A bride and groom’s to-do list can be overwhelming. There is always a decision to be made: where to have the wedding, where to have the reception, what flowers to choose, what the bridal party should wear, what cake to pick, what photographer to use, whether to hire a band or a DJ, what kind of food to serve. The list goes on. In most cases, the bride and groom select their vendors from all of those available in their area. The sheer volume of choices available can fluster even the most organized of couples. There is a simple solution to this problem that is gaining popularity among engaged couples: the destination wedding.
TheKnot.com defines destination weddings as, “weddings that double as vacations for guests.” According to Conde Nast Bridal Group’s 2006 American Wedding Study, 16 percent of engaged couples choose a destination wedding over the traditional fare. This trend has grown exponentially in the past ten years. Christa Vagnozzi, Senior Editor at TheKnot.com, attributes the rise in destination weddings to many factors, “Brides and grooms are getting married when they are older now and are paying for the wedding themselves. They want to make it more personal by choosing a place that is special to them and that they know their guests will enjoy for a long weekend.”
Adding a personal touch to a wedding is not the only reason that destination weddings have become so popular. Most resorts that offer destination wedding packages also offer the services of an onsite wedding coordinator. This coordinator works with the engaged couple to help them make decisions about their wedding. This can drastically simplify the planning process for the bride and groom because the choices for each vendor are clear cut and finite, instead of muddled and infinite. A Bride won’t need to interview 17 florists to figure out which of them can make the perfect hydrangea bouquet. She’ll simply take a look at the floral offerings provided by the resort-based wedding coordinator and make her selection.
Destination weddings are not just for the rich and famous and the wildly spontaneous among us. With the wide variety of packages and resorts available for destination weddings, the average American couple can plan the destination wedding of their dreams. And they don’t have to go to Las Vegas or the Caribbean to do it. As a matter of fact, couples can enjoy the amenities of destination weddings right here in scenic city or within driving distance of Chattanooga. Below are some of the choices in East Tennessee and North Georgia.
Touted as, “a Mountain Top Resort that has Southern Charm and breath-taking scenery” by Diane Kesler, Wedding Coordinator for the resort, the Cohutta Lodge offers a unique wedding experience for couples-to-be. The gazebo wedding area features sweeping views of the Georgia Mountains. The Lodge, with the help of its professional staff and generous supply of vendors, will help you create the wedding of your dreams, down to the menu, flowers, decorations and photography. The Cohutta Lodge is located in North Georgia between Chatsworth and Ellijay, about an hour from Chattanooga. It offers a destination wedding for Chattanooga area couples that is close enough to plan with ease but far enough away to feel like a vacation for every wedding guest, including the bride and groom.
Offering impressive views of the Smoky Mountains and Watts Bar Lake, the Whitestone Country Inn in Kingston, Tennessee provides the perfect setting for a wide variety of weddings, offering cozy conference rooms for smaller nuptials and large banquet centers and outdoor venues for more extravagant events. The Whitestone Country Inn offers an on-site wedding director to assist the bride and groom in the planning process and provide everything from the minister to the music to the valet parking. Deneise Lane, Whitestone’s Sales and Event Director, touts the beauty and service of the Inn: “The facility is absolutely beautiful and the staff are very dedicated to making a couple’s wedding day wonderful and stress free.” The Whitestone Country Inn is just 75 miles from Chattanooga. It features a bed and breakfast atmosphere with luxury accommodations. The grounds feature many activities to keep wedding guests entertained including hiking, biking and walking trails as well as an adjacent wildlife refuge ideal for bird watching.
Located in the heart of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on Dollywood Lane, Riverstone Resort and Spa offers a modern luxury resort in the middle of a bustling tourist town. With the feel of a Caribbean beach resort, Riverstone offers five impressive pools, including a lazy river and a waterfall. There is also a state-of the art 2000 square foot game room, a full-service spa, a high-end fitness center and a well-stocked river for fishing. The bride and groom will have everything they need at Riverstone Resort and Spa to plan the perfect wedding and, if they choose, honeymoon. Kay Griffith, Wedding Planner and Event Florist for Riverstone Resort and Spa, described the facilities: “The wedding area features a pergola on the river with a stone patio and regal steps leading down to the patio. We also have a lovely bride’s room. Riverstone Resort provides everything a destination wedding should be with an ease not often found.” The location of the resort is a huge benefit because wedding guests will never run out of things to do in Pigeon Forge.
The recipient of countless awards for excellence including the title of “#1 Small Hotel in America” by the 2004 Zagut Survey, the Inn at Blackberry Farm is truly a luxurious hotel. The property is nestled in the foothills of the great Smoky Mountain National Park on a 4200-acre estate. For the bride with a bountiful budget, Blackberry Farm is hard to beat. There is, quite literally, something for everyone. The culinary options are endless and provided by world-renowned chefs. The Farmhouse Spa offers much-needed pampering for the wedding party and guests. Brian Lee, Director of Guest Relations, thinks that Blackberry Farm makes the ideal wedding spot, “Blackberry Farm is the perfect retreat for a mountain wedding. It is the most beautiful and ideal setting for a couple who wish to experience not only privacy and beauty, but also unparalleled food and wine.” The property boasts incredible fly-fishing opportunities, hiking, biking, camping, sport shooting and horseback riding. The property is located in Walland, Tennessee, just a short two-hour drive from Chattanooga.
Perhaps the simplest choice for a Chattanooga bride and groom-to-be is a destination wedding right here in our fair city. Sure, the phrase, “local destination wedding” may sound like an oxymoron but the Chattanoogan offers just such a service. The urban resort and well-known Chattanooga hot spot offers complete wedding packages for couples to be. According to Kate Morris, the Director of Catering at the Chattanoogan, “The Chattanoogan offers couples wonderful wedding packages that include everything. That takes a lot of stress away from brides, grooms and their families. There is one price for the reception space, menu, chair covers, sashes, cake cutting, bartender fees, linens, centerpieces and a luxurious honeymoon suite.” The hotel features a full-service spa, outstanding rooms and even live jazz music on the weekends for some added stress-relief. Wedding guests can plan their Chattanooga vacations around the wedding date and couples can plan their destination wedding from the comforts of home.
From North Georgia to Pigeon Forge to downtown Chattanooga, the Tennessee Valley is brimming with destination wedding opportunities for brides and grooms-to-be. For couples who don’t want to head to Las Vegas or the Caribbean, but yearn to turn the stress level down and the fun level up, a local destination wedding might be just the ticket.