Wedding Venue Stories, Emerson Fields

Wedding Venue Stories, Emerson Fields is a beautiful wedding venue in Missouri offering multiple outdoor ceremony options with a gorgeous, climate controlled venue. Emerson Fields is a modern farmhouse style venue Located south of Macon Missouri on 34 acres of Midwest farmland. Emerson Fields offer a timeless, two-story, custom-built event space with all the modern amenities.

“We are Steve and Amelia Holder, a husband and wife team, and we have been in the business of creating spaces where memories are made for over 20 years. We have a serene, outdoor space nestled among mature trees with a picturesque lake that provides a unique area for couples to exchange vows. Our open-air patios with cozy spaces will be perfect for the overflow of a large reception, a company picnic or a family reunion.” Steve & Amelia Holder, wedding venue owners.

Why did you decide to start a wedding venue?

“I (Amelia) was a wedding photographer part-time (2008-2018) and Steve has a small construction company.  After photographing and experiencing different places, I knew Steve could build a venue that couples would love, so we paired our skills and created a venue plan that would be perfect for the Midwest. We built the entire venue ourselves over eleven months and we live on the property as well.“

How long have you been operating? “We opened in May of 2018.“

Please share your experience about how much effort & cost goes into running a venue. Things that couples and start up venues may not be aware of (heating, cooling, adv, landscaping, staff, insurance, etc…) 

“The effort needed to own/operate a venue is 1000%, at least for our business model. We built it, maintain it, and manage most of the weddings/events ourselves at this point. Weekends are busy, bustling with wedding excitement. Weekdays are busy with office work, communications, tours, vendor meetings, final design meetings, phone calls, etc. We first started out by calling our insurance agent to find out what the liability insurance for a venue would be in our area and that was just the tip of the iceberg. As an example, we put in a ground-source heat/cooling system that required 4 miles of pipes to be buried on our property during construction. These types of decisions were made looking at the long term. If you don’t go into with a long-term mindset, you likely won’t make it but you have to have the funding/capital to sustain you until you’re turning a profit.“

What do you like best about being a venue owner? 

“I (Amelia) enjoy the sales/marketing aspect of being a venue owner and really find joy in meeting couples and helping them bring their wedding day dreams to life. Steve likes building things and the tech side of the business.“

How many acres do you have and what is it like to maintain that much property? 

“Our venue and our home are situated on 36 acres with a private lake, open-air pavilion, and 20 acres of hayfields. It’s a big job maintaining the property. We fertilize the soil, mow our own grass (about 6 acres of mowing), plant trees, maintain landscaping, bring in gravel continually for our drive and parking lot and the list goes on and on.“

 How many weddings do you host each year? “We typically host between 30-40 weddings a year. “

Do you host wedding shows, open houses?

“We have hosted open houses in the past with vendors that have also doubled as styled shoots.  These are more formal, require an RSVP and sometimes an entry fee. Our couples enjoy coming to those and seeing all of the inspiration. The more casual open houses, with some tastings and one-on-one answering questions that couples have, are a big hit too.“

Tips on providing great venue tours for potential clients? 

“We rely a lot on our “venue guide” on our website. Our website includes pertinent information, pricing and our calendar of available dates. The venue guide outlines what’s included, how to book, etc. After a couple inquires we set up a phone call with them to get to know them better. When they visit for a tour we’ve already made a connection on the phone and they feel comfortable in our space. We give each couple a packet of information and our preferred vendor directory as a resource. We also offer a free wedding planning guide as a downloadable pdf on our website.“

What do you think your couples love most about your venue? Any venue assets/features that help you book clients? 

“We do a follow up survey with our clients and hands-down the most mentioned favorites are our 48-hour rental period and our personal touch.“

Do you do your own advertising & marketing? If so, please share any tips on best practices that help you get your business in front of more potential clients, get more leads, etc… 

“I do all of our marketing and social media but hired a pro to get the website developed correctly.  That would be my biggest tip- spend the dollars on your own website that serves you and your clients well. We do very little actual paid advertising (some Facebook/Instagram ads) but we share BTS on our social media stories, post frequently and share helpful information and keep our website in tip-top shape with a full gallery of photos.  We also have our Instagram Highlights organized by seasons so potential couples can see what the venue offers in any season/weather.“

Please share any costly errors or regrets you may have learned from. 

“I’d never do print ads again or paid editorials and I wish we wouldn’t have spent money on the Knot.  It’s great to have a listing on the Knot but it didn’t serve us well in our rural market. “

Do you have a great website? Tips on website design or features that help you attract, book clients? 

“I feel like I’ve touched on that some but I’ll add that a great website does so much of the work for you that it pays for itself over and over.  I did invest in an SEO class to help optimize our website and that was helpful too.  Know the difference between a pretty website and a well-optimized website.“

Do you have any tips you would like to share with other venue owners?

“Lean on expertise in these venue owner groups, don’t get caught up in comparing your venue /pricing/procedures with others but glean what will serve YOU well in your market.  The biggest thing is to be clear with what you’re offering, provide an easy avenue for couples to inquire with you and be personable. “

Do you have any thoughts or solutions to share regarding Covid19? Or maybe just share how Covid is impacting your business. 

“We’ve felt the effects of the pandemic and had fewer weddings in 2020 but we grew very close with those couples that did have their weddings last year and stuck with us.  We had a few phone conversations with clients during that time and stayed in contact with them through regular email updates. Several of our couples postponed, a few cancelled, but most of them were very understanding and easy to work with.“

Any advice to anyone thinking of starting a venue?  

“Find something unique that you can offer couples and do your research before you begin. Research your market and be prepared to pay for education, groups and professional fees (CPA, Attorney, Website Designer).“

Thank you so much Amelia & Steve Holder for taking time to share your wedding venue story! Find Emerson Fields:

Facebook: Emerson Fields | Facebook

Instagram: Emerson Fields Venue (@emersonfieldsvenue) • Instagram photos and videos

Website: Emerson Fields a Wedding Venue in Missouri

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