Marriage License Q & A For Your Gatlinburg Wedding… Let’s Get You Married!
December 29, 2022
The Honeysuckle Hills wedding venue is abundant with natural beauty, making it a favorite wedding destination for couples traveling to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN. We’re also one of the best places to elope or plan a micro-wedding in the Smokies! Our packages range in cost from $199 to $5,000, depending on the services, guest count, and time included. Our photography has been the number one reason couples come here since 2006. Some of our packages include a little, while others unleash creativity with a fever.
I’ve broken down each of our elopement packages to help you choose the perfect one to match your budget and expectations. Have questions? I’m only a message away…
Simply I Do
Cost: Least expensive package, $199-$649
Benefits: Excellent choice for couples who want simplicity and practicality. This package provides beautiful, private surroundings for a wedding ceremony with a caring officiant. It’s no frills, no fuss, quick, easy & the cheapest way to get married.
Guest Count: Best for couples only, Six guests absolute maximum (Wedding couple does not count as a guest, any person of walking age does count as a guest)
Time Invested: Quick and easy, average time is 15 minutes without professional photos or 30 minutes from ceremony to finish with professional photos
Ceremony Options: All ceremony locations, based on availability, officiant included
Ceremony Music: None
Ceremony Director: None. Your officiant & photographer will guide you, but since this package was not created for couples with a wedding party, there is no ceremony director.
Ceremony Time Flexibility: Time cannot be changed in the event of bad weather
Rain plan: Mountain view location has the most challenging rain plan. If the lower grounds Creekside Pavilion or Chapel is available, you can change spots. However, in season you may be restricted to use of umbrellas if our main venue (lower grounds) is booked. The mountain waterfall has a small, covered pavilion.
Photography: Limited and practical. Most who book this package are happy with a few cell phone snapshots afterward taken by the officiant. Professional photography is available as an add-on for the ceremony and the two of you afterward in the same location you got married. (There’s not enough time for photos in more locations.) Expect a variety of poses and quality lighting techniques, but in a much, much shorter time period. All high resolution digital images are included with a copyright release.
Dressing Areas: Not available with this package. Arrive dressed & ready to go. Restrooms available if needed.
Details & Décor: Our venue is set up and ready to go at all times with permanent, pleasing wedding décor. This package does not include ceremony music, time to set up extra décor, or additions of your wedding colors added to the arbors. The arbors are decorated with greenery and white flowers.
Venue Tour: No venue tour is available prior to your wedding date with this package. You are welcome to arrive up to 30 minutes prior to your wedding, but 10 minutes ahead of time is plenty.
When to Book It: Restricted to last minute bookings up to one month in advance for peak wedding season months of April through Thanksgiving. May be booked as far in advance as needed during off-season months of December, January, and most of February.
The Mini Wedding
Cost: Mid-range wedding package, $999- $1499 with our photography / $799 to $1299 using your own
Benefits: Excellent choice for couples with a small guest count of 10 or less who want beautiful photographs in more than one location, but at a lower cost than our classic elopements. It’s an abbreviated version of our full service packages to save money.
Guest Count: Ten guests absolute maximum (Wedding couple does not count as a guest, any person of walking age does count as a guest)
Time Invested: 45 minutes for couples only or one hour for 5-10 guests, beginning with the ceremony
Ceremony Options: All ceremony locations, based on availability & seating capacity, officiant included
Ceremony Director: Yes, in addition to your wedding officiant
Ceremony Music: Yes
Ceremony Time Flexibility: Time cannot be changed in the event of bad weather
Rain plan: Change to our indoor chapel or Creekside Pavilion on the lower grounds if it’s raining. If you’ve booked the mountain waterfall, you can change to the main venue’s lower grounds as long as it’s not booked. Otherwise you’ll use the covered shed at that location.
Photography: When using our photographer, begins with the ceremony itself (no details or getting ready images.) Your ceremony typically lasts 15 minutes. Family group photos are taken after the ceremony. If family group poses take longer, there is less time for photos of the two of you alone. Equally, if family group poses are shorter, there is more time for the two of you afterward. Maximum time period is 45 minutes from the beginning of the ceremony until the end for couples only, or one hour for a wedding with between 5 and 10 guests. Your photographer will pose as creatively as time allows, taking advantage of every second. All images in high resolution with copyright release are included. If you book the mountain view or mountain waterfall, all images are taken there. There are more location choices on our venue’s lower grounds. The actual number used depends on a variety of factors, one of which is how long we spend at each spot. If family photos don’t surpass 15 minutes, you can expect at least two locations on average. Your photographer is pleased to discuss these options with you. This package also has an option to use your own photographer, bringing down the cost.
Dressing Areas: Arrive with hair and makeup complete 30 minutes prior to your ceremony. Use the dressing areas to change clothes. Restrooms available if needed at any time.
Details & Décor: Our venue is set up and ready to go at all times with permanent, pleasing wedding décor. This package does not include time to set up extra décor, so you won’t be able to bring things like a guest book, favors, unity ceremony items, etc. The arbors are decorated with greenery and white flowers, and we can add colors that closely match your own to the arbor.
Venue Tour: We’ll schedule a time to visit with us on a day before the wedding, but you won’t be able to drop off your dress or other wedding related items.
When to Book It: Restricted to last minute bookings up to three months in advance for peak wedding season months of April through Thanksgiving. May be booked as far in advance as desired during off season months.
