How to Choose the Best Elopement Wedding Package in the Smoky Mountains
December 24, 2024
Planning a destination wedding in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge is a lot easier than planning a wedding at home. My name is Regina, and I’ve been in the wedding industry for over twenty years. I’m a Smoky Mountain native, born and raised in Pigeon Forge and my greatest joy in life is helping couples get married at my venue called Honeysuckle Hills. By watching and listening to people like you over the past 19 years, I’ve created wedding packages to meet different budgets and experiences with the core things you’ll need for a successful event. You’ll need a place to get married, someone to officiate, beautiful spots for pictures, someone to guide you through a timeline, and a back-up plan in case it rains. You’ll also need a Tennessee marriage license. While I can’t get that for you, educating you on how and where to get it is part of how I care for all our couples.
So, let’s plan your Honeysuckle Hills wedding!
- Determine Your Wedding Budget
- Pick a Wedding Date
- Choose a Wedding Package
- Submit a Booking Form
- I’ll set everything up and provide an itinerary
- Use our venue resource app to find lodging, restaurants, and how to get a marriage license
- Communicate with me whenever you wish (I usually answer within 24 hours)
- Complete a Wedding Checklist three weeks before the event (except Simply I Do)
- Visit at your scheduled time on a day before the wedding or come to your rehearsal, depending on the package you chose (except Simply I Do)
- Get a Tennessee marriage license & bring it on wedding day
- Choose the Ceremony Site when you arrive (Our venue changes with the seasons so it’s easier to wait until you get here to pick)
- Get Married! My staff and I will make sure it goes smoothly, and everyone knows what to do and when
- Reminisce often with your wedding pictures!
Watch our video tour to learn more about Honeysuckle Hills:
How to Determine Your Wedding Budget
Your budget is the single most important place to start planning a wedding. From there, you can determine how many people you can afford to invite without sacrificing items on your wish list.
Match your guest count and unique family dynamics to your budget. If your budget is small, keep the guest count low. Higher guest counts require more time and resources. Most importantly, don’t forget the human element of a wedding. For example, people might run late. Your family wants to both give and receive attention. Children like to run joyously, and don’t always do as they’re told. Choose a package with enough time to make memories instead of stress. Use old-fashioned common sense, too. Don’t go broke getting married, but don’t skimp on things you might regret later if you have the means.
Now that you know how many people you can (or want to) invite and what your budget is, let’s match it with a wedding either with or without a reception.
How to Pick a Wedding Date in Pigeon Forge
Many couples choose their wedding date based on sentimental anniversaries like their first date or their grandparent’s anniversary. Others pick a time when school is out, or for a favorite season like when the leaves change color in the Smokies. Numerically significant dates are also popular like May 4th (May the 4th be with you,) October 4th (10-4 for law enforcement,) and any date that adds or multiplies uniquely like May 5th, 2025. (5×5=25)
Because the Smoky Mountains are such a popular wedding destination, expect numerically significant dates along with ALL days in mid-September through November to book well in advance. This is why it’s so important to choose your wedding venue first before you book lodging, and to be flexible, especially if you’re booking last minute.
Mid-April through the end of May is especially popular at Honeysuckle Hills because of the early spring flower bloom. It begins with dogwoods and redbuds, followed by azaleas and spring wildflowers.
July and August typically book last minute because of the high heat and humidity. December through mid-March books last minute because it’s considered off-season at our venue with less in bloom.
View Our Wedding Galleries to See What it Looks Like Seasonally
Choose a Wedding Package
All our packages include a ceremony officiant, choice of ceremony location in a wedding-ready space, back-up plan for rain, and someone to guide the process. Packages are priced both with and without our own professional photographer.
Weddings With a Ceremony and Photography Time (No Reception)
Least Expensive package: Simply I Do
Simply I Do is short, sweet, and uncomplicated. It was created for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money on their wedding, but still want a private atmosphere surrounded by beauty. There are no expectations for things like dressing rooms, music or hiding from your lover before the ceremony. Committing to each other is the most important thing. Pictures might be important, but you don’t have a list of “must haves.” The maximum guest count is four people. If it rains, you’ll use covered and indoor areas for the ceremony and pictures. I book more than one Simply I Do each day, but not at the same time.
Mid-Range package: The Mini Wedding
I have three mini-wedding packages to choose from based on your guest count, photography needs, and traditional events like first dances and a picture cutting the cake. Choose your mini wedding based on the time it offers, rather than the guest count.
For example, even if it’s just the two of you, you might want the middle package since it would give you more time for pictures in more locations and include things like reading private vows to each other, a first dance, and pictures cutting your cake.
On the flip side, you might have 20 guests and book the first package, even though the time is shorter than the package recommended for more people. In this case it’s more important to you for a pretty place to get married and caring staff to guide the process. Pictures and extra events are low priority. You just want a nice place to say, “I Do,” surrounded by your closest family & friends, then head out the door.
Each mini wedding has a set amount of time to use the dressing areas, but you should arrive with hair and makeup complete. If it rains, you’ll use covered and indoor areas for the ceremony and photos. The maximum guest count for a mini is 40 people, but our popular average is 20 or fewer. I book more than one mini wedding each day, but not at the same time.
Higher Investment: The Luxury Elopement
There are two luxury elopement packages to choose from. One is for couples only, and the other welcomes up to 50 guests.
