Thursday, December 28, 2017

Honeysuckle Hills Quick List Wedding Guide

Thinking about where to get married in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg?

Already booked your wedding with us at Honeysuckle Hills?

This wedding guide and planner will be your little helper!  

Rather than list all the topics and vendors alphabetically, they'll be in the order typically needed as you plan your wedding.


Where to get married

 Click here to view Honeysuckle Hills

A personal Introduction by Regina and Emily

Why Honeysuckle Hills?
  • It's where I grew up, and where I enjoy making our visitors feel loved
  • Privacy
  • It's the most personal wedding experience you'll find anywhere
  • If photography is a high priority, our venue can't be beat (whether you use our photographer or your own)
  • If it's needed for a wedding, we probably have it.  

That's the short list description.  Let's talk to learn more and pick a wedding package that works best for you!  Email Regina

If I can't help you at Honeysuckle Hills, I'll help you find another venue that will make you happy.  Why?  Because your wedding means something to me.

Here's our list of most popular wedding packages:





All our packages can be customized, or ask Regina to build one from scratch.


Where to Stay

Here's my personal list of favorite lodging for Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg








How to Get Your Marriage License


Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg make it easy to get a marriage license.  No waiting period, no fuss.


Where to get a Minister or Wedding Officiant

I have a list of dedicated officiants who want your ceremony to be personal and heart-felt.  I know officiants for Christian, civil, and even same-sex weddings.  All weddings are treated with the love and respect they deserve.  Email Regina with your request and I will provide contact information for the best officiant for your wedding.

And yes, you may use your own minister at Honeysuckle Hills if you wish.  This also saves money on our all-inclusive wedding packages.  (Otherwise you simply don't add it to the venue rental)


Where for Hair and Make-up


Want her to come to you?  Text Madison from Loxx Salon at 865-256-7810



Flowers and Bouquets


Please note their website is pretty generic.  Once you call them, Kelly and her mother Kris will take excellent care of you, and even deliver.

Yes, you can send her pictures you found on Pinterest.

This is also the florist Honeysuckle Hills has used for twelve years as part of your all-inclusive wedding package.


Where to Eat / Get Food Catered


I call him the "better than Paula Dean" Chef!   Please consider his services even if you don't get married at Honeysuckle Hills.

Chef Tony is the caterer included in the Country Charm and Perfect Wedding all-inclusive packages.  He'll also design and bake your wedding cake!



Chef Ray is the man to call if you want a romantic dinner cooked for the two of you in your honeymoon cabin.  He will also cater for several guests, doing all cooking, serving, and cleaning in the privacy of your lodging.

(Honeysuckle Hills does not have a kitchen, so please refer back to Chef Tony for food at our venue.)


This is the absolute BEST fine restaurant for a honeymoon dinner after you elope, or even for several guests after an intimate wedding.  Tables on the river, best salad bar anywhere, and they'll wheel out a cart so you can choose your cut of meat.


Great place for a small crowd to gather after a wedding for your reception.  It's a local favorite!  However, this is not the best choice during high traffic times in Pigeon Forge (during car show weekends, July, or October.) 


Another local favorite, and great for a small crowd after a wedding for the reception.  This restaurant is closer, only about 15 minutes from Honeysuckle Hills.

Where to get a Wedding Cake


This is the bakery we use for our all-inclusive packages called Country Style and Country Sugar.  Buttercream designs, and yes they will do their best to duplicate a picture you send from Pinterest, etc.  

Feel free to give them a call for delivery to a restaurant or cabin, too!


Music and Entertainment


The most fun, reliable, and reputable DJ service in our area.  In the Smoky Mountains, internet is a precious commodity.  Trust me when I say that you DO NOT want to have family members provide your sound.  When traveling, something always goes wrong with equipment, and internet streaming is often sketchy at best.

This DJ is included in all our all-inclusive wedding packages.  It's the little things they provide that count, like Bluetooth speakers without cords, assistants, and a convenient on-line music planner.


