I attended a work event at the Nature Lodge today. The room we used was able to access a very large…read moregroup (over 50) comfortably. Large windows brought in plenty of natural light. There was a large rolling rack for coats by the door. The entrance was welcoming with large seasonal planter. Parking was convenient and seemed to manage our group. Forgot to take pictures but will add some next time I am there.

Whether you are planning your wedding, reception, reunion, graduation, corporate event or any other…read moregatherings. Knotty Pine Venue possesses the perfect mixture of country, all while offering you a private and modern accommodations! The owners were able to recommend a variety of vendors - catering, DJ, Desserts and security. Nice size venue for the wedding/reception we attended. Large round tables were provided and easily fit the 200 guest of the wedding. They also provided banquet tables.

I was a day of coordinator for a wedding here in April. The venue was beautiful and set up…read moreperfectly with lots of space for the head table, guests, DJ, food, dance, cake table, snack table, gift table, and bar. There were spacious lounge rooms for groom groomsmen and bride and bridal parties with lots of mirrors and private bathrooms!! Perfect for everyone to get ready in all at once and leave all there stuff safely throughout the day. I did not stop hearing comments from the guests all day about how cute the bathrooms were. There was full changing tables, very family friendly. The lighting was the best I have seen at a venue. There was tons of natural light, the photographer thanks you! When it got dark the lights were beautiful but also actually lit the place up so we weren't sitting in a cave! It was beautiful inside and out, lots of places outside to do pictures. The parking lot is massive and there is easy pull up drop off access for limo or grandparent drop offs. The kitchen is spotless and practical with its own entrance. The owner Dorisa, her husband, and all of the staff were impeccable. I did not meet them until the big day during our first crisis (non existent keg) and they went above and beyond to help. The owners and staff were always present, never difficult to find, and ready to do whatever it took to make the day go off without a hitch. Throughout the whole day I was constantly seeing Dorisa, her husband, and all the staff go above and beyond expectations helping where it was needed, not just required. Overall I was incredibly impressed. It felt like we were being hosted by a family in their gigantic beautiful venue home than renting a space from a business. I don't think it can get much better than that! I strongly recommend this venue to anyone and everyone! Thank you!!!

I was able to attend a small event recently at Speckled Hen Farm featuring a couple of businesses…read morethey closely partner with including Lone Oaks Farm and Covered Bridges Winery. The Speckled Hen and Lone Oaks farms sit basically on the same property with a short walk joining the two. Until a few days ago I'd never heard of either farm. Luann was our host from Lone Okas along with Kris from Speckled Hen. I guess they are both kind of little hidden gems in nearby Madison country! Lone Oaks has a beautiful barn from the mid-1800s as it's showpiece! Moved here from a different location in Southern IA. It's a great story that you can tell Luann enjoys sharing and talking about. Luann hand makes some gorgeous pottery, from local clay, and fired on site that is available in the Speckled Hen retail shop. Lone Oaks also hosts seasonal farm to table dinners in their barn featuring some of our local well known chefs (most recently Chef Aaron Holt of Catering by Doolittle Farm). Luann and Kris were wonderful hosts filling us in on their history, how they select the people they bring into their businesses as vendors and for their events. And setting up an al fresco table of some small plates for us...! Caprese skewers, artisan bread, a dipping sauce, corn chips scoops, a corn dip, and chocolate brownies. Everything tasted wonderful. Winterset is about a 30ish min drive from where I live in Clive. A trip to the Northern part of Ankeny or to the South side can take me just as long...so it's really not far away at all and it's a nice drive. If you're like me and you enjoy a little bit of a day trip to find new things... It's worth the short drive from the metro! Check out upcoming activites at Lone Oaks Farms on their Facebook page and site (as well as those for Speckled hen Farm and Covered Bridges Winery on their respective pages). Loan Oaks has a series with a honey sommelier that might be some sweet events to check out..! Pun intended... Lol https://www.loneoaksfarmia.com/ https://www.facebook.com/loneoaksfarmia

Nice, small rustic event space in Madison County. Beautiful views of the Iowa countryside. I would…read morelove to visit and see all the different flowers through each season.

Great selection of trees mixed with prairie land. Great place to bring school kids. And a great…read moreplace to fly kites.

Beautiful location for photographs. Our photographer took us out here and there were numerous areas…read morethat I thought that looked like great Vantage places to photograph. We may use this location again for additional photographs or simply a walk.

