Top 10 Tips for a Missouri Summer Wedding
Sunshine, vacation time, green grass, late nights, and stunning sunsets encompass summers in Missouri. Summertime is the most popular season to get married in Missouri, and for good reason! Wedding venues in Missouri that host summer weddings tend to book quickly, especially spaces with indoor and outdoor ceremony options, like Emerson Fields. You can’t beat a warm summer wedding under our shaded pavilion and then dancing the night away in the air-conditioned venue! With the sun setting later in the summer, your wedding guests will love the extra time to socialize and celebrate with you. You’ll love the extra hours of daylight for those important newlywed portraits!
Photography by Love Tree Studios & Abby Rose Photography
Missouri summers can be brutally hot but many Missouri brides dream of an outdoor wedding ceremony. Emerson Fields loves a summer outdoor wedding! (It’s kind of our specialty!) We have four outdoor ceremony options: the spacious, green field under the grove of oak trees, the serene dock with a crystal blue lake as the backdrop, the manicured terrace near the lane, and a covered open-air all-white pavilion. The pavilion is our most popular summer wedding ceremony location because of the shade it provides and you don’t have to worry about any wet ground. You can't go wrong with any of these outside locations but you CAN go wrong if you don't prepare for the warmer temperatures that summer weddings bring.
Wedding Photographer || Maddie String Photo
Here are our top tips for an outdoor wedding in the hot Missouri summer months:
1 | Hydrate.
The bride and groom need to stay hydrated on the day of the wedding but also think about offering hydration stations near the outdoor ceremony. A pretty dispenser with lemon slices floating and flavoring some cold water would be nice at the bar for a self-serve station. Ice-cold bottled water is easy to pass out as guests arrive at your outdoor ceremony. We offer rolling carts that you can stage as water hydration stations on the front porch or back patio to welcome guests or as a nice added touch during cocktail hour. Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. Don’t forget the cups if your venue doesn’t supply them.
2 | First Look.
If your wedding is during the heat of July or August, you’ll want to space out your photographs. That gives you time to cool off and freshen up in between groups of photos. Having a first look with your soon-to-be spouse can make the day more relaxing. It’s an opportunity to have some intimate moments together before the day gets busy and you get pulled in different ways. A summer first look at Emerson Fields can take place in many locations, but the wooded clearing is a perfect, private spot with lots of shade. Summer weddings often don’t start until late afternoon or early evening so choosing to have a first look means you don’t have to wait until 5:00 PM to see your significant other on your wedding day.
3 | Umbrellas & Fans.
Have your programs made into fans that your guests can use to cool themselves if the heat gets too unbearable. You can also purchase paper fans to give out as favors for guests as they arrive at your outdoor wedding ceremony. Paper umbrellas are inexpensive and can look adorable in photographs. They also provide some excellent shade for guests. Have a basket of paper parasols ready for the taking as your guests enter your outdoor ceremony space. If you know where senior guests will be seated you could even lay a parasol on their chairs ahead of time.
Photographer || Trent Broglin Photography
4 | For the guys.
Allowing your groom, groomsmen, and fathers to shed their suit jackets and roll up their sleeves on a sunny wedding day can be just the flexibility they need to keep smiling through the reception. A helpful tip is to rent TWO dress shirts for each male member of the wedding party and make time for them to change into a dry shirt once the outdoor ceremony and photos are finished. They can freshen up before the reception starts so they are ready to keep on enjoying the night!
5 | Arrival.
Offer guests who arrive early a social space for visiting and cooling off before the ceremony begins outside. That could be the back patio at Emerson Fields before a dock wedding or the foyer of the venue for a field or pavilion wedding. Keep in mind that you'll need your coordinator or ushers to announce when people should begin to be seated. If you'd rather not have guests come into the reception space before the ceremony begins you'll want someone at the entrance to instruct guests where to go. If you have a wedding website it's great to post details like these so guests know not to come too early.
6 | Short Ceremony.