Bartenders and Alcohol

Whether you want a party or just a good toast, alcohol is permitted at Honeysuckle Hills by hiring a licensed and insured company like The Pour Guys Bar-Tending Service.

Worried about the winding mountain roads after your guests consume their liquor, moonshine, or beer?  Well, just ask Jerry about "The Valet Guys."  He'll get your guests home safely.


The Wedding Budget

Such a touchy subject, that's why it's last.   

Most of the time, couples do not have a realistic expectation when it comes to the wedding budget.  This is not your fault.  All you need is a little education.

 I believe in providing the best wedding service I can for you.  That said, Honeysuckle Hills is not the cheapest venue you're going to find, but it's certainly not the most expensive, either.  You will not regret your investment with us.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with our rates.  (Located at the beginning of this article)

If you're looking to get married cheap, less than a few hundred dollars, your best bet is to hire an officiant to meet you in public or at your cabin.  

Pastor Tommy is one of my favorites.  We use him often at Honeysuckle Hills.


Always keep in mind that the more guests you invite, the more it's going to cost. 

Why?
  • A bigger venue space will be needed
  • More reservation time will be needed
  • More food is required
  • Vendors hired will need to stay longer and charge more
  • Even with DIY, you will spend more in the long run than you originally intend

Also keep in mind that the type of experience you want may cost more.  

Why?
  • Some venues have more privacy than others
  • Venues with a better atmosphere limit the number of weddings they provide in order to give you more attention.  
  • Some venues have a better reputation and more years of experience with the same staff members (unlike corporate venues with high employee turnover)
  • Some venues have more offerings like bigger spaces, dressing areas, seating, linens, and an experienced coordinator
  • Photographers who have more lighting, posing, and post-production experience cost more.  "Natural Light" has extreme limitations in an uncontrolled wedding situation.  That's why those photographers are cheaper, because they have an excuse if something didn't turn out just right.
  • Some venues spend thousands more in landscaping and flowers
  • Venues like Honeysuckle Hills have horses.  If you've never owned a horse, just go find someone who has and they'll explain it.  

Still Need Help?

No worries!

Text me, Regina, Tuesdays through Saturdays any time 10am til 6pm and I can provide a quick answer.  865-368-5569

Email Me if you have questions that will require more lengthy answers.

Call me at 866-572-7724.  Yes, a good old-fashioned conversation works best sometimes.  

And remember, if Honeysuckle Hills isn't best for you, I'll help you find a wedding venue that is.  

Here's Your Prize!

If you read this article from start to finish, and you book your wedding at Honeysuckle Hills, tell me and I'll give you a $50 discount on your wedding reservation, in addition to any other discounts you may qualify for!








Posted by at

Friday, November 24, 2017

How and Where to Elope in the Winter



Winter elopements in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are quickly becoming a more popular way to get married.  One reason is there are some great "off-season" discounts that will enable you to book a much nicer place to get married than you may have been able to afford during peak wedding season.  (Plus there's more availability... the best venues book well in advance.)

If you're planning to elope during the months of December, January, or February, it's an excellent time to consider the Honeysuckle Hills Wedding Venue. 

2018 will start our twelfth year making new friends and wedding memories, so why don't you be one of the first to ring in the New Year?
Come see how we're decorated for Christmas weddings both inside and outside!  Our Christmas wedding weekends are happening now through December 23rd.  



While we can't guarantee it will snow on the day you get married, wouldn't it be especially romantic if it does?  Honeysuckle Hills has some of the best scenery for wedding photographs (and one of the best wedding photographers!)  


