Intimate Outdoor Summer Wedding | Emily + Nathan from Columbia, MO
If you love the idea of an elopement with just your very close family and friends, consider an intimate wedding like this sweet Emerson Fields couple! Emily and Nate had a late summer outdoor wedding that took place under the pavilion at Emerson Fields. With about 30 family members, friends, and their wedding party surrounding them, Emily and Nate had an intimate summer wedding ceremony. It was the perfect private experience that this lovely couple from Columbia, MO wanted and we are here to share it with you!
Nate and Emily met on Tinder and had their first date about a week later. They dated for 2 years before he proposed. Emily said,
“His proposal was so sweet and thoughtful, he really made sure that it was something that I would love. My whole family was there, and his son actually popped the question on his behalf, it was the perfect day! I had been waiting for that day for 2 years, so I was over the moon afterward!”
Emily found us on Instagram and immediately reached out for a tour at Emerson Fields. They booked with us in April for their late September wedding the next year. Emily said, “I had zero hesitations. I saw the photos and immediately knew that is where I wanted to get married!”
Having almost eighteen months to plan their wedding gave Emily a lot of time to design and create a lot of her own décor. Her classic style incorporated shades of light blue, and navy accents with fresh white flowers and greenery. Emily and her six bridesmaids got ready together in the bridal dressing suite upstairs at Emerson Fields while relaxing and talking. Her photographer, Morgan Lee Photography, was able to get some pretty shots of the details that were important to Emily while the ladies got ready.
“One of my favorite parts of the day was spending the morning with all of my girls, the bridal suite was such a perfect place for everybody to hang out, relax, and get ready. I also loved the ceremony. We had such beautiful weather, the pavilion was absolutely gorgeous, and of course…I gained a husband!!”
“I saw Emerson Fields through a sponsored post on Instagram and immediately knew that’s where I wanted to get married. I was drawn to the fact that we wouldn’t have to decorate a single thing, and it would still be beautiful.
I also loved that the getting ready, ceremony, photos, cocktails, and reception could all be at the same location. Super convenient!”
Emily and her mom, sister, and a small group of friends came to the venue on Friday and decorated the reception space. It didn’t take them long to set up. We had all of the big things in place when they arrived and it turned out beautiful! Emily and Nate decided not to do a wedding rehearsal on Friday evening at Emerson Fields and instead just took the night to relax before the big day.
On Saturday, after the wedding party was ready, they all went out to the pavilion around 1:00 PM for a quick ceremony rehearsal with their day-of coordinator, Hannah from Bridal Path Weddings. Emily stayed back in the venue so she and Nate wouldn’t see one another before the ceremony. This worked well for their intimate wedding because it was only a few family members and the wedding party that needed to know what to do at the ceremony. It went by quickly and then the wedding party went back inside the venue to cool off.
Emily had a first look with her dad out on the dock by the lake around 3:00 PM. It was such a sweet moment! You could tell how important family was to Emily and Nate on their wedding day.
After the father-daughter first look, the groomsmen and bridal party took turns taking wedding group photos under the portico in front of Emerson Fields. This was a lovely, shaded spot for some group photos on a warm late summer day. Nate was able to include his two sons in the photos and get a few family pictures that they will treasure.
We love how classic this wedding looks! The blue color palette with natural greenery always looks beautiful at Emerson Fields. The portico is also a perfect location to add some versatility to your wedding photo backdrops while still being outside with the natural lighting.
At 4:00 PM wedding guests started to arrive at Emerson Fields and make their way to the pavilion. Emily and Nate chose a small, intimate wedding ceremony for them and their closest friends and family. After the family members and wedding party were seated, the sliding pavilion doors closed. Hannah, the wedding day coordinator, and Amelia, from Emerson Fields, pulled the doors open to reveal Emily and her father ready to walk down the aisle.
Watching Nate react to seeing his bride on their wedding day made everyone tear up. You can see the love and honor he has for his bride! The couple exchanged vows and rings in front of their loved ones. It all felt so love-filled and intimate - like being part of something extra special.
Their officiant pronounced them the new Mr. and Mrs. Nolting and everyone cheered!
We asked Emily what made them choose to have an intimate wedding ceremony at Emerson Fields and she said,
“We opted for a smaller ceremony because I struggle with anxiety. I hate being the center of attention, and I didn’t want to dread walking down the aisle. It was our day!! I wanted to be excited about it! It was so perfect to have only family present for the ceremony, and then the big crowd was able to show up for the reception by the time the nerves had settled. It really fit our needs and lessened the stress of the day.”
Making each couple’s wedding day unique and a true reflection of them is what we love to do at Emerson Fields!
Simple. Natural. Breezy. Intimate.
When asked what she loved about having her intimate wedding day at Emerson Fields, Emily said…
“Everything! The location is gorgeous, and perfect for photos! It was so convenient to have everything in the same place, not having to travel offsite for photos was a really big time saver. Early access to the venue on Friday was a huge relief! I would have been 10x more stressed if all the setup had to happen on Saturday.”
After the ceremony, the bride and groom spent some special time together taking photos and walking around the property at Emerson Fields. They also got some great pictures with their wedding party! While these photos took place, their wedding reception guests were on their way from Columbia, MO.
Since Emily and Nate opted for a private ceremony at Emerson Fields, they invited more friends and co-workers to a fun dinner and dancing reception afterward. All of their friends gathered together at a hotel in Columbia where Nate and Emily had arranged for a bus to pick up everyone and shuttle them to Emerson Fields! What a fun idea!
“The location is no big deal! Being an hour from Columbia is not as inconvenient as it sounds. It’s your special day! Your loved ones will travel to celebrate with you! ”
The wedding reception guests arrived at the beginning of a casual cocktail hour at 6:00 PM outside on the back patio of Emerson Fields. The couple had yard games set up outside in the grass and cocktail tables on the patio for people to gather and enjoy snacks and drinks. Inside the reception space, along the back brick wall, the newlyweds had a display of blank cards and asked for guests to give their best marriage advice or date ideas. For more interaction and to enhance their guest’s experience, they offered a fun photo booth with props and everyone enjoyed a little silliness.
When the newlyweds entered the reception [with a big kiss] at 7:00 PM, the party was ready to start! Nate and Emily were introduced to their excited wedding guests and then a delicious dinner by Nolands Catering started.
Toasts were given by the wedding party and then the special dances started. Emily and Nate danced to “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. For the father-daughter dance, they chose “Daughters” by John Mayer and for the mother-son dance, they chose “Mom” by Garth Brooks.
Then the lights were dimmed and it was time to dance the night away with their DJ from Blue Diamond Events! These wedding reception guests were ready to have fun and celebrate the newlyweds.
Emily and Nate snuck away for a moment during the reception to take a gorgeous end-of-the-night photo on the dock outside Emerson Fields. It was the perfect, intimate way to end the night together. Sneaking away for a few moments alone at the end of the night will be a memory you will have forever with your new spouse.
Interested in an intimate summer wedding? Check out our blog Top 10 Ten Tips for a Missouri Summer Wedding!
Vendor Team
Guest Count | 55 Ceremony Guests, 128 Reception Guests
Wedding Photographer | Morgan Lee Photography
Wedding Planner | Hannah Wilson, Bridal Path Weddings
Caterer | Nolands Catering
DJ | Blue Diamond Events
Florist | MU Tiger Garden
Wedding Gown Boutique | Breeze Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses | Azazie
Menswear Rentals | Men’s Wearhouse
HAMU | Emily Huang
Shuttle | First Student Charter Bus Rental
07/22/2022 - Gabrielle Isom
