Vibrant Spring Wedding at Emerson Fields | Hannah + Chandler from Smithton, Illinois
Picture this: a sun-kissed May day in the heart of Missouri, where Emerson Fields Wedding Venue became the canvas for a vibrant spring wedding day. We're talking about Hannah and Chandler, a dynamic duo from Illinois who stumbled upon us on a good ol' Google search. They knew right away that our spot was the one. Chandler mentioned that Hannah had our venue staked out for a couple of years before they booked with us. They needed a central location in the Midwest where all of their families could meet together to celebrate.
They wanted a wedding that mirrored the lively spirit of spring – you know, the kind that bursts with bright and bold flowers. And guess what? Their vendor team delivered! As family and friends journeyed from all over, with some even jetting in from the deserts of Las Vegas, our little corner of Missouri became the epicenter of a celebration that was as colorful as it was heartwarming. Get ready to dive into the lovely details of Chandler and Hannah's vibrant spring wedding and learn how a small town in Missouri gave them the best destination wedding experience in the Midwest.
“I saw Emerson Fields and knew I had to get married there. I went to see the venue without Chandler and I told him that if the venue was as nice as it looked in photos, I would 100% be booking a date that day. I don’t think he believed me until I called him and said there’s one day left in May I’m going to book it. ”
Hannah said, “Anyone who wanted to be there came, and for everyone else already traveling, it didn’t make a difference to them. Once everyone got to the venue, I received nothing but compliments about the entire weekend.”
Hannah and Chandler met during freshman year of high school after Chandler moved from Oklahoma to Illinois. Hannah said the very first time she saw Chandler she thought she’d marry him. They went together to prom, high school dances, and family vacations, and eventually, both chose to go to the University of Missouri in Columbia. “New kid on the block stole the small-town girl’s heart!” The movie practically writes itself!
Since Hannah and Chandler would have guests coming to their wedding from Missouri, Oklahoma, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi (whew!!) they wanted a Midwest destination wedding. Emerson Fields was the perfect, central location so ALL of the guests could travel to one spot and get away for the weekend.
Hannah’s parents came to town from Illinois on Thursday afternoon before the wedding weekend started on Friday. They ate in Macon at the Pear Tree and stayed overnight to be ready and relaxed for the weekend. We love that they decided to make a full, extended weekend out of this wedding so that they could savor every moment! On Sunday morning after the wedding, the couple hosted a special brunch at the venue. Stay tuned for those final details at the end!
Fun fact: The guest that traveled the longest distance to celebrate them came from Las Vegas, Nevada, 1,500 miles from Emerson Fields.
“I wanted a wedding weekend because we had so many people traveling. It didn’t make sense to have a wedding an hour away from home and have some people drive from home, some people in hotels by the venue, and just have everyone spread out. I wanted it to be one place for everyone to go. Once I saw the venue, I had a vision of exactly what I wanted.”
“I knew I wanted to have a wedding specifically in May. I wanted it to be indoor and outdoor with lots of flowers. I didn’t feel like I needed many more decorations in the venue because it was just so pretty. I knew it was the only place that I could have a wedding that was this perfectly beautiful and that my vision came to life.”
Hannah loves the color blue and wanted to incorporate subtle hints of blue in her very colorful and vibrant color palette. Blue flowers can be hard to come by so she specifically requested these special blooms from her florist. After doing a lot of the planning, like selecting vendors from Emerson Field’s preferred vendor directory, Hannah decided she wanted some final help. The couple decided to partner with Terra of Plan It Terra Wedding Planning & Design.
They hired Terra and her team of wedding pros for Month-of Coordination services, which included timeline development, coordination, attendance at a final walkthrough, vendor coordination, ceremony rehearsal management, and wedding day management and coordination. The Plan It Terra team swooped in and worked their magic setting up this vibrant wedding while the ladies and gentlemen relaxed and got ready in the separate getting-ready suites at Emerson Fields.