Work with your officiant beforehand to plan out a ceremony that works well with the predicted forecast. Short and sweet is a popular route to go when having a late afternoon or early evening wedding outside in the summer season. Think about where the sun will be shining during your ceremony so you and your guests don’t have a face full of sunshine during the “I Dos”. Your wedding photographer can give you some great tips on planning out your ceremony so that you get all the photos you want during your short and sweet ceremony.
Another pro tip is to share intimate, personalized vows during your first look together instead of incorporating that into your ceremony. This time alone is something you’ll cherish and looking back on the photos and video will certainly tug at your heartstrings later on. Reminiscing is so much fun.
7 | Keep it Light.
Selecting a light dress code will help your guests and wedding party feel comfortable on a hot day. You can ask your wedding guests to dress in a light-toned color palette with summer casual attire. Have you thought about making a Pinterest board with dress code examples and adding it to your wedding website? This is an excellent idea if you want a cohesive look for your wedding day! Light and airy bridesmaid dresses are common in the summer and are a staple to keeping your ladies cooled off.
Consider a light menu for the evening too. Appetizers of grilled veggie kabobs, fresh fruit, and refreshing beverages are perfect for a back patio cocktail hour. As for your main meal, try to steer clear of super heavy foods and make sure there is plenty of water available to your guests throughout the evening. Too much alcohol and heat are a bad combination. Ending the night with a cool treat like ice cream, fruit pies, frozen yogurt, or icy cocktails is the perfect touch!
8 | Inform Your Guests.
Hopefully, your wedding guests will look back at your website and read over all of the details before arriving on the day of your wedding. But just in case they haven’t reviewed your website in a while you may want to send out some sort of communication. If you've asked them to RSVP via email you could set up an automatic email to go out the day before your wedding. Remind them of the most important details and to dress for the weather. If you are not planning on providing sunscreen or bug repellent, remind your guests to bring their own. This is also a great time to remind them of any other travel details, dress code information, and any last-minute wedding details they need to know.
9 | Later Ceremony Time.
If you read none of the other tips, please read this one! Have a later ceremony start time. Sunsets are much later in the summer months so don't have a 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM ceremony. You'll be sweating buckets and so will your guests. Plus, you'll be left with a couple of hours after the meal is finished that it's still daylight outside and your guests won't start dancing until nightfall. You can offer yard games, photo booths, and other activities but once your guests have been at your wedding venue for five to six hours they are ready to go home. Before sending out wedding invitations work with your photographer on your timeline and ceremony start time. So what's a suggested summer timeline if you do a first look and have most of the photos taken before the ceremony?
5:30 PM Ceremony
6:00 PM Cocktail Hour
7:00 PM Dinner, Cake Cutting & Toasts
8:00 PM Sunset Pictures while guests finish dessert
8:30 PM First Dance, Father-Daughter, Mother-Son, Anniversary
9:00 PM Dance floor opens up
10:45 PM Dance floor closes and last call at the bar
11:00 PM Sparkler send-off of the newlyweds!
Photographer || Toni Wieberg
10 | Inside Option.
If the heat is unbearable, you will love having a wedding venue with a gorgeous, indoor ceremony location in a climate-controlled (read: airconditioned) environment. Never forget to keep it all in perspective if the outdoor wedding you desired doesn’t go as planned. Our indoor venue was built with beautiful ceremonies in mind. The natural light from the full windows, the all-white interior, and the glowing chandeliers create a gorgeous backdrop to your unique day.
You can typically have some of your portraits taken outside no matter the weather. Your newlywed portraits will be the photos that are the most important. Pro tip: Take your portraits earlier in the day so you have time to cool off and freshen up before the ceremony. Portraits are what you want to frame and hang above your mantle and they can be beautiful at Emerson Fields with our covered portico, open-air pavilion, or covered back patio no matter how hot the day.
Use these ten tips to help you plan the best outdoor summer wedding in the midwest. At the end of the day, remember to make the day a reflection of you, the happy couple. We love working alongside our brides to make their wedding day the best day ever! A Missouri summer wedding at Emerson Fields is always one to remember!
Interested in hosting your dream summer wedding day at Emerson Fields? Click the button below to learn more!
04/06/2024 - Gabrielle Isom
