Reservation Policy & Procedure
Reservation Policy & Procedure:
Reservation Policy & Procedure:
Thank you for your consideration when selecting a venue to host your wedding. We perform weddings 7 days a week. Our sales office is open 7 days a week for your planning convenience!
** Important Notice: Alcohol is not permitted anywhere on the Chapel property and grounds.
We often suggest that you select a wedding package that comes closest to the SERVICES and ITEMS you would like for your special day, then, we can customize it a bit by substituting items that you do not need with additional items you want. For example, if you do not want some of the miscellaneous items included in the wedding packages (flowers, cakes, unity ceremony, glasses, guest book, etc.) we can substitute them for additional images on your digital flash drive. Some services that can result in a credit include: Lodging, Limousine, Formal Wear Rental, Massages, SPA packages etc.
Once you have completed your reservation, one of our wedding coordinators will be assigned to you. They will guide you as to any decisions we need for you to complete before your wedding. For example, flower colors, a cake design, personalized items included or added to your wedding packages, etc.
To make your reservation, we do require a deposit...
*For our 30 minute wedding packages, a deposit of 50% is required at the time the reservation is made. The final payment due 1 month prior to your wedding.
*For our 1 hour, 90 min, and 2 hour wedding packages, a deposit of 25% is required at the time the reservation is made. The final payment due 1 month prior to your weddings.
* For wedding packages that include a reception or that you have added a reception to, a deposit of 25% is required at the time the reservation is made with another 25% payment due 2 months prior to your wedding/ reception. The final balance is due 1 month prior to your wedding/ reception.
* If you add additional services and items to your wedding after you have made your reservation, we will be happy to accommodate your request. A 25% deposit for those additions will be required at that time they are added to your wedding.
Regardless of who has paid for the wedding, the Agreement is with the WEDDING COUPLE only. In order for us to share any information about the wedding with anyone other than the wedding couple, we will need verbal or written permission from either the bride or groom.
There are some limitations as to the services and amenities we are able to offer. In the event of Acts of God, technical or human error, the Gatlinburg Wedding Center, LLC assumes responsibility up to the financial amount paid for a particular service by the wedding couple. The Gatlinburg Wedding Center, LLC is the copyright holder for all portrait prints, digital images and video. Once you make your digital image selection for images included in your wedding package, you will have shared ownership of the copyrights to those images. If you do not want your images used in our campaigns including marketing, promotion, websites, Facebook, etc., please submit your request in writing to [email protected] or send a written note to PO BOX 211, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
** for our 30 min packages: You can add up to 6 guests to a 30 min elopement package for $30 each. For our 30 min packages that already include up to 6 guests, you can add 1 or 2 more guests' maximum and that's it. For guest counts more than 6, we strongly recommend you select a 1-hour wedding packages which will give you and your guests time to settle in, have more time for family / friend photographs with you and still give you time for your 'romance portraits' afterwards.
** for our 1-hour elopement packages: You can add up to 6 guests maximum for a cost of $25 per guest.
Cancellation Policy/ Procedure:
Once your reservation is completed and your deposit is paid, you will receive a WEDDING CONFIRMATION email within 24-48 hours. Please review this email making sure your NAMES are spelled correctly and that your WEDDING DATE and TIME are correct. Also, these policies are listed on the email. Please read them and if everything is clear and spelled correctly, please REPLY to that email so that we know you received it.
After your reservation is completed. You will have 72 hours in which to cancel the reservation for a REFUND of the deposit you paid, minus a $50 cancelation fee for our 90-minute reservation, 1-hour reservation (excluding the Diamond Love Package which has a $100 cancelation) and 30-minute reservation packages. There will be a $100 cancelation fee for our 2-hour reservation packages along with the 1-hour Diamond Love package. After 72 hours, the deposit is non-refundable, regardless of how far in advance you have planned your wedding.
*For our 30-minute wedding packages, if you cancel after the 72-hour grace period and more than 14 days prior to your wedding, you will forfeit the deposited amounts and any additional cost for items that were personalized or for outside services that required a deposit from us. If you cancel within 14 days of your wedding, you will forfeit everything you have paid toward your wedding until that time.
*For our 1 hour, 90 min, and 2 hour wedding packages (without a reception), if you cancel after the 72 hour grace period and more than 1 month prior to your weddings, you will forfeit the deposited amounts and any additional cost for items that were personalized or for outside services that required a deposit from us. If you cancel within 1 month of your wedding, you will forfeit everything you have paid toward your wedding until that time.
*For our 1 hour, 90 min, and 2 hour wedding packages with an included or add-on reception, if you cancel after the 72 hour grace period and more than 2 month prior to your weddings, you will forfeit the deposited amounts and any additional cost for items that were personalized or for outside services that required a deposit from us. If you cancel within 1 month of your wedding, you will forfeit everything you have paid toward your wedding until that time.
For last minute reservations:
* If you reserve a 30 min wedding package that is going to occur within the next 14 days, full payment is required and a refund will not be available should you need to cancel.
