4.6 out of 5 stars and 41 reviews
4.6
(41)Best of Weddings (2x).7th and Grand Ave/34th Floor, Des Moines, IA
$6,950 starting price
300+ guest capacity
This venue can host 300+ guests
About this vendor
115 years of experience at your service.
Des Moines Embassy Club offers two distinct venues that exude timeless elegance for weddings and events. Our attentive staff guarantees unmatched customer service, empowering you to create unforgettable moments with your loved ones. From the early stages of planning to the grand finale, our dedicated team is committed to ensuring the success of your event. Backed by culinary expertise, our award-winning chefs collaborate with our event managers to meticulously oversee every aspect of your celebration.
At our Downtown Location, experience the allure of elegant chandeliers and panoramic city views in our expansive 5000 square foot space. With three unique areas to cater to groups of all sizes, you have the freedom to customize your dream wedding. Whether it's the grand ballroom accommodating up to 190 guests, the Capital Bar + Lounge offering stunning vistas of the capital building, or the intimate Crystal extension with views of the Des Moines River, every corner is designed to enchant. Conveniently situated minutes away from downtown amenities, Embassy Club provides an alluring backdrop to elevate the romance of your special day.
Des Moines Embassy Club West, nestled in the heart of West Des Moines with a picturesque lakeside view, offers unparalleled convenience paired with scenic beauty. Our Ponderosa room, spanning over 4,500 square feet, can host up to 300 guests and features a private covered patio, perfect for cocktail hours. Expand your event space to accommodate over 400 guests during the colder months, or opt for our LaValle room and Members lounge for more intimate gatherings, micro-weddings, or rehearsal dinners.
Choosing one of Embassy Club's venues for your event ensures a stress-free experience, with a dedicated event coordinator provided along with other perks. From setup to teardown, we're here to assist you every step of the way, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in your celebration alongside your guests.
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
$1,000
Ceremony:
$250
Bar services:
$3 per person
Catering:
Contact for price
Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices. Peak season for this venue is Apr-Dec.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Dressing Room
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- 300+
Settings
- Backyard
- Ballroom
- Beach
- Waterfront
- Country Club
- Historic Venue
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Cakes & Desserts
- Food & Catering
- Planning
- Se Habla Español
- Rentals & Equipment
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
4.6
out of 5.041 reviews
- Top reviews
- Newest first
- Oldest first
- Highest rated
- Lowest rated
Sort by
Highlighted review.
We used the DMEC catering and bar services for our wedding at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates and they were incredible to work with. Kristy was so responsive and kept me on track during the entire planning process. I never felt pressured to make any specific decisions - everything was very much how we wanted it, and she provided recommendations and guidance when asked. She was phenomenal at communicating with our other vendors to make sure everything was accounted for and perfect. The set up and presentation on the day of was stunning and the staff was also great. In addition to all of this, the food was delicious! Our guests did not have enough nice things to say about how good everything tasted. They were very receptive to dealing with food allergies as well and took care of those guests without any drama. DMEC, Kristy, Josue, Alfredo, chef, and the rest of the staff really are the dream team. No matter where you get married I cannot recommend them enough.
Response from the Vendor on 02/14/2023
Thank you, so very much. Your kind words mean the world to us all here at the Des Moines Embassy Club, it was really an honor for us to be a part of your very special day.
It's been a real pleasure working with you and Brent.
Cheers!
I cannot recommend The Embassy Club West enough. From the very beginning all the way through the very end my wife and I felt so much support, encouragement, and excitement from the staff.
My wife and I were pretty on top of things, and the staff was incredibly accommodating. From meeting a couple of extra times, to switching a few things up, they made sure our day was the BEST DAY EVER.
The food and beverage service was fantastic. We received so many compliments about the food and the layout of the building. We went with the food stations, and it was a huge hit with our guests.
Can't wait to celebrate our one year anniversary at the club for dinner and thank you so much to the staff for everything!
Kristi was sooo much help leading up to the day! Tyler was my day of coordinator and he was 100/10 stars. He and all of the wait staff the day of were phenomenal. It is a little on the pricey side and my chicken was super dry but they catered to my dads food allergies very well and the rest of the food was delicious. The downtown location is beautiful but a little on the older side and could use some touch ups.
Any questions?
