The Gatlinburg area, which is Sevier County and includes Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg is the second most popular US city to tie the knot in, second only behind Las Vegas. Gatlinburg held almost 15,000 documented weddings in 2007.
Why is Gatlinburg Such a Popular Destination?
Because it is just beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful. Plus Gatlinburg alone has 13 wedding chapels. That’s not counting the chapels in Pigeon Forge or the fact that you can get married amidst the beautiful mountain views of Great Smoky Mountains National Park or anywhere in the mountains that offer amazing scenery, the feel of nature or the fun of all the tourist attractions like Ripley's museums and the Great Smoky Mountains Aquarium.
The Wedding Chapels Offer All Inclusive Packages
There is an adorable little wedding chapel that is appropriately named Cupid’s Chapel of Love (www.cupidschapeloflove.com) in Gatlinburg. Small, adorable, and the epitomy of romance- their all inclusive packages for intimate weddings of up to 40 guests are extremely budget friendly. Get a minister, music, photography, videography, toasting glasses and champagne, a wedding cake and hor d’oeuvres reception, plus a honeymoon cabin, all for $2,400. Wow! Wish I had known all that when I got married several years ago, I could have saved a fortune.
How is that a Green Wedding?
Many things can contribute to being green. By having a small intimate wedding you are saving resources. Money, after all, is a major resource, the leading resource which makes the world go around, figurtively speaking of course.
By having your wedding and reception in the same location you are saving on transportation costs and related CO2 emissions. Add having your honeymoon in the same location as your wedding you are going extremely green, especially in Gatlinburg because of the area’s green efforts.
Gatlinburg's Green Efforts
Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are both taking giant strides in preserving the pristine beauty and natural resources of the area.
Just a few of Gatlinburg’s green efforts include; their trolleys running on B20 Biodiesel, they’ve switched to LED lights for their Winter Magic Celebration, switch is a huge energy savings considering that they have over 3 million lights lighting up the mountain city during the holiday season, they’ve also started Gatlinburg Goes Green-a program through the chamber of commerce that encourages local businesses to go green as well.
Many business in Gatlinburg have taken a “green” pledge. Tourist attractions Ober Gatlinburg ski resort and amusement center and Ripley’s Aquarium have pledged to be green. Camp Thunder and Fort Fun have also taken pledges to become more eco friendly. These attractions, along with others, have decided to take the steps to becoming more environmentally conscience and prevent environmental damage.
Many restaurants are also taking the steps to become green - Bennett’s BBQ, Bubba Gump’s, The Peddler, and Park Grill have pledged to become “green” facilities.
Green buidlings are also going up in Gatlinburg including a Hilton Garden Inn which will be the first green hotel in the state of Tennessee.
Gatlinburg Caters to Weddings
One of the really great things about planning a wedding in Gatlinburg is that they have everything you may want or need right there- wedding chapels galore and every vendor imaginable is local and ready to help you including wedding planners, florists, photographers, cake makers, even formal wear rentals. Yes, that’s right you can rent tuxes and wedding gowns…that’s something you don’t see too often, being able to rent a gown. Talk about being green and affordable...
Plus if you have bridesmaids, flower girls or any other attendants they can also rent their attire instead of spending a fortune on something they’ll probably never wear again. How green is that?
And with the Gatlinburg Goes Green program for local businesses, chances are you’ll find several wedding vendors that have implemented the green initiatives that are part of the program.
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