Foothills Parkway & Gatlinburg Wedding
Julie and Jim’s destination smoky mountain wedding on April 18, 2020, was right in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic. Their wedding venue was originally Spence Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but when the national park closed, they found themselves without a wedding venue. Most businesses were also closed in Gatlinburg, so they knew they had to get creative before driving to Tennessee from Indiana.
In the weeks leading up to their wedding, we were in close contact, talking through various options as the world was evolving. Plan B was to have the wedding at Max Patch, but then the national forest closed. So, we moved to Plan C. The old saying “third time’s a charm” definitely worked for their wedding!
The morning of April 18, we met Julie and Jim for their first look on the Foothills Parkway. Julie’s best friend drove her, and Jim’s best man drove him separately. They followed us in their cars as we drove up the parkway to one of our favorite overlooks. The dogwoods were in bloom, so the mountains were speckled in beautiful blooming white flowers. Their first look as as emotional as it was beautiful, and we took photos with them along the parkway.
Then, we all drove back to a rental cabin in Gatlinburg for their ceremony and reception with their closest family members and friends. Their cabin overlooked downtown Gatlinburg, and it was eerie looking down at the empty town with no movement, empty parking lots, and no neon lights from all the businesses.
Julie and Jim’s minister was unable to travel to Gatlinburg for their wedding due to all the complication surrounding COVID-19, so they had a Zoom ceremony with more than 65 people watching!
After their wedding Julie said, “We can’t stop talking about how amazing and perfect yesterday was. The day went so smoothly. Thank you especially for sticking with us through the craziest of times.”
- First Look Location – Foothills Parkway
- Ceremony Location – Rental Cabin in Gatlinburg
- Florist – Thistle & Lace Florals
About the Foothills Parkway
The Foothills Parkway in Tennessee is one of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s most beautiful and scenic locations. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon drive, stargazing, or a summer picnic. But, it’s also a jaw-dropping location for elopements and intimate weddings – with overlooks, a waterfall, and the newly completed “Missing Link.” If you’re thinking about having a Smoky Mountain wedding or elopement, the Foothills Parkway should be on your list.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Wedding Photographers
JoPhoto is a license and approved wedding photographer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Smokies are a beautiful location for weddings, elopements, and engagement photos. Some of our favorite wedding locations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park include Spence Cabin, Elkmont, Cades Cove, Greenbrier, and the Foothills Parkway.
We are authorized Great Smoky Mountains National Park wedding photographers, and the park is a beautiful destination for mountain weddings, elopements, and photo sessions. If you live in Knoxville, Maryville, East Tennessee, or you are traveling to Gatlinburg, Sevierville, or Pigeon Forge from out of state, then you know how gorgeous the national park is for photos. We have the permit required to photograph weddings in the park, and we visit the park dozens of times each year to photograph weddings.