Saturday, May 02, 2015

Choosing Your Wedding Ceremony Location


"Where will I get Married?"  Honeysuckle Hills has a variety of ceremony locations.   Sometimes the number of guests, amount of time you've reserved, or the weather plays a big role in your choice but the decision is up to you.  We have both outdoor and indoor wedding ceremony locations.

Do you have multiple ceremonies going on at one time on property?  Absolutely NOT.   Your reservation time is guaranteed as private while you and your guests are with us.  No one else is allowed on property during your paid reservation time.

When will I choose?  We do our best to schedule a tour the day prior to your wedding so that we can walk the grounds together.  Most of our locations are always set up and ready to go, so after the tour you can reflect on the choices and make your decision on wedding day.  Some of our locations, however, require more advanced planning such as our "hay bales in a horse field" option.  For that wedding package, we need to have the hay delivered and put into place since it's not stored on site.

Aside from our specialty packages, it's always best to wait until your visit the day before your wedding to choose the ceremony location, because the seasons continuously change the look of everything, everywhere.  Regina and Aunt Sharon are also continuously coming up with new ideas.

And now, on to the options Regina and Aunt Sharon have created!


The White Wedding Arbor



The white flowers, ferns, and vases filled with whimsical wedding decor in greens and browns are always present.  For this wedding, Aunt Sharon added sunflowers to the basic white theme.  We do our best to have a flower that will at least closely match your own wedding color, and we'll add it to personalize your ceremony site.


The most sought after ceremony location for weddings with larger guests counts is our white garden wedding arbor.  It has an elegant appeal, especially for couples searching for a garden wedding look.  


The flowers you see in the tins on the shepherd hooks are also always hanging and ready to go.  There is no charge to use any of the decorations for the white arbor you see pictured here.

Aunt Sharon can also personalize colors, flowers, and decor to your wedding theme for an additional fee.  The fee depends on the amount of work it takes to complete your look.

If you prefer to bring your own flowers for the hanging tins or mason jars, there is no fee for us to replace them for you as long as the flowers are ready to go when you bring them to your walk through the day before.

There are enough log benches to seat 100 of your closest family and friends for your Pigeon Forge destination wedding.

The white bird baths hold elegant ferns.  To the left you can see our potted, hanging flowers in the foreground.
A close up view of the hanging vases of flowers provided by Aunt Sharon.  She always starts with a base color of white, and can add an accent color that will closely match your own if you wish.






Honeysuckle Hills abounds with flowers everywhere!  Our many flower gardens attract hundreds of butterflies and birds.


Wed Beneath a Willow Tree





This was by far, hands down... our most popular wedding ceremony location for 2015 AND 2016.  Even though we also have an "Enchanted Forest" ceremony area, the willow tree is simply a miniature version of woodland enchantment.  Every time I think of the brides who told me stories of playing beneath their grandmother's weeping willow as a child, or having their first kiss beneath one it gives me chills!

This area is best for couples only with their children, but we can also move a few log benches for guests up to 25.  Please note that even though we obviously have room to bring down more benches, once you exceed four the guests in the back rows can't see you beneath the willow.  If your guest count is higher than 25, know that we can still do photographs of you later beneath its loving branches.

Aunt Sharon always has little mason jars or other unique items with candles hanging on the limbs...

Potted plants mark the entrance to the willow, and burlap bows hold back the front limbs for your entrance


A fall wedding beneath the willow.  We add enough benches for your guests along with other potted flowers.  30 guests is the recommended maximum for the willow tree to ensure all guests can see you


Our weeping willow tree is just as alluring, if not more so, in the fall.  Its leaves have a golden cast, intensified by the autumn sunlight.




 The Stone Arch



Benches are always in place to accommodate up to 75 of your guests
Our horses, Ben and Sugar, often come to see who's walking down the aisle

A stone mason was hired to install this classic, elegant stone wedding arch in August of 2016.  

This ceremony area accomodates up to 75 wedding guests with the permanent benches, and we can add additional seating to hold 100.  It is located to the right of the ceremony willow tree, separated by a pink crepe myrtle and rose gardens.

The arch is constructed of 13,000 pounds of granite rock.  


View from the arched bridge in early August when our yellow "grandmother" flowers are in full bloom.

Ferns, lanterns, or other potted plants can be added for your wedding on the ledges
The stone wedding arch in May with our roses and honeysuckle in bloom.  The spray on top was placed by Aunt Sharon and can be done in any color.



View from the back side of the stone arch.  This area has endless wedding photography possibilities!



