3 Tips to Elope in The Great Smoky Mountain National Park
Are you planning to elope in The Smoky Mountains? This blog post has 3 essential tips that you NEED to know to make the process of eloping a smooth process!
If you are looking for a stunning location to hold your elopement or intimate wedding, you are looking in the right place. The Smoky Mountains are home to some of the most gorgeous views and scenery on the east coast!
I know how difficult and stressful it can be to plan a wedding (trust me, I’ve seen it plenty of times firsthand) and so I wanted to make your wedding planning just a little bit easier for you!
Let's jump into the elopement tips, shall we?!
Tip number one...the marriage license. So this part may be just a tad bit important. Tennessee is one of the most wedding friendly and elopement friendly states because you actually do not even need a witness! It can be your officiant and just you two (and then please let me join ya and snap all the good photos)!! This is the only thing you must have to seal the deal here in Tennessee! It has to be a Tennessee license but you can get it from any courthouse in the state! The license must be used within 30 days and it can also be used on the day of which makes it so convenient if you’re coming from out of state! Most officiants here will give you even more details and assurance on this subject once you book.
If you are on the hunt for an awesome officiant, I recommend Tom! You can inquire with him here and let him know Lauren sent you! (:
Tip number two...book your professionals as soon as you can! Most weddings and elopements are couples who come out of state!
Fun fact, did you know The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has more visitors than any other U.S. national park per year?
What that means is this gorgeous area can get really busy and a lot of photographers, officiants, florists, etc may get booked up quickly! I have a really sweet vendor list I will send you after you book me to be your photographer! I have photographed a lot of stunning weddings here and have some great suggestions I know you will love! You can inquire to work with me through my link right here!
Tip number three...decide what you want your wedding day to be like before you search for a venue/location. The reason I say this is because there is so much variety here in The Smoky Mountains! You can book a gorgeous large venue like The Magnolia, a more simple and stunning venue such as Spence Cabin, or simply grab a wedding permit here and hold your ceremony in The Smoky Mountains with the gorgeous mountains as your backdrop! So, my tip would be to really envision what kind of day you’d like to have. Are you looking for an all together ceremony and reception? I would go with one of the plenty venues around this area! Are you looking for a smaller intimate ceremony with gorgeous mountain backdrops? Reach out to me and we can find the perfect location for you! A lot of my couples will hold their ceremony say in Cades Cove, Foothills, etc and then continue their reception at a local restaurant that’s big enough for a party or have a catering company bring delicious food to your cabin and everyone huddles back up for a fun time back at your cabin! It is solely up to you and it will help so much with planning once you truly decide what type of wedding experience feels most like you and your soon to be partner!
I hope these three tips are useful to you in planning your Tennessee elopement or intimate wedding! If you are still searching for a photographer to capture your big day, I would be so honored to be that photographer! You can head to my website here and I will be in contact with you shortly!
Talk soon!
Lauren Reeves