Tips to elope to our private wedding venue in the winter months:

  • Check availability of your wedding date BEFORE booking your cabin or hotel
  • Be sure to reserve enough time for the wedding photography
  • Gather your driver's license and social security cards for your marriage license
  • Bring along your own bouquet, or order your flowers from our local florist
  • Decide if you'd rather do your own make-up and hair, or book your salon appointment
  • Pack a warm coat to wear during the outdoor set changes
  • If you wear high heels for the indoor wedding ceremony, bring a pair of boots for the outdoor photography, especially if you plan on photographs with our horses or vintage Ford truck
  • Talk to Regina in depth about the locations on our property that you love, and she will help you book enough time to include all of them
  • Your family is welcome to come with you.  We can accommodate up to 50 guests in the winter, but we do not host wedding receptions during that time.  Again, be sure to reserve enough time if you prefer to bring your loved ones.
  • Creative wedding photography at our venue requires your willingness to give us your time and attention. We cannot rush through this process, and you will not be pleased with the results if we do.  


Pricing
**Discounts listed are for the months of December through February**

All prices below already include Sales Tax

Military, either active or retired, please accept an additional 10% discount as a small token of my appreciation to you.

All wedding packages include
  • Scheduled visit on a day before your wedding to choose ceremony site, allow Regina to get to know you, and make a plan for the photography
  • Choice of ceremony location, including back-up plan for rain
  • Two private dressing rooms (in the winter we can allow you in any time before the wedding)
  • Private wedding venue not open to the public
  • Minister / Wedding Officiant
  • Wedding Director (to guide you on what to do next, and even play ceremony music)
  • Professional Wedding Photography
  • Flash drive of all wedding images (after our editing and art work is completed)
  • Credit toward professional prints, canvases, or albums.  (or take this as a discount off the package price)  



An Hour of Beauty

 $1080 (Normally $1200) Wednesdays through Saturdays
   Includes $100 product credit

Excellent choice for the couple who wants more time for Regina to be creative, but does not wish to have photographs with the horses or at the mountain ridge view.

Wild Horses      

$1620 (normally $1800) Wed-Fri            
$1800 (normally $2000) Saturdays
  Includes $150 product credit

    
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 for the most variety possible.  This reservation is a full hour and a half.

It's also a great choice for a couple bringing their young children.  Instead of pictures with the horses, more time can be devoted to your babies.  It often takes a little more time for little ones to adjust to the excitement and new surroundings.


The Outdoor Adventure

$2250 (normally $2500) Wed-Fri             
$2610 (normally $2900) Saturdays  
 Includes $200 product credit         

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.  (This is the most common during winter months since the road to Beeler Mountain is not safe to travel if it snows.)

 This is also the best wedding package to choose if you invite guests.  We can accommodate up to 50 guests without a reception during the winter months. 




How to Book Your Couples Only Wedding

1) Let's find your perfect wedding date!   Email Regina Now or call 866-572-7724.

2) You'll need a place to stay.  The cabins closest to Honeysuckle Hills are at Caney Creek.  Our favorite is "Starkey's Cabin."  www.caneycreek.com  Another beautiful cabin company within 15 minutes of us is www.summitcabinrentals.com along with the gorgeous hotel Black Fox Lodge

3) Need hair and make-up?  I love www.smokymountainsalonandspa.com, only ten minutes from us.  However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing your hair and makeup yourself so you feel more natural.  Even if I think you're gorgeous, if you're not comfortable "all made up," then it shows in the pictures.

4) Need a bouquet?  Kelly and Kris at From the Heart Florist will fix you right up.  865-774-5588.  You're also welcome to bring your own bouquet.  

5) Want to rent the dress, tux, or a few accessories?  Jeff at Fantasy Bridal has never let any of my couples down... www.fantasybridal.com

6)  The marriage license is so easy to get!  If you don't live in Tennessee, you do have to get a license here, but it's so quick to do.  You can even start the process on-line.  If you already live in Tennessee, just bring your license with you from your home county courthouse.




Romantic things to do in the winter in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg




Because our wedding photography is the number one reason couples come to Honeysuckle Hills, we'll leave you with a few images taken during the months of January through early March.









