The Hotel stages the ballroom as it would look on a couple's special day and demonstrates all the food and drink stations they have available. — Photo by The Hotel at Kirkwood Center
The traditional wedding reception menu has an elegantly modern make over at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center. — Photo by The Hotel at Kirkwood Center
7,454 sq. ft. Accommodates 924 standing or 500 seated. Ceiling mount projectors with 4 strategically positioned 16x20 ft. screens. — Source: The Hotel at Kirkwood Center
Brides-to-be, their grooms and family guests gather as a group to experience The Hotel’s ambience and peruse an extensive list of exotic flavors and fresh ingredients, sampling hors d’oeuvres, entrees, salads and, most importantly, designer desserts and cakes. — Photo by The Hotel at Kirkwood Center
Doing private one-on-one tastings allows The Hotel us to pull out all the stops for customers. Couples get to see their options for personalizing their once-in-a-lifetime event. — Photo by The Hotel at Kirkwood Center

The traditional reception menu has an elegantly modern make over at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center. Gone are tired menus featuring gravy-soaked roast beef and boring white cake. Today's couples want unique flavor, distinct atmosphere and the ability to make their event truly their own.

Annually, The Hotel hosts an invitation-only Wedding Menu Tasting event. Brides-to-be, their grooms and family guests gather as a group to experience The Hotel's ambience and peruse an extensive list of exotic flavors and fresh ingredients, sampling hors d'oeuvres, entrees, salads and, most importantly, designer desserts and cakes.

"The Wedding Menu Tasting is a way for us to really shine for our patrons," said Jennifer Zahradnik, catering sales manager at The Hotel. "We set up the ballroom as it would look on their special day and demonstrate all the food and drink stations we have available. Doing private one-on-one tastings wouldn't allow us to pull out all the stops for our customers. They need to see their options for personalizing their once-in-a-lifetime event."

"The (Wedding Tasting) event provided us with many different options and gave us another view of Kirkwood. We have never been to a wedding at Kirkwood, so it was nice to get to taste the food and see the ballroom set up for an event," said Ashley Bronner, who is planning a September wedding at The Hotel. "It was great to see which options were available for decorations and any other options such as fountains or the piano."

Ashley and her fiancé, who both live near Chicago, have family in the Cedar Rapids area, which made The Hotel an attractive venue.

"It was neat to see the ballroom with the lights dimmed. It was a great atmosphere, especially with the soft piano music playing. The food was amazing and I liked how everything was set up as little stations for tasting," Ashley said. "The atmosphere was fantastic!"

"I thought it was great! There were so many more choices than I originally thought were possible," said Whitney King, whose May wedding will be held at The Hotel. "Not to mention any combination of food, salad and cakes is possible. I really liked all of the variety and options."

Whitney and her fiancé live near Des Moines. Both grew up in the Cedar Rapids area, and wanted to return for their big day.

"We chose The Hotel because it's very modern, has a wonderful staff and great facilities, delicious food and upscale accommodations," Whitney said. "There was no swaying. After looking at other options in the area, I knew this was where I wanted to get married!"

The Hotel's Wedding Menu Tasting event gives brides-to-be and their guests an opportunity to not only sample the amazing menu options available to couples, but also see the newest in-demand specialty treats, such as our chocolate fountain and s'mores station.

Every couple wants their wedding to be memorable. Exciting menus, fun treat stations, delectable cakes and the quiet elegance of The Hotel make each wedding a tailored, unforgettable experience for the couples and their families.

"The sirloin and Cuban pork, garlic mashed potatoes and the macaroni and cheese was wonderful!" Whitney commented. "I also really liked the homemade mint marshmallows at the s'mores bar."

"We really enjoyed the goat cheese appetizer, the grilled sirloin, the pork ribeye, the salads, the hot veggies and the finger potatoes." Ashley said. "We also enjoyed the cake, especially the chocolate cake."

The Hotel's event staff coordinates the details for the couple-to-be and family, including décor, the cake and tidying up afterward, giving them not only piece of mind, but time to spend enjoying their big day.

"I would definitely recommend Kirkwood as a reception site," Ashley said. "I love that they have everything right there available to the couple. It takes away a lot of stress with planning and Kirkwood provides a variety of options for every bride."

More information on The Hotel at Kirkwood Center is available at (319) 848-8700; or via the Web:
www.thehotelatkirkwood.com http://www.thehotelatkirkwood.com

A MEMBER OF PREFERRED HOTELS & RESORTS | AAA FOUR DIAMOND AWARD

Lee Belfield
General Manager
319-848-8701
The Hotel at Kirkwood Center