I was lucky enough to attend a beautiful wedding here over the weekend. Both the ceremony and the…read morereception were hosted in the space. Upon arrival, parking was widely available and easily marked. The venue itself is comparable to a greenhouse overlooking a wooded landscape with a pond and large deck overlooking the water. You couldn't ask for a better space. Natural light pours in and there were tons of plants making it a cozy and natural atmosphere. With the lighting features and design of the space, you can easily customize it to make it your own with flowers, color additions, bars in different spaces and a variety of table layouts. All of the staff that we encountered were friendly and on top of it. I can only speak for the space as an attendee versus the actual event planner. In summary, this place is a beaut and probably one of my favorite venues I've encountered in the Circle City.

Great Venue! Quiet Location! Amazing Building! Spectacular Deck! I was an event planner for a…read morewedding here and it was a gorgeous venue! The glass and black beams at night make you feel like you're amongst the stars. I figured I would let the pictures I took speak for my review!

For the most part I enjoy this venue. It's beautiful, cost effective, spacious, and good on…read moreparking. I have been able to work behind the scenes helping my friends plan their weddings as a hobby and there has been a shift in leadership recently. It's different but I think sometimes different is good. Obviously whenever new leadership shifts there are a few kinks that need to be ironed out and it seems the CLC is committed to making the transition a good one! This facility is absolutely stunning and the services they offer here can be great for weddings, anniversaries, church events, baby showers and anything you can think of. Some may think it's odd to have an event right next door to a funeral home but honestly, it's no issue at all! They do a good job of keeping things separate! Overall, good venue - location is a little far from downtown (kinda out of the way) but right outside of it, so not unbearable.

This venue is beautiful for in/outdoor weddings. Reception / cocktail/ ceremony areas worked well…read morefor ease of use. I think there was only 1 bathroom for guests, in the front. would be nice if there was another near the back of the venue as well. The site has Adequate parking.

Had my wedding here, and I loved it but come to find out that they allow tours during other…read moreweddings. One of their staff was leading a tour in the middle of my wedding reception. I asked the manager if she was aware of this and she said yes. Other than that, the planning was great, the people were great, my coordinator was amazing. Prices were reasonable and decor was mostly provided.

We attended a wedding there. The food was amazing. It was hot and the buffet went quick. The venue…read moreis lovely. The only thing that could be an issue with an outdoor wedding was there was no smooth area to get to the ceremony. The benches are fine but I had to wipe off bird poop prior to sitting down. It was not fresh. The wedding was in April so not too hot. The restroom is small.

I attended my cousin's wedding at this venue, and it was a beautiful celebration. The venue has a…read morehistoric charm with a dimly lit ambiance that creates a warm, elegant atmosphere. It's located in downtown Indianapolis and has its own parking lot, which was very convenient for guests. The space was spacious enough for the size of the wedding, and everything flowed well throughout the evening. For smaller events, the parking lot is sufficient, but I could see it getting tight for larger events here. One thing to keep in mind is that renting this venue appears to cover only the building itself. My aunt mentioned they paid by the hour for the venue and also had to rent the tables and chairs separately, as well as arrange and pay for the catering. The bar was located in the back and was cash only or their wedding. The wedding turned out beautifully, and the venue provided a charming backdrop for a memorable day. I believe my cousin had swing dancing events here, so they also host a variety of activities.