Have some fun with it!  Yes, we have a saucy side when it comes to the wedding photographs, but we can have a good time, too.  A lot of our couples bring their own props (like a shotgun) to tell the real story of their relationship.

 Talk to me... let's plan an elopement that no one will ever forget.  

Posted by at

Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Mountain View Weddings in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge


Every day a bride asks me about the mountain views at Honeysuckle Hills.  It's no wonder, since getting married in the Smoky Mountains is the best place in the world!  

There are two different types of mountain views in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.  

The further you climb, the better the mountain view.  So, if you're looking for that majestic, non-stop chain of mountains receding into the distance you're going to need to drive way up top in Gatlinburg.  
Honeysuckle Hills is located on one of the mountains you'd be staring down on from up top.  We're actually in a little valley of mountain ridges, so it's as if the mountains are giving you a "hug."  



View from the hill directly across from Honeysuckle Hills.  This area is used frequently for wedding photographs with a mountain view.

While walking through our beautiful property, you'll see these mountain ridges all around you.  Here's one of our mountain ridge views that you'll see while walking both to or from our arched bridge.  



As you can see, mountain views aren't all we have.  Our flower gardens make a setting no one in your wedding will ever forget.  It's not uncommon for guests to spend as much time photographing our scenery as they do you in your wedding dress!


As you're driving up to Honeysuckle Hills, this is one of the beautiful mountain ridge views you'll see as you pull in.  It's also one we love to have in the background for wedding photographs with our horses.  Sugar is trained to come when called, run behind you, and walk with you if you use our award-winning photographer.  This image was taken in early May, when the spring wildflowers are in abundance.



Basically, wherever you walk on property you're going to see a rising hill that makes up the full mountain chain of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Some of the advantages of our smaller ridge views are the fact the roads are better (most mountain chain views require a long drive up steep, winding roads,) and we have a more spacious atmosphere for your guests to enjoy themselves, instead of being right on the side of a cliff.


Honeysuckle Hills is the perfect wedding venue if you're searching for scenery, friendly family staff, and wedding packages for elopements all the way up to all-inclusive wedding packages for up to 100 guests.

Let's not forget the wedding photography... we're still the most sought after for jaw-dropping creativity!  Let us show you just how beautiful you are.  I guarantee you're more gorgeous than any mountain view... come see us!





Posted by at

Friday, July 28, 2017

Fall Weddings in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg



Wedding Tips from the "Squirrel Girl"

When do the leaves look their best for a fall wedding in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg?  It's all about location...

The beautiful auburn reds and gold start up top near Cherokee, North Carolina around October 1st. God steadily works his paintbrush down the mountain until about the first or second week in November.  Gatlinburg will see beautiful fall leaf color sooner than Pigeon Forge and Wears Valley areas.

If you're planning to get married in the Smoky Mountains during the fall months, be certain you plan at least a year in advance, if not sooner, especially if you want a wedding on a Saturday.

If you're a last-minute bride, don't stress... sometimes there are unfortunate cancellations.  So while it may be more challenging to find a place to get married in Tennessee, it's not impossible.  You may have to be more flexible than you originally intended, but fall is indeed the best time to get married.

Our Honeysuckle Hills wedding venue is at a lower elevation, so our leaf color peaks during the last week of October and the first week of November.  A few leaves hang in there until just after Thanksgiving, when the trees finally yield to the coming winter.  Witch hazel continues to provide a stunning backdrop right up until December 1st.

