The Willows

lity. As a Bride wedding planning has its challenges and I never had to worry about our venue taking care of what needed done , they are on top of every detail and we were thrilled. The food is outstanding! One of my favorite memories when working with the staff is that as I was preparing to walk down the aisle, it happened to be a windy day and they made sure that my veil and dress were perfectly set. Any mishaps with the flow of the day we did not know about and they made sure to keep everyone engaged and enjoying themselves. One of the best choices we made was the Willows, beautiful ceremony and event spaces.

detail and personal touches on our wedding day blew us away. Now the thing that really sets this venue apart: the people. Our wedding was held in August 2020, right in the midst of the pandemic. The Willows staff (specifically Charlie and Miranda) did an excellent job communicating with us when the local government changed the allowable number of guests on multiple occasions. The Willows put our happiness and the safety of our guests above their bottom line throughout the process. We have incredible memories of our day thanks to the staff and management at the Willows.

r dream wedding come to life. The Willows had great communication throughout the entire planning process and was very gracious to let me revisit the venue several times from initial booking to our big day. Charlie was our day-of coordinator and was very helpful, especially when we had a rain delay for our outdoor ceremony and navigating COVID restrictions. The team at the Willows did everything to help our wedding go off without a hitch no matter what obstacles were thrown our way. As a bonus the food was delicious - I received so many compliments from our guests afterwards about how great the meal was. Beautiful venue, great time - you cannot go wrong with the Willows!

ne, but The Willows kept in great communication with us and continued to provide no-cost options to postpone or cancel. We ultimately went ahead with our June wedding and The Willows was so accommodating. They made sure to put safe procedures in place. Their attention to detail was greatly appreciated. The Gardens and The Lodge were incredible backdrops for our day. The serving staff was top notch. Our guests continue to rave to us about the food. The bartender made a specialty cocktail for our night and it was the best I've ever had. We have nothing but great things to say about The Willows - location, food, service, & management. We appreciate all they did to help us have the best day ever, despite all the anxiety required to get there!

edding. They have incorporated some great new procedures due to covid as well to keep everyone safe! I couldn’t recommend them enough! We are using the Lodge for our wedding Reception and the Garden for our Ceremony. The place is absolutely stunning!

ability and flexibility ! The food is great. We got plenty of compliments from our guests. The day of the wedding I was glad that their staff were friendly and coordinated everything.

eetest and most organized person ever!! She was so on top of everything, gave me her personal cell phone the week of in case I needed anything, made suggestions and all around made my wedding a breeze. I could not have done it all without her. All the staff kept checking on me and making sure I was doing well. They took all the stress away and made me feel so comfortable and happy. I would highly highly recommend this venue. All my guests also said that the food was the best wedding food they have ever had. If you book with the Willows, you will not regret it!! It’s a beautiful venue with the most amazing staff.

, and the attached glass-enclosed terrace and deck over-looking the water were ideal spaces for our cocktail hour. The pricing The Willows offers is reasonable. The glowing reputation of Crystal Catering was another reason we chose The Willows. Our wedding reception was organized by Shawn Schilling. She helped us through the process of choosing a menu, linens, and rentals. It helps that The Willows has a close partnership with A Classic Party Rentals. The Willows and Crystal Catering did not disappoint! Shawn managed our event very well. The meal / bar service and dishes prepared were excellent; thank you Chef Emily! We had passed hors d'oeuvres and a plated 3-course meal. All of our guests are still raving about Crystal Catering's service and food! The only downside we experienced with the Willows was their lack of attention to some of the finer details of our ballroom's set up. Such as the head table was arranged without napkins, some candles failed to be lit, the sashes tied around the banquet chairs were tied differently than what we selected, etc. Thankfully, all of these were small details. Overall, I would most definitely recommend The Willows for their beautiful indoor / outdoor venue and waterfront view, excellent service staff, and delicious food!

azing. We were able to try a bunch of dishes at a tasting a couple months prior to the wedding. Brittney was fantastic! We could not have organized this event without her. From the time we booked to the planning meeting to the day of, Brittney was with us every step of the way. She made the process for us very clear by giving us an outline of everything we needed to do. Her communication was great. All in all, you should definitely check this venue out!

