Friday, June 05, 2015

How to Elope to the Smoky Mountains





One of the best things about Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg is that there are SO many things to do.  You can literally spend your days holding hands along the river in the National Park, or you can fill up every available second with go-kart racing, dancing, shopping, live shows, or romantic dining.  This is why the Smoky Mountain area is a huge draw for couples who want to elope.  You can combine the wedding and honeymoon all in one!

Advantages of a Couples Only Wedding:

1)  A wedding for two, even including the travel costs, most of the time is much less expensive.

2)  The focus of the wedding is on the two of you, not on pleasing everyone else.

3)  If you still feel the need to please the family, have a reception when you get back home.

4)  Honeymoon lodging is easy to find, from cabins like www.caneycreek.com to budget hotels to luxury resorts.

5)  There are more wedding locations to choose from in our area for couples only.

That last statement about having more wedding locations to choose from... well, it's both a pro AND a con to eloping in the Smokies.  The down side to this is that you are going to be overwhelmed while wading through the hundreds of wedding websites, and before long it's all going to be a blur.


All our brides say the same thing, "I was clicking on site after site until www.honeysucklehills.com popped up.  All of a sudden I KNEW I had found the place I wanted to get married!"  Why do we stand out so much?  Because we are a wedding photography based destination venue.  The one thing that lasts and matters most is the exact thing we excel at.  Why?  Because we have dedicated ourselves to photography for fifteen years.  Full time. We don't do ANYTHING else.

Toll-free number to Honeysuckle Hills is 866-572-7724


Here's our list of great reasons to book your wedding for two at Honeysuckle Hills:

1) Our couples receive a more personal experience than the average wedding chapel.

2)  There is no pressure to tip your minister or officiant. 

3)  We are a private venue, so there is no danger of nosy tourists intruding.

4)  We have two separate dressing rooms, and we can assist you with your dress if needed.

5)  NO other weddings will be taking place during your reservation time.

6)  We have THREE back-up plans in case it rains.

7)  Everything is already decorated, set-up, and ready to go.

8)  We will schedule a time to meet with you the day before to tour and drop off wedding items.  This is also a great time for us to get to know each other and choose your ceremony spot. (We have more locations on property for a wedding ceremony than any other venue.)

9)  We will guide you every step of the way.  You won't have to worry about what to do or when to do it, from the ceremony all the way through the creative photography.

9)  We are dedicated to creating the very BEST wedding photographs.







How to book your own wedding just for two at Honeysuckle Hills


  • Call or text Regina at 865-368-5569 to check availability
  • Book your accommodations AFTER you know your date is available
  • Consider booking your wedding Monday through Friday for lower weekday rates
  • Regina will send your contract by email along with helpful information on how and where to get your Tennessee marriage license, plus helpful vendor information like www.smokymountainsalonandspa.com and www.fantasybridal.biz (Wedding gown and tuxedo rental with the friendliest folks in town!)




Honeysuckle Hills Couples Only Elopement Wedding Packages

Each package includes:

·         Ten minute tour and drop off service for wedding items the day before (like your dress, flowers, and marriage license)  This is a great time to see the property and choose the ceremony location.
·         Ceremony director
·         Officiant’s services for the ceremony and to file the license at the courthouse
·         Photographer with 20 years of experience in lighting, posing, and artistic design
·         A professional wedding album along with your flash drive of images after we complete our editing and artwork.  You may also request additional enhancements to up to ten more images (body shaping, facial blemish removal we may have missed, conversions to black and white or sepia)
·         Release to print images on your own
·         90 day on-line proofing site

All prices below already include Sales Tax


"Lickety Split" Love                                850  All Days

A 30 minute reservation that allows enough time for the ceremony and formal portraits in one location. Our staff will lovingly guide you through the ceremony and provide heart-warming images to enjoy from one location on our farm.  Please understand the photography time is VERY short and limited in this package.  It was created for couples who want to get married in a beautiful place and have charming, traditional photographs, but they don't want to spend the time required for variety and creativity.

Cost without the wedding album is $650


An Hour of Beauty                          1200  All Days

Excellent choice for the couple who wants heart-felt, beautiful wedding images, but does not want the full adventure of scenes on the further reaches of our venue, such as the truck and mountain view

Cost without the wedding album is $1000


Wild Horses                                     1800 Wed-Fri            2000 Saturdays

Our most popular, this package is perfect whether you want the breathtaking images with our horses that are trained to run behind you, or if you simply want more photography time to assure you get the most variety possible.  This reservation is a full hour and a half.

Cost without the wedding album is $1600 Mon-Fri or $1800 Saturdays


The Outdoor Adventure                 2800 Wed-Fri             3100 Saturdays

Two hours of the most creative wedding images possible.  This package allows for enough time to travel three short miles from Honeysuckle Hills to private property bordering the National Park.  An old chimney, mountain views, mountain creek falls, and another vintage barn are possibilities there.  You may also choose to have the full two hours at the Honeysuckle Hills property.

Cost without the wedding album is $2600 Wed-Fri or $2900 Saturdays





         




Couples only reservations allow a more relaxed atmosphere for our creative imagery, as opposed to larger weddings with hundreds of on-looking guests demanding constant attention.  This bride requested a "Lord of the Rings" themed image, because it was her favorite movie.  Images such as the one above, on average, take approximately 15 to 30 minutes to photograph (factoring in props and lighting set up, and lighting and extinguishing the flames safely upon completion.)  So do be sure to reserve at least an hour and a half to two hours with us if you'd like us to create a specialized theme for you, too.

Happy Anniversary!  We also photograph destination vow renewals.  Amanda and Mike married ten years prior in a courthouse setting, and did not have the money for professional portraits at the time.   Ten years later they come to us for a renewal and photography session.  Amanda wore the very same wedding dress!  They chose a shorter reservation time with us.  While this did not provide enough time for photography with the horses or for a themed image, we were still able to create timeless, classic portraits they will enjoy for decades more.