After the last golden maple leaf falls, witch hazel steals the fall scene just before winter


Tips for the best Fall Wedding in Tennessee


  • Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge still can't be beat when it comes to wedding locations.  Mountains, views, nature, and variety of venues abound
  • Plan Early.  If you think it's too early to secure your venue, it's probably already too late.
  • Stay in town longer to explore all the best places to view fall foliage in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Wears Valley is a central point, allowing you to branch out to Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Townsend.  www.summitcabinrentals.com
  • Consider hotels like https://www.blackfoxlodge.com/ if you can't stay more than one night in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg.  Most cabins will require a two to three night minimum stay.
  • For the most creative wedding photography, go to www.honeysucklehills.com.  Lovers of horses, flower gardens and southern hospitality have flocked to this family oriented wedding venue for eleven years running.
  • For a short, sweet elopement at a lower cost, but an absolutely gorgeous river waterfall and grounds, see Clyde and Tina at www.friendlyfalls.com.  Just visiting the Smoky Mountains to see the fall colors?  Stop in and sit a spell.  You'll leave with the most amazing stories to tell.
  • For a rustic mountain wedding venue that's just like a wedding in Cades Cove, only without nosy tourists, go to www.starkeytowncove.com.  Jeep lovers, hikers, outdoor adventurists and even moonshiners are steadily discovering this mountain wedding secret!

You know if a wedding planner decides to get married in the fall, it's the best time!  Even my little rescue squirrel, Sassy, thought so.  Hugs y'all!



Posted by at

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

The Fantasy Wedding Photographer in Gatlinburg, TN




As the craze for Game of Thrones, Zelda, and Dungeons and Dragons continues, so will the demand for a more unique approach to wedding photography.

Images like these don't have to be the entire focus of your wedding, but they sure can put a little extra "WOW" into the wedding memories.

Milesa came to me after seeing a photograph we had done for a previous bride showing our wedding horse, Sugar, as a Unicorn.  That bride was proposed to at Disneyland during dinner.  She found her engagement ring beneath a silver platter on a shiny glass slipper!

While our original intent was to create another unicorn scene, I wanted to try out a brand new mirror photography prop Aunt Sharon made.  When I mentioned fairies and butterflies, Milesa's eyes lit up brighter than the East Tennessee night time stars!

The ferns and whimsical decor on the mirror truly make this photograph of Milesa as a butterfly fairy bride.  I think a traditional white wedding gown wouldn't have worked nearly as well as the flowing gray dress does.



I have always held a strong fascination for the moon, maybe because my zodiac sign is cancer.  I can't say I put much faith the zodiac... but I absolutely love any work of art that displays the moon.

I could tell from the moment I met our bride, Shayna, that she and her husband have an extremely passionate love that will keep them in the honeymoon phase for quite some time.  Her image was created in our horse field which has enough privacy to be a little more risque.  The moon, clouds, and night time look was added later.


Katie is one of our brides who fell in love with another image we did last year using our antique window photography prop.  I never like to duplicate a wedding picture... I prefer to come up with a new design whenever possible that compliments each bride individually.

Katie's fantasy wedding image took on a life of its own during the art process.  We used a back-light during the original capture in our enchanted forest by the creek.  The lake and moon were added later.



I'll never forget the bride who loves The Lord of the Rings!  We used a little charcoal lighter fluid to create this image, even in the candle holder in her hand.  An overlay was added later for the more dramatic look.

Fog machines, smoke bombs, running horses, mirrors... You never know what I might decide to use next!

If you want something different, and you're getting married in the mountains of East Tennessee, come see me.  We'll create something beautiful together, and we'll become lasting friends in the process.

Hugs!

Regina

865-368-5569
green.forest97@yahoo.com
www.honeysucklehills.com



Posted by at

Monday, June 05, 2017

Four Unique Ways to Get Married in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee

www.honeysucklehills.com

You just did an internet search for "where to get married in Tennessee."

You then discovered that Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg just hit you with thousands of wedding package options.  So, what do you do now?  How do you possibly read through all that info?

This article will help you find the perfect place to get married in Tennessee.

I've been a wedding photographer for twenty years, and continue to run a successful wedding venue in Pigeon Forge that I started eleven years ago.  Yes, I will naturally show my love for my own property, but I also know we are not the perfect match for every single bride reading this article.  So, I'm going to also tell you about some of my other favorite places to get married in the Smoky Mountains.  Some of them I've had personal experience with from my traveling days as a wedding photographer, and the others I am praising based on direct knowledge of brides' experiences shared with me.

