Weddings on the Byways

Did you know that March 1st is National Wedding Planning Day? Created in 2017 by The Knot, a wedding planning media and technology company, National Wedding Planning Day on March 1st celebrates the "official" start of wedding planning season. Planning a wedding can be joyous but also stressful, especially when trying to decide on the perfect location for your special day. There are numerous venues on western Iowa's scenic byways that can host your wedding, from restored barns to outdoor venues with sweeping views of the beautiful Loess Hills. Many of these places are extremely popular and booked well in advance, but if you're lucky you might find an open date this year or next. Take a look at our list below of some gorgeous venues that can host your special day.

Bride's Room

Peirce Mansion

Peirce Mansion
2901 Jackson Street, Sioux City, IA 51104
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John Peirce's elegant home located at 2901 Jackson Street has been a part of Sioux City's history for over 120 years! Completed in 1893, the Victorian-era home is constructed with South Dakota quartzite, making it a unique example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture.

Today, the Peirce Mansion is open to the public for quarterly open house events and is available to rent. The mansion provides a one-of-a-kind venue for weddings, receptions, graduations, corporate gatherings, family reunions, private parties or photo shoots.

Oscar Carl Vineyard
1473 Buchanan Ave, Sioux City, IA  51106

V​ines and sunsets make for beautiful views. Hosting your prenuptial dinner under the covered patio just feet from the vineyard is an experience that can’t be duplicated.  Watching the sunset through 100-year-old windows or from the spacious patio overlooking the vineyard and spring-fed pond can be simply breathtaking. Let us make your special event even more special.  Contact us today!

Oscar Carl Vineyard

Lofted View Events

Lofted View Events
2086 210th Street, Bronson, Iowa 51007

Lofted View Events is the place where you belong.  We want to help you create a special event, all while surrounded by the rolling Loess Hills, gorgeous sunsets & a country setting that can be made as modern or rustic as your heart desires. ​

Wishing Hills Barn
2218 260th St., Missouri Valley IA 51555

Nestled in the Loess Hills just 30 miles north of the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, Wishing Hills Barn is the perfect location for your wedding and reception.  We offer breathtaking views and country charm that can’t be found anywhere else.  Our newly constructed barn and outdoor ceremony space create an ideal backdrop for your wedding and photographs.  ​

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Wishing Hills Barn

Palace Barn

Palace Event Center​
33153 Highway 92, Treynor, Iowa 51575

Located in Treynor, Iowa, The Palace Event Center hosts special events for couples, families, companies, and schools from Nebraska and Iowa. Our fully-restored 1930s barn is an easy 15-minute drive from Council Bluffs and Omaha. Plenty of parking, room to celebrate, and space to enjoy your event. Let our team take care of you.​

Bella Terre Vineyard & Reception Hall

Bella Terre Vineyard & Reception Hall
23375 Barrus Road, Glenwood, IA 51534

We are prolific creators delivering unparalleled experiences. Our exquisite reception hall is immersed in the rolling Loess Hills. The name Bella Terre is Italian for “beautiful lands” where one beautiful land meets the other; Italy and Iowa. Both are unique in their own way but they come together to enhance the natural beauty of the Iowa countryside. We focus on three things: wine, hospitality and luxury accommodations. This allows us to maintain our extremely high standards of wine quality and value, while always perfecting our guest experiences year after year. Our desire is to create an unforgettable memory for you and your guests in an extraordinary and unique facility.

Bella Terre was designed to provide an amazing atmosphere for wedding ceremonies, receptions, special dinners, corporate meetings, and other events and celebrations. Our facility can comfortably accommodate up to 400 guests and is located just 15 minutes from Omaha.​

Bella Terre Vineyard & Reception Hall

The Fountains Ballroom

​The Fountains Ballroom
51496 230th St, Glenwood, IA, 51534

Thoughtfully located in the tranquil countryside of western Iowa to capture the majestic sunsets of the Midwest, The Fountains Ballroom is a unique wedding venue nestled in the picturesque Loess Hills and 15 minutes from downtown Omaha. 

We offer a variety of different services and create custom built packages including:  Event Planning & Coordination, Floral & Design, Photography & DJ Services. 

We’re not just a venue. Let us handle all of the little details and sit back and watch your wedding dreams unfold.

The Fountains Ballroom

​Castle Unicorn

​Castle Unicorn
57034 Deacon Rd. Pacific Junction, IA 51561

​We’ve hosted countless numbers of beautiful weddings and special events here at Castle Unicorn. We invite you to look through our online portfolio to see photos and videos from some of our past weddings. With picturesque, one-of-a-kind views you’re guaranteed to create many lasting memories.

Bodega Victoriana Winery & Wedding Barn

Bodega Victoriana Winery & Wedding Barn
60397 Kidd Rd, Glenwood, IA 51534

Bodega Victoriana is a century old Victorian farm that offers the couple many different options for a country wedding. The perfect rustic barn wedding venue for eastern Nebraska and western Iowa weddings. Located just 20 minutes from the Omaha and Council Bluffs metro area.

The Waterfalls Wedding Venue

The Waterfalls Wedding Venue
907 Hartford Avenue, Farragut, IA 51639

The Waterfalls Wedding Venue is truly a one-of-a-kind wedding venue in Iowa. We transformed from a former public school into a venue that would be perfect for any wedding or special event. Created by talented craftsmen who dreamed of adding that “Wow!” factor to our event space, we’re a venue to rival any other. You’ll love our unique space and welcoming atmosphere designed to bring a little magic to any event. Our indoor settings, and upcoming outdoor setting (Spring 2020), can be custom decorated and designed to meet any need.

