Frequently
Asked Questions

Common FAQs

  • Check out all of our details and pricing here 
  • 204 butts in seats, this includes headtable sitting in 204 count
  • Our dates are available for view per calendar year. Choose your wedding year here
  • 25% percent is due upon booking. The additional payment will be made in 25% increments at 9 months out, 6 months out, and 3 months out. If you are within a set timeframe at your inital booking those amount will apply, ie: you book 6 months out from your wedding 75% will be due upon booking. 
  • Ready to lock in your date? Just send us an email at info@theeraiowa.com letting us know you're ready to book! Please include your top date choice. We also ask that you include another date or two just in case your first pick isn’t available.
  • We would love for you to come and check out The Era prior to booking but we totally get you might have all of your questions answered and have fallen in love from our website, so booking without seeing is totally acceptable too! 
  • If you want to check out the venue prior to booking you can schedule a private tour here. 
  • Dates are booked on a first-come, first-served basis, and the first person to email us ready to start the contract process for a specific date will have first dibs.
  • In order to manage our time and also meet everyone's needs we ask that you schedule a tour instead of stopping by. This is the best way we can make sure we are present in answering your questions and dedicated to just your needs. Book a private tour
  • We find that most couples have a wedding budget including costs for venue, food, bar with complimentary cocktail hour, dress, DJ, photographer, ranging from $25k-$35k. While there are couples who have had both below and above wedding budgets, this is the most common. 
  • While there is plenty of space to accomadate another wedding, we DO NOT allow multiple weddings to take place on the same day. This is because we want you to be able to go where you want, do what you want, and celebrate how you want! 
  • There is lodging for family and friends on-site located in the house (sleeps 10) and the bridal suite (sleeps 8). Lodging is only available for weekend wedding and is not included for day weddings. 
  • For additional guests, we are within 25 minutes from Carroll or Jefferson- which have multiple hotel and Airbnb options. 
  • Our gravel parking lot will accomadate 100 trucks, with overflow grass parking available. 
  • Our headtable, food, dessert, gift tables are all 8'x3' rectangle tables. We also have (2) that we put up on the dance floor to accomadate the 204 number. We then take these tables down for dancing. For optimal guest count seating, your guests will be at rounds. Should you have less than 204 attending, additional room layouts with some rectangles incorporated can be looked at. 
  • Yes! We understand the importance of having nice linens with no wrinkles. That is why we have upgraded linens with a beautiful wrinklefree material that makes any table really come together. Our tablecloths go all the way to the floor on both rounds and rectangles so no table legs will be shown. We offer white, black, ivory, and taupe. We also offer a variety of colors of cloth napkins, that will be folded and placed for you.
  • No. Due to not having a commerical dishwashing space we do not offer these items. We do have rental recommendations of those items should you want them. If you are using plastic tableware, that is also something you will provide yourself. We have recommendations on heavier / higher quality plastic tableware if you are not finding what you are looking for and want something more elegant. 
  • If you are planning an outside ceremony by the pond and there is rain planned for that day, we are able to flip our headtable room into a ceremony space and flip it back during the cocktail hour. Due to having a garage door that opens into the patio area with a scenic backdrop and large tree you will still get an outdoor vibe/pictures even though everyone is inside and dry. Due to having everything onsite we do not need a rain plan decision until 3 hours prior to the ceremony time. 
  • Because we only book one wedding a day to give you the most exclusivity and freedom to the venue/grounds, our fee structure stays the same if you are having a ceremony, reception, or both. 
  • Yes! We love fur-babies! To allow them to be a part of your day but also make sure you enjoy your day to the fullest, we ask the following:
  1. We get to meet them first. 
  2. That they attend the ceremony and picture time only.
  3. That they do not come into the venue, house, or near food. 
  4. That they are on a leash at all times (unless you are holding them for a picture.)
  5. That someone specific (not bride or groom) is responsible for them the entire time they are onsite.
  • Cash, check, or credit cards are accepted. Our preferred method of payment is via check to help lessen transaction fees absorbed by The Era. We know cards are more convienient but we would rather put that money back into the growth of The Era, than to give it to big credit card companies.
  • Because cancellations are unpredicatable we do not have a waitlist for them. We do put them on our date page as soon as we hear about them. You can reference that page here. 
  • Yes! As part of your rental fee you have access to a variety of on trend décor items to use for your wedding! These will be available for viewing at the Open House / Décor visit. 
  • We are currently working on an inventory viewing page so you can easily access our décor items. While that is in the works, we will have available decor for viewing during our Open House / Décor visits. 
  • Arrival time and ending time are specified in your contract. These times are firm so please plan accordingly. As a reminder, all table and ceremony décor will be placed by The Era staff so you and your friends/family can spend more time enjoying the day. 
  • Yes, our ceremony and reception areas are fully wheelchair accessible for your guests. Please note that some of our lodging spaces do have stairs, and there is no elevator on site.
  • Our main barn features a Bluetooth ceiling speaker system, perfect for playing light background music throughout your event. For more dynamic music needs—such as adjusting volume or changing tracks—we recommend bringing in a DJ or using your own sound system to ensure a seamless experience.
  • We ask that all outdoor decorations be safely secured—such as avoiding candles that could be blown over by the wind. For items like confetti, we kindly request that they be eco-friendly and biodegradable to help preserve our beautiful surroundings.
  • Absolutely! We offer beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces for both your ceremony and reception, giving you the flexibility to choose the perfect setting for your special day.

