Top Smoky Mountain Wedding Locations
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a wide variety of wedding locations, from historic churches and cabins to rivers, forests, and mountain overlooks. Cades Cove, Elkmont, Greenbrier, Foothills Parkway, and Newfound Gap each offer distinct settings for weddings and elopements.
As a photographer who has worked throughout the Smokies for years, I know these locations go beyond how they look in photographs. Traffic, parking, weather, crowds, travel time, and changing light can all affect which Smoky Mountain wedding location makes the most sense for your plans.
About The Great Smoky Mountains.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 800 square miles of mountain wilderness. The land is federally owned and managed by the National Park Service. It is surrounded by over 1.6 million acres of U.S. Forest Service lands. These lands help provide Great Smoky Mountains visitors with breathtaking views. Row after row of mountains and ridges stretch to the horizon. Further, there is little evidence of human development.
The Smoky Mountains in Tennessee have had a long history of settlers. When Settlers arrived in the 1700s, they found themselves on Cherokee land. Visitors can see some of that settler history today. There are nearly 80 preserved log cabins, churches, gristmills, and historic landscapes. Many historic churches in Cades Cove are easily accessible to tourists.
In 1926, President Coolidge signed a bill establishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park was formally dedicated by President Roosevelt in 1940. He spoke from the Rockefeller Memorial at Newfound Gap. Thanks to the years of dedication and community support, the GSMNP is a place for all the country’s people and the rest of the world to enjoy.
The Smoky Mountains Today
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also America’s most visited national park. The park estimates more than 11 million visitors a year, roughly triple the number of Yellowstone or Yosemite National Parks. In 2021, the figures increased to over12 million visitors. Visitors are drawn by the mountain views, hundreds of miles of pristine mountain streams and hiking trails, wildflowers, historic cabins, and a lush forest. The Smoky Mountains are home to abundant wildlife, including black bears, elk, deer, and birds. Turkeys roam freely in Cades Cove!
Smoky Mountain Wedding Ceremony Locations
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires that ceremonies and weddings be held at one of its designated locations. You can find a full list of the approved locations. I have noted a few of the most popular wedding ceremony locations below!
Cades Cove Wedding Locations
Cades Cove gives you some of the most variety of any wedding location in the Smokies. The 11-mile loop includes historic churches and cabins, open fields, wooded areas, and mountain views. There are several designated ceremony locations within Cades Cove. Each one has a different setting and works well for a different type of Smoky Mountain wedding.
Primitive Baptist Church
Primitive Baptist Church is one of the most recognizable historic churches in Cades Cove. The small white church is surrounded by open fields, mature trees, and mountain views. It is a good fit for couples who want a traditional church setting while still getting married inside the national park. The surrounding area also gives us plenty of options for portraits after the ceremony.
Wildlife Overlook
Wildlife Overlook offers an open setting with views across the Cades Cove valley. It is a good choice for couples who want their ceremony to feel connected to the landscape rather than held inside a historic structure.
The open fields and surrounding mountains create a classic Smoky Mountain backdrop, especially in the early morning or late afternoon.
LeQuire Cemetery Overlook
LeQuire Cemetery Overlook provides another open-air ceremony setting within Cades Cove. The location has views across the valley and a quieter, more natural feel than the historic churches.
It works well for couples who want mountain views and open space without needing a large setup. The surrounding roads and fields also offer several photo opportunities after the ceremony.
Methodist Church
The Methodist Church is one of the historic churches along the Cades Cove loop. Its simple white exterior and surrounding trees create a classic setting for a small Smoky Mountain wedding. The church is especially appealing to couples who want the history of Cades Cove to be part of their ceremony. The nearby fields, fences, and mountain views provide additional portrait locations.
Missionary Baptist Church
The Missionary Baptist Church is another historic church available for weddings in Cades Cove. The building is surrounded by the open landscape and historic scenery that make this area so distinctive. This location is a good fit for couples who want a traditional church ceremony and the option to explore the rest of Cades Cove afterward for photographs.
Cades Cove Wedding Photography
Cades Cove is also one of my favorite places to continue taking photographs after the ceremony. The biggest consideration here is time. Traffic around the loop can be unpredictable, so your wedding timeline needs to account for driving between locations.
