Harvest View Farms Weddings & Gatherings — Attraction in West Burlington

Harvestview Farms is a stunning property that’s perfect for weddings, but unfortunately, the management is a complete disaster. As Maid of Honor for a June wedding at this venue, I witnessed first-hand how poorly run it truly is.

To start, our visit to the venue for planning and decorating was a fiasco. Despite having a scheduled appointment with Brenda, she completely forgot about it. She didn’t bother to come let us in or offer any help; instead, she wanted to reschedule, leaving us waiting outside with no consideration for our time. This was just the beginning of our troubles.

Things didn’t improve as the wedding date approached. Brenda’s refusal to accept the proof of licensing and insurance from the bride and groom’s chosen rehearsal dinner caterer forced them into a last-minute scramble to find a new one. This was not only unprofessional but incredibly stressful for everyone involved.

Upon arrival at the venue, our experience was no better. We were met with a lack of basic courtesy—no one welcomed us nor bothered to help us as we lugged in numerous boxes and items. Brenda and Dave sat near the kitchen watching us, they made no effort to assist or even offer advice. To make matters worse, the setup of tables and chairs was a mess, and despite repeated requests, the chairs were still not arranged properly for our large amount of guests.

The issues extended to the accommodations provided on-site. The air conditioning in the farmhouse was not turned on. I asked Dave about the A/C, and I stated we would be there ‘bright and early’ the next morning hinting that it was hot in there and needed turned on. Dave responded ‘not before 8am you’re not, that what the contract says! I go to work at 6am, I’ll turn it on then’. This left the space uncomfortably warm for wedding day. It’s June in Iowa—basic climate control should be a given. The groom’s family had to bring personal fans to help cool.

Post-reception, we were asked to clean up the chapel that night so it would be ready for Sunday evening services—a request that was not mentioned in advance nor in the contract.

To top it all off, the Bride and Groom still waiting for their deposit refund. Despite numerous attempts to reach Brenda, we’ve received nothing but excuses—she’s either too busy with the fair or still “checking with Dave.” According to the contract, the deposit was supposed to be returned within 30 days. It’s now September 5, 2024, and we’ve seen nothing.

Harvestview Farms has the potential to be a fantastic venue, but its management is a mess. If they wish to stay in the rental business, they will benefit greatly from hiring a professional property manager who can provide the level of service and reliability that their beautiful location deserves without causing...

Do NOT have your wedding here. Looks like people may like their taco night or whatever, but they are super unprofessional, INCREDIBLY rude, and inhospitable for a wedding. What should have been a stress free, wonderful night for the happy couple left a horrible taste in all the bridal party's mouths and unfortunately ruined what should have been a magical evening for the bride and groom. They will bring up an "issue" with someone in the bathroom, but 5 minutes later says, "We don't want to discuss this right now." They are absolutely no help during your rehearsal or actual wedding day, and if you do ask them for anything, they act like you're inconveniencing them. The lady also likes to snoop through all the house that you PAY FOR while you're having your ceremony so she can later find you to complain about any little thing. Oh, you can rent the house for the entire weekend, but not really. Only a few hours here and there because "we have jobs." And the night of the wedding you get the house for your belongings to stay in, but if the husband and wife to be want to stay there that night, it's an additional $150 or something stupid. But again, your stuff is totally cool to occupy the house. Just not you. Bottom line, there are so many more options in the area, and you should take ANY of them before you plan your wedding here. Yes, it's pretty. But the owners...

I Absolutely DO NOT recommend!!!! The one star I gave this place was just for the beautiful location. The owners almost completely ruined my best friends special day/weekend. While standing to stare at everyone with daggers and filling the room with tension they wouldn’t actually help with anything. Hospitality definitely does not come with this venue! When asked to help they made such a scene about it people were nervous to ask for anything as little as filling the soap in the bathroom. One minute they would act overly nice and then the next we felt we were all a burden by having the wedding at this venue even though they were the ones making the money. The stress and torment the bride and groom were put through was not worth the location. On top of the bad attitudes, you pay an ungodly amount of money just to turn around and sign checks for a ton of other little things you don’t even realize your going to have to pay extra for. READ THE FINE PRINT IN THE ENTIRE CONTRACT!!!!! They are very vague about what’s included. As a bridesmaid myself I know 100% that the family and entire wedding party was treated with total disrespect along with some guests. Please don’t put yourself through this on your special day. Go to another one of the many options offered in the area. This is not a local business I...