TITLE: DISAPPOINTED, IGNORED AND INSULTED Please note that we are writing this review from the perspective as both parents of the bride and a former professional event planner for a Fortune-100 company. The first red flag is that this is a generational family-owned business that only takes payment in cash or personal check. You can draw your own conclusions from that policy. This makes it extremely inconvenient when you are making arrangements from out of state. But this was the place our daughter chose and so we happily offered payment. Our daughter was married in June 2022 and chose to hold her wedding reception at "The Balcony Ballroom" in Metairie, LA. This venue is unimpressive, very overpriced, dated and nothing special. As parents of the bride and the ones paying the majority of this expense, we were also treated very, very badly by the management. We would not recommend holding your event in this facility. We think the bridal couple picked this location because it was a turnkey operation where you can choose from a menu of food, format and décor options without having to book individual vendors, thus saving time in the planning process. This entire event took place at night. The neighborhood where it is located is quite "sketchy" and felt unsafe. The building appears very worn on the outside and very dated. There is also extremely limited parking available, but it is offered at no additional cost. We (along with most of the other guests) had choices of parking along the street or in the parking lots of apartment complexes a couple of blocks away. The sidewalks surrounding this facility are uneven, broken and overgrown with weeds - not a safe scenario at night when there is little light, and you are walking in heels and/or long dresses or are a person with mobility issues. The decor was lacking, in general. Although everything seemed very clean, it was also very outmoded. The arrangements on the tables were not real flowers, had plastic beading and were dusty - as if they'd been sitting in someone's storage room a little too long. The lighting was good - not the typical too-dark dance floor type of lighting you find at some events like this. The cake table was set up on a high stage apart from the crowd, which sounds nice. In reality, this prevented everyone from seeing the cake up close and any nice coloring or details it might have had. However, it gave everyone a good view of the bridal couple when they did the cake cutting, although it made them seem very far away. If you look at the website for this facility, you'll see the same cookie-cutter décor and monogrammed lighting effects that our daughter had at her reception. It must be a standard here. When we arrived, a security officer stopped the grandmother of the bride (GOB) from entering, as if she was suspicious, even though she was almost 90 years old, in a long formal gown, wearing a corsage that matched others in the bridal party and was directly behind us. This was quite odd and unsettling, but we laughed it off and assured them she was "okay" and "with us." Insult number one. Once the bridal couple arrived, we were directed upstairs to the "balcony" area of the building along with the rest of the immediate family and bridal party. Apparently, everyone else present was informed that the "chef" would make a special meal for anyone that had food allergies. One of us has especially severe food allergies, so this would have been greatly appreciated. The RSVP for the wedding requested declarations of any special food requirements and we responded in kind. Insult number two. No one informed us that this food option was available, and no one approached us, except to once again question who we were as if we did not belong (even though we were all wearing corsages/boutonnieres like the rest of the bridal party). The Father of the Bride (FOB) was even wearing the same matching ensemble as other male members of the bridal party, yet he was singled out by the owner "Vanessa" who inquired who he was and it was not done in a friendly manner. We didn't see them question anyone else that evening. Insult number three. The balcony area was a nice touch, but difficult for some to get to. You have to ascend a spiral staircase to access what was a somewhat crowded area with 30+ members of the bridal party present. We never saw an elevator, but perhaps they had one and we were just unaware. Furniture is limited to a couple of sofas, chairs and accent tables and they all looked like either poorly maintained antiques or bad reproductions and had extremely thin and worn cushions and upholstery. However, there was a beautiful faux fireplace at one end of the balcony space surrounded and filled with LED candles (for safety, I assume), which made for some lovely wedding photos for the bridal party. Other than the photo opportunity in front of the fireplace, it was unclear why the bridal party was ushered up there after the arrival of read more