* If you reserve a 1 hour, 90 min. or 2 hour wedding package that is going to occur within the next 30 days, full payment is required and a refund will not be available should you need to cancel.
Postponement Policy/ Procedure:
If you need to POSTPONE your wedding:
You can postpone your wedding/ ceremony one time for no additional cost under these considerations:
*For our 30 minute wedding packages, if you postpone more than 14 days prior to your wedding, your payments will be held and used when you reschedule your ceremony. There will be no postponement processing fee. You will have 1 year from the time you postpone to schedule a new date and time and the final remaining balance will be due when you reinstate your wedding.
If you postpone within 14 days of your wedding, your payments will be held and used when you reschedule your ceremony. A $100 processing fee will be added to your wedding and if any specialty items were ordered, they will be subtracted from the payment amounts and a new balance due calculated. You will have 1 year from the time you postpone to schedule a new date and time and the final remaining balance will be due when you reinstate your wedding. If services have been contracted with 3rd party vendors, you will be responsible for any postponement fees incurred by these vendors.
*For most of our 1-hour package, the fee is $100 to postpone. For your 1-hour Diamond Love package and our 90 min, and 2 hour wedding packages, the postpone fee is $100. If you postpone more than 1 month prior to your wedding, your payments will be held and used when you reschedule your ceremony. There will be no postponement processing fee. You will have 1 year from the time you postpone rescheduling a new date and time. PLEASE NOTE: the final remaining balance will be due when you reinstate your wedding with a new date.
*For our 1 hour, 90 min, and 2-hour weddings packages, If you postpone within 14-28 days prior of your wedding, your payments will be held and used when you reschedule your ceremony. A $100(for most 1-hour packages and $100 for our Diamond Love, 90 min and 2-hour package and the processing fee will be added to your wedding. If any specialty items were ordered or if items were 'personalized, these items will need to be reordered when you reinstate your wedding with a new date. If service have been contracted with 3rd party vendors, you will be responsible for any postpone fees incurred by these vendors. You will have 1 year from the time you postpone rescheduling a new date and time. PLEASE NOTE: the final remaining balance will be due when you reinstate your wedding with a new date.
Ceremony Music
Music Options
Music is only available for our indoor, 1 , hour, 90 min, and 2 hour wedding packages. The Chapel, the Outdoor Wedding Center and the Waterfall each have a sound system. We offer music for the PROCESSIONAL, (either the traditional Bridal March or Pachelbel's Canon in "D") and traditional love songs after the kiss during the family & friends/ formal photo session. If you prefer a different music, simply call your coordinator at least one week before the wedding with the song and artist and we can have your music playlist downloaded and created specifically for your wedding.
Our Outdoor Wedding Center also has a full sound system and for the 2-hour, 90 min, and 1 hour wedding packages, the same procedures are in place as with the indoor weddings.
Music is not available for our 30 minute wedding packages or at the Gazebo and Enchanted Forest as these areas do not have a sound system but is available at the waterfall.
Weddings at the Waterfall
Waterfall Weddings: Our 2 story man-made waterfall is located on the grounds of Chapel at the Park and we are proud to be able to offer these wedding to our couples. Waterfall ceremonies are available 12 months a year for ceremonies as long as the temperature is above 45 degrees. This waterfall area is for more rustic ceremonies. With most of our 30 minute packages, we can accommodate up to 6 guests. (Be sure your wedding packages includes guests before inviting family and friends so as to avoid the $30 per person fee) . At the waterfall, the 1 hour wedding packages can accommodate up to 20 guests (again, check your confirmation letter for details) with "U" shaped bench seating. For a more traditional outdoor wedding with music and a center aisle, please consider an indoor wedding or an OUTDOOR WEDDING CENTER Package. This waterfall is more susceptible to the freezing temperatures and needs to be treated (to protect the equipment) during the winter months and is not always available for winter ceremonies. Please keep that in mind if you are planning a winter wedding.
Guest Photographers
Bringing your own photographer
You are welcome to bring your own photographer for any of our 30 min + wedding packages. (We cannot accommodate a guest photographer for the Short & Simple wedding package)
Please Note: Guest photographers must work within the time frame of your reservation. Guest photographers cannot access the chapel or grounds before or after your reservation time frame. They will be unfamiliar with the Chapel, the outdoor areas available for portraits or any special lighting needs. Though our staff photographer will be on site in most instances, they will not take portraits alongside your photographer, but will be available to assist them if they have questions.
We recommend you select one of our packages with a longer reservation time in case your photographer requires more time. The reservation time cannot be extended last minute on the day of your wedding.
There is no credit applied to the packages when you bring your own photographer.