  • We have designated smoking-friendly areas for your convenience. We kindly ask that guests refrain from discarding cigarette butts on the grounds and use the provided disposal stations to keep the venue clean.
  • No, security is not required for your event.
  • Yes, we do require a $1m event insurance policy with The Era listed as the additional insured. Approximate cost - approx. $300-$400.

Food / Bar Questions

  • At this time we do not require an exclusive catering vendor. We do have recommendations of those that we have worked with for multiple events that we belive provide amazing service, quailty of food, a variety of budget, and cleanliness.
  • B Fabulous Catering, Letter Eats By B (charcuterie only), Lidderdale Country Store Catering, Watcha Smokin' BBQ & Brew, Weather or Naut --- All of these are small businesses just like us! We believe that when you work with a small business there is just a different experience and quality you receive that you don't get other places!
  • We have found that it works best for you to reach out to your caterer directly. This way you can schedule a tasting and pick their brain about what might work best for the food options and budget you are wanting. We are happy to have a conversation with them prior to their arrive to make sure their needs are met and also meet them onsite when they arrive to direct them. 
  • No. The Era has an exclusive bar service to handle all of your bar service needs. You will work with amazing people, who are creative, and provide amazing service! Once you book your date, we will connect you to go over your bar desires and budget. We have two bars on site. One as you walk into the reception space and another by our headtable space. Reducing the result in long lines and making it convienent to grab a drink whether you are socializing or dancing the night away!
  • Catering can have a big range depending on the amount of people you have and the type of food that you want. That is why we give a variety of peferred vendors to help with food choices and budgets. Typically we see a cost of around $3k-$4k.
  • The minimum for our bar service is $600. This gives you a cash bar option and will take care of all of your bar service needs. We will have you meet with them to decide what kind of budget / drink desire you are looking for. If you are looking to do a complimentary time we usually tell couples to think about spending $5/drink/person to get a rough idea on what you might be budgeting. 
  • No, we do not have a minimum for food or guest count. This is because we are not making any commission on these items like some venues, allowing you to get the most out of your budget. 
  • There is a beverage minimum of $600 to cover the cost of our exclusive bar servicing the bar (insurance, setup, delivery, alcohol, coordination). 
  • As stated above, we do have an exclusive bar service but do not have an exclusive catering service. We do have great recommendations listed above. 

