Great Smoky Mountains National Park Elopement Packages
Deciding to elope in the Great Smoky Mountains is a treasured memory you and your partner will cherish forever! Climb the tops of mountains, wander through fields of flowers, and soak in every view this scenic paradise has to offer.
This guide is your complete resource for everything you need to plan your Great Smoky Mountains National Park elopement – from pre-planning through the ceremony and everything in between. Ready to elope? Let's dive in!
Where is Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park spans more than 800 square miles along the North Carolina-Tennessee border.
It’s America’s most visited national park, and it's not hard to see why! The park draws in over 11 million people each year to marvel at its old-growth forests, wildflowers, and trademark smoky haze.
Despite the park's popularity, there are plenty of places you can find peace and quiet. Take a slight detour off the beaten path to find lush forests, historic landmarks, and miles of backcountry trails.
Asheville, North Carolina is the perfect home base for exploring the North Carolina Smokies. Five entrances to Great Smoky Mountains National Park are within an hour and a half drive of Asheville.
Planning on flying in for your elopement? McGhee-Tyson Airport (TYS), near Knoxville, is the closest major airport to the park. You can also fly into the smaller Asheville Regional Airport, which is approximately one hour away from the park entrance.
No public transportation options are available directly to the park. Getting around the park is easiest if you arrange a rental car or another private mode of transportation if you are traveling from outside the area. However, if you’re staying in or close to Gatlinburg, the town offers a seasonal trolley service that’ll shuttle you to the Sugarlands Visitor Center and Elkmont.
How many guests can I have at my Great Smoky Mountains National Park elopement?
As with most national parks, a special use permit is required to hold a wedding ceremony at a pre-designated location within the park.
Per park regulations, outdoor locations can accommodate up to 25 people, one hour of use, and six vehicles. If you plan on eloping in one of the park's historic churches, guests are limited to a maximum of 50 people, one and a half hours of use, and eight vehicles. These limits include all individuals in attendance, including vendors and their associated vehicles. The time limit includes setup, ceremony, photography, and clean up.
Where can I elope in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
You can hold your elopement in one of the 45 approved park locations. To make it easier for you to visualize and plan your elopement venue, here's a map of approved locations with images here.
Popular wedding locations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park include:
Foothills Parkway
Cades Cove
Greenbrier Riverside
Cataract Falls
National Park Scenic Overlook
Spence Cabin
How to elope in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Eloping in Great Smoky Mountains is a fairly simple process, but there are a few steps you need to follow. First, fill out the park’s Special Use Permit form with some basic information.
Submit your special use permit form with a $50 non-refundable application fee no less than 14 days before the event begins.
Park entrance fees
It’s important to note that while Great Smoky Mountains National Park does not charge an entrance fee, parking tags are required for all vehicles parking for longer than 15 minutes starting March 1, 2023. Other national park passes, such as the America the Beautiful pass, cannot be used to waive the parking fee.
Parking tags are available for purchase both online and onsite. The park offers three types of passes depending on how long you plan to visit the park. The tiers are as follows:
Daily parking pass - $5
Weekly parking pass - $15
Annual parking pass - $40
Tags are valid for a single vehicle and must include a license plate number matching the vehicle on which they are displayed. If you plan to invite guests to your elopement, they'll need a parking tag.
Leave No Trace
Following the seven principles of Leave No Trace (aka LNT) is essential, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park goes to great lengths to protect its natural beauty and historical legacy. This park has a particularly long list of “do not bring” items (more details below) and, as you’ve probably noticed, strict guidelines about the number of people and vehicles allowed at any given location.
With all that in mind, please practice LNT during your Great Smoky elopement and take extra care to respect the park’s rules and regulations. And, of course, if you’re unsure about whether something is allowed, feel free to ask a park ranger!
What can I have at my Great Smoky Mountains elopement?
Like many other national parks, restrictions apply to what you can and cannot use for your Great Smoky National Park elopement.
Items that are permitted for a wedding
Acoustical Instruments or mobile music devices
Discrete floral arrangements
Battery powered candles
Up to 6 chairs for seating
Items not permitted for a wedding
Horse-drawn carriages
Tents/canopies
Tables
Banners/signs including directional signs
Portable heating or cooling devices (electrical or otherwise)
Release of live animals
Carpet runners
Balloons
Garden arches-stands-risers or other similar unnatural props
Fireworks, candles/oil lamps, any item which produces an open flame
Fog machines
Confetti, bubbles, flower petals, silly string, birdseed, rice or any other such material are prohibited
Food, including wedding cake, is prohibited in or near historic structures
Drones
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Elopement Packages
All elopement packages include my travel to anywhere in the United States (no hidden or extra fees!), customized location scouting and research, permit assistance, personalized vendor recommendations, unique-to-you and your location activity suggestions, and a customized elopement timeline for your one of a kind day.
