Happy Apple Celebrations is a rustic wedding venue in Norwalk, Iowa. This venue and staff ensure every couple can enjoy a stress-free weekend that is every bit as romantic and fun as theyāve always dreamed. Happy Apple Celebrations provides a unique setting for nature-inspired weddings. The sweet smell of apple blossoms, the majestic rolling hills, and the rustic setting all lend to a romantic and intimate setting for the big day. Choose Happy Apple Celebrations for a truly unforgettable event.
Happy Apple Celebrations provides both indoor and outdoor venue space for your wedding day. You can enjoy your wedding ceremony outdoors among the apple trees, or indoors. The outdoor space features patio space and a fire pit to warm your guests as they enjoy drinks and conversation after dinner. The spacious open floor plan accommodates any seating style. Two get-ready rooms are onsite for the wedding party to prepare before the ceremony. The venue also has a built-in catering prep kitchen and full-service bar for serving your guests throughout the evening.
Services Offered
Happy Apple Celebrations helps couples create their one-of-a-kind wedding days. Youāll be able to work closely with the staff to plan every detail and flawlessly execute on your big day. Happy Apple Celebrations rentals include two and a half days of access. The day before youāll have the entire day to set up and can even host your rehearsal dinner at the venue. You will have all-day access on the big day, including overnight parking. On the day after you can enjoy a leisurely cleanup time. Other services include:
Open vendor policy
Full-service bar and bartenders
Outdoor ceremony site
Seating for 400+ guests
Shelves of rustic and glass decor
Lighted backdrops and ceiling decor
Classic White chairs, round tables, and long tables
Civil Union, Commitment Ceremony, Elopement, Interfaith Ceremony, Non-Religious Ceremony, Religious Ceremony, Second Wedding, Vow Renewal Ceremony
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks, Bar Rental
Settings
Barn, Farm & Ranch, Park, Trees
Business Attributes
Woman-owned Business
Pricing for Happy Apple Celebrations
Option
Value
Starting Cost
Affordable
Cost Starting
Price Range
$3,199 - $7,499+
Couples Usually Spend
$6,080
Peak Season Months
April-October
Peak Season Cost
$4,499 - $7,499+
Peak Season Reception Cost
$4,499
Peak Season Ceremony Cost
$4,499
Peak Season Bar Service Cost
OffSeason Months
January-March, November-December
OffSeason Cost
$3,199 - $5,299+
OffSeason Reception Cost
$3,199
OffSeason Ceremony Cost
$3,199
OffSeason BarService Cost
Happy Apple Celebrations Reviews
Emma Donlagic(other)4 out of 5 Rating
We loved Happy Apple as our venue! We paid for the entire weekend and it was so easy being able to have rehearsal dinner and clean-up/brunch at the same location. The staff were very helpful and accommodating. Reviewed on 10-12-2023
Jessica Barritt(other)5 out of 5 Rating
We had our wedding at Happy Apple last weekend and couldnāt have been happier with the venue or the owners! Sarah, her husband, and their employee Erica were just fantastic. So helpful and accommodating. The bar staff were also amazing. The venue itself is the perfect vibe- beautiful and rustic. The bridal and groom suites are perfect. We literally felt at home the entire time we were there. I loved being able to have the venue for the whole weekend. It definitely lowered the stress by being able to decorate on Friday and hold our rehearsal dinner there, enjoy my wedding day on Saturday, and come back to clean up and gather our belongings on Sunday. Highly recommend Happy Apple for your wedding! Reviewed on 21-10-2023
William Fitzgerald(other)1 out of 5 Rating
I would not recommend this place to anyone. With all the other options out there. I would recommend not hosting ANYTHING in the bar, as someone who works in the event industry. I strongly believe they were double posting charges on the tab. The lady who does the selling was great. The husband however should consider going to a few hospitality classes. Super disrespectful to the bride and other guests. He made me and my bride do a walk around the entire property at 11:30pm with a flashlight after the event picking up any trash or bottles. Which I donāt believe was emphasized enough when we signed the contract. So if you do decide to book here, just be aware that you will be asked to clean up immediately after your wedding. Reviewed on 22-07-2023
Peggy Asmus(other)1 out of 5 Rating
They kept our money after we canceled the wedding due to exploding covid cases and Governor's mandates on large gatherings. They said we were in violation of the contract since the mandates were not a complete shutdown. The complete shutdown came a short week later. The wedding was supposed to happen 3 weeks after that. Didn't hear from them for 6 weeks after cancellation in spite multiple e-mails and texts. Then to find out we were not getting a refund of any kind. ALL other vendors gave a full refund. Reviewed on 12-10-2021
Emily Gaulke(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 05-09-2021 Absolutely the perfect venue to get married at. They have so many decorations to use and a beautiful outdoor and indoor area. Sara is so nice and helpful! I could not have found a better venue! Reviewed on 05-09-2021
Veronica Koster(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 18-05-2019 We had the most beautiful wedding and experience at Happy Apple Celebrations! The owners, Sara and Ryan, were amazing to work with throughout the entire process and were available whenever we had questions! While the weather did not cooperate for the ceremony outdoors, Sara and Ryan made sure to help organize moving the ceremony indoors which turned out to be just as beautiful! They truly made everything go off without a hitch and the venue itself was perfect for our big reception! The best part was that your reservation of the venue is for Friday through Sunday so you aren't trying to scramble to set up Saturday before dawn like some venues and we were able to have our rehearsal AND dinner there which saved on having to find a separate location for that. We highly recommend Happy Apple Celebrations! Reviewed on 03-06-2019
Chris Oliver(groom)1 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 21-07-2018 Beautiful venue. Horrible experience with owners. Very unprofessional from eye rolling, making rude comments to attendees, WAY over charging for drinks, to doing illegal and inappropriate acts. Again, it is a very beautiful venue but I would never recommend this place to anyone. On your special day you should never have to encounter that kind of behavior and unprofessionalism. Reviewed on 03-10-2018