If we could give Embassy Club more stars we would! They are so accommodating as we had a lot of dietary restrictions and they were very willing to work with us. Due to COVID, our wedding was constantly changing, Sukayna was always ready to help with ideas to make our wedding day the best day ever, safely. On the day of, Michael was so accommodating, making sure everything was perfect for us as well as checking in all night to see if we needed anything. If anyone is looks for a wedding venue in the Des Moines area, we highly recommend Embassy Club, wouldn’t change a thing about our day, Embassy Club helped make that happen!!
We had such a great experience at the Embassy Club West!! We had our wedding reception here and the staff and event coordinating was top-notch! Specifically Emily Biedenfeld and Michael went above and beyond to make myself and our guests feel so special! They were very accommodating when the weather seemed too rainy to have dinner outside - they brought it in and the set up looked perfect! The customer service by Emily and Michael and staff was incredible!! I highly recommend this venue and can't say enough good things!!
Awesome staff and food!
We cannot day enough good things about this venue. When our original venue wasn’t ready in time for our ready (was undergoing construction) we were switched to the embassy club just a few months before the wedding. I was afraid we would not get the wedding we had dreamed of but Emily and the entire team went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfect. All of our guests kept commenting how beautiful the venue was and many said it was the best or most fun wedding they had ever been to. The food was also amazing - people were raving about the prime rib. I’d highly recommend this venue to anyone.
One of the best-kept secrets in Des Moines! We are so thankful we found the Embassy Club Downtown and selected it as our wedding venue. From our first meeting with the staff to our wedding day, we were incredibly impressed with the professionalism, organization, and service of the Embassy Club team. It was so nice to enjoy our wedding day because we knew that the Embassy Club would properly execute all aspects of our wedding day. They were easy to work with and thoughtful of our budget. They accommodated last-minute changes right up to our big day. We loved the classic look of the space, but were also attracted to the fact that all of the essentials of a wedding venue (seating, tables, linens, settings, etc.) were included, that all in-house catering could be personalized, and that you received top-knotch service for all guests. Our guests loved the views and the out-of-this-world food and drink from the Embassy Club. Weeks later, we are still receiving compliments! Book them for your special day if you want a stunning venue to wow your guests but also receive quality service that you can trust on your wedding day.
We had an absolutely amazing wedding at the Embassy Club West venue. When the weather ended up being too warm to do the ceremony and cocktail hour outdoors, the team at Embassy Club West worked with our coordinator to set up the ceremony indoors and it ended up being absolutely beautiful. They are very accommodating and responsive. Emily B. did an amazing job answering all our questions and giving us ideas. We have gotten compliments from guests about how good the food was as well. I cannot recommend this venue enough!
The Des Moines Embassy Club Downtown was the perfect venue for our reception for our wedding. The food was amazing and the service was top notch all night.
We had our wedding at the downtown Embassy Club location, and we loved it! Kristy helped us every step of the way through all the planning details. The staff was extremely helpful with setting up the reception, and making sure everything ran smoothly that night. The food is fantastic, and no one can beat that view! I also thought they were reasonably priced for that nice of a venue. We also had a lot of out of town guests, so the proximity to hotels was great. When we received our final bill, we were pleasantly surprised with a gift certificate for our one year anniversary. I would definitely recommend The Embassy Club!
We highly recommend this venue!! We had our ceremony and reception at the downtown location. The staff is extremely professional and paid attention to every single detail of my particular (overly detailed) wedding plan. The food was delicious and all the guests commented about it. Working with Kristy Maras leading up to it was fantastic! She took care of everything and even provided us with a list of vendors that were all amazing. Josue, on the day of, was incredible. He made sure we had everything we needed and took my plan seriously. Everyone was so impressed with him and his staff. They were never unattended! Plus, the backdrop is unlike anything else you'll find in Des Moines. You won't regret getting married here, I know we certainly don't.
The Embassy Club had great hospitality and was a very beautiful and elegant evening.
We absolutely LOVED this venue! You will not find a better 360 view of downtown Des Moines. The 34th floor has windows all around, and the city looked gorgeous all lit up at night time. The food/drinks, staff and service were all fantastic. Diane (assistant catering director) was very accommodating and will help with details every step of the way. Imre (COO) was also very involved and did everything to make the day perfect for us.
And, they will host a complimentary tasting so you can sample different food/beverage options which was great.
It was an incredible night and we would do it all over again in a second!
