We had our wedding reception at the MOPA and could not have been happier with it! It's such a unique spot, with a great space and beautiful gallery, so we didn’t have to bring in a lot of extra decor (big relief!), but also had plenty of opportunity to make it our own. We had around 110 guests and thought the space was a great size, with plenty of room for tables and dancing. We had the ceremony in one of the nearby courtyards, and loved everything about the whole experience.

Melissa is the event coordinator there and one of the main reasons that we chose the venue and had such an amazing day! She responded quickly to our (many) questions, had a wealth of information and suggestions, was very organized, and overall just made everything so much easier and stress-free. She went out of her way to help us with not only the reception venue, but also choosing and booking the ceremony space and suggesting other vendors. She also worked with our coordinator to come up with the arrangement of the space.

On the day of the wedding, everything went so smoothly. The Museum staff also deserves a big thank you for their work, as they did a great job breaking down the museum space, cleaning everything, and getting it ready for the reception. Everything was well coordinated, the space was prepared quickly, and it was opened up for the vendors to set everything up like clockwork.

We really can’t say enough good things about it, and would absolutely recommend it!

Ever since moving to San Diego, I had always dreamed of a wedding in Balboa Park. I had never been to the MOPA before, but when I found glowing reviews of it online and saw the pictures of it, I was immediately in love. Fortunately, my now husband loved it too. It was the only venue we actually visited because once we saw the space in person and met Melissa the coordinator, we knew that was where we wanted our reception. Melissa is an absolute joy and made the planning process not only easy and stress free, but fun! When there was a change in the exhibit, Melissa and the MOPA Director worked with us to make sure that our vision could still come to life. And when the forecast said rain (and our ceremony and cocktail hour were both planned for outside), Melissa worked with us to come up with a great backup plan (which we thankfully didn't need). I could go on and on about the night itself, but let me just say, it was PERFECT. When I walked in for the first time, I was overwhelmed by how gorgeous the everything looked and with a wedding of 60 people, the place felt spacious but cozy. The MOPA staff was amazing, as was the recommended caterer, and best of all, our guests, LOVED it, and loved that they got to walk around and check out the art and activities. In the end, we had the perfect wedding with a unique juxtaposition between our ceremony and cocktail hour in front of the Botanical Building and then the reception in the sleek, modern MOPA.

We just had our reception at the MOPA and we could not be happier! The place is amazing and very classy! I was a "lazy" bride... I had 4 months to plan everything and the MOPA and Balboa park was love at the first sight :). We did the ceremony outdoor but the MOPA also has an indoor theatre can be used for the ceremony. But having the option to do the ceremony outdoor right there was an instant attraction for me.
Melissa, the special event manager at the MOPA is the best! She gave me so many great ideas and helped me to get the permit for the outdoor ceremony, planned the floor and seating, very promptly answered all of my last minute questions! We had a small wedding (36 people). With very nicely positioned tables, the space was like perfectly sized for the event. The best part of the venue is that we don't need to decorate it! Because all of the exhibits were stunning decoration by themselves. With uplights brought by the DJ, the place was stunning! We and the guests had so much fun and I can't say enough of it! Thank you, MOPA!!!