McGowan Hall is a community and event center located in the Old Northside neighborhood of Indy…read more McGowan Hall was built in 1922 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. I had the chance to visit McGowan Hall recently for a local memorial event. It's a unique setting that immediately made me curious about its history. The grounds originally had a Romanesque chateau completed in 1874. The home was designed by noted architect William LeBaron Jenney, who helped rebuild Chicago after the fire of 1871. Neighbors included president Benjamin Harrison and best selling hoosier author Meredith Nicholson. Subsequent owner of the chateau mansion, Dr. Horace Allen, hosted a party for Levi Morton of New York, who would become Benjamin Harrison's vice-presidential running mate. Harrison's home was not large enough to accommodate the affair. The home was acquired by Hugh J. McGowan, a railway magnate, in 1903. He lived there until his death in 1911. His daughters were known to perform amateur plays with Booth Tarkington in the 3rd floor ballroom. The McGowan family stayed in the home until 1919 when Mrs. McGowan sold the property to the Knights of Columbus (Hugh McGowan had been a member). Finally, in 1922, McGowan Hall was built and adjoined the home. The hall featured a 90'x60' ballroom with balcony seating and a stage. Downstairs had meeting area, billiard, shower, and cloak rooms. The hall hosted the first Knights of Columbus Council in Indiana (Mater Dei Knights of Columbus Council #437). To this day, they meet in the hall. In 1963, the home was torn down. However, the hall remained. The hall continues to host a wide variety of community, charitable, and civic events including theatre productions, fundraisers, high school dances, holiday parties, workshops, AA/NA meetings, neighborhood gatherings, and more. You can rent the Grand Hall (5,000sf of floor space), Council Room (seats up to 120), and an incredible, very vintage lounge that can easily seat 50. While McGowan Hall has some accessibility issues, typical for historic landmarks, there is an accessible entrance to the Grand Hall (550 capacity, around 400 with seating/tables). This is a solid mid-sized venue that I think often gets overlooked here in Indy. It's a beautiful facility, though anyone with accessibility needs should be sure to mention that before renting to ensure the need can be met. For attending a Grand Hall event, I had no issues. However, other areas would definitely have some challenges

Canal Pointe is an event venue in downtown Indianapolis on the western edge of downtown, situated…read moreright by the downtown canal. You get some decent views of downtown and the canal from here, and the structure Canal Pointe is located in dates back to the 1800s. But there is very little indicating any type of history, except for a blink-and-miss-it marker for Buggs Temple 1918 right by the front entrance. Inside the building itself is a fairly modern basement where coat check is typically done, with the event center portion being on the second and third floor. The third floor has a decent sized balcony that overlooks the Canal, which would be great in warmer weather. There are a few rooms on the top floor that are sectioned off. At the event I attended they had some TVs going in one of them so people could tune into the various sport events going on. Despite the long history of this building serving as a house of worship and as a concert venue, its disappointing that almost none of that history is incorporated into the current event center.

The Willows on Westfield sits on Spirit Lake, a small and serene lake-setting just off Westfield…read moreBoulevard that manages to stay looking serene even with all of the construction going on in the area. There's a lot of construction. This is largely a space for special events. The Willows largely takes up this entire area and includes multiple event options including a ballroom: reception building, a lodge for receptions, a garden, a ballroom for ceremonies, and a lodge ceremony space. The lodge area is actually my favorite area, though I've yet to actually attend an event there. I've now attended two events inside the Ballroom building, a decent-sized building right on Spirit Lake (actually everything is right on Spirit Lake). It has a classic beauty and can be set up for everything from parties to special events to speaking engagements or conferences. The last event I attended here, just a couple weeks ago, had (I believe) 500 in attendance sitting around tables. It was packed - so, I'm guessing any more than that would be unreasonable. This particular event actually had back-to-back events with about a 30-45 minute period between them. So, kudos to the staff here for doing a really quick changeover. The first event I attended here was also catered, a definite option here. I found the food solid (I for the life of me can't remember exactly what was served). I recall thinking it was in the 4-star range. Truthfully, I thought I had done a review after that event but apparently had not. The Willows utilizes Crystal Catering (which they own) for its catering. This facility is run by the same team behind Holliday Park, Crystal Catering, Indiana Roof Ballroom, and The Crane Bay Event Center. Accessing The Willows is fairly simple since it's right on Westfield Boulevard. They have two large parking lots on both sides of their ballroom building. The lodge section is farther to the right. There's a row of accessible parking to the right side of the ballroom building, though the spots are shy of true ADA. If there's a place where The Willows falls short, and it nearly led me to drop it to a 3-star, it's in true accessibility. It's simply not truly accessible and not even particularly wheelchair friendly. There's a significant incline to get up to the door. While you could be dropped off at the front door, if you're the one doing the driving (as I would be) that's not feasible. There is a curb cut, however, so you can at least get on the sidewalk. The double-sided doorway entry is a tad heavy, though during events there tends to be folks around to help out. I also had some issues with the restroom in the ballroom building. In short, if you're a person with a disability or you know you have one in your party I recommend having conversations up front with The Willows. They are, in fact, good at working with people and sometimes pre-planning helps. This is just not a place where I would simply "show up." I will also note that both events I attended here had audio issues. While audio issues can be caused by a wide variety of things, it's a bit of a caution to me that 2 of 2 events had them at one facility. Both times, they impacted the event from an attendee's perspective. The setting here is beautiful, the lake wonderful, the garden an ideal space for weddings, and the ballroom an idea spot for chic, classy events. The lodge can be more laid back or classy. There's much to love here, but there are some accessibility concerns and some little glitchy things that keep The Willows from truly being a 5-star experience. The little things matter, for example even in researching for this review I noted there's a couple dead pages on their website...again, details matter if you want to serve up an impeccable, classy experience. I would easily return here, though as a person with a disability myself I know to plan ahead and be sure to work through the audio in advance to ensure a spotless experience is had by all.

