Julia Morgan Ballroom

When it came time for my wife and I to chose a Wedding venue for our Nov 2015 date, Julia Morgan was already at the top of the list. After one visit meeting with Lillian we knew it was #1 for a reason. Once we locked in a date, it was time to go to work and Lillian and Elexis made us feel comfortable and confident in our planning from the get go. Every meeting we had was detailed, thorough and fun. All emails were answered promptly as well. Their expertise made every decision feel easier than it probably should have been. I cannot thank them enough for their help in making sure our day was special. The prep work Lillian and Elexis and the entire team at the JMB put into our reception left us feeling confident going into the special day.
As for the actual day, it couldn’t have gone better. The JMB as you know speaks for itself. It’s a perfect setting for any event but especially a wedding. The beauty and the layout of the ballroom set up a perfect match for any wedding reception. The pictures we have of the ballroom before guests arrive is something my wife and I will cherish forever. Lillian and Elexis continued their amazing work wedding day. From the set up to the execution of events, all aspects of the reception were flawless. Lillian and Elexis, the staff at JMB and the ballroom itself provided a wonderful time for all our guests as well as an evening that my wife and I will never forget. Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts.

Really one of the most gorgeous venues you could hope for in San Francisco. The team that manages this keeps it absolutely impeccable, and it really is a sight to see (Do take a look at the photos). I’ve been involved in events there from fundraisers and galas to some of the most elegant weddings, and it never ceases to amaze me and my team how well run, beautiful and diverse the location is for any type of event. The Julia Morgan Ballroom is truly a 5-​star venue. This should always been on your list when identifying venues for events in San Francisco.

I was absolutely blown away by this beautiful wedding. It’s spacious, regal, and VERY classy/​elegant, with a touch of old school, as seen by it’s dark wooden walls and bar area. I was here for a wedding, and the reception was just a treat. The furniture is beautiful, bar is wonderful, and the whole venue was just magical. Only notes is that parking can be a major problem, though if you book a hotel nearby, you MAY be able to walk there, should you choose to risk it. Also, it took us several tries to find this place, as there isn’t a big sign or anything outside, especially at night. Regardless, you can’t go wrong with a venue as grand as this.

If you’re looking for a wedding venue with the quintessential San Francisco feel, look no further than the Julian Morgan Ballroom. My wife and I had our dream wedding at the JMB in November of 2014 and it was the perfect complement to our St. Ignatius ceremony.
The venue is steeped in tradition and has a classy vibe that was exactly what we were looking for. The fireplace off the elevator bank provides a great first impression, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. From there our wedding flowed into a welcome cocktail reception with high-​top tables surrounding the beautiful dark wood bar and ultimately into the ballroom itself which was set-​up with a kings table along the window line and stage for our band across the room just before the kitchen. The ornate details of the entire space, especially the wood paneling and the ceiling details, provide the perfect backdrop for an elegant celebration. The food is fantastic, the bartenders are stars and Lillian and her team are amazing.
Tip: Don’t skimp on the late night food! The mini hamburgers and truffle fries are just what our guests needed to celebrate late into the night.
Lillian and her team were great to work with and are there to help with every last detail. Whether it was menu selections (and short listing items for the trial), wine and cocktail menus, linens, chairs or any other detail, Lillian not only had great suggestions, but also pictures of other events to help us make our decisions with confidence. She and her team are fun, professional and responsive which made all the planning and the reception itself that much better.

A long ovedue review for the ladies of the JMB! Lillian and Elexis are pro’s. They got my vision, made sugggestions to help us cut costs, put up with my indecisiveness and pulled off a wedding of over 200 people without a hitch! The food was delicious, you can’t beat the bar package and the place is stunning! Our guests still tell us how beautiful the wedding was!
Lillian and Elexis responded to emails within minutes. They were super accommodating, helpful and a pleasure to work with.

This is my second year hosting our company event at the Julia Morgan Ballroom and it’s been nothing short of wonderful! Not only is the venue just beautiful, but the service, and the quality in food/​beverages are top notch!
Jennifer and Mike were such a pleasure to work with and made my job, as the event coordinator, so easy! I will definitely miss having our party here and working with such a great team!

