Wedding Weekend Itinerary | Wedding Weekend Venue in the Midwest
Many couples today opt for a wedding weekend instead of a wedding day. Instead of a “blink and you’ll miss it” type of wedding day, at Emerson Fields, we specialize as a wedding weekend venue in Missouri. This type of wedding creates more time with friends and family and more bang for your buck when everyone is likely already taking time off from work to attend your big celebration. We’re going to break down why choosing a weekend-long wedding benefits everyone and then how to create the best wedding weekend itinerary. Let’s get started!
How to plan a wedding weekend in the Midwest
Spending months and months planning this momentous day only to get merely a few hours with your wedding party and family can feel like you’re being robbed. Shift your mindset away from the “wedding day” mentality where everything happens in a rush and flies by faster than you can blink. Lean into the “wedding weekend” experience where you truly get to savor each moment and ENJOY the beginning of your new life as a married couple.
More couples are extending the wedding by making it a wedding weekend event with immersive activities, time for connection, and fun experiences. You also want to build time throughout the weekend to relax and enjoy conversations with your fiancé and loved ones! We’ll get into the nitty gritty on the wedding weekend itinerary later, but for now, let’s talk about planning.
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to begin planning your weekend wedding:
Decide what’s most important to you and your fiancé.
Come up with a list of your non-negotiable must-haves for your wedding weekend. Is the actual wedding ceremony and décor of utmost importance or maybe it’s the Friday welcome dinner? Whatever experiences are most important to the two of you should be allotted more of the overall budget. Decide what to focus on early in the planning process and allow your budget to reflect what is important to you.
Determine your overall wedding budget.
This will help you decide on how many guests you want to invite, what size venue you need, and how far away you want to travel. Keep in mind that you’ll want to spend a fully immersive weekend with your absolute favorite people. Don’t feel obligated to invite guests that you wouldn’t call and invite out to dinner. Talk with everyone who’s contributing to the wedding budget and allocate portions of the budget to the different events you want to incorporate into the weekend.
Pick the perfect weekend wedding venue in the Midwest.
Ample space, flexible set up, accessible for guests, and beautifully inviting - like Emerson Fields! It’s a WIN-WIN-WIN if many of your weekend experiences can be hosted in or near the venue.
Block hotel lodging rooms for your out-of-town guests coming in.
They’ll love having a common location to stay together. Reserve Airbnb or boutique lodging for close families or extended wedding parties close to the venue and book these early for the best availability. At Emerson Fields, we have lodging on-site for up to 14 guests at Emerson Suites. This type of lodging is the best of both worlds because you get to stay close to all of the festivities and fun while spending extended time with your favorite people. Share information on your save-the-dates about the best lodging recommendations for those guests and family who will be coming in from out of the area. Staying near one another adds to the overall camaraderie of the entire wedding weekend experience.
Choose a local wedding planner or coordinator to help you navigate the waters of a multi-event wedding weekend.
Asking a local pro will help you determine the best timeline, manage all of the large and small details, create the guest’s weekend itinerary, and coordinate the events with other locals for the best experience. Leaning on local professionals allows you to enjoy your wedding weekend and be treated to real “hometown service”.
It might surprise you that it isn’t a lot more effort to plan the extra gatherings when you include your wedding vendors early in the conversation. First, connect with your wedding venue and share your hopes and vision for your wedding weekend. Then, use vendors in the local area who already work together routinely. At Emerson Fields, we consistently give our couples advice and recommendations to make the planning process simplified and seamless. We have had couples from all over the United States host their wedding weekend at Emerson Fields.
“Another HUGE thing was that we had access to the venue for the whole weekend, Friday-Sunday which I would highly recommend for all weddings. It decreases so much stress/time crunching, plus the big day goes by fast enough after months and months of meticulous planning that a little extra time basking in the space where you confirm one of the biggest decisions in your life was worth it!”
What does a Wedding Weekend at Emerson Fields Wedding Venue look like?
Choosing a weekend wedding venue like Emerson Fields means that you do not have to manage multiple locations for the wedding day and extended celebrations. With everything you need in one location, you won’t waste time driving or managing multiple spaces for your welcome dinner, rehearsal, your wedding ceremony, wedding reception, and more!
