the wedding
Friday, October 2, 2026
4:30 in the Afternoon
Saxony Farms
469 Browns Mill Rd
Lexington, KY
Black-tie Optional/Formal Attire
Invitation Only - Family Ceremony
Shuttle Provided from The Marriott and Residence Inn City Center
Reception to Follow
6:30 in the Evening
The Grove Lexington
200 W Main Street
Lexington, KY 40507
Black-tie Optional/Formal Attire
Everyone Invited!
the night before
WELCOME PARTY
Thursday, October 1st | 7:00 pm
The Jockey Bar
131 Cheapside
Lexington, KY 40507
Dress Code: Come as you are!
the next day
KEENELAND
Saturday, October 3rd | 11:00 am
Shuttles from The Marriott and Residence Inn City Center
Food, drink, and entry tickets provided
flights
Flight to Lexington, KY - Blue Grass Airport (LEX)
The easiest way to travel to Lexington is to fly straight here!
Flight to Louisville, KY - Louisville International Airport (SDF)
Second closet airport! Located one hour away from Lexington.
Flight to Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
Third closest airport but often the cheapest! Located an hour an a half from Lexington.
accommodations
LEXINGTON MARRIOTT CITY CENTER
Guests are encouraged to use this link below to make their reservations for the Payne-McDavid wedding block.
Located on same city block as the wedding reception venue.
A shuttle will be provided for Keeneland on Saturday morning from this location.
Room rate for wedding guests: $299/night
If you prefer to call to reserve, please call (859) 253-1000 and mention the Payne McDavid Wedding
RESIDENCE INN LEX CITY CENTER
Guests are encouraged to use this link below to make their reservations for the Payne-McDavid wedding block.
Located on same city block as the wedding reception venue.
A shuttle will be provided for Keeneland on Saturday morning from this location.
Room rate for wedding guests: $289/night
If you prefer to call to reserve, please call (859) 253-3000 and mention the Payne McDavid Wedding
THE MANCHESTER HOTEL
Located exactly 1 mile away from the wedding reception venue. Our favorite boutique hotel in Lexington!
21c MUSEUM HOTEL
Located right across the street from the wedding reception venue. A shuttle will be provided for Keeneland on Saturday morning from this location.
transportation
FRIDAY SHUTTLE TO CEREMONY AT SAXONY FARMS
The shuttle will depart from The Marriott City Center and Residence Inn at 3:30PM for Saxony Farms for family members - Invitation Only
SATURDAY SHUTTLE TO KEENELAND
There will be a shuttle leaving from the 21c Hotel/Residence Inn/Marriott Inn the morning of October 3rd for Keeneland. Exact times and location of the shuttle pick-ups TBA. The shuttles will be returning guests to the hotels after the races.
Come ready to party! Food, beverage, and entry tickets will be provided! 🐎
things to do
WOODFORD RESERVE BOURBON DISTILLERY
Woodford Reserve is located about 30 minutes from downtown Lexington, and they have been crafting bourbon the same way since the 1800s. Woodford is our favorite bourbon tour because its located in the middle of Kentucky horse farm country and is one of the most historical tours in the area.
SUNRISE TRACKSIDE @ KEENELAND HORSE TRACK
This is a free event every Saturday morning during the race meets starting at 6AM - no reservations necessary. Coffee and a light breakfast are provided as you watch the morning workouts and get a complimentary mini tour of Keeneland before the crowds arrive. This event is great for kids and includes games, photo-ops, and petting the horses in between their warm-ups.
6AM -10AM at Keeneland Racetrack
SUNRISE TRAINING TOUR @ KEENELAND HORSE TRACK
This one is for all the early-risers that want to get a head start to Keeneland after the wedding - tours starts at 7:30AM. This tour gives you an up-close look into the morning routines and work-outs of the horses and jockeys. This tour requires reservations and is $20.
THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE @ FIFTH THIRD PAVILION
Guests attending the Welcome Party at the Jockey Bar will be able to enjoy Thursday Night Live with live music, food trucks, and local brews. Thursday Night Live is every Thursday from 5-8PM. See y'all there!
RED RIVER GORGE & NATURAL BRIDGE
About an hour and 15 minutes east of Lexington, Red River Gorge and is a hiking and rock-climbing paradise. Come a day early and see Natural Bridge, kayak through caves, and make sure to stop at Miguel's Pizza for lunch (a KY must).