If you have an upcoming event, I highly recommend this beautiful venue. They have several different…read morerooms, including a ballroom and what they called their green room. There are lush outdoor spaces. The worship team from my church recently held a recording session at the Monroe, and it was a perfect venue for us to be there. The staff was very accommodating. The building is beautiful and meticulously clean. Have a party and enjoy

From the owner: Welcome to The Monroe in West Des Moines, Iowa--an elegant, modern venue uniting old-world charm…read morewith contemporary sophistication for weddings and events. Our all-inclusive approach simplifies planning, pairing you with an expert from day one. Choose from three curated bar packages for your guests, ensuring a delightful experience. Our well-equipped kitchen aids caterers in crafting culinary masterpieces. Prepare in private get-ready rooms with plush furnishings and en-suite bathrooms. For ceremonies, opt for our Chapel Room with its vaulted wood-beam ceilings and natural light, or the charming outdoor brick-paved patio with a wooden pergola backdrop.

I had the pleasure of participating in a wedding that was held here recently…read more I dont have all the details of the rental agreement, but here are my take-aways. The house you can rent with the barn is huge. It had enough space and beds to hold the wedding party. The couple had the rehearsal dinner here the night prior to the wedding. We all met at the house, mingled, talked, and had dinner. There is a full kitchen and a butlers kitchen. They cooked dinner right there. Lots of space in this beautiful old house. It was a beautiful October evening so we even hung out in the open garage at a large table. The grounds are spacious. There is a pond and a little road that runs around it to the Barn, which is the venue. The next day we came back for the wedding. The majority of the wedding party had slept over, and stayed in the house. Bride made her way to the barn in the private suite for hair and getting dressed. I am married to one of the groomsmen so I was in charge of a couple little things. I got to talk with the nice staff who were helping get things set up. I asked them to add a couple little things to their honey-do lists before the wedding and they said no problem. I ran around to help and when something came up, they were quick to accommodate and help out. The barn is beautiful. I love the interior and the lighting. It is a barn. Barn doors on both ends, large wood structure with large beams. Details in cast iron and great floor for dancing all made this a great place. Easily holding about 200 people. Ample parking in the field that is mowed to accommodate. The couple catered in and it seemed seamless. Open bar as they have their own liquor license. We dance the night away in the barn under the beautiful tree lighting. The barn doors wide open for cool air. The kids playing on the hay bales right outside the doors. Being this far outside of town you could see stars forever. If I needed a romantic country setting, this is a great choice.

I was invited to a wedding in Iowa and the wedding took place at this beautiful rustic barn. What a…read morebeautiful place, the smell of wood, the beams, the cast iron details, just absolutely breath taken. Every detail made this place that much special. I'm from big cities and this place made me feel like as if I was part of a hallmark movie. Perfect and beautiful

We had my mom's 80th birthday party at the 1850 Homestead and it was perfect! Michelle was easy to…read morework with and so helpful. If you are looking for a place to have a birthday party, a reunion, a work party, a celebration of life celebration or any type of event this is the perfect place. The refurbished barn is beautiful. The outside setting is beautiful. They also have an air bnb on site which looks awesome. I can not say enough great things about the 1850 Homestead. It is AMAZING!

Opens in August, looks like it will be a nice place to hold events great stand of corn next to it…read morefor a backdrop... Classic barn interior housed in a modern shell to maintain climate control year round. We have an event booked for mid August.

When I pulled up I was not sure what I was getting myself into. Then when I walked in I saw a…read morepeople happy and having a good time. The hospitality I received was key which made our time a lot more fun. Our group was easily thrown in and was taught some dances from the regulars. Would recommend to friends looking for something to do on the weekend.

Looks very nice but the sound is soo bad. It's like a loud gymnasium. If the music/sound is…read moreimportant to you on your wedding day then I wouldn't rent this place.

My husband and I had our wedding at Emerald Hills in May 2019. From the beginning of the whole…read morewedding planning process in the fall of 2018, Abby, Travis, and the Emerald Hills team were so kind, helpful, and accommodating. They paid very close attention to the details of our vision for our wedding day, were eager to lend super helpful advice, and truly advocated for us when communicating with different vendors throughout the 8 months of planning. Their booking package comes with so many inclusions; there's no need to track down rental tables, table linens, bartenders, recommended vendors, or a bunch of extra hands to help out on wedding day - they had all of these taken care of AND MORE! The beauty and accommodations of the venue & land surrounding the venue were just a cherry on top of the incredible service they provided to us. We heard all night long that it was the most beautiful venue our guests had ever been to, and got just as many compliments on the quality of the staff. They're wonderful and show a ton of integrity. (For example, one of our guests left their watch at the venue. Instead of making anyone drive to the venue to get it, they offered to ship it directly to us, no questions asked.) If you want a wedding planning experience that is smooth, thorough, and SO fun, absolutely book your wedding day with Emerald Hills Events!