Elope in Tennessee

One of the most popular states in the U.S. for elopements, Tennessee has heaps of history, music, and mountains. Home to the Great Smoky Mountains at the heart of the country’s South, Tennessee stretches 450 miles from the Mississippi River in the west to the Appalachian Mountains in the east. Whether you seek historic estates, mountain peaks, or a vibrant music scene, Tennessee has got it all in spades.

If it’s a Smoky Mountain elopement you’re after, we’ve got the scoop on how to get married in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And if you have your heart set on a Music City fete, we know where to go to rock out and who does the best mint juleps in town. Read on to learn the best times of the year to elope in Tennessee, what paperwork you’ll need to legally get married here, and how bourbon might help you avoid rain on your big day.

While Tennessee is home to one of the most popular cities in the U.S. for getting hitched, it is still far from one of the most expensive places to elope in the country. If you’re from out of state, you’ll have to factor in transportation costs, but otherwise, the cost of a visit to Tennessee is totally doable for most couples, even those with a budget! With all of the all-inclusive elopement packages Tennessee has available, your micro wedding doesn’t have to break the bank. You can even get a $60 discount on the cost of your marriage license if you take a premarital preparation course in the year prior to your elopement date. Just make sure you bring your Certificate of Completion with you when you go to get your marriage license. Without a premarital course, your Tennessee marriage license should cost you about $100. And if you settle on an outdoor venue for your elopement ceremony, like the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, you might need to apply for additional permits and pay a fee to use public space. If you book an all-inclusive elopement package with us, however, those fees may already be included in your package.

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To apply for your Tennessee marriage license, you don’t need to be a resident, but you do need to bring a valid form of identification and your Social Security number with you when you apply, and if either you or your partner are divorced, you will need to show a copy of the divorce decree. You can actually pre-apply online for your marriage license up to 30 days before your wedding ceremony, but both parties wishing to get married must go in person to pick up the marriage license at one of the Marriage License Centers in the state. Once your marriage license has been granted, you’re free to get married! There is no waiting period in Tennessee, but you should make sure that you get married within 30 days of receiving your marriage license or it will expire and you’ll be forced to reapply.

Tennessee keeps things simple. You don’t need any witnesses to legally get married here. That said, there is space on the marriage license for a witness to sign if you have someone special in mind that you would like to include in your Tennessee elopement.

Tennessee sees four distinct seasons each year, so decide which kind of weather makes you the happiest before deciding on a date for your elopement. Autumn tends to be the most popular season for weddings in Tennessee, while winter is typically the quietest season — except in Gatlinburg, which is home to the state’s only ski resort.

Spring in Tennessee is all wildflowers and fields of green. Temperatures are wonderfully mild, hovering between 50 to 70 degrees, but the flowers do tend to bring showers, as rain is more likely in the spring than the rest of the year. Thankfully Old Tennessee lore purports that you can keep the rain away on your special day if you bury a bottle of bourbon upside down at your venue one month before the big day.

If you are sensitive to the heat, it may be best to avoid a summer elopement in Tennessee. The average temperature during the day is 83 degrees and the heat is seemingly elevated by the humidity, making for pretty brutal sunny days. To beat the heat, you can plan your elopement ceremony around sunrise or sunset or even pass out parasols to keep everyone cool.

What’s not to love about fall in Tennessee? Temperatures start to dip in mid-September and the beautifully mild weather sticks around through the middle of November. Wait until at least the end of October to elope here if you’re a fan of the fall foliage.

The winter months in Tennessee are uniquely beautiful, especially throughout the state’s vast park system. To see snow, stick to the north, as temperatures further south don’t often drop below freezing. And if you’re big on intimacy, winter will likely offer more privacy unless you’re eloping in Gatlinburg around the winter holidays. Speaking of privacy, keep in mind that Tennessee is home to some amazing festivals each year. This can add another layer to your elopement adventure, but it can also bring crowds, street closures, and venue competition, so be sure to check out your desired dates for any overlap with the state’s annual festivities, like Bonnaroo and the CMA Music Festival in early June, the Fourth of July, and Oktoberfest.

If you choose to change your last name during your elopement process, first you’ll need to get a new Social Security card. To do this, you will need to submit a valid identification, birth certificate, and a certified copy of your marriage license to a Social Security Office, either in person or by mail. Once you’ve received your new Social Security card, you can use it to get a new driver’s license by bringing your current driver’s license and a certified copy of your marriage license to a DMV.