Wow this place was SO impressive. We decided to celebrate my company’s 20^th Anniversary by throwing a mini-​concert with an open bar and speeches mixed in for about 250 people. We wanted a classier venue than a concert hall but also with enough space for hundreds of people to attend conveniently located near downtown. The Julia Morgan Ballroom couldn’t have been more perfect. The ballroom is beautiful and huge and enabled us to have one large area where people could mingle, dance, watch the show, get dinner, and get cocktails all in the same space. The views are incredible as you’re completely surrounded by the Financial District. It is also only a 5 minute walk from our office or BART so our guests were able to find it very easily. The main bar was in a separate room which gave our guests the option of moving around so they could mingle more easily.
The venue wasn’t the only thing that was exceptional. Our event coordinator Lillian Phan was absolutely fantastic. She was super responsive to all of our needs in the weeks leading up to the event. She didn’t try and sell us anything that was unnecessary, but focused on trying to get us exactly what we needed. Her Production Manager Elexis was spectacular as well. During the event she was always easy to find for any last minute questions or changes.
I hope I get the opportunity to use this venue again, the compliments from the guests keep coming and it was over a month ago,

We recently had both our ceremony and reception at the Julia Morgan Ballroom: the ceremony was in the beautiful marble lobby and the reception was upstairs in the ballroom. We loved its classy and historic décor and from pictures and the walkthrough saw how it could be both elegant and modern as well, which fit what we were looking for.
Lillian and Elexis were very easy to work with in person and via email. We sent them barrages of emails throughout the entire process and they would always respond promptly. As the day neared, they kept in touch and made sure everything was ready — the day went perfectly and Elexis was there to help all day — she was waiting for us with champagne after our ceremony, poured us our wine during dinner and took care of us throughout the evening.
The food was wonderful — we got lots of compliments about the dinner — people raved about the crispy eggplant tower. We had a few special orders for allergies which the kitchen did an astounding job of working around. Service was efficient and the waitstaff was particularly accommodating when one of us felt a little sick and we needed to duck into the kitchen to recover.
There were very few negatives or surprises in the entire process. The only surprise was the cost of the drapery for the lobby (to hide the bank), which was roughly the same price as the rental space itself, and the hors d’oeuvres were apparently not circulated as well as they could have been, but these were minor issues in the grand scheme of things.
Overall, we had a fantastic experience with the Julia Morgan Ballroom and would highly recommend it for a wedding venue or reception.

I had an excellent experience at Julia Morgan Ballroom. Five enthusiastic stars for the venue and customer service, really, as good as it gets!
I’ve been a fan of Julia Morgan Ballroom since circa 2008 as my best friend and cousin wedded there. It’s such a classic and beautiful venue without being overly pretentious and stuffy. I always kept that in mind as an event planner. And as luck would have it, the organization I work for was celebrating a milestone anniversary. I did my due diligence and researched (and later visited) over a dozen event venues in the city. When all is said and done my supervisor and I knew it was clear that Julia Morgan Ballroom was a the best fit.
I have to give props for their dedication to making their «turn key» venue affordable to non-​profit organizations. I worked with Jason around the site visit and the initial ballpark BEO. He was patient and professional. Closer to the event, I worked with Kim, the Senior Event Manager. I had the best working rapport with her. She’s personable, calm, creative and extremely professional. Her years of experience shows as she gave feedback on our event flow and timing. To boot she cared tremendously about my budget and helped me choose budget conscious options whenever possible.
Day of the event experience was no different — absolute poise and professionalism from all staff. Kim and Ricardo (Event Manager) were great at calming me down and assuring the success of the event. All concerns were addressed in a timely manner. Wait staff were super efficient, attentive and friendly. AV staff contracted through them were super resourceful. The evening went on without a hitch.
Lastly, the food was delectable. Because the event managers were so on top of things and knew our event timing and flow, I was actually able to sit down to a quick bite in the volunteer room. The roasted chicken is far from the rubber chicken served at non-​profit fundraisers. It was moist and flavorful. Love that the chefs are very mindful in keeping their menus seasonal and fresh. And the desserts — the caramel pot de crème is one of the best desserts I’ve had in a long time. Rich, creamy, sweet, salty and added peanuts for texture. (I must head to Credo and have it again.)
My organization couldn’t have asked for a better milestone celebration at Julia Morgan Ballroom. And I couldn’t have asked for a better, more seamless working relationship with their staff. I wholeheartedly recommend Julia Morgan Ballroom for all types of events. The space is so versatile in its grandness and beauty, and will make any special occasion and event that much more magnificent.

I recently hosted Berkeley Law School’s 52^nd Citation Award Dinner in the Julia Morgan Ballroom and can’t say enough great things about our experience. Kim Thornton, Senior Event Coordinator, provided excellent client service, especially on very late notice with several last minute adjustments. Kim was understanding, flexible & diligent to ensure everything was taken care of. Ocea, my on-​site point-​person for the evening, was lovely and flawlessly executed moment by moment requests. Thommy managed the dining floor and again, was graceful and flawless. The entire staff was great to work with, the room was stunning & the florals were some of my favorite event florals ever. Many thanks to the wonderful staff at the Julia Morgan Ballroom!

