Your Ultimate Wedding Weekend Itinerary at St. Louis' Hidden Gem: Arcadia Academy Wedding Venue

Chrystal Battaglia
Jun 30
6 min read

couple getting married in st josephs chapel arcadia academy st louis

Imagine this: instead of your wedding day flying by in a blur of bobby pins and napkin folds, you get a full weekend to relax, celebrate, and soak it all in with the people who matter most.

At Arcadia Academy, a historic and affordable wedding venue in Southeast Missouri, we specialize in turning your wedding into a full weekend celebration—because one day just isn’t enough.

Located just 90 miles south of St. Louis, Arcadia Academy offers onsite lodging, catering, bar service, and a team that handles the chaos so you can focus on the joy. Ready to see what your weekend could look like?

Grab a mimosa and read on. 🍾

Friday: Welcome to Southeast Missouri’s Hidden Gem

3:00 PM – Check-In & Unpack the Snacks: Guests arrive at Arcadia Academy’s onsite lodging, drop their bags, and immediately start scouting out the ice cream shop and cinnamon rolls. Our guest rooms are cozy, charming, and a major upgrade from shuttling guests to and from a hotel 30 minutes away.

bed and breakfast lodging event space arcadia academy

And you? You’re officially in wedding weekend mode. Congratulations.

We will handle setting up the tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware and napkins. All you have to do is plop down a centerpiece, make the dessert table look pinterest-worthy, and set up your knick knacks. We will handle the rest!

5:00 PM – Rehearsal Time: Our team walks your group through the ceremony—who stands where, who walks with who, and how to not cry through your vows (just kidding, everyone cries). This is where the “oh wow this is real” moment starts to sink in.

6:00 PM – Rehearsal Dinner: Celebrate with your inner circle over dinner right here on the property. From outdoor BBQ to a cozy pasta bar in the historic Laundry House, we’ve got the space and the setup to make it easy and affordable. Add in some music, laughter, and stories, and you’ve got the perfect warm-up to the big day.

8:00 PM – Lawn Games, S’mores, and Catching Fireflies: It’s Missouri, y’all. The stars are bright, the crickets are loud, and the fire pits are calling. Play yard games, roast marshmallows, or just sit back and enjoy time with your people. This is the kind of celebration in Southeast Missouri that people never forget.

Saturday: It’s Wedding Day, Baby!

bride getting ready in bridal suite arcadia academy

8:00 AM – Glam Time in the Bridal Suite: Our bridal suite is ready with comfy seating, good lighting, mimosa's cold, and room for all your bridesmaids and their makeup bags. You’re sipping mimosas, listening to your “Get Married” playlist, and letting our team handle the logistics.

Meanwhile, the groomsmen are eating breakfast tacos and pretending to iron their shirts.

10:00 AM – Breakfast & Last-Minute Chaos (Handled): We’ve got options for morning bites. Whether it’s a full spread or our famous cinnamon rolls (trust us, you want those). Our team is also setting tables, lighting candles, and gently redirecting Aunt Linda out of the reception space.

12:00 PM – First Look & Formal Photos: With 16 acres of historic buildings and scenic views, Arcadia Academy has some of the best photo backdrops of any wedding venue in Southeast Missouri. Whether you want romantic garden vibes or stately chapel shots, you’ll have it all right here—no need to drive offsite. But if you do want to drive off-site: the Elephant Rocks State Park that you went to as a little kid is only a 10 minute drive away!

Plus, don't worry about food, we have you covered (again). We will delivery tasty bites from Thee Abbey Kitchen to the suites for your crew to enjoy.

3:00 PM – Ceremony Begins: Guests are seated. The music swells. You walk down the aisle, Chrystal fluffs your train one last time as you make your walk down. Everyone’s crying. This is the moment.

bride and groom plus dog in chapel st joseph arcadia academy

Our chapel and outdoor ceremony spaces are ready rain or shine (Missouri weather keeps us humble), so you won’t have to scramble for a Plan B. Just show up and say “I do.”

3:30 PM – Cocktail Hour = Celebration Time: While you finish your photos, guests enjoy drinks, appetizers, and a whole lot of “can you believe how beautiful this is?” Our onsite bar keeps the celebration flowing, and your guests don’t have to go anywhere for the good stuff.

5:00 PM – Dinner is Served: It’s time to eat and no, you don’t have to worry about feeding vendors or refilling tea pitchers. Our in-house catering handles it all. From appetizers to buffets, your menu is made fresh from scratch, locally sourced, and fully customized.

And yes, we handle the cake too (and the cutting, and the plates, and the forks… see? Told you we do it all).

bride and groom in gymnasium first dance arcadia academy

6:30 PM – Toasts, Tears, and TikToks: The best man gets emotional. Your maid of honor references that one spring break trip. Your uncle gives a surprisingly heartfelt toast. Everyone is full and happy. Someone is already taking selfies in front of the dessert table.

7:00 PM – Dance Like Nobody’s Watching (Except Everyone Is): The DJ cranks up your favorite songs, shoes start flying off, and Grandma suddenly knows every word to “Uptown Funk.” Our reception space is built to celebrate—whether it’s line dancing, slow dancing, or full-body flailing.

10:00 PM – Sparkler Send-Off or Soft Landing?: We love a good dramatic exit—but we also love that your guests can just walk to their rooms instead of waiting for a shuttle. Whether you end the night with fireworks or footie pajamas, we’re here for it.

Sunday: Brunch, Leftovers, and Goodbyes

9:00 AM – The Final Meal: Host a farewell brunch onsite and give everyone one last chance to hug it out, swap photos, and eat second (or third) helpings of those cinnamon rolls or home-made french toast. We can set it up for you, or you can make it casual and self-serve.

11:00 AM – Check-Out: Your guests check out and hit the road feeling full, happy, and wondering how you managed to plan such an amazing affordable wedding weekend near St. Louis. You did that. You nailed it.

Why Couples Love Wedding Weekends at Arcadia Academy

Aside from being beautiful, historic, and ridiculously charming, Arcadia Academy is:

✅ A full-service wedding venue in Southeast Missouri
✅ Only 90 minutes from St. Louis
✅ Packed with onsite perks (lodging, catering, bar, bridal suite)
✅ Transparent in pricing—no hidden fees
✅ Expertly run by a team that’s basically family (and sometimes actually is)

This isn’t just a one-day event. It’s a full celebration, designed to be enjoyed, not endured. It’s your wedding, but it’s also your weekend away, your family reunion, your big party under the stars.

And it’s all affordable, all in one place, and all taken care of—just the way it should be.

Ready to Plan Your Weekend Wedding?

Come visit Arcadia Academy and see why couples from all over St. Louis and Southeast Missouri are choosing us for their once-in-a-lifetime celebration. We’ll show you around, answer all your questions, and probably offer you a cinnamon roll.

P.S. Please support locally owned and operated venues! It’s as easy as leaving a thoughtful Google review, following them on social media, or recommending them to friends and family. Your support means everything, and we want to give a huge shoutout to the incredible wedding venue owners across the country who pour their hearts into making dream weddings come true. 💕

Planning your big day? Explore some truly amazing locally owned v

enues on our wedding venue map. Let’s join forces to champion these wonderful businesses and keep the magic alive!