The easiest way to decide which type of wedding is right for you can be found within these categories:

The Full Service Wedding Venue
The Traditional Wedding Chapel
The Public Park / National Park wedding
The Cabin Wedding

You may already know which category you belong to, but if you don't here are some descriptions and referrals to help you.

The Honeysuckle Hills Full Service Wedding Venue
www.honeysucklehills.com

(There are other full service venues in the Smoky Mountains, but this description is for ours exclusively)

Pros:

  • More privacy in the mountains of Tennessee 
  • Couples only weddings, or weddings for up to 100 guests with reception
  • More conveniences you'll need like dressing rooms, decor, and seating, tables, linens
  • Wedding director included to keep everything running smoothly
  • Spacious atmosphere with flower gardens, creek, and horses
  • Choices for outdoor wedding ceremony locations
  • Back-up plans for rain
  • Venue only or all-inclusive options
  • The southeast's best wedding vendors available, including the famous www.cheftonycatering.com
  • The absolute best and most creative photography available
  • Family owned, so you're treated like family instead of a customer
  • Lasting friendships made through the wedding experience
  • Pricing ranges from $1000 to $10,000 depending on number of guests, time reserved, and chosen amenities for the reception
  • Sales tax is already included in our quotes
  • Cabin rentals within five minutes of the venue / Hotels within ten minutes
  • All wedding couples treated equally with love and respect


Cons:

  • Expect to pay a little more, since the quality of service is considerably higher
  • Full service venues book more quickly, so plan ahead if you can


Honeysuckle Hills was created from my love of photography.  Even if you don't hire me as your wedding photographer, I've landscaped my venue so that whoever you use will have endless opportunities.

www.honeysucklehills.com

Our wedding venue is famous all over the United States and beyond.  If you're looking for the best place to get married in the Southeast, and especially in Tennessee, we are sure to please.  Just ask our couples from as far away as Texas, Wisconsin, California, Canada, Virgin Islands, Sweden, and Ireland...

I know how unorganized and stressful some weddings can be, because I was that bride's photographer before I built Honeysuckle Hills.  I knew there just had to be a better way...

Every detail has been considered so that you don't have to worry about things like who's going to tell your wedding party what to do, who's going to pin on the boutonnieres, or who's going to help decorate.   I also know brides want a beautiful outdoor atmosphere with back-up plans for rain, so we work hard and invest daily in our flower gardens and property lay-out.   Our horses pull together the wedding experience even more.

There are definitely more ways to get married in the Smokey Mountains and Pigeon Forge, so if this type of wedding experience is not for you, read on...


The Traditional Wedding Chapel

Pros:
  • Cheaper pricing, with an average of $150 to $750
  • Better atmosphere than your local courthouse
  • Back up plans for rain 
  • Organized staff who can keep you focused and on time
  • One-stop-shopping for dress and tux rental, flowers, and more

Cons:
  • Less time to enjoy the wedding experience 
  • Photography is exposed properly, but not creative
  • Limited guest counts (they are usually too small for guests over 35)
  • Some are more personal than others, so do your research and read reviews

Many times these are advertised as the "affordable" wedding, but let's face it.  Affordable is a subjective term, because some of us make more money than others.  Aside from the public park wedding, they are literally the lowest price you will find to get married in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.  The reason they are cheaper is because they are able to do several weddings a day.  By helping more people get married, they can charge you less.

Seriously... if you can't afford this kind of wedding, you need to stay home and save the money it requires to travel and just get married at your local courthouse.  There is nothing wrong with that, and it has its own romantic story and memories you will equally cherish. 

