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January 19, 2025
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February 16, 2025
Choosing your wedding date is a personal decision, often influenced by momentous occasions like your first date, first kiss, or even a favorite number. If you’re getting married in the mountains of Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg, what’s in bloom, when the fall leaves change, daylight hours, and if there’s a high-traffic event should also be considered. As a mountain native and wedding planner at Honeysuckle Hills for the past nineteen years, I can help you find the perfect date to say, “I Do!”
Winter Weddings in the Smokies: The Cozy Off Season
Winter wedding months in the Smoky Mountains are in December through the middle of March. Your best chances for a snowy winter wedding are in January and February. Last minute elopements are extremely popular this time of year because off-season dates are so much easier to get. New Year’s, Valentine’s Day and President’s weekend are the exception, booking at least three months ahead of time.
The average daytime temperatures December through February is 50 degrees, and as low as 20 degrees at night. March is like a woman in menopause. One day it might be 80 degrees and the next may have six inches of snow on the ground. Chances for snow and cold weather last all the way through the end of March, and sometimes the first week in April.
The average time the sun sets is 5:30pm in December, 6:00pm in January, 6:30pm in February, and closer to 8:00pm in March. The most popular ceremony time at Honeysuckle Hills in December and January is 2:00pm. The most popular ceremony time in February is 4:00pm, and 5:00pm in March.
There are no leaves on deciduous trees or flowers in bloom in December through mid-March. The leaves on the willow tree typically begin to sprout in the third week of March. You’ll also see a few daffodils and yellow forsythia in bloom as well.
Spring in the Smokies: Wedding Season Begins!
Calendar spring may be March 21st, but spring doesn’t fully command attention until the second week of April. After the last chance of frost, leaves and flowers grow bigger and brighter every day. April temperatures range in the low 60’s to high 70’s with spring rain common. Early April can actually still be a bit nippy. May temperatures steadily rise from the 70’s earlier in the month to the mid 80’s by Memorial Day.
Sunset is around 8:00pm in April and 8:45 pm in May. The most popular ceremony time at Honeysuckle Hills in spring is 5:00pm.
Dogwoods and redbuds bloom first in early April, followed by azaleas, primrose, hostas, ferns and yellow buttercups in the horse field by the middle of the month. The first two weeks of May is my absolute favorite time for spring flower bloom with wildflowers, azaleas and purple rhododendrons. Our willow tree is at its fullest and most vivid green by the first week of May. Its branches continue to lengthen and thicken until June, maintaining their appearance throughout summer.
Book spring weekends from mid-April through the end of May at least nine months to a year in advance. Avoid the spring car show, which is typically the second weekend in April. Traffic is insane and lodging costs are at a premium. See the Pigeon Forge Calendar of Events to verify the car show dates.
Summer Mountain Weddings: Hot and Sexy!
The most colorful flowers bloom at Honeysuckle Hills in late June through September. Be prepared however, because the reason we are called the Smoky Mountains is because of the amount of moisture tree leaves emit into the air, causing the hazy, “smoky” look. This means humidity levels are high in the months of June through August. Temperatures are in the upper 80’s, sometimes approaching high 90’s, especially in August. It doesn’t mean that summer is not a good month for a wedding in Pigeon Forge, but it does require some planning for comfort. It’s HOT! Wear fewer layers and lighter material. Allow your fiancé to ditch the heavy, hot jacket. Plan your ceremony for 6pm or later, seek out shade, and go barefoot in the creek.
Book your June weekend Smoky Mountain wedding at least six to nine months in advance. July and August books about three to six months in advance. If you’re a Jeep lover, the annual Jeep Invasion happens the third week / weekend in August. We’ll have a duck and jeep badge ready for you!
The average sunset is close to 9pm in June and July but falls to 8:00pm in August. The best ceremony time at our family friendly mountain view “Lover’s Cove” site is 7:00pm. The best ceremony time at the mountain view adventure site for couples only is closer to 8:00pm. The most popular summer ceremony time at Honeysuckle Hills over-all is 6:00pm. It is NOT cooler in the morning hours, unless you get married at sunrise.
Zinnias, Cosmos, Black-eyed Susans and more bloom from mid-June until frost. Cleomes, Rose of Sharon and more show up in July, blooming prolifically until September. Our stone arch butterfly garden is extremely popular in the summer months.
Fall Weddings in the Smokies: PEAK WEDDING SEASON
Unless you’re an antique car enthusiast, avoid the fall car show that typically happens on the second weekend in September. It’s even crazier than the one in April! Another caution is the first weekend in October for the “Slammedenuff” car show which is increasingly popular. I call these little cars the “fart cans.”
The peak fall leaf color that allures couples from all over the world to marry in the Smoky Mountains occurs between October 15th and November 1st. We locals call it a “leaf lottery.” Weather and rainfall play the biggest role in the glorious change and duration of color. Some trees change before others, so photographers take advantage of different areas throughout fall at Honeysuckle Hills.
The average temperatures after Labor Day weekend in September are in the upper 70’s to lower 80’s. This falls to the 70’s or lower by mid-October, and the 50’s in November. Variations can occur, so watch the forecast before you travel. Fall typically has lower chances for rain, with the exception of September if a hurricane pushes heavy rain our way from the south.
