Candle Lit Way Wedding Chapel
507 Hatton Ave, Dallas Center, IA 50063
✦ Historic 1880s chapel with stained-glass windows and antique details
✦ Ceremony capacity of 150, with garden and reception space for smaller gatherings
✦ Romantic outdoor gardens perfect for portraits, ceremonies, or proposals
The Candle Lit Way Wedding Chapel is one of the most romantic and historic wedding venues in central Iowa, and I’ve had the joy of photographing several elopements and intimate weddings here. Built in the 1880s and lovingly restored, it’s a non-denominational chapel that keeps all of its original charm—stained-glass windows that fill the space with color, polished wood floors, antique furnishings, and a classic white steeple with a bell couples can ring after their ceremony. It’s a place where history and romance meet, and it photographs beautifully.
The chapel itself can host up to 150 guests, with an attached reception space for smaller gatherings, but what makes it truly special are the gardens that surround it. With flowering trees, a white picket fence, and quiet paths, it’s a natural backdrop for portraits and ceremonies alike. I’d especially love to capture a proposal in the gardens—they’re that picturesque. Between the hand-plastered details inside and the sunlit gardens outside, Candle Lit Way offers couples a timeless and personal setting for their wedding day.