My absolute favorite wedding chapel in Pigeon Forge is an off the beaten path venue called Friendly Falls.  I think I enjoy it so much because of the calming effect the river and natural waterfalls have.  The owners, Tina and Clyde, are genuinely friendly, too.  You will have a much more personal experience here than you would at a traditional wedding chapel. It has a more earthy, eclectic feel.  It's one of my favorite places just to go chill after work, and a lot of our brides set up a rehearsal dinner here.

www.friendlyfalls.com


If you want to stick to the traditional wedding chapel look and feel (the miniature mountain lodge / cabin / church appeal,) my favorite is Pastor Dale's Wedding Bell Chapel.  This man is absolutely adorable!



The Public Park / National Park Wedding

Pros
  • The absolute cheapest way to get married in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
  • Pricing averages $99 to $250
  • Spontaneous romance
  • If you love attention from strangers, you'll be the star of your own public show
  • Quick, easy, and no-frills
Cons
  • No back up in case it rains
  • Permits required to get married in the Smoky Mountain National Park
  • No photographer, unless the minister is open to using your camera after the ceremony
  • No seating for your guests
  • No privacy (even if you get married in the National Park you will encounter tourists)

All you have to do in this case is call up an ordained minister who will meet you literally anywhere in town.  My favorite traveling minister is Tommy Orange.  Talk about spirited!  His personality shines through his smile and happy eyes.  You will not be disappointed with this man.  I call him often to marry our Honeysuckle Hills couples, and everyone gives him a five star review.

If you need help finding a public park, Pastor Orange can help you. 


423-580-4892 (call or text)


Don Fields Photography can help you with a full wedding package if you want to get married in the Smoky Mountain National Park or in Pigeon Forge.  They can help you with the permits required, they have an ordained minister on staff, and they travel anywhere in the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg area for off-site wedding photography.  They even have an ordained wedding officiant in their family!

www.donfieldsphotography.com


The Cabin Wedding

Most of the same descriptions below can also be said of the DIY wedding venue (where you reserve the property but no one is there to help you.)

Pros
  • You don't have to leave your cabin to get married
  • Mountain Resort feel and atmosphere
  • Everyone comes to you
  • More private than the public park, but not by much

Cons
  • Neighboring cabin noise (some cabins are closer together than others)
  • Photographers have fewer opportunities and work in cramped conditions
  • Challenges with parking and proper seating for the ceremony
  • You must decorate on your own
  • Guest count restrictions 
  • Chaos for weddings with guests without a coordinator
  • Guests will linger a lot longer in your cabin than you may want them to
  • Pricing is not necessarily cheaper over-all.  You must put in the research time and work required to keep the costs down on your own.
The only time I would recommend a cabin wedding is if you're eloping to the Smoky Mountains and want to combine an unannounced wedding and honeymoon together.  It's a no-frills, no-fuss, less expensive way to get married since all you have to do is pay for the minister.

My favorite cabin rental company in Pigeon Forge is owned by Dollywood, and you know Dolly doesn't do anything less than first class.

http://www.dollywood.com/cabins

Keep in mind that cabin rental companies want to rent cabins.  Cabins are awesome!  You definitely need one for your honeymoon or a place for your guests to stay.  But the only reason they usually offer little gazebos and reception halls is to help them rent more cabins.  Unless they specify their resort is for weddings and events (and nothing else,) their primary goal is to provide lodging, and they do this well.

If you're having a wedding with guests, please consider a wedding venue instead. If your heart is set on the cabin atmosphere for your wedding, I urge you to hire a wedding coordinating service.  They can pull together all the things the cabin rental company leaves out.  Even if the cabin comes with its own coordinator, they are focused solely on what works best for their cabin as a rental, not on you as a bride and your unique wishes.

Please... strongly consider adding the outside wedding coordinator.

My favorite Tennessee wedding coordinator is Lindsay with Custom Love Gifts.  This woman is super-organized, charming, and experienced.  I use her services at Honeysuckle Hills, because I know she has the bride's interests at heart just like we do.

