Nestled amid The Great Smoky Mountains and endless green hills, Tennessee beckons with natural beauty, offering the perfect backdrop for your timeless elopement.
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Tennessee, with its enchanting blend of The Great Smoky Mountains and rolling green hills, sets an idyllic stage for unforgettable elopements. In Nashville, the heartbeat of music, and the serene city of Gatlinburg, time seems to slow down, allowing you to savor every moment.
The accessibility of these locations ensures that everyone, regardless of mobility, can partake in the magic. Embrace the changing seasons with a versatile wardrobe, as the weather transitions gracefully, offering each couple a unique and beautiful experience. Whether you’re exchanging vows beneath the towering pines or dancing to the rhythm of Nashville, Tennessee invites you to create lasting memories against its picturesque backdrop.
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Discover the allure of Tennessee as the ultimate elopement destination, where timeless moments unfold effortlessly.
We’re firm believers that there’s magic within each and every wedding that takes place.
You, your SO, and someone to make it official. For couples all about the essentials, the Seed package sets you up for a simply perfect day.
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Customize your PackageThe Sprout package offers a professional officiant, one hour of photography, your Personal Elopement Planner and access to our best-in-class tech platform. Your stress-free elopement starts here!
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Customize your PackageBloom couples enjoy all of the Sprout services and more—namely, a matching bouquet and boutonniere delivered to your suite or ceremony site.
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Customize your PackageWhy should big weddings have all the fun? If your dream elopement includes an exotic photo sesh, a first-look video, and a dedicated glam team, Oasis is your destination.
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Customize your PackageOne 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! 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.
For a custom quote for your Tennessee elopement, visit our quote builder.
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 elopement, 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 the 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 of adventure to your elopement, 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.
1. We don't believe a wedding has to be stressful. There is far less to coordinate (and we take on most of that planning anyhow), and your realm of responsibility consists of making a few decisions and getting your marriage license. It's hard to beat a wedding that is actually...wait for it...relaxing!
2. Cost-conscious: Let's be honest, there is so much uncertainty right now! Economic recession? Inflation? Rising cost of living? Save your money for a honeymoon or buying a house and still have a ceremony you'll remember for the rest of your lives.
3. A Ceremony should be About YOU and YOUR LOVE: When did a wedding turn into a party for everyone else? We personalize every aspect of your experience – from the vendors to the vows. We'll even cry real tears with you. We're here to celebrate the core of what makes a wedding ceremony special: you making a lifetime commitment to the one you love. That's a big deal – and we treat it as such.
1. Flowers by Palette We have arrangements based on a color palette, which means the types of flowers may not be exactly as pictured, but the colors and arrangement style will match. You can explore our options for Flowers by Palette here (excluding Hawaii).
2. Hawaiian Arrangements Hawaii is a unique destination, and we have our stunning tropical arrangements for ceremonies taking place in Hawaii. You can view these arrangements here. Please note that these arrangements are only available in Hawaii.
As soon as you book our services, we get to work! We'll immediately introduce you to your Personal Elopement Planner, who is kind of like your best friend between the date you book and the day you elope! Your Pep will be ensuring every step of the process is smooth and delightful. They will introduce you to your team, answer any questions you have, put your schedule and invoice together, and much more!
We'll also begin the process of personalizing. You'll work with your officiant to ensure your ceremony matches what you envision and dream of. Your photographer will ensure they understand the kind of shots or photos you're hoping for. Your hair & makeup artist will inquire about the style you're going for with your hair and makeup. Your dashboard is also customized to meet your needs.
We offer many tools to help you feel at ease about your decision to book Simply Eloped, including your personalized Elopement Checklist, your marriage license guide, your Wedding Page, and more! You can even make installment payments on your invoice at 0% APR. Weeks prior to your ceremony, we'll send your itinerary with all the details you and your guests need. Your team will meet at your ceremony site, and the rest, as they say, is history.
First off, know that every moment of your elopement day, we are available to you for whatever you need! We're very prompt on timing with floral delivery, hair & makeup, etc.
Your team will always meet at your venue prior to your ceremony time to ensure everyone is collected, introduced, and ready for a gorgeous ceremony right on time. Your officiant will kick off your ceremony and ensure that all of your requests are beautifully exhibited in your personalized ceremony. It's important to note that your dedicated Personal Elopement Planner will not be present at the ceremony, but will definitely be accessible by phone or text for your day-of needs.
Ceremonies generally last 15-20 minutes, which will then kick off into your portrait session with your photographer (if you booked one with us). The main task you need to be mindful of on your big day is bringing your marriage license, and we do the rest! 🌼👰🤵
We wish we could control the weather, but alas, there are some things quite simply out of our realm of power.
In our experience, most weather passes quickly, and we can be flexible about timing. However, we do have recommendations or options for indoor venues, and if worst comes to worst, we can move your ceremony to another day. We'll work with you individually in the case of poor weather.
Pro tip: Though weather can be daunting or scary, some of our FAVORITE ceremonies happen in thunder, rain, or snow storms. Being open-minded about ""undesirable"" weather can create an extremely memorable ceremony. Sometimes it's all about perspective.