Historic Elkmont Wedding Locations
From a personal standpoint, this is one of my favorite places to photograph in the Smokies. Just like Cades Cove, it has a mix of everything. The Little River runs through much of this area and offers plenty of opportunities for photography along its banks. You will also see stone chimney stacks left over from past cabins, as well as a beautiful stone bridge. And don’t forget that some of the most popular camping is done in Elkmont!
Spence Cabin Weddings in Elkmont
Spence Cabin, located along the Little River in Elkmont, is one of the most versatile wedding locations in the national park. Couples have access to an indoor space as well as the surrounding outdoor areas. The cabin’s stonework, river, trees, and nearby historic Elkmont area offer several photo options without needing to travel far after the ceremony. It is especially useful for couples who want the Smokies but would also like access to an indoor space.
Appalachian Clubhouse Weddings
The Appalachian Clubhouse is another historic wedding location in Elkmont. Located in Daisy Town, the clubhouse has a large open interior with exposed wood beams and stone fireplaces. Outside, the surrounding historic cabins and forest give the area a completely different feel from the open landscapes of Cades Cove or Foothills Parkway. Couples can also use other parts of Elkmont for photographs before or after the wedding.
Greenbrier Wedding Locations
Just six miles east of Gatlinburg, Greenbrier is one of the great off-the-beaten-path areas of the Great Smoky Mountains. This makes it the perfect spot for an intimate wedding at Greenbrier #1 and Greenbrier #2. The gravel Greenbrier Road runs along the river and ends at the Porters Creek trailhead. Boasting wildflowers in the Spring and Ramsay Cascades waterfall, it’s the hidden gem of locations.
Foothills Parkway Wedding Locations
The newest addition to the Smokies! The long-awaited section of the Foothills Parkway between Walland and Wears Valley, Tennessee, is finally open. It offers magnificent views into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as it crosses Green Mountain. Mount Cammerer and the Eastern Smokies dominate the view.
Newfound Gap Wedding Location
Looking for scenic locations? US 441 to Newfound Gap is a beautiful drive and full of photo spots. The Appalachian Trail (AT) also crosses over Newfound Gap Road and straddles the state line between North Carolina and Tennessee. If you are looking for a unique and epic elopement location, this is it.
Noah Bud Ogle Cabin
The Noah Bud Ogle Cabin is situated near LeConte Creek (formerly known as Mill Creek). The homestead presently consists of a cabin, barn, and tub mill built by mountain farmer Noah “Bud” Ogle. The dreamy rustic cabin offers backdrops that remind you of a simpler time, and the other structures nestled into the enchanted forest will take your breath away. This location is a great Smoky Mountain wedding venue for your wedding day.
And Many More Smoky Mountain Wedding Locations!
There are over 40 permitted adventurous locations for your wedding day inside the Smoky Mountains. These locations are across the Tennessee-North Carolina border. You are sure to find your perfect wedding experience.
Don’t Skip Your Engagement Session in the Smokies
Your wedding experience starts with your engagement! You may decide that having an engagement session in the Smokies is the way to go. Planning your engagement session in the Smokies is easy, and all you need is a Smoky Mountain Permitted Photographer. That’s me! I am familiar with many engagement session locations in the Smokies, such as Cataract Falls, Little River Road, Metcalf Bottoms, and more!
Smoky Mountain Wedding Photographer Erin Morrison
When you book Erin Morrison Photography, you’re also booking my vast knowledge of the Smoky Mountains. I am familiar with the travel and weather inside the National Park boundaries. I am also familiar with beautiful and unique photography locations throughout the Smokies.
Further, I am required to have all of that boring licensing and insurance! Yes! Erin Morrison Photography is properly vetted and approved for commercial photography. When you see a permitted Smoky Mountain photographer, you can rest assured that you are dealing with a professional and licensed photographer.
Plan Your Smoky Mountain Wedding
have photographed many elopements and weddings in the Smokies. No matter if you are getting married in Cades Cove or Spence Cabin, I am available for your wedding day. My Smokies Portfolio showcases many adventurous locations for weddings, elopements, and even engagement sessions.
Weddings and elopements in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are absolutely beautiful. If you’re interested in getting married in the park, please review my pricing page and Smoky Mountain Checklist. And please do not hesitate to contact me. I would love to be your Great Smoky Mountain National Park photographer.