This review is long long overdue! Shame on me for taking so long to write this review for our glorious wedding venue and the amazing wedding team: Lillian Phan and Kaley Fountain.
My husband and I celebrated our wedding here at the beautiful Julia Morgan Ballroom. While we were venue shopping, we had narrowed it down to two venues, the Julia Morgan Ballroom being one of them of course. There were a few key reasons why we decided to go with the Ballroom over the other venue.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Lillian Phan, the Director of Weddings, answered every question we had, showed us the venue several times, laid out all of our options, and showed us patience and flexibility as we grappled with what a lot of couples may grapple with when planning a wedding: BUDGET. After very many phone calls and emails back-​and-​forth, Lillian helped us crunch the numbers and just like that our DREAM wedding came to life (and within our budget to boot)!
FOOD/​DRINKS & SERVICE:
We had a wonderful, gourmet, family-​style dinner which was whipped up by the amazing in-​house kitchen. The food was delectable the wine and beer selection were top notch — I received so many compliments from our guests! The service staff was also on point. We were told that service was attentive, timely, and most important, all the wine glasses were consistently kept full (always important in my book!).
EVENT MANAGEMENT: Kaley Fountain, the Event Manager at the time, was amazing! Days up to the wedding, she made sure all the minor details were executed to the exact way I wanted, from arrangement of the photographs on the fireplace, to the exact placement of the guestbook, couple photos, and wedding favors! She even set aside time to help us conduct a rehearsal of our grand entrance at the venue with the entire wedding party! She and Lillian checked in on us throughout the event — from making sure we had appetizers and bubbly when we arrived after the ceremony, to making sure that our night was perfect to the very end — and it was. :)
I can go on and on, but in as few words as possible: If you’re planning a wedding in the city you MUST check out the Julia Morgan Ballroom — you won’t regret it!

I am SO GLAD that my husband and I chose the Julia Morgan Ballroom as the venue for our wedding ceremony and reception. I am a law student, and have little time on my hands. I was looking for a one-​stop-​shop type of venue; I wanted to deal with as few vendors as possible, and worry about as few details as possible. In that key regard, the Julia Morgan Ballroom was exactly what I was hoping for. I literally only had to write one check for the linens, clean-​up, set-​up, booze, wedding cake, dinner, appetizers, furniture, service fees (tip), set-​up, and the venue fee — I LOVED it. This really helped us in terms of planning because the only other vendors we needed to find were: 1) the florist; 2) the DJ; 3) the wedding coordinator. It was absolutely wonderful.
Lillian Phan and Elexis Feldbrill, the Event Coordinators, were absolute pleasures to work with. They were responsive to our communication, and always gave me the feeling that they would do what it took to make sure our event ran smoothly. Working with them to organize such a large-​scale event was ridiculously easy. They asked all of the right questions to guide us through the planning process, and were patient with us throughout the entire time. On the day of the wedding, they were wonderful. They constantly checked-​in with my husband and myself to make sure we had everything that we needed. At the end of the ceremony, Lillian was waiting in the bar area with champagne for my husband and me!
The venue itself is so beautiful. We took pretty much all of our pictures there and in the surrounding area. The architecture, the feeling of community that accompanies a ballroom, the fact that we had access to the entire floor and were able to get ready there AND have a chinese tea ceremony there, all made for an excellent place to get married.
The food is delicious. The booze was delicious. The venue is beautiful, with its modern-​classic architecture. Planning is easy. It accommodates a ton of people very comfortably. You can literally do everything here. I would not hesitate to book the JMB for a wedding :)

Went to the annual YMCA appreciation dinner here and this is a fabulous space. Excellent ambiance and a nice view of the city from the 15^th floor. The Julia Morgan room is a great venue in a great city.

This was our second event at The Merchant’s Exchange. Our first event was located in the downstairs venue, The Merchant Exchange Club. We worked with Jason Erickson and Kim Thornton, a lovely team with all the know how and professionalism you could ever want.
Our second event was held directly in the Julia Morgan Ballroom. To say this room is stunning is an understatement. The room was beautiful, almost magical in a way. They even lit the stunning fireplace for us which in a way was like the cherry on top. It pulled the entire room together. Our tables, centerpieces, votive candles and linens were gorgeous. The music piped in was sweet and soothing.
The wait staff… AMAZING!!! Sweet. Personable. Knowledgeable. Helpful. This was the second time I worked with a few of them and it was heartwarming to be remembered by some of them.
The food was delicious. Our guests gave high praise about the entrees that were served and demanded we have the same thing next time we schedule this venue. I had the mahi mahi and I’ve never tasted anything better, anywhere. The beef eaters in our group had the filet of beef and raved about it. The dessert and wine were excellent.
We will eventually book the Julia Morgan Ballroom again in the near future.
It was a truly wonderful experience.
Thanks Kim, Jason and the entire wait staff!!!