Your wedding day guests will love that they can arrive at Emerson Fields, park their car, and then settle into a fun and relaxing evening celebrating with you. They won’t need to drive around to other locations, potentially getting lost. The day will flow beautifully as they explore Emerson Fields for the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner reception, and dance party.
Your wedding party, family, close friends, and others attending the rest of the wedding weekend will have easy access to nearby lodging, restaurants, local shops, and activities, all while centering the weekend at Emerson Fields. We’ll share more about the perks and places to stop by in our small Midwest town later in this blog!
Emerson Fields is the perfect weekend wedding venue in Missouri because of all the indoor and outdoor options. Guests can enjoy the outdoors during your pavilion, lakeside, or field wedding ceremony. As the evening transitions to cocktail hour, everyone can socialize on the patio outside, on the balcony inside the venue, or play yard games outside by the lake. People do not have to feel cooped up and seated at a table for the entire event. Our indoor venue is spacious and includes an upper balcony, so guests can walk around throughout the evening.
As a Missouri wedding venue, we are located equal distance from both St. Louis and Kansas City, MO airports. There is even a small airport in Columbia, MO that is only an hour from the venue. Traveling to Emerson Fields is a breeze for wedding guests because we are located directly along U.S. Highway 63.
Wedding Weekend Itinerary
By booking Emerson Fields for the weekend, we can host everything from your rehearsal dinner to the farewell brunch. If you book a full weekend wedding experience, you have access to the venue at on Friday with plenty of time to decorate before your rehearsal or welcome dinner on site.
Spend the morning on Saturday casually getting ready in one of the private dressing suites. Of course, your ceremony and reception all happen at one location making it convenient and enjoyable for everyone. You have access to multiple areas on our property for gorgeous portraits and family photographs. Ending your weekend with a Sunday brunch with your closest friends and family at the venue and opening your gifts before heading out on your honeymoon is so fun! More ideas on what to do during your wedding weekend are mentioned a little further on.
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what your wedding weekend itinerary could be like!
It’s all about creating moments. Special events and activities that center around you as a couple, your loved ones, and this special celebration of marriage are so important. Your wedding weekend itinerary should be customized to what speaks to the two of you, but below are some of our best suggestions.
Day 1 - Friday:
Arrive at Emerson Fields on Friday after you’ve visited Koch’s General Store in Macon and enjoyed a delicious sandwich and salad lunch. Get it to go and add even more time to your afternoon of unloading and decorating.
Spend the afternoon decorating or leave it to your team of pros and plan an activity together with your wedding party.
Unpack and unbag your gown, bridesmaid dresses, and suits so you can determine if any steaming touch-ups need to be done.
Check in to your lodging and unpack.
Get ready for the rehearsal at Emerson Suites and be ready to greet guests with a stress-free smile.
Have your wedding rehearsal that evening at Emerson Fields in your ceremony location with your planner or coordinator, wedding party, parents, and officiant. We encourage you to practice for Plan A and Plan B, just in case.
Host your Welcome Dinner or Rehearsal Dinner with family, your wedding party, close friends, or any out-of-town guests you want to invite
This can take place at Emerson Fields with a lovely catered meal, a patio dinner, pizza delivery, a shrimp boil, or whatever food you desire! If you’d like recommendations on live music, a DJ to emcee the event, or want to create your own custom playlist we can help you personalize the atmosphere for the evening. We also have great recommendations for bar services.
If you want to dine at a nice restaurant and set aside the venue for the wedding day, we suggest going to the Pear Tree in Macon or the private dining room at Noland’s Catering only a few miles from Emerson Fields.
Giving your wedding party and your parents their special gifts on Friday evening will create a more memorable time together and you’ll enjoy seeing their full reactions. You can take your time enjoying speeches at this dinner instead of at the wedding reception if you want a more intimate feel. This also helps your wedding reception be more concise and focused on the meal, entertainment, and interactions with your guests.
Low-key late-night activities like karaoke, yard games, chatting around the covered veranda overlooking the lake, or having a slumber party with your bridal party here at Emerson Suites. Plan to curtail evening events early so you can have time to wind down and get lots of rest.
