Receptions at The Shores

The Shores at Five Island is a stunning event venue and community center located on the west shore of Five Island Lake in Emmetsburg, Iowa. The Lakeview Ballroom offers 4,330 square feet of space surrounded by large windows, proving spectacular views of the beautiful lake and Five Island Golf Course. The ballroom accommodates wedding receptions with up to 330 guests. Guests will enjoy complimentary use of the lakeside veranda, accessible from three locations inside the ballroom. The Shores also offers a beautiful lakeside greenspace with an arbor, perfect for an outdoor ceremony.

What’s Included?

✓  Lakeview Ballroom
✓  Dance Floor
✓  Lakeside Veranda
✓  Ceremony Greenspace + Chair Rental
✓  Setup + Teardown of Ballroom Tables & Chairs
✓  Bar + Bartenders
✓  Banquet Staff
✓  Catering Kitchen
✓  Audio/Video System
✓  Venue Cleaning
✓  Discounted Golf Rates

Wedding Ceremony

The Shores offers a beautiful greenspace with an arbor on the shore of Five Island Lake, perfect for an outdoor ceremony. Rental of the greenspace and ceremony chairs is included will all wedding packages. The greenspace may also be rented out for lakeshore ceremonies for a fixed fee if the reception is held at another location. The Shores has 300 white resin folding chairs that may be set up on the lawn and/or veranda for ceremonies.

The Shores can also accommodate indoor wedding ceremonies, either in theater or banquet setup.

Add-Ons & Rentals

✓  Outdoor Ceremony Space
✓  Outdoor Ceremony Chairs
✓  Table Linens
✓  Chair Covers
✓  Dinnerware
✓  Napkins
✓  Audio/Video Equipment
✓  Beverage Table
✓  Water Table Service

Bar Packages

The Shores at Five Island has a full-service portable bar in the Ballroom, or drinks may be purchased from our permanent/public bar. The Shores offers a variety of keg beer, canned beer, seltzer, wine, champagne, mixed drinks, and non-alcoholic beverages. Couples may choose any combination of the following:

✓  Cash Bar (Guests Pay)
✓  Open Bar (Hosts Pay)
✓  Open Bar with Dollar Limit
✓  Open Bar with Drink Limit
✓  Drink Tickets
✓  Specific Hosted Beverages

Absolutely all alcohol must be purchased from The Shores – no outside alcohol allowed

Booking

50% of the chosen wedding package fee is due up signing the contract. The event date is not secured until payment is received. The remaining 50% is due 6 months out from the wedding. Any add-on services (ceremony setup, linens, beverages) are due the day of the event. We accept cash, check, and credit cards.

Catering & Vendors

The Shores does not offer catering. Renters are welcome to bring in any licensed caterer, so long as they provide the following documents to The Shores: certificate of liability insurance, health department license, ServSafe certificate, and copy of most recent health department inspection. Food should be prepared off-site and brought to The Shores. Email us at theshores@emmetsburg.com to request our current list of local vendors.

Availability

We’re currently booking into 2026. Please contact us at theshores@emmetsburg.com or 712-852-2262 to check on current availability.