The Embassy Club was amazing to work with throughout our wedding planning process and our event went perfectly! We received many compliments from our guests about the menu, timeliness, and great service! They were incredibly flexible to work with as I was an out of town bride they worked around my travel schedule for planning meetings and were quick to respond to any questions we had along the way. They let us help design our menu based on our personal preferences versus having to select from a pre-set menu. Their professionalism put our minds at ease that we would not have to worry about anything on our Wedding Day!
We used the Embassy Club to cater our wedding at a nearby Hotel. The food was amazing! We had 4 different menu options for our guest at our plated dinner. We got so many compliments on the quality of the food. We also had 3 open bars and our guests were impressed with the fast service and the quality of drinks at our reception. Tori is so easy to work with and really has an attention to detail. Wish we could do it all over again! :)
Much of the credit for this review goes to Tori Rezek, who never missed a beat in the planning process. Prior to Tori's hiring, our initial visit was not handled well, but not once Tori was on board. We planned a ceremony by the water [I really can't refer to that as a "lake"] but weather was bad. So ceremony and reception/dinner would be inside. At the last minute, Tori realized we could still have an inside ceremony/outside reception and move to the Ponderosa for dinner. Her willingness to hustle made such a difference. Our ceremony was [at least from my 70-year-old perspective] not usual. But every request we made was graciously accommodated, if physically possible. Only minor disappointment: when guests arrived, they weren't necessarily directed to the correct door to enter the Ponderosa Room and, consequently, many did not sign the guest book.
Still, we recommend Embassy Club West as wedding parties look for the "perfect" venue.
The Des Moines Embassy Club downtown was a wonderful venue to host our wedding reception. The office staff (Kristy and Diane) were wonderful to work with and very accommodating for our menu choices as well as floor layout. On the day of the event, everything went very smoothly and was high quality (we offered 4 different menu options). The staff took care of the small details so that we didn't have to take time away from our celebration. Our guests also shared many compliments with us in regards to the venue and the gorgeous views for a summer night. We did have an open bar, and our liquor bill at the end of the night was significantly more than anticipated. Food was very delicious and served elegantly. I would highly recommend this venue for a wedding reception (or location for any other large event).
We loved having our reception at the Embassy Club downtown. The setting was beautiful & gave our many out-of-state guests a great view of the city. The staff was very attentive and promptly served our plated dinner. The food was delicious and they were very accomodating for dietary restrictions. The table linens and chair covers were included. Overall, this location gave us the elegant, personal feel we wanted for our reception.
Embassy Club made the decisions for food at our wedding very easy and stress free. They offered a tasting with all their food well in advance, so had plenty of time to determine what food we wanted served. They were also very accommodating our wants for the wedding, if they could make it work they did. During meetings before the wedding Tori was able to think of things before we were able to ourselves which helped the planning go so much smoother.
Their servers are also trained very well and know how to get the food out in a timely manner so that guests are not waiting long. We had a great time using Embassy Club and they allowed us to enjoy the day rather than worrying about the food and beverage. Would highly recommend using Embassy Club for catering!
We had a great experience working with the embassy club! We had worked with them in the past for my sisters wedding and decided to return for mine. Diane was our main point of contact and she was excellent with communication and the entire wedding was better than I could have imagined! The views of downtown Des Moines from the dining room as well as the bar are fantastic.
Excellent venue for a rehearsal dinner. The view was amazing during the day and spectacular at night. The room was configured perfectly for a buffet setting and the food was delicious! My guests truly enjoyed themselves.
The staff was extremely helpful and accomodating with our special requests. We would definitely recommend The Embassy Club.
The Embassy Club West was first rate and fantastic in every way. The staff was very helpful in planning. Food, drink and service the day of the reception was all first class. I would highly recommend EC West for any type of event.
I was thrilled to find the Embassy Club with it's stunning 34th floor views of Des Moines. Diane was wondering through the entire planning process. The day of the wedding was another story entirely.
Many of the aspects of our catering that we had discussed in detail (and were in our contract) were not executed correctly. The food was not what we had agreed upon. In fact, it seemed like they cut corners in quality and presentation on the day of because they knew I couldn't asked for it to be changed at the last minute. Moreover, the food was decent at best...nothing special.
Also, do not let them put up the black curtain at the back of the room. They drape a black curtain at the back end of the room to cover where they store their service items, blocking off useful space that is included in what you pay for. We specifically asked that the whole room be available because we rented the entire room, not a portion of it. When I walked into the space before the reception started, the curtain was up and I was told it had to be up to shield the extra tables, glasses, etc. from guest view. There was nothing that could be done at that time. I was also told there was plenty of space. When my husband and I went to greet guests at the back of the room, my husband and two other guests tripped because they back tables were too close to the curtain. I was so incredibly embarrassed. It looked so tacky.