Now, what about Saturday and Sunday?
Day 2 - Saturday:
The bridal party wakes up early and starts getting ready with hair and makeup artists at Emerson Suites.
Brunch can be catered or delivered by Koch’s General Store or Cakes by Kristina.
Assign mimosa duties to the maid of honor and celebrate with a pop of champagne!
The groom’s party can be spending time together Saturday morning golfing, hiking, doing outdoor activities at Long Branch Lake, or simply sleeping in and hanging out together. They should plan to arrive at or shortly after lunchtime.
Lunch can be delivered, catered, or brought into the lodging or venue but should be packed with protein and drinks to hydrate everyone.
Photographers arrive as the bridal party concludes getting hair and makeup done and as the groom’s party begins to get dressed. The bride and bridesmaids have a short walk to the dressing suite in the main venue and can take beautiful pictures in a clean, spacious dressing room with a large mirror. The wedding photos typically begin with detail shots, fun photos of the bridal party, getting the bride into her gown, or a first look. Then photos move into full wedding party portraits and sometimes family formals before the ceremony.
Wedding Ceremony at Emerson Fields!
Typically, wedding ceremonies at Emerson Fields take place a couple of hours before sunset so that your cocktail hour, reception, and dancing fall at the right time.
Cocktail Hour can take place in the outdoor pavilion, on the upper balcony floor inside the venue, near the bar, or on the lakeside patio. Couples usually offer an open bar and caterers provide appetizers or passed hors d’oeuvres so guests stay entertained and have something to munch on until the main reception begins. Providing yard games, cocktail hour music, live musicians, or simple table games like a custom couples crossword puzzle can go a long way in making the cocktail hour enjoyable.
Your Dinner Reception with a catered, candlelit dinner, lovely music, and the great company of your family and wedding guests is such a delightful time. Stop and enjoy the delicious food and the atmosphere you’ve created.
Toasts, first dances, and cake cutting typically take place during your reception and you can be as traditional or nontraditional as you wish. One of our favorite moments is an anniversary dance where all married couples join you on the dance floor. This is the perfect beginning to a packed dance floor.
Dance your socks off with your best people! Hire a DJ, live band, dueling pianos, or whatever gets you in the party mood!
After you’ve given it all you’ve got on the dance floor, invite your guests to exit out onto the back veranda, foyer, or front portico. Now you and your new spouse can share a special last song together in the quiet venue with your guests waiting for you outside.
End the night in a stunning way with a fun sparkler exit or a fireworks display over the lake! (No outside fireworks allowed; fireworks displays are booked directly with Emerson Fields) For more ideas on ways to end the reception, check out another one of our blogs linked at the end.
Day 3 - Sunday:
Return to Emerson Fields to collect any of your belongings and tidy up. This is a huge perk because you won’t have to rush around on Saturday night to pack up everything.
Host a farewell brunch with sweet and savory options while you spend some time reminiscing on the weekend with your close family or friends.
Open your wedding gifts in front of your loved ones!
Then let your loved ones send you off on your honeymoon!
A few extras to add to make your wedding weekend itinerary extra special:
Add in an extra night (Thursday) so you can plan an activity with your friends or family on Friday morning
Assemble a welcome bag for your guests at Emerson Suites, the hotel or Airbnb (favorite snacks, drink, map, places to stop, coffee coupon, etc.)
Organize a group exercise at a park (yoga, Pilates, Pickleball, etc.) or a group hike at Long Branch Lake on Friday or Saturday morning
Coffee bar at the venue on Saturday or Sunday morning
Intimate live acoustic musicians at the rehearsal dinner
Trivia night or open mic night at the rehearsal dinner
Food truck for the rehearsal dinner or as a late-night reception snack
Hire a sommelier to do a wine-tasting event
Boat ride at Long Branch Lake State Park
Movie night with a wedding rom-com at Emerson Suites (My Best Friends Wedding, Bridesmaids, 27 Dresses, Father of the Bride)
Cocktail hour with a champagne tower, cocktail caravan, or drink wall station
Put together a scavenger hunt for the wedding party on Friday afternoon
Rent a unique audio guest book to record greetings from your guests (Rotary Wishes, After the Tone, or Fete-Fone)
Hire a painter to live paint a special moment during your rehearsal, ceremony, or reception (Cindy Scott Artistry)
BONUS: Local things to do for a wedding weekend at Emerson Fields
Here are some of our top ways to enjoy your weekend stay near Emerson Fields.