Planning Questions

  • While we will help you go over your room layout, decor, provide vendor recommendations, and help with some day-of items such as placing decor/linens/napkins on tables, ceremony area, moving decor from one place to another, bussing tables, and refilling snacks/drinks we do not have someone someone staff to help plan your wedding. 
  • Wedding Planners typically help with: itineraries, flow of day, invite / website creation/direction, RSVP management, vendor management, specialty rental items, checklists, budget tools, takeaway ideas, lodging needs, registries, and more! All of the things that make your big day come together. We recommend Legacy Events for your planning and coordination needs. 
  • While we will help with some day-of items such as placing decor/linens/napkins on tables, ceremony area, moving decor from one place to another, bussing tables, and refilling snacks/drinks we do not have someone someone staffed to be your wedding coordinator. 
  • Wedding Coordinators typically handle everything you need day of. Things like: making sure everyone stays on time, is in the correct location, is available for pictures, problems solves any scenario should it occur (strap breaks, dress gets stained, food doesn't arrive on time, etc.), manages pick ups and deliveries during the day, makes sure you have everything you need/want, sends your wedding party down the aisle, times introductions, manages family, manages questions for you, and so much more! We recommend Legacy Events for your planning and coordination needs. 
  • Open house / decor visit days are available for those who have already booked their wedding day with The Era. They happen on the 1st Tuesday of the month and require a reservation to attend. You can register here to attend. 
  • To allow sunset pictures to be incorporated into your day, we recommend starting ceremony times at 5:00pm Friday, 4:00pm Saturday, and 4:00pm Sunday. This will allow you time to slip away while everyone is dancing to grab those Pinterest worthy pictures!
  • We will arrange your space to fit your guest count. To view our ideal layout for the max guests of 204 click here. 
  • It is very likely that if you have choosen a one day option that the day before has been reserved for someone else. We do ask that you plan to have an offsite rehearsal if you have planned for a one day rental. 
  • We do allow any family, friends, vendors to attend one of our open house visits to understand the space more or walk through things. 
  • If you have booked a Friday one day rental. We do offer the perk of adding a Thursday. Learn more about that here.
  • We do not allow fireworks or sparklers on the property. While we love them as much as anyone, we understand that explosives or transportable fire mixed with a good time and drinking can lead to unnecessary risk for both you and us. 
  • Yes, vehicles can be left overnight in the parking lot. We do want to mention ALL vehicles must leave the property by the time of your contract end time. 
  • Music on Friday's/Saturday's must conclude by 11:00 p.m. Music on Sunday's must conclude by 9:30 p.m.
  • All deliveries must happen within the rental contract period. This is to make sure that we have the property ready and in perfect condition for your big day and do not have to work around rentals in places that we aren't ready for. Please advise your vendors of this policy and have them plan accordingly. 
  • If using the complimentary decor provided by The Era, we will use battery operated candles in our votives, vases, and candlestick holders. If you plan to use your own decor you are welcome to use real candles but they must be completely contained in a candle holder. Tapered candles and any type of hanging candles will not be allowed for safety reasons. 
  • Please submit to us your final headcount 3 week in advance. 

Setup & Day-of Questions

  • While we will help with some day-of items such as placing decor/linens/napkins on tables, ceremony area, moving decor from one place to another, bussing tables, and refilling snacks/drinks we do not have someone someone staffed to be your wedding coordinator. 
  • Wedding Coordinators typically handle everything you need day of. Things like: making sure everyone stays on time, is in the correct location, is available for pictures, problems solves any scenario should it occur (strap breaks, dress gets stained, food doesn't arrive on time, etc.), manages pick ups and deliveries during the day, makes sure you have everything you need/want, sends your wedding party down the aisle, times introductions, manages family, manages questions for you, and so much more! We recommend Legacy Events for your planning and coordination needs. 
  • The Era staff will be there to take care of the clean up process during and after your wedding. We just ask that all of your personal belongings and anything you have brought are taken with you. 
  • You bet! You are welcome to go anywhere on the property to take photos. Some fun exclusive spots are behind the pond, in the alfalfa fields, by the old shed, or even on the gravel roading coming to The Era.
  • In order to keep the venue in the best condition possible for all of our couples we ask that nothing be nailed to the wall or hung from the ceiling. We will have specific hooks like above the headtable for personalized items to be hung. 

Investment

Book Tour

Available dates