Cabin wedding and elopement packages in Gatlinburg:

Looking for the perfect Mountain View

If the cabin you’re considering has a Mountain View, it will definitely be pictured on the website. Be sure to look at any trees in the foreground of the images. If they are bare, with no leaves the cabin may only have a winter view. In other seasons the leaves on the trees may create a significant difference in the view of the mountains. Also look for a part of the cabin such as the deck, railing, seating or hot tub in the photo along with the mountain view. Without a frame of reference it’s impossible to tell what the view actually looks like in person. If you only see pictures of mountains without any other details of the cabin you can’t tell where or how the photo was taken. It’s easy for photographers to manipulate the Mountain View by zooming in, making the mountains appear larger and more dramatic than they actually are. The photo(s) could even have been taken from the roof, the driveway or with a drone.

Check the Deck

If you’re hoping to get married on the deck of the cabin be sure to take a close look at the photos of the decks. Even some large, 8-10 bedroom cabins have surprisingly small decks. A narrow deck will make it difficult to gather all of your guests around for your wedding ceremony and also makes it difficult to get good photos of the mountain background. The more space the photographer has to back away from you and zoom in, the better the mountain background will look. We can sometimes back up into the cabin and shoot through an open door, or use the corner or a deck that wraps around the side of the building to get better photos. But it’s always best if you can find a cabin with a wide deck.

The Fireplace dilema

The fireplace often makes a nice backdrop for your wedding ceremony or a good back up location in the event of bad weather. Be sure to pay extra close attention to it in the pictures. Large TVs are often mounted above the fireplace which is ideal for lounging on the sofa, watching TV on a cold night. But not so great for wedding ceremony photos. We can usually shoot from a slightly higher angle to crop the TV out of your wedding pictures, but not always. And even when the high angle does work it can be very limiting on the types of photos you get and it isn’t normally an ideal angle to make couples look their best. A plain, stone fireplace is always better than having a TV, artwork, or stuffed deer mounted above the mantle.

Outdoor areas around the Cabin

Most cabins in the Gatlinburg area are built on steep mountain sides. They rarely have usable outdoor spaces. If you don’t specifically see outdoor areas pictured on the website, assume there isn’t a suitable place to hold your ceremony in the yard. Aside from decking or a gazebo, most cabins don’t offer a yard for entertaining.

Driveway and Parking

As mentioned above, most cabins in the smoky mountains are on mountainous property. Parking is often limited. If you’re planning to have guests attend your wedding or stay in the cabin together make sure there is ample parking for everyone. You may assume the there are the same number of parking spaces as there are bedrooms, but that isn’t always the case.

Photography Challenges

The difference between a professional and amateur photographer is often (not always) their ability to create exceptional imagery in any situation. The lighting on cabin decks with mountain views is particularly challenging. Imagine the shade under the roof line compared to the bright sunlight shining on the mountains. This can be a very difficult situation for an inexperienced photographer. If they make you look good the mountains in the background are too bright and can’t be seen in the picture. If the mountains are photographed correctly the couple is completely blacked out in a silhouette. The solution is lighting the subject I order to balance the lighting between them and the background. Be sure your photographer is experienced or at least prepared for this.

Read cabin rental policies

Many cabin rental owners specifically don’t allow weddings, receptions and parties. Obviously, they are concerned about the property getting damaged during a party. But other, less obvious reasons for this policy may include:
Limited Parking; Many Smoky Mountain cabins are built along winding mountain roads, so street parking isn’t an option.
Septic/Sewer Limitations; Too many people using too much water may lead to septic backups, failure or even damage.
Building & Occupancy Regulations; The city or county may limit the number of occupants in a rental cabin, if there was an incident, the cabin owner could be held responsible.
As you may have noticed, most of the reasons listed above are directly related to occupancy. If your wedding has no more participants than the cabin sleeps you should be fine. Many couples employ a don’t ask don’t tell strategy for these situations. If you’re concerned you can reach out to the owner or rental company and explain that you’re planning more of a family gathering (Which would occur anyway if they are staying in one cabin) than a wedding, or use the term elopement instead of wedding to ease their concerns.

Hopefully you now feel more prepared to plan a cabin wedding and aren't completely turned off of the idea. The topics above are meant to inform you of what to expect, not talk you out of it. Cabin weddings are an ideal solution for many couples.