If you’re choosing between The Tea Room and Hotel Fort Des Moines, you’re not just picking a venue — you’re choosing the tone of your entire wedding day.

They’re both beautiful, historic Des Moines spaces, but they create completely different energy. As a photographer, that difference matters because it shapes how your day unfolds and how your photos feel years from now.

I’ve photographed weddings at The Tea Room and toured Hotel Fort Des Moines, and couples often ask how they compare. Here’s the honest version.

The Tea Room

The Tea Room feels grand the second you walk in. The ceiling height, the chandeliers, the scale of the ballroom — everything about it says celebration. It’s a space that holds a big crowd easily and still feels elegant at night when the lights warm up and the dance floor fills.

Photographically, it shines during the reception. The openness gives your images movement and energy, and the architecture adds a timeless backdrop without needing heavy décor. Weddings here feel cinematic and lively, especially once the evening starts.

If you want a classic ballroom wedding with a big, joyful reception, this venue leans naturally in that direction.

Hotel Fort Des Moines

Hotel Fort Des Moines feels quieter and more intimate. Instead of one sweeping ballroom, the hotel creates layered spaces that feel curated and personal. It’s the kind of place where the entire day can stay contained in one building, which changes the pace in a good way. Everything feels close, relaxed, and intentional.

I haven’t photographed a wedding there yet, but after touring the space, it’s high on my wishlist. The window light in the suites and the historic textures throughout the hotel are perfect for editorial-style portraits. The atmosphere leans boutique luxury instead of grand scale.

Weddings here would read as intimate and refined in photos, with more focus on quiet moments than spectacle.

The real difference

The Tea Room is about scale and celebration.
Hotel Fort Des Moines is about atmosphere and intimacy.

Neither is better. They simply tell different stories.

If you picture a packed dance floor under chandeliers, you’re probably a Tea Room couple. If you picture candlelight, texture, and a slower, curated feel, Hotel Fort might be your place.

And whichever direction you lean, the venue becomes part of the emotional tone of your gallery — not just the background.

If you’re getting married at either space, I’d love to hear what you’re planning. These venues deserve photographs that match their character, and that’s where the real magic happens.