Weddings
What to Pack for a Prairie Wedding (and What to Leave at Home)
The south lawn has a wind that takes hats off, the evening cools faster than anyone expects, and almost everyone forgets the same three things. Here is what to bring, and what to leave in the car.
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From the person who sets the chairs
The packing list nobody sends you
I have run weddings at Praivelle House since the first one, a small ceremony under the three oak trees in 2009, and I can tell you what people actually need on the day because I spend the whole of it watching them reach for things.
A prairie wedding is not a beach wedding and not a garden wedding. It is its own thing, and the thing it mostly is, is a wedding with weather.
Start here
Four things that decide your day
If you read nothing else, read these. They are the difference between comfortable and miserable.
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The wind on the south lawn
It is real and it is constant. Anything loose, light or unbasted will move.
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Heels, or the honest truth
The lawn is grass, the path is crushed stone and the terrace is old flagstone. A block heel works.
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Layers for a Missouri evening
It can be eighty at five and fifty-five by ten.
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The humidity
Missouri air in summer is wet air.
First, the wind
The south lawn has its own weather
Let me be specific about the wind, because people hear the word and picture a pleasant breeze. On the south lawn it is more than that.
What this means in practice is simple. Anything you want to stay where you put it needs to be weighted or fastened. A silk scarf will not stay on your shoulders through a forty-minute ceremony; a wrap with a pin will.
Shoes
Heels, block heels and the walk from the orchard
The most common regret I hear is about shoes, and it is almost always the same sentence: I wish I had brought flats. The reason is the ground. A prairie wedding moves you across four different surfaces in one evening.
On grass and gravel, a block heel or a wedge is stable and a thin stiletto is not. On flagstone, a stiletto can catch in the gaps between the stones, which is how we came to keep a first-aid kit with more blister plasters than bandages.
The air
Layers for the evening, sense for the humidity
Missouri weather does two things that catch out-of-town guests every time. The first is the drop after sunset.
The second is the humidity. Kansas City in summer is a wet heat, and it does not dry off when the sun goes down. Natural fibres — linen, cotton, light wool — breathe and forgive you.
Print this
The packing checklist
Everything a guest actually needs, and nothing they do not. Send it to your people.
- A block heel, wedge or smart flat — leave the stiletto at home
- A wrap or light jacket you can pin, even for a summer wedding
- A spare pair of flats or clean trainers for the dancing
- A breathable natural-fibre outfit — linen, cotton or light wool
- A spare shirt or top in the car if you are travelling far
- Sunscreen for the ceremony, and a hat only if you can pin it
- A small bag that leaves your hands free for a drink
- A light pashmina or stole for after sunset on the terrace
The other half
What to leave at home
Packing is as much about subtraction as addition. Leave these behind and you will be lighter and happier.
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The stiletto heels
They will sink into the lawn and catch on the flagstone.
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The wide-brim hat
Lovely in theory, airborne in practice.
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The enormous handbag
You will be standing, walking and holding a drink.
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The heavy perfume
On a warm evening in a crowd, less is more.
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The valuables you cannot carry
Leave the heirloom jewellery and the spare cash in the room safe.
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The tight schedule
Prairie weddings run on light and weather, not the clock.
The three things
What guests always forget
After years of this, I can predict with some confidence the three things guests forget, and it is never the thing they worried about. Nobody forgets their outfit.
The second thing is a spare pair of shoes. Guests arrive in the shoes they intend to wear all night and discover, somewhere between the ceremony and the first dance, that the ground had other ideas.
By the season
What the weather asks of you
A rough guide to what each season demands. The prairie changes more than people expect.
| Season | What to expect | What to pack |
|---|---|---|
| Late April to May | Warm days, cool evenings, the chance of rain | A layer, a light waterproof, closed shoes |
| June to August | Hot, humid afternoons, fast-cooling nights | Linen, sunscreen, a wrap, a spare shirt |
| September to October | The best light, crisp evenings, some wind | A proper jacket, block heels, a stole |
| November to March | Cold and quiet; most events move indoors | A warm coat, boots for the path, gloves |
The ceremony stays on the lawn in every season except deep winter, when we move it under the covered terrace.
Nobody has ever looked at a wedding album and wished the bride had suffered more. Bring the shoes you love and a pair you can walk in, and use both.
Good to know
Questions guests ask us
These come up in the weeks before almost every wedding.
Is the ceremony always outdoors?
The south lawn is the usual setting from spring through autumn, with the covered terrace as a wet-weather plan. In deep winter most couples move the ceremony indoors to the ballroom, which seats the same number comfortably.
What shoes should I actually wear?
A block heel, a wedge or a smart flat. The ground is grass, crushed stone and old flagstone, and a thin stiletto will struggle on all three.
How cold does it get in the evening?
It can drop twenty degrees or more after sunset once the sun is behind the ridge. Even in midsummer, bring a wrap or a light jacket you can pin against the breeze.
Do you have anything on site if I forget something?
We keep a flat shoes basket, a basket of blankets on the terrace, a steamer in the bridal suite and a well-stocked first-aid kit with blister plasters. The concierge can also help with anything you have left at home.
How do we get back to the city after the reception?
Ride share reaches us but is thinner after midnight, so book early or arrange a car. Our concierge line, (816) 555-0148, is answered during every event and can organise a driver for you or your guests.
Planning a wedding on the prairie?
We host a limited number of weddings each year on the south lawn, in the orchard and in the ballroom. Tell us your date and we will walk you through the season, the light and the plan for weather.
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Planning a wedding on the prairie?
We host a limited number of weddings each year on the south lawn, in the orchard and in the ballroom. Tell us your date and we will walk you through the season, the light and the plan for weather.
- Lowest rate guaranteed when you book direct
- Breakfast for two and valet parking included
- The Prairie Escape from $279 a night
Two ways to book
Enquire about a wedding Call (816) 555-0147Reception 24 hours · Dining 7a–10p · Spa 9a–8p
Need something tonight? Concierge on (816) 555-0148