THE KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL
The Bourbon Trail extends through several regions of Kentucky, but the distilleries that can be toured in and around Lexington are:
Woodford Reserve - 30 min from downtown
Castle & Key Distillery - 30 min from downtown
Buffalo Trace - 40 min from downtown
Wild Turkey Distillery - 40 min from downtown
Four Roses Distillery - 40 min from downtown
Town Branch Distillery - 2 min from downtown
James E. Pepper Distillery - 5 min from downtown
There are several companies that do sprinter van tours around multiple distilleries and horse farms such as Kentucky Bourbon Boys Tours, Bluegrass Bourbon Tours and Horse ad Barrel Tours.
our favorite Lexington spots
FOR COFFEE...
Old School Coffee
Third Street Stuff
Brevede Coffee
Lussi Brown Coffee Bar
Kenwick Table
FOR FOOD...
The Local Taco
Corto Lima
Dudley's on Short
Carson's on Main
Kentucky Native Café
Joe Bologna's
Pearl's Pizza
Distilled on Jefferson
Granddam at The Manchester
FOR DRINKS...
The Rosebud
The Burl & Burl Brew
The Lost Palm
Charlie Brown's
Country Boy Brewery
Ona
Ethereal Brewing @ The Distillery District
Constitution Bar
West Sixth Brewery
FOR SHOPPING...
Peggy's Gifts on Clay
The Summit @ Fritz Farm
The Keeneland Shop
AJ's Casuals
sQecial Media
L.V. Harkness & Co.
Full Weekend Details
Thursday, October 1st
Rehearsal Dinner at 5PM @ Dudley's on Short
259 W Short Street
By Invitation
Smart casual - coat, no tie
Welcome Party at 7PM-10PM @ The Jockey Bar
131 Cheapside
Everyone Invited!
Come As You Are
Friday, October 2nd
Shuttles for the ceremony leave at 3:45PM from the Marriott and Residence Inn City Center
Meet shuttles at 121 W Vine Street
Ceremony at 4:30PM
By Invitation - Family Only
Saxony Farms
Cocktail Hour @ 6:30PM
The Grove Lex
200 W Main Street
Reception @ 7:30PM 🪩
The Grove Lex
200 W Main Street
Saturday, October 3rd
Keeneland Race Day 🐎
Shuttles start at 11AM from the Marriott and Residence Inn City Center @ 121 W Vine Street
Shuttles return to the hotels at around 5:30-6PM depending on the racing schedule (TBD)
Everyone Invited!
Dress Code - see below
from the bottom of our hearts
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the dress code for the wedding ceremony and reception?
Black-tie Optional/Formal Attire - Men to wear suits of any color, tie or no tie. Women to wear floor-length gowns, short or long cocktail dresses.
Are kids allowed to join for the reception? Keeneland?
Unfortunately, this is a kids-free wedding reception! Children are welcome at Keeneland, but please let us know so we can make sure they have an entry ticket.
Will there be transportation to Keeneland on Saturday?
Yes! We've got you covered. But if you prefer to drive, parking is easily available on The Hill and should be walkable to our tailgate. Even if you are a guest not staying at the hotel block, everyone is welcome to jump on the shuttles. Shuttles will start at 10:30 from The Marriott and Residence Inn City Center downtown at 121 W Vine Street.
What is the dress code for a Saturday at the Keeneland Fall Meet?
Ranges from casual to semi-formal attire. We are so excited for our first-time Keeneland goers! Check out some Keeneland outfit inspiration below.
When do we need to book our hotel/accommodations?
Lexington is a smaller city, and the hotels and Airbnbs BOOK UP FAST during the Keeneland racing weeks. We have two hotel blocks that are available at a discounted rate for wedding guests at the Marriott Lexington City Center ($299/night) and The Residence Inn at the Marriott Lexington City Center ($289/night). If you are booking an Airbnb, I would recommend booking as soon as you can due to less availability during Keeneland. If you want to take advantage of the shuttles for the ceremony and Keeneland, it may be convenient to stay in or near downtown.
If I'm not staying at the hotel blocks, where do I park in downtown for the reception?
If you are staying in or around downtown, the reception could be a short walk or Uber ride away. But if you are staying further from downtown and prefer not to Uber, there is a parking garage located directly to the right of the reception venue at the 230 W Main Street Parking Garage. There is no free parking around the venue. Also please plan for the traffic in downtown Lexington to be fairly moderate during the opening weekend of Keeneland.
When is the RSVP deadline?
Please RSVP by September 12th.
