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Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
4.7 ★★★★★ 382 Google reviews · Greenhouse wedding venue in Waterloo, Iowa
40-acre oasis with multiple themed gardens, including a kids’ area with a fish pond & Hobbit homes.
Plan your tour
- Today see hours ·
- Website cedarvalleyarboretum.org — most venues book tours right on their site
Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 9 AM–6 PM |
| Wednesday | 9 AM–6 PM |
| Thursday | 9 AM–8 PM |
| Friday | 9 AM–6 PM |
| Saturday | 9 AM–6 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–6 PM |
The setting
“I've been to the arboretum several times and it is always beautiful and peaceful.”
Amenities, with proof
“They had some beautiful combinations of flowers and must be very skilled to get their dark Huechera to grow in full sun surrounding a water feature.”
What couples say again and again
“They had some beautiful combinations of flowers and must be very skilled to get their dark Huechera to grow in full sun surrounding a water feature.”
“The staff was very friendly and helpful.”
Why it's listed — and what we can confirm
- Glass / botanical setting — “Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens”
- Hosts weddings or events — “This past weekend I attended a wedding in the rose garden and it was perfect.”
From the reviews
Very nice place. We went on a hot (100 degrees) day, and with it being an outside venue, it was not as enjoyable as it could have been. The Day Lillies were in full bloom and they were very pretty. The wildflower meadow looked nice, but we did not walk through it. Ice-cream was good in the lobby after a hot walk.
I've been to the arboretum several times and it is always beautiful and peaceful. This past weekend I attended a wedding in the rose garden and it was perfect.
Getting married at Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens
Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens comes up for weddings, going by their listing and couples’ reviews. Two things make the tour worth it. First, see the glass house at the time of day and season you'd actually get married — the light pouring through the panes at golden hour is the whole reason to book one, but a greenhouse at noon in July feels very different from one at dusk in October, so ask about temperature and shade for your date and walk the path your guests take from parking to ceremony to reception. Second, bring the questions that only matter for a glass venue: is it heated and air-conditioned (the single most important question), what months do they actually book, is there shade cloth or diffusing glass for midday glare, what's the humidity like in summer, are candles or open flame allowed near the plants, and exactly what's included — tables, chairs, setup, and teardown are where quotes quietly diverge. Glass venues are intimate and popular dates book 12–18 months out, so if the tour feels right, ask what's open in your season before you leave.