Lodging Near Emerson Fields Wedding Venue
Obviously, the best and closest luxury lodging option is Emerson Suites right here on our estate- perfect for the bridal party and/or bride’s or groom’s family
Cozy & fun Airbnbs in Macon, MO where most offer the entire house for the long weekend - perfect for your close family members and friends
Welcoming hotels within a few short miles of Emerson Fields offer continental breakfast, a pool, and a conference room, like Comfort Inn & Suites in Macon.
For the adventurous ones, there is camping at Long Branch Lake, Shoemakers RV, or the Macon County Fairgrounds nearby.
Macon, MO and Moberly, MO have multiple lodging options for both you and your guests.
Shopping Near Emerson Fields Wedding Venue
C.A. Shoush is a downtown Macon shop for any wedding party gifts, personalized items, or fun things like custom hats for the groomsmen.
Ben Franklin is a five-and-dime variety store that’s been in Macon county since 1970. You can find home decor, gifts, and wedding items as you shop in downtown Macon.
Koch’s General Store is a dry-goods, deli, ice cream, and coffee shop. They were voted as the #1 coffee shop in Missouri and when you see their custom menu you’ll know why!. Koch’s also offers brunch and lunch deliveries to our venue for wedding party people! Be sure and get a cupcake while you’re there - they are life-changing.
Miller’s Rexall is an old-fashion soda fountain and pharmacy store in downtown Macon that has hand-dipped ice cream. They’ve been around since 1975.
While in downtown Macon you can find several vintage and antique stores, a time period accurate barber shop, and our favorite flower shop, D-Zines by T Flowers & Gifts. D-Zines storefront is also home to a huge warehouse of wedding rental items and is only 5 miles from our venue.
Things to do near Emerson Fields Wedding Venue
Come Macon County early on Thursday and bring a boat! Visit Long Branch Lake, a Missouri State park with hiking/walking trails, a sand beach for swimming, picnic tables and grills, camping sites, and fishing. You can plan a boating picnic with your wedding party and family for a fun Sunday send-off.
Besides the local lake, camping, and hiking options, Macon is blessed to have the Maples Repertory Theatre for live theater, Macon Cinema for a small-town movie theater, and West Winery.
Places to Eat Near Emerson Fields Wedding Venue
Macon, MO has diners, pizza places, Mexican restaurants, fast food, sandwich shops, and a Hawaiian-style eatery. Here are some of the best: Pear Tree, Ugo’s Pizzeria, and Koch’s General Store. If you happen to see a food truck or two, be sure and stop. Burger Box is our newest fav!
A few extra things to think about for your wedding weekend at Emerson Fields:
Be intentional with your guest list.
Be clear about who is invited to each event.
Send save the dates early so guests can plan days off work and budget.
Give guidelines and even inspiration for dress codes for each event.
Send your guests the wedding weekend itinerary as needed.
Have a plan for children during the wedding weekend.
Have a detailed wedding website to help out-of-town guests.
Hire a local planner to make it all happen!
At Emerson Fields, our priority is ensuring our couples have the time and space to truly savor their wedding celebration. After spending months planning the perfect celebration for your start as husband and wife, you shouldn’t be rushed! That’s why we only book one couple per weekend and give them the entire weekend to host their dream wedding.
We won’t try to hurry you through the celebration so we can move on to the next wedding. We do not have a factory mindset - we slow down with you for the weekend! Invite your family and friends to celebrate your marriage with a wedding weekend at Emerson Fields in Missouri.
Interested in hosting your dream wedding weekend at Emerson Fields Wedding Venue in Missouri? We would love to connect with you!
Looking for more advice on planning the perfect wedding weekend? Check out any of these blogs!
How to Plan the Best Rehearsal Dinner
How to Create a Midwest Destination Wedding Experience
Thank you to these photographers from these real Emerson Fields Weddings!
10/27/2022 - Gabrielle Isom