were always very timely in their responses, sent reminders for upcoming deadlines, and had transparent pricing with a lot of bonuses included in the package like basic linens, champagne toasts for bride and groom, etc. They even gave us referrals for an officiant and a DJ that they have worked with. Lastly, our guests truly loved the food! We did food stations, and everything was very tasty! Thank you for a fantastic celebration!

day-of-coordinator took care of everything, so if there were hiccups, I never knew about them. The space was beautiful, and the staff was professional and accommodating. Our guests have been raving about the food. SO delicious! Highly highly recommend!!

ard, we worked with Shawn and Brittney and both were amazing. Shawn especially stood out because of her attention to detail - she came to visit on our wedding day even though she wasn't working our wedding just to say congrats! Our guests raved about the food. I heard multiple times from different tables that it was the best wedding food they'd ever had. Service was exceptional and the property is gorgeous...we couldn't have asked for a better experience!

tney was our coordinator and was wonderful to work with. Our day was perfect thanks to The Willows.

f the spaces are seriously gorgeous! The staff is so friendly and was always there when I had a million questions. One of their staff members even went with me to the rental place to look at table linens! I was blown away by the whole experience at The Willows. I would HIGHLY recommend them to any bride looking for an amazing all inclusive venue in the Indianapolis area.

ery professional. The food is AMAZING! Brittney is wonderful (so is Shawn!) and made our day perfect. We have nothing but good things to say about them.

of the part of the Willows. We were able to eat amazing food and help us decide what our menu would consist of. It would have been helpful to see all of the menu items before our final meeting just so there would be more time to process their giant list of options. Brittney gave us great recommendations for food and it was a hit with the guests. She was flexible with us changing the amount of people per table the day before the wedding. We cannot say enough good things about the staff at The Willows. For the reception, the staff continuously checked in on us. They made sure our bridal party got their own trays of hor d’oeuvres. They even plated the food for us at the buffet! They were all kind and polite. I had the bartender come and bring me a drink because they realized my drink order had not been not made in a couple hours. If you are considering The Lodge at all, do it! It is such a pretty view, amazing food and an outstanding staff. We were beyond thrilled for how the reception turned out.

ge itself is a beautiful space that lends itself to minimal decor, along with the beauty of the gardens for photos. But what really makes this venue is the staff. Shawn & Jessica worked with me and endured many emails to ensure our day ran perfectly. The level of attention is amazing and they had our timeline running like clockwork through the entire event, even down to organizing our sparkler exit. Lastly I wanted to compliment the food. Shawn & Jessica helped us pick an amazing plated meal well within our budget that tasted amazing. We had a lot of guests who are very particular about catered meals and we had nothing but compliments (when a certain Aunt compliments the food we know it has to be something special). We also decided to forgo the cake and have a dessert table with everything handmade in house (get the truffles, you won't be disappointed). The bottom line is, if you are looking for a full service venue with spectacular service and food that compares to much more expensive options then The Willows is for you.

d and staff. We had Brittney as our coordinator and she was a life saver during our planning process! She was very organized and always available to answer all of our questions. We are so happy that we chose to get married here!

friendly and made sure the day of went smoothly. The food and desserts were amazing!! The entire night went wonderfully, and I could not have been more pleased!! I would highly recommend the Lodge!!!

the guests went straight to cocktails/appetizers without having to restage the space). Ann Hansen was a dream to work with. She was very organized and on top of the schedule. When a breakfast was scheduled at the venue the morning of our wedding, she took it upon herself and her team to set up our decorations and did a fabulous job! Throughout the day, she was in contact with myself and my groom, making sure we were always in the loop. And the food!! After we were extremely impressed at the tasting event, several of our guests raved about our reception buffet, saying it was one of the best meals they had ever eaten at a wedding! I originally anticipated a downtown venue, but The Willows was not only more affordable, but had a large [free] parking lot and an excellent location close to Broad Ripple Avenue. I have zero regrets!

or Shawn went above and beyond making our day go so well, from adding extra rose petals in the aisle, to making sure we didn't miss out on the food during cocktail hour. We could not be happier with how our day went at The Willows!

the Willow's event coordinator's attention to details and organization. We couldn't of asked for a better venue and hosts for our day.

