Waterloo/Cedar Falls wedding

renjon7798

I am considering hosting my reception at the Isle of Capri in Waterloo next Aug.  My FI truly has his heart set on having it there.  I've looked online and can only find one review of anyone who had a wedding there and it's not the best.  I guess the guests went down stairs to the casino floor after the reception and were basically kicked out.  The main reason my FI wants the reception there is for the guests to be able to hit the casino floor and have a few drinks and gamble for while. 

My question is, has anyone been to a wedding there or knows a bride who hosted her recpetion there that can give me some more opinions before I plop down 7K on this place?

BreV

My cousin is having her reception there this Saturday. I'll let you know what I think and if she has any input.

renjon7798

That would be great!  We are spending the night there this sat just to see how the rooms are and everything.  But it took us almost 30 minutes to make the reservations  It was a nightmare!  I could have driven there in almost as much time and made the reservation face to face.  I just don't want my guest who will want to go to the casino floor after the reception (and there will be a few of them) getting kicked out simply because they are wedding guests.

BreV

Yes! It can be a pain to make reservations or find out any information there. They give you a 800 or 877 number to call so you're connected with a regional office instead of talking directly to someone in Waterloo. But anyway the reception this weekend was great! The food was good and the staff was very helpful.

I thought it was a great place for a reception except these 3 things:

• There were lots of guests who went out on the floor and gambled without any troubles or getting kicked out for being wedding guests. But at the same time guests were out gambling instead of dancing or being there for toasts or cake cutting, so I just wouldn't be surprised if you have guests disappearing for a while or heading out earlier than usual.
  
• 
  Beware of wedding crashers! Not that there were any that I know of, but really anyone could have just walked up to the ballroom and crashed the party.
  
• 
  And finally I know my cousin had some issues with her hotel block. She ended up having to get a hold of guests and getting a list of who had reserved a room. And they told her that there were rooms still available in the block, but when guests called the 800 number they said everything was booked.

All in all, I thought it was an excellent venue. Hope I could be a little help...Good Luck!!

renjon7798

We actually stayed there Sat night and quite honestly, for the $130 I paid, I think I got ripped off.  The bed was so uncomfortable, the pillows were so bad I used the decoration pillows, the bed didn't have any blankets only three layers of sheets, no micorwave or fridge.  The bathroom, at first glance, looked amazing.  There was a tv in there, a huge shower and the whirlpool tub was screaming my name, until I looked and saw how dirty the tub was.  There was soap and dirt residue all over it and really long black hairs along the sides.  I have very blonde hair...it was gross.

We walked upstairs to eat at Otis and Henrys and I can totaly see where you are coming from about anyone being able to just walk into the reception.  We could almost see in to the ballroom from the dinning room!  It would have been so easy for anyone to just walk in!

I did see the bride come down stairs at the end of the night (she looked AMAZING by the way!  I'm dying to know what dress she had on!), but I didn't pay any attention if they came onto the floor or not. 

All in all...the horrible process of making the reservations, the condition of room and the points you made has pretty much convinced my FI he no longer wants the reception there. So, we've found another location.