Classic Elopements
The Willow Tree Wedding, Creekside Family Elopement, Marry on the Mountain
Cost: $1,999 to $5,000 (with our photographer) $1499 to $3999 using your own photographer
Benefits: This is the best wedding experience we offer, and our most popular. It allows more flexibility for the unexpected, more attention, and the most time for creative photography in multiple locations. Relax and enjoy a private, peaceful wedding experience with the least stress.
Guest Count: Fifty guests absolute maximum (children count as guests)
Each package is priced for a range of guests. It’s always best to book within the actual guest count. Please understand the guest count perimeters account for staffing, venue resources, and wear and tear from foot traffic. Most importantly, it accounts for the time needed for socializing, venue enjoyment, and photography without feeling rushed or pushed out the door.
Time Invested: Averages an hour and a half to three hours from ceremony to finish, in addition to the time permitted to use the dressing areas for hair and makeup
Ceremony Options: All ceremony locations, based on availability & seating capacity, officiant included
Ceremony Director: Wedding Planner, ceremony director, assistant for larger guest counts
Ceremony Music: Yes
Ceremony Time Flexibility: Ceremony or photography time can be changed to suit the best weather conditions. Your wedding is the only one scheduled for that day. We’re also lenient with times in case things are running behind. Our only restriction is when it gets dark.
Rain plan: Change the start time of your ceremony or photography for better weather conditions, or choose our Creekside Pavilion or wedding chapel upstairs. We have the flexibility to wait out the rain if needed. The only limitation is when darkness falls, preventing light needed for photos.
Photography: When using our photographer, begins one hour prior to ceremony time for details & getting ready images. Includes photos of the ceremony, family groups, and the two of you in up to three locations on our lower grounds. There is more attention to detail plus more variety with posing and off camera lighting. More photo adventures can be added such as the mountain view, with our horses, or at our mountain waterfall. Includes all high resolution images with copyright release. Also includes a highlight slideshow and one art collage (two of your images blended together, unleashed from your photographer’s imagination.)
Dressing Areas: Use of dressing areas three to four hours prior to the ceremony. Do your own hair and makeup on site or I’ll help you schedule a stylist to meet you here. This begins the personal experience at our venue and allows us more time to get to know each other. There is also less stress, because if you’re running a little behind it’s OK. We only have to worry about when it gets dark.
Details & Décor: Our venue is set up and ready to go at all times with permanent, pleasing wedding décor. We’ll add silk flowers that match yours as closely as possible to the ceremony location of your choice. Bring unity items, guest books, favors or pictures and we’ll set those up for you as well.
Venue Tour: We’ll schedule a time to visit with us on a day before the wedding. Feel free to drop off your dress, clothing, and all wedding related items at this visit.
When to Book It: Because it’s our most popular, book as far in advance as possible. Some Saturdays during peak wedding season months of April, May, September, October and November have minimum reservation requirements. Book October at least a year and a half in advance, even for weekdays. July and August typically books within three to six months. Off-season months of December, January, and most dates in February are often available last minute and with discounts.
Venue Only (Use Your Own Photographer)
Cost: $1,499 to $3,999 depending on guest count and time of year
Benefits: If you already have a photographer you love, this package includes everything else you need. It’s like booking a private park or photography studio with all the amenities a wedding needs
Guest Count: Fifty guests maximum (children count as guests)
Time Invested: Ranges from four to seven hours, depending on your guest count. (Time includes access to dressing areas, ceremony and photography)
Ceremony Options: All ceremony locations, based on availability & seating capacity
Ceremony Director: Wedding Planner, ceremony director, assistant for larger guest counts & ceremony officiant all included
Ceremony Music: Yes
Ceremony Time Flexibility: Ceremony or photography time can be changed to suit the best weather conditions. Your wedding is the only one scheduled for that day.
Rain plan: Change the start time of your ceremony or photography for better weather conditions, or choose our Creekside Pavilion or wedding chapel upstairs. We have the flexibility to wait out the rain if needed. The only limitation is when darkness falls, preventing light needed for photos.
Photography: Venue photographer NOT included (you’ll use your own.) Photographers must provide our venue with a copy of their liability insurance listing Honeysuckle Hills, LLC, as additionally insured. Additional fee required to be photographed with our horses running and approaching you. Photography locations included are strictly based on your photographer’s discretion and the amount of time booked.
Dressing Areas: Use of dressing areas three to four hours prior to the ceremony. Do your own hair and makeup on site or I’ll help you schedule a stylist to meet you here. This begins the personal experience at our venue and allows us more time to get to know each other. There is also less stress, because if you’re running a little behind it’s OK. We only have to worry about when it gets dark.
Details & Décor: Our venue is set up and ready to go at all times with permanent, pleasing wedding décor. We’ll add silk flowers that match yours as closely as possible to the ceremony location of your choice. Bring unity items, guest books, favors or pictures and we’ll set those up for you as well. (Our venue is so lovely you could literally bring nothing and be pleased.)
Venue Tour: We’ll schedule a time to visit with us on a day before the wedding. Feel free to drop off your dress, clothing, and all wedding related items at this visit.
When to Book It: Restricted to Tuesdays and last minute bookings. Our classic elopements are always priority because of their high demand. Fridays and Saturdays are extremely challenging to get.