The bottom line on the Embassy Club is a great venue, but the service and catering are another story. I truly believe the staff here think they can change things on your wedding day to save them money and time because there is nothing you can do to change it at that late time.
Great staff & great food
This was my only option due to my venue. The service was good but very overpriced.
This place is gorgeous and the staff was amazing. We did the wedding and reception here and the whole thing went off perfectly. The staff did an amazing job for setting everything up how I asked and I wasn't at all stress that things would not be done. We had wonderful reviews from guests about the food and service as well.
The staff who was there on the day of the wedding was excellent.
I can't imagine anywhere else that could be more beautiful to get married. However, one staff member in particular was extremely pushy when it came to our food menu. They wanted us to add more even though I felt we had plenty. There was a silly amount of food left over. It was expensive too. It was also delish. We got several complements on our overpriced food. Everyone else was wonderful though.
We had our reception at the Ruan Center on the 34th Floor, the Des Moines Embassy Club is the exclusive caterer for this venue. They are fantastic! At first we thought they were a little pricey, but for the amount of food and wonderful service you get we thought it was just right! Our night ran smoothly thanks to them and the food was OUTSTANDING!!! I would recommend them to anyone- they have 3 locations and are all beautiful. They helped to make our night the best of our lives!!!
Great location! Hardly even needed decorations because it's already a pretty and historic place. The staff were a little bit difficult to get a hold of. I also felt that things were a quite bit overpriced, especially the food! It seemed like they were trying to milk me for as much money as they could.
The Temple has a natural beauty that will enhance the wedding environment without a lot of extra cost. Having the wedding party entrance from the balcony lit by candles makes for a very memorable experience. The room is large and able to accommodate numerous people (300). For a perfect night, this is a truly amazing place.
One of the most beautiful locations in downtown Des Moines, I can't recommend this place enough. (The rating 4 is because you have to be very careful of your dates. There are many events that take place at the nearby Gateway Park which can lead to real headaches for parking and transportation.) The catering is provided exclusively by Embassy Club, but they can make it affordable for everyone. We were on a very strict budget and they were able to come up with an "appetizer" menu that was just fantastic. We had so many wonderful comments about our wedding there and the food - people were really blown away.
We didn't actually book our wedding here, but I thought I would share our initial experience with Kristy. She showed up on time for our appointment, however, didn't remember our names (kind of important), our date, or any of the details that we had shared with her beforehand. She forgot to bring pictures to show us, and just seemed unprepared overall. I understand sometimes people have bad days, but this first impression showed us that she may not have been responsible enough to help us plan a wedding. It seemed like a great place to have our ceremony and reception, but we will be going elsewhere after our failed appointment at the Temple for the Performing Arts.
I couldn't have asked for more in a venue. Great ambiance and classic look. The service was phenomenal.
AWESOME venue and great staff. They made my wedding day perfect...I was confident things would be done just as planned and they were.
Our wedding took place in the beautiful Recital Hall, in front of the stained glass windows. Our reception was in the Grand Ballroom. Everything that night was flawless. There were staff everywhere, making sure every detail was attended to. It was very classy and professional - I wouldn't change a thing.
On the pricey side, but worth it! The venue exudes excellence.
Pricey and a little out dated, but the staff and service the day of were amazing.
The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. The venue is beautiful and has a smaller room with stained glass windows for the ceremony or a cocktail hour and a large room for a reception. The food is great and the location is close to hotels, restaurants, etc. which is nice for guests.
From day one of working with The Temple/Embassy club I was impressed. They made planning and set up stress free. The rooms are absolutely beautiful and the food was phenomenal!! The staff was so friendly and catered to anything we needed. The Temple for Performing Arts makes for a fairytale wedding!!
Contact
7th and Grand Ave/34th Floor, Des Moines, IA
Interested?
Message vendor
*=Required
$6,950 starting price
- Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure.
- Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place.
- Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go.
- For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.
By clicking 'Request Quote', you agree to The Knot creating an account for you, if you don't have one, and to our Terms of Use. See our Privacy Policy to learn what data we collect and how we use it.
Typically responds within 24 hours
Des Moines Embassy Club & Embassy Club West
Des Moines Embassy Club & Embassy Club West's photos