The Hitching Post


A little further down in our horse field is the already famous "hitchin' post."  Another of Leslie's additions for the 2015 wedding season, it's a popular spot for our couples only horse lovers.  There's no fee to use this location for the couples only weddings, but we do require the "Hay Bales in a Horse Field" package for weddings with up to 50 guests in this area.



If you're wondering where the stylish country western attire came from, we love our friends at Fantasy Bridal in Gatlinburg!  They even came up with a way for the bride to use her veil on her cowgirl hat.    www.fantasybridal.biz



The Pond and Miniature Waterfall


The Smoky Mountain wedding waterfall in early spring


The wedding waterfall comes alive more as the spring season progresses.  Our gardens are the most beautiful you'll find in Pigeon Forge




Just a short walk across our bridge will lead you right to our little pond.  It's a serene atmosphere with the sounds of the creek and the water splashing across the rocks as it trickles back down into the stream.  This wedding ceremony location is best for couples only or just a handful of your closest family and friends.


The yellow water iris is in bloom from around the first of May through the first of June.

The green foliage you see to the right of the wedding couple are lilies, which bloom from early June through the first of July.

We always have potted flowers and other annuals like you see in the foreground.



Our waterfall is taller this year (2017) and has the perfect ledge area for wedding photographs




The Vintage Wedding Chandelier



A short walk from the chapel upstairs will lead you down to one of our couples only wedding ceremony locations beneath Leslie's vintage chandelier.  If you have a few wedding guests, they can watch your ceremony to the right from the reception hall.  The couple you see walking down together renewed their wedding vows, and chose to remain hand in hand during their celebration of seven years together.






The Enchanted Forest


New for 2017, the Tree Limb Foot Bridge, leading to the enchanted forest wedding ceremony site

















The enchanted forest is gorgeous any time of year, but is best from mid-May through the end of October when leaves are on the trees.  The rich, golden colors of the fall leaves in the Smoky Mountains make our enchanted forest truly magical!  The foliage creates a cozy canopy.

This site is best for couples only, or up to ten wedding guests.  There is only room for about ten wooden chairs.


  You can access this location two different ways.  As of 2017, we now have a new tree limb foot bridge, giving better access to those in wheel chairs or who have trouble walking.  The second way is across our original arched bridge, behind the pond, and a short distance on the woodland trail that leads to the back end of the horse field.  This route is an old cattle trail, and best suited for those who have no difficulty walking on uneven surfaces (tree roots, rocks, etc.)

 We can add brown lanterns with battery powered fairy lights for a truly romantic experience.  The horses can be fed at a near by fence, and they're happy to be a part of your ceremony.



Exclusively Private Beeler Mountain in Starkeytown (Three miles Off-Site)


These areas used for photography are on privately owned property that borders the Smoky Mountain National Park.  This location is not at Honeysuckle Hills, but is only 3 miles away.  Some brides will get married at Honeysuckle Hills, and then we'll travel off site for more photography in the mountains.  I'ts perfect for our couples who want a "mountain adventure."
  









The Wildflower Preserve at Honeysuckle Hills



A couples only paradise for our brides in mid-April through the first of May, this area requires a walk up a set of steps into private woods on our mountain ridge.  While this area can be used any time of year, it is in its splendor during the annual wildflower pilgrimage in the Smoky Mountains.




In Case it Rains....

The Pavilion





Our pavilion alongside our creek was expanded this year to accommodate up to 100 guests.  In the event of rain, this is an excellent choice during the months of April through October to be out of the wet, but still feel like your wedding is outdoors.  This area is also our bride's favorite place to set up for dancing and celebrating!






And last but not least...

The Wedding Chapel

Our wedding chapel view as you walk down the aisle...

Our wedding chapel upstairs in the barn can be used any time of year.  In the event of rain, it holds up to 50 of your wedding guests.  In the hot months of July and August it can be used to escape the heat and humidity, since it's comfortably air conditioned.  It's a cozy, warm haven for our winter brides as well, and Aunt Sharon loves to decorate for our Christmas brides!

View from the front of the wedding chapel looking back

The very best way to explore all the options at Honeysuckle Hills for your own destination wedding is to schedule a tour.  Remember to schedule it as far in advance as you possibly can.  It breaks our heart into pieces when a prospective bride shows up after driving many miles only to discover we're in the middle of a wedding or someone else's tour.  You are very important to us!  So give us a call or even send a text to 865-368-5569.  We'll take good care of you!