h the utmost curtesy. The Willows Lodge is absolute perfection, and the services and amenities offered by Willows are better than any venue in the city. The price was perfect for our budget and we could keep it as simple or extravagant as we wanted. The food was AMAZING. You hear stereotypes about wedding food being bad but my guests won't stop raving about the food we had at our wedding and the amazing service they encountered. Our coordinator actually let us in early with no extra charge and without her help, our day would have been so much more stressful. They are kind, professional, and generous. By far the best wedding/reception venue in Indianapolis.

the background. The lodge suited us for our reception because the large ceiling to floor windows enabled us more grand views of the lake and a cozy interior where we could be sheltered from the rain. Shawn was our event coordinator. She was extremely pleasant and professional. Shawn knew exactly how to organize our day and big events. She was also very accommodating to our non-traditional ceremony and reception plans. Shawn remained flexible with the rainy weather and with our needs throughout the day. Our guests have nothing but positive things to say about our wedding! They loved the venue, the food, and the staff was exceptional. We are highly satisfied with our experience and would recommend future brides/grooms to go see Shawn at The Willows!

ballroom. The food was delicious (My Father in Law said the best wedding buffet he's ever had). The staff was SOOO helpful the day of, resulting in a flawless day of and an un-stressed bride! I would 100% recommend the Willows for any other wedding.

n ironing out the details before our big day and they were very patient when I asked them what felt like a million questions. MaryAnne also attended our rehearsal to make sure we were all well versed on the set up and order of events. We used the Bridal Suite and rented the Groom's room for two hours before the ceremony and I would recommend doing so if you plan on staying separate before the ceremony. It made tacking pictures and staying out of sight much easier for my husband and I! Plus it was nice for both of us to have a "home base" where we could leave purses, clothes, jewelry, etc. to keep them safe throughout the day. When it came to the reception, they were well staffed and everyone was incredibly kind to our families and friends. One of the servers asked me (very nicely) if she could sign our guest book on behalf of the Willows staff and I thought it was a very sweet gesture. When we went for the tasting, it was served buffet style and we didn't taste anything we ended up serving because we were doing plated dinners. It was still nice to know the general way they cooked their food, however going in to the dinner time I was interested to see how each meal would turn out... The food was delicious! We selected pepper crusted beef tenderloin (I had this- it was scrumptious), bruschetta chicken, and a pasta dish for our vegetarian friends that the Willows created for us. We got the beef and chicken with the same sides- chived mashed potatoes and seasoned green beans. Again- food was really great and even the salad and bread was good too! I would recommend having each person's dinner figured out ahead of time- we only knew what one couple was ordering between two people, not each individual. This can be challenging for the staff to work with. I wasn't aware early on that this would be needed, so we accepted RSVPs without that specific information. Parking was free and ample, it's in a great location (we went our into Broad Ripple after the reception ended) and the facility was clean and well put together by the staff. All in all I had a really great experience with the Willows as a venue and their staff. I'd recommend the Lodge/Garden combo to anybody looking for a slightly more relaxed feel to their big day!

get things planned seemed to be a hassle; Maryanne can be hard to get a hold of and likes to do things her way. However, I will add the day of the wedding she was helpful and attentive.

attentive. Our guests loved the Lodge. We used the Garden for wedding party photos prior to the wedding. The landscaping was meticulous, lush, and beautiful. The pergola provided the perfect backdrop for our wedding photos. Maryanne and her staff were so helpful during the planning process. I was nervous, but they made it a breeze. The Willows handled the coordination of the linen rentals as well. Maryanne met me at A Classic Party Rental and walked me through everything. Everything turned out perfect, from the decor to the food to the sparkler exit at the end. It was my dream wedding!

ed the Willows because she said it was the best wedding food she had ever had. My husband is a chef, so this was a big deal to us and we decided to check it out! From that initial meeting forward, Maryanne and Liz were an absolute pleasure to work with. Their professionalism, warmth, and attention to detail was incredible. They worked with us on everything -- from the timeline and the budget, to the layouts and how all of the decor should be set up for the big day, and they also connect with your other vendors to ensure everything goes smoothly. And they definitely lived up to the amazing food. I had so many guests tell me that was the best reception food ever! We are so happy to have chosen the Willows and to have had our wedding in The Lodge - it was the perfect space for the elegant, rustic, and sophisticated October wedding we dreamed about. Thank you so much for everything!