The Balcony is a reception hall in Metairie right off Clearview and I-10. The catering service is really good and they do a great job with the decor. Employees wear traditional black suiting and are very friendly. This place is easy to get to and there is plenty of parking. The only thing that keeps me from giving this place four stars is 1) it is always cold. I've been here twice during different times of the year and it is always very cold. 2) There isn't ample seating for 200 guests and a dance floor, which seems odd to me. 3) the hand passed hors d' ovuerves typically only make it seated guests, so if you're standing, you don't receive the same level of service. What the hell? All in all, this is a nice venue for a special event. The service staff was very attentive and was quick to clean up dishes, tables and kept the stations clean. The food is delicious and well laid out. I just wish I wasn't shivering and standing all night. read more

Our wedding was more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. The Balcony Ballroom did an outstanding job for our wedding reception. I cannot say enough good things about the overall experience. The staff was very helpful, attentive, cooperative, and responsive to the parents of the couple and especially to the bride and groom. The food was outstanding! Everything was PERFECT. My wedding was on December 6 and I still keep getting compliments of how perfect everything was. I would recommend The Balcony Ballroom to anyone considering a wedding reception...from small to large. They will definitely make the occasion special! Vanessa and the entire team did an outstanding job making sure we and our guests were taken care of. Excellence was reflected in everything The Balcony Ballroom did. Thanks!! read more

Wow- they made some nice improvements recently. The alternating table cloths were elegant and feminine. The weird mural has been painted over with a modern and sophisticated grey/ tan paint. There's a light that shines above the cake table with the wedding couples' monogrammed initials and changed thru the night in different styles. The passed appetizers were very impressive. We never saw the same tray passed twice and each one consisted of high end choices like crabmeat, duck, quail, etc. The stations had pretty good food as well, one stand out was the stuffed artichoke crepe. The bar was pretty generic. They were only capable of making simple drinks like jack and coke,etc. It was a nice touch to offer liqueurs with the champagne but the server had no idea about proportions. The dance floor is a nice size and takes center stage in the room. Im not sure what kind if floor it is, but the servants I mean servers stayed on their hands and knees all night wiping up spilled drinks. Overall, with the asthetic improvements, I would absolutely recommend hosting an event here for the people that like to keep their money in Jefferson;) read more

We were absolutely blown away by the balcony and how smoothly and perfectly our special day went!!! We got married on 5/30/2021! With over a year of extensive planning and research when I first stumbled upon the balcony I knew that this was the place where My fiancé and I wanted to get married! Everything went off without a hitch. The level of professionalism and organization was something out of a wedding dream. Myself and my husband did not have to worry about one thing at all but enjoying our big day. The day of coordinators took care of anything and everything we needed including making sure both sets of our parents and my grandparents were catered to and waited on hand and foot. The staff was out of this world and the FOOD!!!! Oh my goodness the food was one of the many highlights of the afternoon. Our guests were raving on how delicious the food was and how this was the best wedding they have ever been to hands down. I could go on and on all day saying good things about the balcony but please, do yourself a huge favor and book this place for your wedding. They go out of their way to make it one of the best days of your life and my husband and myself couldn't thank them enough. Their decades of experience really shine through their level of wedding expertise and we couldn't be more grateful!!! read more

The Balcony Ballroom - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Metairie, Louisiana

Service and food are incomparable! Mike and his staff gave my son, his bride, and their guests a memorably first class reception. On the menu, the bacon wrapped quail is as good a bite of food as we have found. Bar staff remembered guests' drink preferences. Guests from Tennessee, Cali, and elsewhere agreed that this was a very well run event. From pictures to pass around, Mike orchestrated an exceptional reception. read more

Had a wedding function on June 27 for my sister and I can't say enough good things about The Balcony Ballroom. Everything was absolutely amazing. Thanks to Mike and the entire staff for doing an impeccable job. I will tell all my friends to book their next function at The Balcony Ballroom. read more

