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!



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