Whiskey Springs

Whiskey Springs
2474 Bluff Road, Hamburg, IA 51640

Experience the quiet simplicity of country glam with a renovated 1940s-era barn and restaurant venue.

Set in the epic beauty of the Loess Hills, Whiskey Springs unites quaint, rustic charm and modern conveniences. We are here to write the story of your special event...a story that will be remembered for years and generations. Our staff will help with your every planning detail and arrange and coordinate your event. We work with many vendors and services and know who to call for any need.

Multiple locations for your event are available including the barn, the saloon, or one of the natural or landscaped areas around the barn.

Cottonwood Barn

Cottonwood Barn

Cottonwood Barn

Cottonwood Barn
206 Odense St Kimballton, IA 51543

​The Cottonwood Bar is formerly known as the Kimballton Livestock Auction. It is located in Kimballton, Iowa, next to the Kimballton baseball fields.

The Mortensen family has dedicated lots of energy and time to transform the old auction building into a new venue available for rent to the public. The main rental room holds approximately 80 people, and also has a bar room. Unique to the Cottonwood Barn is a large hydro-swing door that opens up the main room to a large spacious patio.  The patio will seat approximately an additional 50 people.
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Other features of the Cottonwood Barn include; handicap accessible men and women's restrooms, kitchenette area, a game room/lounge that overlooks the main rental room, and central heat and air conditioning.
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Beside the Cottonwood barn is a luscious beautiful yard that holds the cottonwood tree.  A breathtaking place for a wedding.

Taylor Hill Lodge
1614 Highway 71, Audubon, IA 50025

Taylor Hill Lodge is an English barn built in the early 1890s by Grandpa Taylor. The interior of the barn has been remodeled into a comfortable modern lodge while retaining its original design. The full history of the barn can be found on our website. Take your pick among our six available guest rooms with homey finishings and comfortable bathrooms here. We’re proud to have served Audubon and surrounding communities for 20 years!

Halfway between Omaha and Des Moines, Taylor Hill Lodge is approximately three miles north of Audubon, Iowa. Located in the rolling hills of western Iowa, you will be glad to know there are many attractions nearby. 

Taylor Hill Lodge

Taylor Hill Lodge

Saints Center for Culture and the Arts

Saints Center for Culture and the Arts
20 N. Fremont St., Stuart, Iowa 50250

​Weddings, concerts, theater, reunions, conferences, and more! The Saints Center features five unique gathering spaces to choose from for your next event.

Historic All Saints was built from 1908-1910 in the Byzantine and Romanesque style with an Italian Baroque interior. It served the Catholic parish in the Stuart area and was once voted the "most beautiful church in Iowa" by the readers of The Des Moines Register.

Raccoon Ridge Music Hall
3281 298th Lane, Stuart, IA 50250
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Located just a few miles north of Stuart, IA, and just 45 minutes from Des Moines, Raccoon Ridge Music Hall is the area's largest and most modern facility of its kind. Designed from the ground up by Linda and Gary Thompson, Raccoon Ridge Music Hall is your best resource for gatherings of any kind, small to large, in a rural setting with towering oaks and flowing fields.

Schafer Century Barn

Schafer Century Barn
1628 280th St Adair, Iowa

This is the original barn that started it all for our new adventure into wedding and event hosting. It’s beautiful, rustic wood interior is warm and elegant with our bistro lights and simple lace and burlap bunting. We offer several different packages, and if you’re looking for something in between, all of the options included in the larger package are a la carte priced and can be added to the base package, so you can completely customize your day.

Schafer Barn on the Hill

Schafer Barn on the Hill
1459 White Pole Road, Adair

The idea of our newest addition, Schafer Barn on the Hill, was prompted by visiting engaged couples that absolutely fell in love with the Century Barn, but needed a more spacious venue to accommodate more guests.  We remodeled an existing barn on another property we owned just about 7 miles from the original Century Barn, adding large bathrooms, a commercial kitchen, rooms for the wedding party to get ready, and even it’s own bar.  Then slowly and painstakingly, we added a vast 60’ X 100’ ceremony space, made of full tree-sized logs and beams, along with artistically designed metal fasteners engineered by our talented local welding shop.  It is truly a sight to see!

St. John’s Wedding Chapel

St. John’s Wedding Chapel

We are honored to have St. John’s Wedding Chapel in our family of venues. This local country church, which happens to be located halfway between our two barns, once held regular church services for almost 100 years! When the church was sadly forced to close we were thankful to be able to breathe new life into the property. Now this local treasure is the setting for intimate ceremonies when you still want a barn reception, but would like a more traditional ceremony space.

Willow Creek
4066 325th St, Shelby, IA 51570, USA

Willow Creek offers a stunning location to exchange your wedding vows and celebrate significant moments among the rolling hills of southwestern Iowa. We serve the Omaha and Council Bluffs area, but have had clients from California to New York.  An extraordinary setting at a great value, we’ve been helping to make special occasions as special as possible since 2005. We offer picturesque ceremony areas as well as a stunning reception space. And if outdoor wedding space is important to you, we definitely have you covered there as well!  While weddings are what we are known for, we can also help you celebrate many other life events or corporate gatherings.​

The Grainery Lodge
1969 500th St Cherokee, IA 51012

Host your family reunions at The Grainery and it will bring you and your relatives closer than ever!

​A picture perfect setting for romantic weddings & receptions.