couple getting married in casual clothing at a mountain waterfall with laughter and joyous expressions

Officiant Regina Starkey handing a ring to a bride at a Smoky Mountain waterfall ceremony site in Pigeon Forge

Couple getting married at a mountain waterfall with a foggy background

Groom in dress blues holding hands with his bride during the ceremony in front of a Smoky Mountain waterfall with a minister wearing a cowboy hat

Appalachian style home behind white gooseneck flowers and a pavilion with a green roof

Vacation rental bordering the Smoky Mountain National park next to a 100 year old barn

Couple smiling beneath summer leaves with a waterfall behind them

bride standing on a rock in front of a Smoky Mountain waterfall holding her long white train and a bouquet of white flowers

wedding couple walking with leaves falling in autumn and an old leaning barn behind them

Bride twirling her dress in front of her groom in the summer in front of an old barn in the mountains

bride in short summer dress sitting on a rock in the Smoky Mountains by a waterfall

bride holding her braid while sitting on a rock by a waterfall in the Smoky Mountains

Mountain Waterfall

If it’s just the two of you and you’re looking for a unique wedding ceremony location, our mountain waterfall provides a backdrop of verdant green against native rhododendrons. It’s located three miles from the Honeysuckle Hills main venue next to my home and a vacation rental called Starkey’s Homestead. This property borders the National Park, but there’s no need to bother with the red tape of government permits since it’s on privately owned land. No long hike is required, and you’ll drive right up to the waterfall on level ground. I love to use this location for our more adventurous elopements as a photography location as well. My great-grandfather’s nearly 100 year old barn is adjacent to the waterfall, making it the perfect backdrop for nostalgic wedding images.

I created the waterfall not only for enjoyment with our weddings, but as a peaceful place to relax on my days off. When I was a little girl, I toyed with salamanders in the creek below it while my Dad grilled hamburgers for Saturday cookouts in the summer. Of course, there was no waterfall back then unless the spring rains saturated the ground until water emerged from any crevice it could find. My waterfall looks like a miniature version of Laurel Falls, but its flow is purely man made. This means in the late summer months of drought the same amount of water crashes against the rocks as opposed to the trickle generally found at the real waterfalls in the National Park.

Historic Starkeytown has three different vacation rentals along its mile long drive in the forest following the stream, and two of them are located near the waterfall. Little Mountain Hideaway honeymoon cabin is only a short five-minute walk away. Many couples love the seclusion of this rental and stay there after getting married at the waterfall. Starkey’s Homestead, sleeping up to eight guests, is literally at the top of the hill within sight of the waterfall. I selectively book a maximum of one wedding each week at the waterfall to ensure that both my wedding and vacation rental guests have the most privacy. Please understand that renters have priority and therefore may be outside enjoying their stay in the Smoky Mountains while you’re getting married. More commonly, however, renters are enjoying the attractions in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg during the times we schedule weddings and photography sessions here.

If it Rains

The rain plan for this site is the opportunity to change to our Creekside Pavilion or the Chapel at our main venue’s lower grounds if available.
You may also use the small covered pavilion next to the waterfall.