First off I want to say, thank you Lillian!!!
Lillian was the best coordinator. She was so helpful in the entire project of planning the perfect winter wedding. She was awesome with assisting me with details from the very beginning to the very end.
My wedding at the Julia Morgan Ballroom turned out to be a very elegant and memorable Wedding! The wedding guests could not stop raving about how delicious the food was. During cocktail hour we were busy taking family pictures but we were not forgotten! The appetizers made their way downstairs to us! That was an awesome detail of their service. The venue is absolutely gorgeous and spacious for a wedding or for any other big event.
The atrium lobby was the perfect place for a stunning evening ceremony. Pictures taken outside the venue in the alley gave the perfect city wedding feel, which was exactly what I wanted.
Overall I was definitely immensely satisfied and do absolutely recommend this venue to others!

I have thrown two fundraising events at the Julia Morgan Ballroom (one which also included using the Merchants Exchange Club). This venue is beautiful! It makes decorating really easy because you really just need a few accent candles/​flowers and accent linens.
Planning for the event is easy with the expertise of their staff. I’ve worked with Kim on my non-​profit events and she is very knowledgeable of these types of events and how to get the most out of fundraising at galas/​cocktail parties. Working with a tight budget, she helped make sure we had the best event possible within our means and it really was great!
The quality of the food served is top notch. I’m not a huge fan of some of their menu selections for stationed and passed food, but this is based on personal taste. I can say that the Mozarella Bar was a HUGE hit amongst guests and I highly recommend it based on feedback.
All staff involved in the events at JMB are professional, VERY helpful and so nice to work with prior to and day of the event. My only word of advice is to remember that every little extra you want comes with an extra line item on your bill, which can add up (note to keep for your planning). This is certainly no place for a cheap event, but the quality matches the costs and the ease of working with the staff makes it worth it!

I work for a local non-​profit in San Francisco and we decided to have our annual gala at the Julia Morgan Ballroom this year. The space itself is absolutely gorgeous and has an old san francisco charm, with beautiful views from the ballroom. The grand ceilings and fireplaces are also a great touch.
We worked closely with Kim and she was an absolute pleasure to work with. She has been working at this event space for 7+ years and certainly was very professional and wonderful at her job. She was super accommodating of our requests and would do whatever she could to make them work for us. She also had great suggestions for the menu choices.
The whole staff the evening of our event were great and our guests had an amazing time. The downtown location and being close to BART was a big positive for our guests as well. We look forward to coming back next year for our annual gala.

The Julia Morgan Ballroom is hands down the best place to have your wedding in downtown San Francisco. The space is amazing and gorgeous and can’t be beat.
Working with Lillian and Kaley was a pleasure! These ladies are awesome! They are so nice and sweet! Plus they were super communicative and answered every question and concern. We knew we were in good hands the whole time.
Our guests raved about the food, bar and service! The entire staff were awesome! They all did such a great job making our night fun and relaxed for us as well as the guests.

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The Julia Morgan Ballroom at the Merchants Exchange is San Francisco is one of the more beautiful, historical and elegant event venues. It is centrally located to public transit, parking at 555 California, or valet your car at Michael Mina or Perbacco for about $ 15 till 11 PM. Conveniently walking distance to China Town, Omni Hotel, a few blocks to The Embarcadero or Union Square.
I came here for an event, passed h’or douevre, fashion show, and open bars. The sparkling wine was $ 14, and a cocktail was $ 13, about average for San Francisco. Nothing special about the drinks, except nice bartenders with good attitude. The food was good.
The Julia Morgan Ballroom offers true turnkey event packages including gourmet catering, bar service, state-​of-​the-​art A/​V, photography, floral, lighting, equipment rental, high-​speed WiFi and many other amenities. Flexible room set-​ups accommodate events and audiences of all types.
The venue is gorgeous, love the décor on the ceiling, marbled floor, dark furnishing, velvet burgundy curtains, gold trim chairs, elegant and not overdone, luxurious and charming.
Service was good and the event was a success with Chic Metropolitan Magazine. I’ll definitely recommend to others. The Julia Morgan Ballroom is also a popular destination for weddings and politic events.

The Julia Morgan Ballroom is one of the most elegant venues inside and out and is centrally located to public transit, parking at 555 California which has a flat rate on the weekends, less than a block from the Omni Hotel and a few blocks one way to Chinatown and the other way to the Embarcadero Center.
Was here for a wedding this past weekend and the ballroom is used for an elegant ceremony and within an hour and a half while you are enjoying your passed h’or douevres reception and bar, it is quickly transformed into a beautiful dining room. The arugula and pork belly salad was light and flavorful while the roasted sea bass was moist and perfectly cooked. The passed h’or douevres was also tasty with the only hiccup being that it rarely made it pass the first few feet out of the kitchen. So if they can have 2 or 3 people coming out with the same items, it would give at least 1 plate a chance to make it out to the rest of the group.
Overall, a beautiful ceremony, reception, and dinner for up to 300 guests and elegance personified!