes- telling my grandpa he was going to steal my grandma...and made me eat all of my food! "Brides never eat enough--keep eating!!" When we were opening cards, we found an adorable card from RAY! It melted my heart. Everyone I have talked to had an amazing time. Many commented on how great the food was and how beautiful the venue was and how great the staff was. If I were just rating this venue on the day of, I would give it a 5. There were, however, some pain points with the catering department: •Lack of follow-up- even when we were just trying to contact her to pay a portion of our bill 90 days out! •Underestimating of costs: I had to have her go back and change many times just based on my analysis, and we still came in $2500 over her estimate post event. It would have been over by $6000 if I would have taken her initial estimate at face value which would have been a horrible surprise. I felt like she was underestimating to make the total bill look better up front, and lock in the business. •Bait and switch tactics with parking: We were told that the parking lot behind the U Club could be rented out. I was given a contact number for the lot, and he said he refused to do business with anyone associated with the Club due to past issues. •Hotel block issues: We blocked 10 rooms, but they never actually saved them for us, so we ended up only having 4 of our 10 desired rooms open. To be fair, they did comp the remaining rooms for us at a neighboring hotel, and comped the honeymoon suite, but it was still a pain. •Cake: They have a relationship with Buttercream that changed in the middle of our planning process- causing the cake to increase in price by $300. I caught this and they did honor the original quote from Buttercream, but again, I had to dig into this and spend time researching and negotiating this. But at the end of the day, the catering manager must have done the job right as it was executed flawlessly, even though it caused stress and a lot of detailed analysis and time in the months leading up to the day. I have no regrets having our reception here. I simply can't say enough about how amazing the night of was, and how impressed I was with the entire day of staff! Thanks to George, Ray and Frank for helping make our night unforgettable.

ut tip jars when the University Club required us to pay a 19% service charge. But to be honest, that was minor. Everything else was great and the service and help we received was top notch.

rvice though. I went through 4 different catering/sales rep because they kept getting fired or quit. The day of banquet staff were great though. There is a hotel above the ballroom which is very convenient. The rooms are amazing. Beautiful venue and very classy. I would definitely recommend it.