“I can’t stress enough that I had Terra [Plan It Terra] as a month of coordinator, and it was worth every penny. Without a doubt everyone in my family, literally everyone agrees on how worth it, it was. Our wedding was completely stress-free, and I didn’t have to rely on my family to execute a bunch of things. They were able to just enjoy the wedding.”
Hannah, her bridesmaids, and her family got ready in the bridal suite at Emerson Fields. They enjoyed the light and bright space for hair and makeup. Karson, a Kelsi Kliethermes Photography associate, immediately started with detailed flat-lay photos. Anna and her team from Salon Nefisa got to work dolling up all the ladies with gorgeous hairstyles and natural glam makeup.
“Everyone I worked with was genuinely so nice and excited about our wedding. I know they see weddings every weekend but I never felt like I was just one of 100 weddings they had that year.”
After getting ready, it was time for Chandler and Hannah to see each other for the first time. The Plan It Terra team gave Chandler a quick ride on Emerson Fields’s golf cart to the wooded clearing and then brought Hannah over when she was ready.
Nestled within the trees of Emerson Fields, the wooded clearing proved to be just the right spot for the much-anticipated first look of our couple. Shaded by nature, it became a secret space where Hannah and Chandler could lock eyes for the first time, share joyful tears, and whisper their heartfelt vows.
Trust us on this: the magic of a first look has yet to be regretted by our couples! It's like a calming breeze that washes away nerves, allowing you both to soak up the moment and embrace the upcoming wedding festivities hand in hand. Plus, it's a time-saver! With those precious pre-ceremony moments captured, there's ample opportunity to let loose with your wedding squad for those iconic group snapshots. With so many guests traveling for the wedding, Hannah and Chandler wanted to prioritize time to socialize with guests after the ceremony instead of a lot of photos then.
Let's dive into why capturing pre-wedding ceremony photos together can be a savvy choice. These snapshots capture the real, unfiltered emotions – the stolen glances, the sweet whispers, and the genuine laughter that light up your connection in the most colorful way possible. Not only does it offer a moment of peace to soothe those pre-ceremony jitters, but it also paints a complete picture of your journey, from the moments before to the unforgettable "I do."
It also offers you more time to connect with your guests who have traveled. Hannah and Chandler captured some beautiful moments together with their wedding party before slipping back inside the venue to refresh before the outdoor pavilion ceremony.
Vibrant Outdoor Spring Wedding Ceremony
Our white outdoor wedding pavilion truly made all the vibrant wedding flowers pop at this wedding ceremony. Hannah chose a color palette with magenta, royal blue, light blue, coral, lavender, and gold. The floral arrangements at the end of the rows draw your eye down the aisle where you see the stunning hanging floral installation. This beautiful spring-inspired floral installation served as the perfect backdrop to the ceremony.
Guests started to arrive for the ceremony and found their seats while the family and wedding party watched from inside the venue. There was a lot of excited energy as everyone waited to file out to the pavilion. After the bridesmaids in their ivory gowns walked down the aisle, the pavilion doors were closed. As Hannah’s entrance song began to play, the doors were pulled open by the Plan It Terra team to reveal the stunning bride. Hannah was escorted down the aisle by her father. It always gets us when we see the groom beam with love as he sees his bride walking towards him.
One of Chandler’s groomsmen officiated the wedding which was full of personal touches and genuine love between these two becoming one. The couple exchanged rings and traditional vows to one another and their families and friends prayed over the new couple. After declaring these high school sweethearts a married couple, Chandler dipped Hannah for a sweet kiss! Okay, actually they snuck in a few kisses on their way down the aisle and we don’t blame them!
Since all the formal wedding photos were done, the couple opted out of hosting a cocktail hour. Instead, Hannah and Chandler made a subtle entrance to the reception and went right into their first dance together under the hanging greenery and twinkle lights in the venue. They thanked all of their guests for attending and dinner was served buffet style.
