You’re engaged, congrats! And if you are here, chances are you are ready to get married. I am here to help you do it as quickly as possible. If you don’t want to compromise your vision for your wedding day when you elope to Gatlinburg, then elope to Gatlinburg in 6 months plan is for you!

6 Months Before

Planning your elopement is easier with more time, so starting about 6 months in advance is a great idea! However, if you are on a shorter timeline, that is also fine. Just take the following “to-dos” and adjust them to your timeframe. A lot of these items are as simple as booking a reservation through a call. In addition, with elopements, some of these vendors won’t even be on your radar for your dream day.

Book Your Venue & Set Your Date

A lot of the couples I work with have true elopements, without booking a venue. However, even if you just want to get married on top of the Smokies, we will need to apply for your special use permit through The Great Smoky Mountain National Park as soon as possible!

If you do want to elope in a venue, I have a ton of elopement venues on the blog!

Book Your Gatlinburg Wedding Photographer

Once your date is reserved with your venue/location start booking your vendors! I suggest contacting your wedding photographer first, as other vendors like florists can book multiple clients for a day. Photographers can be more limited on how many elopements or weddings they can shoot in a day. Also, the National Park prefers the special use permit be under the photographers organization as well as the bride or groom’s name.

If you book with me, I’ve got you covered! I will obtain the permit & book an officiant.

Book Your Wedding Officiant

Another wedding vendor that is extremely important and typically has a full schedule is a wedding officiant. As a Gatlinburg elopement planner, I have worked with some of the best officiants in the area. So when you elope to Gatlinburg, check out my recommendations for your ceremony!

Wedding Dress Shopping

Wedding dress shopping can take some time, as not every bride finds the perfect dress quickly. I suggest you start shopping for your wedding dress as soon as possible to maximize your time, as well as to allow time for alterations if needed. You deserve to feel like a bride on your elopement, and a wedding dress can play a huge role in that!

4 Months Before

As you plan to elope to Gatlinburg in 6 months, be sure to prioritize your vendors. With that said, if any of the following vendors provide services that you feel you need for your elopement, then book them sooner than 4 months prior.

• florist
• hair & makeup
• cake
• catering, consider if you decide to book a venue

2 Months Before

At this point, the time will fly! Solidify your wedding day timeline, especially with your officiant and photographer. In addition, send you final timeline to your other vendors that will be there day of.

Additionally, you will also want to look into the details of getting your marriage license in the state of Tennessee. Here is how to obtain your marriage license, so you can have it ready before your wedding day!

Before you know it, it will be time to tie the knot! Need more help planning? Reach out and let’s get started today!