The luxury elopement is the only wedding I’ll book for the day, and it includes more time than you’ll actually use. It has the highest emphasis on creative photography with a flexible timeline to allow for people running late and pausing for bad weather. If family photos take longer than expected, you won’t have to sacrifice time for the photos of the two of you. Photographers have more time to use creative off-camera lighting, props, and attention to detail.
While you can remove services you don’t need, luxury elopements include hair and makeup, a bouquet credit, a buttercream wedding cake, and time for pictures with our horses running and approaching close enough to touch. You’ll have plenty of time in our dressing rooms and can even bring snacks if you want.
We’ll also set out personal decor and things like guest books, pictures and wedding favors with this package. (There isn’t enough time with the budget packages, but our venue is always wedding-ready regardless.)
Book This Package for Ten People or Less
Book This Package for up to 50 people
Weddings with Receptions
Because there are more places for wedding photos at Honeysuckle Hills than any other venue, it’s important to choose a reception package with enough time for all the spots on your wish list. The timeline for a wedding with reception is dependent upon things like caterers serving food on time and a bartender’s last call. Couples who book a reception at Honeysuckle Hills have a higher priority on entertaining and socializing with their family and friends.
Least Expensive Package: The Mini Reception
For 30 people or less, this package is a money-saving way to have a traditional wedding experience. The average guest count for couples who book this package is 15, because the focus is on a more relaxing way to enjoy a reception at our beautiful venue. Remove any services you don’t need, but it includes a bouquet credit, catering credit, buttercream wedding cake, seating, tables, setup and cleanup. Some couples remove the catering credit entirely for a wedding cake only reception. (This is a great way to get more photography time, too.) A DJ and bartender are not included with this package because of the shorter venue activity time of three hours from ceremony to exit, but we’ll help you play the ceremony & first dance songs. Four hours of dressing room time and a one-hour rehearsal on a day before the wedding is included.
Mid-Range Package: Venue Only DIY
While it’s our least booked package because of our reputation for taking care of everything with all-inclusively, this is perfect for couples who want to choose all their vendors and have a more “hands on” experience. Use vendors of your choice as long as they have a business license and can provide us with a copy of their liability insurance. Caterers must set up, maintain food at the proper temperatures, and clean up afterward (no food drop offs.) We’ll direct the wedding, manage your timeline, and make your guests feel welcomed and loved just like we do with all our packages. You and your family will set out any extra decor, guest books, favors, etc.
Access from 8am to 10pm on wedding day, and a two-hour rehearsal on a day before the wedding is included with this package.
Higher Investment: Foothills Wedding Celebration
This package takes care of absolutely everything you’ll need except the photographer, but I have a list of several fabulous creatives you’ll adore. As with our other packages, you can remove services you don’t need. This package includes a healthy catering budget, bouquet credit, bartender’s services (alcohol purchased separately,) and buttercream wedding cake. Celebrate to your heart’s content! This is the easiest way to have a wedding with reception in the Smoky Mountains.
Access from 8am to 10pm on wedding day, and a two-hour rehearsal on a day before the wedding is included with this package.
Payment Schedule and Refund Policy
When you book your wedding at Honeysuckle Hills, you’ll pay the first 1/3 payment when we receive your contract / booking form. The last two 1/3 payments are due 60 and 14 days before the wedding. All payments are nonrefundable, but you may reschedule one time based on availability. That said, I highly recommend event insurance.
The exception to the above payment schedule is our Simply I Do wedding. That package requires one half down when it’s booked, and the remainder two weeks before the wedding since it’s typically booked last minute. All payments are nonrefundable, but you may reschedule one time based on availability.
What to Do After You Book Your Wedding
Simply Relax!
Because we provide all the core things you need to get married, there’s honestly not a lot left for you to do except things like choose a wedding cake design or a reception menu. I will schedule all the vendors that are included in your package like the ceremony officiant, hair, makeup, cake, food, etc. Our venue is wedding-ready at all times, so you can literally walk in the door without a single thing, but it looks like you spent years planning. Some couples like to bring a few extra things to personalize when they book a luxury elopement or wedding with reception, but don’t feel obligated to do so.
Feel free to reach out to me with questions and updates any time. Even though I’ve done this thousands of times, I realize this wedding is important to you and no question is trivial to me. I usually answer within 24 hours by email or text. I prefer to schedule phone calls since we’re family owned and operated and I don’t have a staff dedicated exclusively to answer the phone.
You’ll get a link to a venue resource app to supplement the personal care I give. This app contains directions, recommended vendors, lodging, and an entire section dedicated to how and where to get your marriage license.
I’ll ask for a Wedding Day Checklist about three to four weeks before the wedding unless you’ve booked the Simply I Do package. This checklist asks questions like who you want to hold your rings, who will walk you down the aisle, and what song you’d like played as you walk down the aisle. We’ll go over this checklist at your scheduled visit or rehearsal on a day before the wedding.
What to Expect When You Arrive
This is my FAVORITE part! Couples like you are the reason I get up every morning, and I delight in welcoming you to my family farm. I work with two other upstanding young ladies named Abi and Sierra. You’ll know which ones of us are your team members after you book, and when you arrive, we’ll guide you every step of the way. Expect stories to be exchanged and laughter to ensue! When it’s all said and done, we hope you’ll feel like part of our family.
Still have questions? I know everyone’s situation is unique, and I’d love to help. I can even create a custom wedding package, so reach out and let’s plan an unforgettable wedding for you and your sweetheart!