Wherever you decide to get married in East Tennessee... Lindsay is your wedding angel.  


If you need a photographer for your cabin wedding, Don Fields Photography is the best.  His family has been in the wedding business for as long as I have, and his daughter and new son-in-law are especially talented.  Ask for Jessica and Garret if you can get them.  Pricing averages $500 for the first hour, and $250 for each additional hour for photography.

By the way... Garret is an ordained minister.  If all you need is a minister and photographer to come to your cabin, call 865-774-7610 for a full cabin wedding package.



I hope this article has helped you with your Tennessee wedding location choice.  The Smoky Mountains is the best place to get married in the world!

Still have questions?  

Email me at green.forest97@yahoo.com

You can also call 866-572-7724












Posted by at

Thursday, May 25, 2017

A Wedding with Horses in the Pigeon Forge Smoky Mountains

Do you love horses?  Are you getting married?



Are you looking for a unique wedding experience?

Are the wedding photographs important enough that you're willing to invest in art?

Honeysuckle Hills in the Smoky Mountains of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is the best place to get married if you answered yes to any of these questions.  


If you love horses as much as I do, you'll appreciate that Sugar and Ben are both rescue animals, with a forever home that has purpose.  Neither are trail horses, stuck with the mundane life of walking in circles all day long.  Ben has a bowed tendon, causing him to be unwanted by horseback riders.  Sugar doesn't care for anyone to be on her back at all since she spent her first few years alone in a field without company.  (Horses are herding animals and prefer to have friends just like us.)  They have each learned how to run where we tell them, and Sugar particularly enjoys following you around and kissing you on the cheek.

Your wedding photographs with our horses will be extraordinary... I've dedicated my entire life to the art of photography as a full-time career, and Sugar and Ben are my favorite props.  I know you may have another photographer you love and want to use, and that's all right as long as you're on the other side of their fence.  But if you want to be up close and personal with our horses, you'll need me as your photographer who has the liability insurance and the routine my babies are used to following.





If you're a long-time horse rider with hundreds of miles logged on trails, you may think that if it's not your own horses in the wedding pictures then it's not personal enough.  I understand that.  So, if you're only within a few hours of Pigeon Forge just bring your horses with you.  We have plenty of room for the horse trailer to park and turn around, and my sister's barn is just up the hill where you can board if necessary.

If you're like some of our other brides coming from Texas, Oklahoma, or you're simply just "not from this neck of the woods," then we can still create that rustic horse stable experience for you, even without our horses in the pictures.  Saddles, ropes, and other props can be used to bring together the wedding theme you're going for.

I hear from many of our brides who rode horses as a child, or at this stage in their life just can't ride like they used to because of health issues.  Maybe you reluctantly had to sell your best mare or gelding, and it left a deep hole in your heart.  Sugar and Ben can help heal that sense of loss, and on one of the most blessed days of your life!




Even if you're "on the fence" about whether you even like horses or not, I can't express accurately enough how much joy our horses bring to our wedding guests by just walking up to greet everyone.  The little children squeal with laughter at the first time they feel Sugar's lips tickle their open palm to feed them a treat.





How much does a wedding at Honeysuckle Hills cost?  You can't afford not to book your wedding with us if horses and photography mean this much to you.  Don't be stuck with regrets later.  If you love who you're marrying, and if this relationship is important to you, then we promise you won't regret your investment with us.


  • Weddings just for two or up to 100
  • More than one ceremony location with back-up plans for rain
  • Dressing rooms
  • Seating, tables, and linens
  • Spacious, private venue with landscaping, flowers, creek, and more
  • Wedding planning services and coordinator included
  • The best vendors in the Southeast prefer working at our venue


Our wedding planning services are always complimentary, so email me today.  I'm Regina, owner and founder of Honeysuckle Hills, and you're important to me.  Tell me today how much you love horses, and how Sugar, Ben, and myself can make your wedding dream a reality!













Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)