Refined Wedding Spaces for Your Special Day
Holds ceremonies and receptions
The River Center is a historic wedding venue in Des Moines, IA, blending rustic and industrial charm to create an unforgettable event backdrop. Featuring unique elements locally sourced in Des Moines, this venue boasts high ceilings, exposed brick, and plenty of beautiful natural light. It's the perfect setting for a stylish event that will leave a lasting impression on your guests.
The River Center is 16,000 square feet in size, and features two get-ready suites, two patios, four bars, and much more. You may opt to rent just one side of the building, River Center North or River Center South, or rent the entire venue for larger celebrations. Each side has a capacity of 300 seated guests, while the whole building can accommodate up to 450. The sides can be separated with glass garage doors and heavy sound-proofing curtains for complete privacy. Each side has its own get-ready suite, mezzanine, patio, and restrooms, as well as two bars. The venue's versatile layout allows for a seamless event flow, beginning with cocktail hour on the patio or mezzanine before the reception on the main floor.
The River Center offers both catering and bar services for maximum convenience, and can provide a list of recommended vendors to help you with planning. Their sales, operations, and kitchen teams will work together to ensure the best possible experience for you. The venue is ADA-accessible, and offers plenty of parking for guests, including handicap parking. For more information about holding your special day at this beautiful venue, contact The River Center today.
8+ years in business
Speaks English
Small team (2-10 members)
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Historic Venue
Industrial & Warehouse
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Food & Catering
Any questions?
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.02 reviews
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Rachel S
5.0
10/10/2024
We chose the River Center and Doré Bakery for our wedding at the Des Moines Botanical Garden. Paige was wonderful to work with and did such an amazing job organizing and helping us...
decide what to go with! All the food we tried was stellar, and the cake magnificent! Anything you go with is a winner here. We went with an almond cake with berry compote filling and vanilla butter creme, everyone at our wedding couldn’t get enough of it. The wine choice they also had at the bar was a huge hit, thank you again so much for making our day perfect and delightful! 😊🍷💍
Any questions?
Katie P
5.0
11/10/2023
We had our wedding reception at the River Center this fall at their South venue. The venue is beautiful and it was the perfect space for our wedding reception. We worked with Paige...
and she was excellent, going above and beyond to help make it the best day. The venue is beautiful, they have in house catering, supply all place settings and linens, and have bar service in house. Can't recommend River Center enough and had the most perfect wedding celebration there!
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The River Center
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