I recently was married here and had an amazing experience. Shawn was a dream to work with and had…read moreus on schedule the whole day. I never worried about my wedding ceremony or reception because I knew they were in her hands. THe garden was well taken care of for our ceremony and looked beautiful. The food was delicious and we are still receiving compliments on it. I loved that the waiters personally walked my husband and I through the food buffet line and served us and walked it back to our table. It was so classy. The bartenders were quick and accommodating with guests requests. I would get married again here in a heart beat.

I was looking at a map of the Meridian Hills area and saw "Second Presbyterian Church Labyrinth" as…read moreone of the landmarks. Say what? A labyrinth in Indianapolis? My interest was piqued and I set off to check it out. Turns out, my good Yelp buddy Richard P. has already visited this labyrinth and wrote a way better review of it than this one I'm writing right now. So read his review. Then, go and visit this labyrinth. You'll find it easily when you enter the church parking lot -- just follow the signs for "Children's Circle." I'll have to come back with my children, because I think they'd have fun walking on the labyrinth and getting to the center. It's a nice little spot with some boulders to climb on, and some benches to sit on, if you wish. It's located right off the church parking lot, but tucked into a little nook with trees, so it's definitely a place where you could find peace and quiet. It's really neat that there's a free place in Indy where you can mediate while walking on a labyrinth, and find a little time to yourself outdoors.

By now, it's no secret that I love labyrinths. I visit them regularly and the labyrinth at Second…read morePresbyterian Church is among my favorites in the state of Indiana. A relatively new labyrinth, this labyrinth was developed in 2013 as part of the over 180-year-old church's 175th anniversary celebration. This is an outdoor labyrinth built in concrete within one of Second Church's grassy areas. It's publicly accessible and other than during events held at the labyrinth is open for use. Rev. Gracie Payne, a former Lake Fellow at the church and now Director of Young Adults, led the development of a prayer guide for the labyrinth that is available on the church's website. The outdoor labyrinth is designed in the classic tradition similar to that of the one at Chartres Cathedral in France. While it's just a touch too narrow for full-on wheelchair use, the labyrinth is easily wheelchair accessible with a pathway that is smooth. I've had no difficulty following the labyrinth's paths - I simply go a bit outside the lines (which pretty much sums up my life anyway). This labyrinth is in an inspired location. It's easily accessible within the city, there's plenty of parking, it's a generally safe area (in fact, I often see police cars in the parking lot), and yet it's a fairly wooded lot offering a peaceful place for prayer and meditation. Second Church does periodically hold labyrinth-based events and the website is a great place to look for those. Currently, they are asking labyrinth users to wear a mask if 2 or more are using the labyrinth. There's also a bench where you can sit and reflect here, as well. Otherwise, this is a simple yet beautiful labyrinth and definitely one of my favorites.

