Vanessa and Darnell hired me pretty early on in the planning process, which meant I got to help them with wedding planning throughout their engagement. From the very beginning, their vision was clear: bright pastel color schemes with a springtime/Bridgerton aesthetic. Safe to say, after the bride DIY’d all her florals for guest tables, I think the vision was nailed perfectly!

The Celebration Farm in Iowa City, Iowa is such a fun space to host a wedding! It’s a healthy mix between rustic and elegant, and is perfect for any couple looking to host a wedding with stunning outdoor views. The Celebration Farm has two different venues onsite; their double round barn, and their timber frame barn. With two different venues onsite, you can pick which one best suites your needs, or you can rent out both spaces for your big day!

The Double Round Barn at Celebration Farm in Iowa City is the space that most of my couple book for their wedding. The double round can host 300 guests **if you don’t book out timber frame, but if you rent out the whole property (both the timber frame barn and the double round barn) than the double round can fit up to 400 guests! The venue requires you book out the whole space for more than 300 guests, due to parking spaces, because if another couple books out the timberframe on your big day, then there won’t be enough parking for your guests.

The Double Round is a gorgeous space with a large dome ceiling, floor to ceiling limestone fireplace, stunning chandeliers, and even a covered outdoor patio! This space offers plenty of room for any guest count, and even has a built in dancefloor! There are even large barn doors on the side of the building that can be opened up during cocktail hour and the reception, for guests to flow freely from the apitheater and patio, into the reception hall throughout the evening.

The Timber Frame Barn at Celebration Farm hosts up to 150 guests, and is perfect for any smaller and more intimate event. This space connects to the Ampitheater ceremony area, and offers a wrap around deck overlooking the venues wooded acerage. With its own parking space and median seperating it from the double round barn, both spaces offer you enough space away from each other, that you really don’t even notice the other venue, or even wedding going on next to you (if both spaces are rented out on the same day).

No matter which venue you book for your big day, the Celebration Farm team does all your table and chair setup, provides the linens, and they even offer some decor in house you can use for free!

The Celebration Farm Ceremony

The Celebration Farms in Iowa City has a gorgeous outside ampitheater that is perfect for any outdoor ceremony! You honestly don’t need much when it comes to ceremony decor for this space, as nature plays a huge role in aesthetics! Surrounded by beautiful evergreen trees, this space really makes you feel like you’re secluded in your own little world!
While the space itself is already so stunning, we still wanted to spruce up the aisle, so we added floral arrangements to each end of the chairs lining the aisle. I must say, it really did make a difference in the feel for the ceremony space overall.
The Ampitheater can be rented out for your ceremony at an additional cost, and is rented as a first come first serve rental. While couples are still able to take photos at the ampitheater throughout the day, only the couple who booked it out is able to use it as their ceremony space.
The ampitheater can seat up to 300 guests comfortably, and the Celebration Farm staff does all the chair setup and tear down so you have one less thing to worry about on your big day.

The Cocktail Hour at Celebration Farm

Darnell and Vanessa opted to have their cocktail hour and reception in the Double Round Barn, since they had a larger guest count. The Double Round is a gorgeous space with a large dome ceiling, floor to ceiling limestone fireplace, stunning chandeliers, and even a covered outdoor patio! This space offers plenty of room for any guest count, and even has a built in dancefloor! There are even large barn doors on the side of the building that can be opened up during cocktail hour and the reception, for guests to flow freely from the apitheater and patio, into the reception hall throughout the evening.

The Reception at Celebration Farms

The party didn’t stop after the cocktail hour! Once all the guests were seated, we lined the bridal party up for their grand entrances, and shortly after the bride and groom had their first dance. After that, came something a little unexpected for the bride and her guests… The groom and his groomsmen preformed a special dance for the bride! We pulled out a chair for the bride to sit in as the groom and his groomsmen got in formation, and thats when the Magic Mike PG version began! Everyone loved it, and it was such a fun surprise for the bride and her bridesmaids!

Vendor Team

Venue: The Celebration Farms @celebrationfarm
Photographer: White Brick Photography
Planner & Designer: Elizabeth Bliss Events @elizabeth_bliss_events
Videographer: Lovan Visuals
Bar: The Tipsy Traveler
Suit: Men’s Wearhouse
Dress: All in One Bridal

Vanessa and Darnell’s Testimonial

“Lauren was an absolute rockstar! From start to finish, she went above and beyond to make sure our day was everything we dreamed of and more. She handled our VERY chaotic family with patience and grace, keeping everything running smoothly while making sure every detail we cared about was brought to life.

Her attention to detail, calm presence, and genuine care for us as bride and groom made all the difference. We couldn’t have done it without her. If you’re looking for someone who can bring magic to your wedding day … Lauren is the one!”

Vanessa and Darnell, May 25th 2025 at The Celebration Farm

The Celebration Farm Wedding Venue

Address: 4696 Robin Woods Lane NE. Iowa City, Iowa 52240
Phone: (319) 800-9212
Email: events@thecelebrationfarm.com
The Celebration Farm Website
Investment starts at $2,000 - $6,500
Capacity of 150 guests for the Timberframe, or 300 guests for the Double Round Barn
Amenities included: Tables & chairs, linens, indoor and outdoor ceremony space, in house decor.