One of my favorite things about elopements is that celebrating after your ceremony can look however you want it to. There’s no reception timeline waiting for you, no grand entrance you have to make, and no expectation that you spend the next five hours making your way around a ballroom. Once you’re married, the rest of the day is yours.
As a Gatlinburg elopement planner and photographer, this is actually one of my favorite parts of planning with couples. I don’t want your ceremony to feel like the only important part of your elopement. I want us to create an entire day that feels worth celebrating. So, what should you do after saying “I do”? Here are some of my favorite ideas, whether your version of celebrating involves an incredible meal, an adventure, or some much-needed relaxation.
Celebrating After Your Ceremony With an Amazing Dinner
There is something about sitting down together after your ceremony, ordering exactly what you want, and finally having that oh my gosh, we’re married moment. Whether you want an elevated dinner for two or a meal with the handful of family members who joined you, Gatlinburg has some wonderful options for turning dinner into part of the celebration.
The Greenbrier
For a wedding-night dinner that feels like an occasion, The Greenbrier is one of my favorites to recommend. Tucked away from the Parkway, The Greenbrier is a chef-driven restaurant known for hand-cut prime steaks, house specialties, craft cocktails, and an elevated Smoky Mountain atmosphere.
This is the kind of place where you can stay dressed up after your ceremony, order cocktails, have an incredible dinner, and let the evening feel like a continuation of your wedding instead of simply grabbing something to eat. Make a reservation ahead of time—especially if you’re eloping during a busy season.
The Peddler Steakhouse
If dinner beside the river sounds more like you, The Peddler Steakhouse sits along the Little Pigeon River near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They’re known for custom-cut steaks, their salad bar, and those beautiful river views.
You can make reservations online in advance, and they even allow you to select a river-view table when availability allows. That makes this such a sweet option for an intimate wedding-night dinner after spending your afternoon in the Smokies.
Red Oak Bistro
For something a little less traditional than a steakhouse, Red Oak Bistro is an intimate spot in Gatlinburg’s Arts & Crafts Community serving Mediterranean-inspired small plates with a wine-forward menu.
I love the idea of tapas for an elopement dinner because the meal itself becomes an experience. Order several things, share everything, take your time, and talk about your favorite moments from the day. It’s especially fitting for a couple who wants their celebration to feel relaxed and intimate rather than like a formal wedding dinner.
Keep Celebrating With an Adventure
Maybe sitting down for dinner isn’t the first thing you want to do after getting married. Maybe you just said your vows in the Smoky Mountains and you’re thinking, Okay…what can we do next?
Do it! Your wedding clothes don’t have to stop you from having fun. In fact, some of my favorite elopement memories happen when couples stop worrying about what they’re “supposed” to do on a wedding day and choose something they genuinely enjoy.
Take a Hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
If you’re already getting married in one of the most beautiful parts of Tennessee, why not spend more time exploring it?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has more than 800 miles of trails, ranging from short nature walks to much more challenging hikes. You don’t have to turn your wedding day into an endurance event, either. We can choose something that fits your comfort level, timeline, attire, and the experience you actually want.
And yes, you can absolutely hike in wedding clothes. Bring comfortable shoes, water, and whatever layers the weather calls for. Your dress getting a little Smoky Mountain dirt on the hem is part of the story.
Spend the Afternoon at Anakeesta
If you want adventure without committing to a long hike, Anakeesta gives you several ways to celebrate in one place. You can ride to the mountaintop, walk the Treetop Skywalk, explore Vista Gardens, take in the views from AnaVista Tower, or add something more adventurous like ziplining or a mountain coaster.
There are also dining options on the mountain, which means you could turn this into an entire post-ceremony experience rather than squeezing another stop into your timeline.
Ride the Moonshine Mountain Coaster
Want something completely different in your wedding clothes? Go ride a mountain coaster.
Moonshine Mountain Coaster lets riders control their own speed as they make their way down the mountain, and it operates during both daytime and evening hours. The coaster is located right on the Parkway, so it’s an easy way to add something playful to your celebration without dedicating half of your wedding day to another excursion.
Go Horseback Riding in the Smokies
If your dream elopement has a little more mountain adventure built into it, consider scheduling a trail ride during your trip. Sugarlands Riding Stables offers guided horseback rides near Gatlinburg, giving you a completely different way to experience the Smokies.
This is one I would plan intentionally rather than spontaneously adding after the ceremony. You’ll want to consider your wedding attire, footwear, timing, and the stable’s current requirements. You could also save horseback riding for the morning after your wedding and extend that newlywed celebration into the next day.
Slow Down and Relax After Your Ceremony
Adventure isn’t everyone’s idea of a perfect wedding day, and that’s completely okay.
Maybe you’ve spent the morning getting ready, had an emotional ceremony, adventured around the mountains for portraits, and now you want nothing more than to kick off your shoes and be together. Celebrating after your ceremony doesn’t have to mean doing more. Sometimes, the most luxurious thing you can give yourselves is time.
Plan a Picnic in the Smokies
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has designated picnic areas throughout the park, including Cades Cove, Greenbrier, Deep Creek, and Metcalf Bottoms, which are currently listed as open year-round. Some other picnic areas operate seasonally, so always check current conditions before building one into your elopement timeline. You’ll also need a valid parking tag when required.
This can be as simple or elevated as you want. The important part is giving yourselves time to sit down, eat something, and actually take in what just happened.
Book a Couples Massage
After traveling, wedding planning, getting ready, exploring the mountains, and experiencing all the emotions that come with getting married, a massage might sound really good.
Serenity Spa by Westgate in Gatlinburg offers massages and body treatments in a resort-spa setting, while Fox Place Salon and Spa offers a smaller, more intimate spa experience in Gatlinburg. You could book massages later in the day, but I especially love this idea for the morning after your elopement. Sleep in, grab breakfast, get a couples massage, and officially begin married life in relaxation mode.
Go Back to Your Cabin and Do Absolutely Nothing
Yes, this counts as a wedding-day activity. If you’ve booked a beautiful Gatlinburg cabin with a mountain view, fireplace, deck, or hot tub, you don’t necessarily need to leave again after your ceremony and portraits. Order dinner or bring back your favorite takeout, cut your wedding cake together, change into comfy clothes, open a bottle of something special, and watch the mountains from your porch.
What Does Celebrating After Your Ceremony Look Like for You?
When I’m helping couples plan their Gatlinburg elopement, I don’t just ask where they want to have their ceremony. I want to know what they want the whole day to feel like. Maybe your perfect celebration is a romantic dinner followed by cocktails. Maybe it’s hiking through the Smokies in your wedding clothes. Or maybe it’s laughing your way down a mountain coaster. Or maybe it’s sitting in a hot tub at your cabin at the end of the night saying, Can you believe we actually did it!
Book Your Gatlinburg Elopement Experience
Your elopement should be more than a beautiful ceremony. It should be an entire day you’re excited to experience. As your Gatlinburg elopement planner and photographer, I’ll help you bring it all together, from where you say “I do” to how you celebrate afterward.
Ready to create your own Smoky Mountain elopement experience? Let’s start planning your Gatlinburg elopement.
Comments +