Andrew Smithson(professional)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 25-08-2018 Participated in a wedding last night and was very impressed with this venue! The decor is very rustic with some very unique aspects. The ambiance was amazing and the owners are super nice! Hope to visit there again soon!! Reviewed on 26-08-2018
Lucy M(wedding party)3 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-07-2019 This is a beautiful venue and a great choice as long as you donāt mind a little casual racism and inappropriate questions from one of the owners. Male owner thought it was appropriate to ask a member of the bridal party what ethnicity she was and went on to say āIām not racist but...ā If you have to say that, then yes, yes you are racist. The following morning, when referring to any small problems that arose, he thought it necessary to refer to the kids running around as Hispanic. He also asked the bride if she was pregnant. š³ Reviewed on 06-05-2018
Sadie Quist(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 04-11-2017 Sue and Rick are AMAZING! There is nothing that compares Reviewed on 14-11-2017
Kendra Spinden(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 28-10-2017 We loved this place. We just had our wedding and we ended up having to move it inside due to the cold weather. We were able to make it just the way we pictured!! We loved that we were able to have both the wedding and reception at the same place. Sue and Rick were great to work with!! Highly recommend this place!! Reviewed on 31-10-2017
Holly Schmidt(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 29-10-2016 We had a wonderful time at our wedding reception and got so many compliments on everything! They have items that others have left that can be used. We were able to get into the venue on Friday for setup and have brunch on Sunday to tear down. This was the perfect spot for our wedding and guests. 300 people is a lot to keep happy and we have heard nothing but positive feedback on the space and beauty of Happy Apple. Very accommodating. I would highly recommend Happy Apple to future brides and grooms. Reviewed on 03-11-2016
Stephanie Vanlaar(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 21-05-2016 Wedding 5/21/16....I can't say enough about this wonderful venue and amazing owners! They really make you feel like family. Always available when I would call with a million questions. Helpful with ideas for final decorations, although they already have the place 90% decorated. Rick was absolutely amazing with all the kids and keeping them entertained and happy so adults could focus on the setup and celebrating. He carted my elderly father around and hung out with dad making him feel involved. Sue was amazing! She truely just wanted us to have the most beautiful experience, even if it meant compensating for another vendor. Always available to listen and talk with us. They truely are the sweetest team. Ohh and everyone went on for weeks about how beautiful there orchard is. I have already encouraged 10 if boy more brides to check this place out!!! Reviewed on 30-07-2016
Anonymous (parent)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 07-06-2014 Rick and Sue were awesome to work with. Their place is a wonderful place for a wedding. We were planning on an outside wedding and then coming inside for the reception. The weather did not cooperate so we had it all inside. The building was big enough to accommodate us, and they were very helpful when we were arranging it all. Guests had room to visit and move around without being really crowded. Many of our guests have told us it was the best wedding ever. Reviewed on 06-07-2014
Karmen Rocker(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 15-06-2013 Rick and Sue are the owners of this orchard, but they make you feel like part time owners as soon as you sign the contract! They are absolutely wonderful and so helpful with anything and everything you might need. They are continually adding things to the property to make it even more appealing to have a wedding there. The price was right, and we had access to the venue for the whole weekend. Reviewed on 23-07-2013
Liz Cain(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 02-06-2012 This venue allows for both ceremony and reception. Beautiful outdoor setting for a ceremony, but alternative site indoors, just in case of rain. The owners Rick & Sue work to make to ensure that things run smoothly. Rick mows of several wonderful areas for photographs?\rThe cost was very reasonable. The flexibility was superb. Reviewed on 19-06-2012
Kelsey Breese(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 19-05-2012 The owners of Happy Apple Celebrations were very helpul in planning the wedding ceremony and receptions. They are very easy to work with, too. There venue offers many great photograhy locations. Reviewed on 05-06-2012
Jessie Stefanski(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 01-10-2011 I looked at a lot of venues in the Des Moines area, but I was disappointed by the prices and restrictions I found. Then I came across Happy Apple. I liked that I could do both the ceremony and reception at the same venue (and it was nice to have an easy backup ceremony location in case the weather was bad). I liked that I could bring in any caterer and I could get in the day before to set-up and decorate. Rick and Sue are really nice people who are very easy to work with. The orchard has a beautiful ceremony location overlooking a pond, backed by apple trees. It's just a short drive from both Norwalk and Cumming, so it's easy for guests to get there, and because it's out in the country it's very peaceful. Compared to other local venues, I found the rental price to be competitive and the cost of beer and wine was also reasonable (and they provided bartenders!). I would absolutely choose this venue again. Reviewed on 07-10-2011
Emily Kimzey(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 11-06-2011 This venue is great! Huge reception area, beautiful inside and out. Bring any outside vendors in, and good location. The owners are nice to work with, and easy going makes the day a lot less hectic! Reviewed on 17-06-2011
Happy Apple Orchard was started in early 1970's.The original 2 dozen trees, that were planted on the farm, came from K-mart on Hickman Rd. They were a end -of-the season close-out price, that Rick purchased while delivering landscape stone to their garden department. The trees were label dwarf Red and Golden Delicious? They all turned out to be standard size, MacIntosh apple trees. Rick Motzko thought this would be a good thing for his dad, Dick, who just purchased Cumming Farm. Dick, Audrey (his wife), and son, Rick, planted and nurtured the trees, year after year, until it reached 4000 tree