*** This city owned venue is managed by the Wellington of Fishers owned by Cami.**…read moreI encourage you to do your research and read all the Google reviews on this business. Working with Cami and The Wellington pushed us over the edge and this was the worst service industry experience ever making a trip to the BMV look like a dream vacation in comparison. We share so others may not fall victim to these horrific and unethical business practices. We also want to share that we would not be writing this review had Cami, the owner of The Wellington, taken ownership for her mistakes, tried to make them right or apologized to us at all during the process. Working with Cami was an absolute nightmare from day 1. Once planning started, all of our meetings we had to setup ourselves and had to press to get them scheduled. Cami would not respond for days and weeks on end. On one occasion She canceled a meeting the day-of citing it was too cold outside and she "wore the wrong shoes for the conditions today". My wife called her after receiving the email stating the cancelation to inquire why as she had taken off work to attend and Cami brought my wife to tears interrupting her and berating her for even questioning her last minute cancelation. On multiple occasions Cami refused to answer simple questions or take ownership for her mistakes, engaged in shouting matches with us (her customers), was very hostile, confrontational and blamed us for her mistakes.During ALL of our meetings Cami was incredibly disorganized. It seemed as if she was taking notes, but when we would receive our proposals, nothing we talked about in the meetings was ever reflected. Because of her lack of detail, we were tasked to track it all ourselves, as we could not trust her to pay attention and make sure things would be taken care of. As a result, over a period of several months, it took 7 proposals for Cami to get everything correct. We can assure you, this was not because we changed our minds so many times. It got to the point where Cami suggested we come in to hash everything out. We were skeptical of this initially as we wanted to keep all communication via email. Again, Cami exhibited her lack of communication skills by not replying for days and sometimes even weeks. She would create multiple email chains, not 'reply all' and not answer all of our questions, which in turn would cause confusion, leaving us no choice but to meet in person to work everything out. We requested one email chain and her to 'reply all' so that all parties could be kept in the loop, but she could not follow these simple requests. The day-of the wedding it was apparent that Cami Did not not take notes, or write anything down we had given her or sent her as she had no idea where our cards and gifts table or guest tables went or what time anything was happening. By not reviewing or printing off these items, she asked our set up team multiple questions throughout the day, our DJ could never find her to ensure the buffet was ready for him to release tables for dinner, our cutting cake wasn't put on the floor and our bridal party had to run it out right before grand entrances, and we had to personally find her to get the bottle of champagne we purchased for our toast. Because she could never be found, our timeline was delayed as a result. Had she prepared and printed the documents beforehand, this could all have been avoided. After the wedding, several of our guests mentioned that the servers were extremely rude. We witnessed one of the servers walking by a guest, bumping into her and knocking her water glass out of her hand. The server did not stop to apologize, clearing knowing what she had done, even after we yelled out. At the end of the day, our wedding reception went okay. However, reflecting on the last several months, we feel as though we were robbed of the joy of planning our wedding due to Cami. She is untrustworthy, unethical, defensive, and unapologetic to her customers. It's unfortunate we write this review, but this is our story and we hope by sharing it in detail we can spare others from being robbed of the joys that come with planning for their special day

We just had our daughter's wedding there and were so pleased. Coni walked us through every step of…read morethe way with our many months of planning. She provided such good guidelines that we did not need a wedding planner. Even with COVID-19 happening, the wedding was a huge success. The room was clean and all of the table and chairs were ready to go for us to decorate. We also had the event catered there and the all the setup was done and ready for us to go. The kitchen was available to us and was extremely clean with plenty of prep space for the caterers. We would definitely recommend this venue for anyone for any occasion!