There aren't enough words to describe how awesome our wedding experience was at The Balcony working with Vanessa, Mike and Jay! Seriously, they were the best with planning our reception and answering the hundreds of questions we had...they literally had every detail covered! I dealt with Vanessa mostly and she is simply amazing at coordinating everything! Jay was great at helping us pick out the perfect lighting for the ambiance we wanted for our special night- and he nailed it! The music selections really kept the party going, I couldn't have picked out a better selection! Communicating with the team at The Balcony was so easy & we always had a quick response! Our outside vendors also mentioned to us that coordinating times was super easy with them & way better than most venues they deal with in the area. Our wedding reception was truly stress free...Vanessa & Mike had everything for us even before we asked & our parents were very impressed with their service that night (& from the servers as well!)! I felt very comfortable in knowing that everything we had discussed would be executed perfectly so we wouldn't have to worry about anything else besides enjoying the reception! All of our guest are still raving about how DELICIOUS all of the food was and the variety of the fully stocked bar...everyone really had a fun night! Thank you Vanessa, Mike, Jay, Chef Ryan and everyone at The Balcony for helping us make the best memories of our lives! read more

On Friday Miranda and I had our wedding here and to say it was outstanding would be an understatement ! The staff was perfect ! They're extremely professional and skilled. Every one of our guests raved over how amazing the food was and how beautiful the wedding was! Mike, Vanessa, and Jay, thank you and your staff so much for making our wedding day so perfect, and going above and beyond, you guys are the real deal! read more

The Balcony has recently made some updates so if you have not gone to an event here in the past year or so you may be in for a surprise. The floors are the most noticeable change and it certainly brightens up the space. Just in the past few months I have gone to 3 events here, 2 out of the 3 being wedding receptions. Each time the staff members are gracious and polite would be an understatement. The food was plentiful, and each time a little different as I am sure there are different levels of food packages to choose from. The fried oysters were some of the best oysters I have ever had. period. The oyster was a large gulf oyster and the breading was light and seasoned to perfection. This was a pass around option and good thing because if it was buffet style I may have not been able to control myself! While there was a lot of the main course foods were set up buffet style I found the pass arounds to be my favorites. I noticed throughout the night that the staff was clearing tables so tables never looked messy or cluttered. At one reception the bride and groom had their first dance upstairs near the balcony so the guests were looking up and watching from afar resembling a fairytale story. The other wedding, the couple had their first dance on the main dance floor. I liked that even though I went to 2 weddings at the same venue that the couples could do things differently to be tailored to their own personalities. read more

We attended a wedding here this past Friday. I've never been so I was very excited to see what it was like. We were not at all disappointed. My only complaint was that some of the staff kind of ruined the mood. There was one girl in particular who walked around with a sour face all night and even walked past while the ceremony was going on texting away. There was also another employee who neglected to silence their phone while at work and stashed their phone under one of the buffet tables during the ceremony. It resulted in a loud ring the entire time the bride was walking down the aisle. MOOD KILL. Besides that, everything was wonderful. The way the room is set up is really organized. The winding stair case that the bridal party walked down was perfect. Also, that is wear the wedding party went post ceremony to take pictures while the guests stayed downstairs and started drinking and such. Speaking of drinks, there was almost never a line at the bar, despite 200 guests. The food was really really good. The past few places I've gone for wedding has left me unimpressed in the food department. If I had to re-plan my wedding, I would definitely consider having mine here. read more

Everything was perfect! Especially Mike our choreographer! Special shot out to him for being VERY professional and experienced. Thanks Mike!!! read more

Good for small parties 100 but if you are going to have a party over 300 folks---you dont want your guests to be standing in a long line for food. Especially if you paid alot of money for that one evening---3 hrs. Thumbs down. read more

This place is simply amazing. My wedding here was absolutely flawless, but that was about two years ago. I'm writing this review based on the experience that I had there this past weekend. I was a guest at a wedding that was held at the balcony ballroom and I was completely blown away all over again. Mike and Vanessa remembered my husband and I (YES AFTER TWO YEARS) and made sure our experience as guests was just as good as the day of our own wedding. The food was so delicious, and honestly I didn't have to get up out of my seat once with all of the food being passed around by the very attentive staff. The bar never had a line, and even better, they didn't have any cheesy tip jars out! I thought that this place won over my heart two years ago, but it did it all over again this weekend. They are so professional in every aspect and I will forever recommend The Balcony Ballroom to everyone that I know! read more