Every elopement gallery also includes high-resolution digital images with printing rights and a private online gallery to view, print, download, and share your gallery with your family and friends to relive the day with you!
4 Hour Elopement Day Package ~ $3000
Perfect for couples wanting to take a more simplistic approach to their elopement day! Typically this package is ideal for capturing getting ready, a close ceremony location with a short hike, and couples portraits.
8 Hour Elopement Day Package ~ $5000
Best for couples wanting a day of adventure like a long hike, off-roading, or traveling to multiple locations on the islands. This package is best for telling the complete story of your elopement day. Couples who are eloping will select this package to document their elopement to allow friends and family who cannot attend their special day to celebrate with them. Also ideal for couples bringing friends and family who want to have their reception captured. Your reception could look like an intimate reception at your Airbnb with your parents and siblings or a private chef serving you a 3-course meal as you listen and dance to your wedding day playlist!
12 Hour Elopement Day Package ~ $7000
Perfect for couples seeking complete coverage of their elopement story. This package offers the ultimate storytelling experience. From waking up and having coffee with your partner to roasting marshmallows on a fire after dusk. Couples who are eloping will select this package to document their elopement to allow friends and family who cannot attend their special day to celebrate with them. Also ideal for couples bringing friends and family who want to have their full day with their guests documented.
Multi-Day Elopement Package ~ $9000
Perfect for couples wanting a multi-day experience with a lot of adventure. This package is best if you want to elope in one epic location and experience another the following day. An example of this would be eloping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and driving 4x4’s the next day to locations off the beaten path, saddling up for horseback riding, or ziplining in the Smokies.
What to do in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Regardless of what your perfect Great Smoky Mountains National Park elopement entails, you're sure to find no shortage of fun activities to fill your time before and after your wedding!
Some popular pre and post-elopement activities include
Take a hike
Camp or glamp
Go horseback riding
Go on a Jeep tour
Backpack along the Appalachian Trail
Go wildlife and bird watching
Have a picnic
Bike Cades Cove Loop Road
Stargaze at Clingman's Dome
Take a tour through Cades Cove
Check out one of the 90 historic buildings throughout the park
Visit a burial site
Explor the Elkmont Ghost Town
Go fishing
Go on a horse-drawn carriage or wagon ride
Go whitewater rafting
Enjoy the year-round wildflowers
Go leaf peeping in the fall
When to elope in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Deciding which time of year to elope in Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a tough call, but you can narrow down your options by asking yourself the right questions. First, what’s your favorite time of year? How do you feel about wildflowers and gushing rivers? What about warm, sunny summer days? Are you a sucker for fall colors or short, snowy days? Every season in the Smoky Mountains offers something different.
Winter – Winters can be hit or miss in the Smokies. The temperature can range from balmy, 70-degree days to frigid temperatures, with massive snowstorms shutting down most of the park. As roads close and reopen throughout the winter, higher elevations are a gamble. Snow still falls in some areas at lower elevations. If you choose winter for the snow, be flexible, but also get ready for a beautiful wonderland with substantially fewer crowds and more opportunities to have a truly intimate elopement experience!
Summer – Summer in the Smokies sees the most tourists visiting the park. It can also get sweltering and humid in low elevations, whereas higher elevations tend to stay pleasant and balmy. You can avoid touristy areas by hiking high trails, but afternoon haze can be problematic. Thunderstorms often form in the afternoons, so if the weather is a concern, I'd highly recommend an early sunrise elopement for an ideal weather window without the crowds.
Spring – This is the best time of year to enjoy wildflowers in full bloom! While warm days are common, snow can still pepper the mountains at higher elevations. As the snowpack melts, rivers and waterfalls swell, perfect for visually striking photo opportunities.
Fall – From early to mid-October, fall colors bloom above 4,000 feet in the Smoky Mountains. These fall colors normally peak at mid and lower elevations between mid-October and early November. Among the most colorful trees in the park are sugar maples, scarlet oaks, sweetgum trees, red maples, and hickories. Stunning autumn colors and Smoky Mountains preparing for hibernation provide an idyllic backdrop for an elopement.
Where to stay when visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Abrams Creek Campground
Balsam Mountain Campground
Big Creek Campground
Cades Cove Campground
Cataloochee Campground
Cosby Campground
Deep Creek Campground
Elkmont Campground
Look Rock Campground
Smokemont Campground
Best Airbnb’s near Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Best upscale hotels & resorts near Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Ready to plan your Smoky Mountains Elopement?
Regardless of where you are in the planning process, I hope this guide to eloping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was helpful! I'd love to discuss your elopement day vision and answer your questions. If you’re bursting at the seams to start planning the elopement day of your dreams, contact me today and let's get started!