All throughout the venue and patio you could see little touches of their wedding style. The can koozies had the couple’s dog, Kai, on them with the phrase “Drinks on me!” The bar sign was a family tree with a special drink for some of their family members, like the sister of the groom’s margarita.
Fun Fact: The couple’s dog named Kai is a toy Aussie and has his own Instagram account, @the_lifeof_Kai
Cakes by Kristina brought all the wedding treats, including the elegant chocolate cake. We loved that they repurposed their ceremony aisle flower arrangements around the cake table to elevate it with a garden look. The guests loved all the sweet options at Chandler and Hannah’s reception!
“I think because the venue is so well thought out and perfectly executed, it takes pressure off planning because you can focus on those small details like seating chart or guest entertainment instead of worrying about trying to transform an entire place or rent chairs and tables. There’s enough there that you can focus on smaller details. ”
After cutting the cake, special first dances, and heartfelt speeches, the party got started! The guests loved the outdoor lounge and dock space to mingle and talk. The vintage sofas from Pretty Little things were functional and also served as a fun pop of color outside! Since all of the wedding guests traveled to the wedding, everyone wanted to catch up! It was like a family reunion but with two large families meeting each other, some for the first time. We love when guests are able to relax during the wedding and have time to connect with each other AND the bride and groom. It makes the guests feel like they are on vacation and getting to see all their favorite people.
“Especially when people are traveling it’s so nice to have the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, the reception, and the brunch all in the same location.
I think because it’s in a small town in Missouri people underestimate it, but the town is great! The hotel is great, the vendors are great, the venue is great and it truly is worth the drive and I don’t think anyone could say that it’s not. ”
The couple created a special wedding program called the Wedding Day Post. It was the sweetest extra detail! It gave lots of fun facts about the couple and had a get-to-know-you game for the guests. It really helped entertain the guests and provided an extra way for the guests to get to know the couple better.
At Emerson Fields, our couples always try to sneak away for that evening golden hour for incredible, intimate newlywed portraits together. It’s a great time to take a break from the reception so your guests can continue talking and eating cake while you get a few more photos with the BEST light of the day. We can’t get over the glow in these gorgeous photos!
“I can’t believe you guys do this every weekend. You’ve really got it dialed in!!””
Since all of the guests were staying in town for the weekend, they thoroughly enjoyed celebrating into the night! Hannah and Chandler had a special sparkler send-off on the dock before everyone said goodnight.
The next day, they held a Mother’s Day brunch at the venue on Sunday morning before heading home. About 50 guests returned that morning for the brunch (which fell on Mother’s Day). The couple had gathered up all of the blooms and gave them to the mothers as a Mother’s Day gift. It was a great, relaxed way to end an incredible wedding weekend with extended friends and family members.
At the end of the weekend, Chandler and Hannah asked if they could come back to visit sometime. Hannah mentioned that everything was exactly what she had dreamed of and she was so happy to have hired a videography team so she could see some of the parts of the day that she had missed.
We love getting to host weddings with couples from out of state! They treat the weekend like a mini vacation and cherish the moments together. Hannah and Chandler didn’t have to stress about logistics about finding a space for a rehearsal dinner or farewell brunch, setting up, or tear down. Instead, Hannah and Chandler got to enjoy their wedding weekend with their favorite people. If you want to relax and make sure everything is taken care of all in one location, we would love to host you!
Vendors
Wedding Photographer | Kelsi Kliethermes Editing, Associate photographer Karson
Wedding Planner | Plan It Terra
Videographer | Forever Moore Films
Florist | D-Zines Weddings
Cake | Cakes by Kristina
Caterer | Seize the Flavor
Bartender | Case N Keg
Wedding Gown Boutique | Saavy Bridal
Menswear Rentals | Generation Tux
Hair Stylist | Anna Clemens
Makeup Artist | Salon Nefisa
Rentals and Vintage Sofas | Pretty Little Things and D-Zines Weddings
08/10/2023 - Gabrielle Isom