We were here for a wedding reception last night (shoutout to Hunter & Sophie Phillips!!!) and it was too good to not give a review. From the layout of the beautiful ballroom, to the staff, to the food&drinks served, we couldn't have had a better experience as guests. The food was incredible- various stations of tenderloin (super tender served with the softest rolls ever!) shrimp&grits seasoned perfectly, mashed potato bar, Delish salad/fruit/cheese area, and a pasta station. However, the most notable food was the food served in rounds on trays constantly all night. The best tasting fried catfish & oysters we've ever eaten (seriously the BEST), lamb chops, caprese salad skewers, lobster truffle Mac and cheese, crab salad, bacon wrapped quail (yummm), ahi tuna bites- I might be missing a few items! But they were offered all night no matter how full we were. Simply put, all of it was Creative& delicious. The staff (notably server David& bartender Janet) were awesome!! So friendly. Management was great as well. A coffee bar w/ liqueurs was set up and a chocolate fondue tower. After the wedding cake was served, we were confident the food would stop coming but nope! A bananas foster station was set up and mini chocolate cone shots of Irish coffee was brought around. All around fantastic! Best reception ever :) read more

Recently went to a wedding/reception at the Balcony. Beautiful. The food was good, the drinks flowing and the music was...ok. Location is excellent and the atmosphere is great. read more

We recently held our daughter's wedding at The Balcony. To say we were 100% satisfied would be an understatement. First of all, the food was fantastic, and it never stopped coming. The building is beautiful, but the best part of all is the staff. Vanessa, Mike, Johnny, and all of the people that served us were not only professional, but every one of them went overboard to make sure our night was stress free and enjoyable for my daughter and her husband. I have seldom ever written a review on any place or service, but their performance certainly deserves our thanks. read more

Vanessa and Jay were the most awesome people i could imagine to work with whilst planning my wedding for October 11, 2015. Whenever i sent an email it was answered within the hour, if not within minutes. They were super heroes when it came to keeping us on schedule on the actual day. My entire family gushed about how beautiful the venue was and how they felt relaxed and extremely well tended too. Everyone ate to their hearts content and then ate some more because the food was amazing. The experience they provided to our families went above and beyond all expectations and made my day perfect. Of our 200 guests, i have not received any negative comments about their experience. I really appreciate all that went into keeping the atmosphere pleasant and everyone happy. read more

I recently attempted to reserve my wedding reception at The Balcony and spoke with their consultant, Vanessa. I requested an evening reception around 7 p.m in March 2017. Vanessa informed me that on Saturdays, they only have two time periods available for receptions and that both are centered around the local Catholic Mass times of 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. She stated that I could have a reception from 3-6 pm or 8:30-11:30 pm. I informed Vanessa that I was not Catholic and was not concerned about local mass times, so I requested an early time for the reception. She stated that I could get an earlier time on Friday, but I had to stick to their times on Saturday. I feel that a large business should be able to accommodate more than the Catholic religion on a Saturday or at least advertise that they only cater to a specific religion on that day. Baptist, Methodist, Non-Denominational worshipers Beware. read more

For anyone who will be deciding on a wedding reception venue, please, please take a look at The Balcony Ballroom! My daughter's reception was held there in March and it was PERFECTION. Start to finish, The Balcony Ballroom staff has EVERYTHING covered. They have been "in the business" for over 40 years and it shows! Their chef is FULL TIME, and the staff is NOT contract labor...these people know what they are doing - many have been with The Balcony for over 10 years, and some much longer. Read any reviews you can find - there is no place better in my opinion. Food - impeccable and my guests went home full as ticks! Room - stunningly beautiful with new state of the art lighting and remodeled food and wine stations, as well as coordinating linen choices - and the newly modified table flowers are beautiful. I could talk about this place constantly!! Do yourself a huge favor - visit The Balcony Ballroom - it stands higher against ANY wedding venue in Jefferson or Orleans parishes - or anywhere for that matter. read more