Photography Policies and Procedures
Digital Images
Our photographers guarantee they will take at least twice as many images that are included with most wedding packages, though they often take more. In most instances, they will take pre-ceremony, ceremony and post-ceremony portraits so that you will have a variety from which to choose. If you have guests, there will be a FAMILY & FRIENDS photo session after the ceremony just before the photographer takes the two of you into the garden areas for your "ROMANCE PORTRAITS". You can add additional digital images to the ones included in your package for $10 each and that will include the shared copyrights to those images as well. It can take up to 7 days to get your digital images and digital video uploaded and online for viewing.
Within 30 days after your wedding, the photo lab will create your personal online digital photo gallery of all the portraits taken during your wedding. This gallery will be available online for 1 month so that you will have plenty of time to view and select the portraits that come with your wedding package. We will send you an email link to your portraits when the photographer is done editing them. After 1 month it will expire. If you need extra time after the month grace period, you are welcome to choose the reupload fee of $25.00 plus tax."
You will be given a special password to access your portraits so you can make your selection of images for digital format. You may also order directly on-line. You are also welcomed to invite friends to look at them at no additional cost. Your digital images and the copyrights to those images (and your video if you package included a video) will be available to you approximately one to three weeks from the date you make your selections (not your wedding date). The copyrights release letter is included.
We cannot accommodate guests taking pictures on the chapel grounds or in our chapel building. Guests are not permitted to use their cameras or cellphone cameras anywhere on the property, including the Chapel's sanctuary, during the wedding ceremony or on the property after the wedding as we need to prepare for other weddings that may be occurring that day. We strongly recommend that you let your guests know about this policy in advance of your wedding. Please explain that you have a professional photography and that you are having an "UNPLUGGED" wedding. We want your guests to enjoy your wedding without being paparazzi and getting their cameras in all of your wedding portraits taken by our photographer.
**PLEASE NOTE: These portraits are not high resolution (HR) when viewing them online, When you receive the digital images you selected, they will be in HR. The Photo Lab will light and color correct images where needed. After 30 days, the gallery will automatically become unavailable online.
Please order the images that come with your wedding package within 12 months of your wedding, However, in most cases, the photo lab keeps the original digital images for up to 3 years. If you need them placed back online after the complimentary 30 day grace period, there will be a $25 fee for the photo lab to recreate the gallery and host the portraits for an additional 30 days.
"PHOTOGRAPHY". The contract that we have with the assigned photographer does not permit for guest photographers or wedding guests to use their personal cameras. There is a set of core portraits that the photographers work to take within your reservation. Again, they will take portraits, before, during and after your wedding ceremony, however, they do not guarantee specific poses that you may see on our website. They will try to accommodate specific requests when possible and if made in advance of your wedding.
If you have any questions, please call the photo lab at 865-430-3372
** Copyrights to all photography remain the property of the Gatlinburg Wedding Center, LLC. We share the copyrights with couples that get married with us for the images included with your wedding package. You can print them, post them and share them anyway you like! If you do not want your images used online or in print, please submit you request in writing to [email protected] or send a letter to PO BOX 211, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
Other Important Information
Flowers: Included in or Added to a wedding.
If your wedding package includes fresh or keepsake silk flowers, here's the information we will need for the designers.
For Fresh Floral Bouquets: In line with the newest trends, we ask you to select a color or a color mix for your bouquet. The Floral Designers will create a unique bouquet with the flowers in their shops in your color palette (1 or 2 colors, or make a request, for example like, Ivory and Shades of Purple, etc.). Please keep in mind that exotic or specific flower requests may result in additional charges. For example, if you request lilies or hydrangea, there is usually a $18 per stem additional fee with a minimum of three stems to be ordered. Gerbera daisies start at $4 for mini blooms and $7 for each large bloom with a minimum of three stems to be ordered. Peonies can be as much as $25 per stem depending on season availability. They will arrive fresh about 1 hour before your wedding.
For Keepsake Silk Bouquets: There are a lot more color options when selecting silk flowers. We offer approximately 18-20 colors from which to choose. You will find these colors on our website under MORE INFO. Just scroll down to find the silk flower colors that are available. Also, please note, we are a small resort town and at times it may not be possible to get specific flowers requested for your wedding. In those circumstances, substitutions will be made that match as closely as is possible to your request.
If you have a photograph of a bouquet that you found online, please email it to us at [email protected] and we will have the floral designer give us a quote for your specific request. You would only be responsible for an upgrade fee if applicable.
Holiday Weddings
HOLIDAY WEDDINGS information:
Lodging: On some holidays, holiday weekends, holiday weeks, the lodging companies require a 3-night minimum stay. If your wedding package already includes 2 nights, we will need to add a 3rd night at your expense. (we can always credit out the lodging if you cannot stay 3 nights or do not want the included lodging).
The lodging companies that we work with sometimes require a 3-night minimum stay for the months of JULY and OCTOBER.
CHRISTMAS EVE, CHRISTMAS DAY, Easter Sunday and THANKSGIVING DAY: We are closed on these 4 days so that our staff may be with their family and friends for these holidays.
NEW YEAR'S EVE and NEW YEAR'S DAY Weddings:
When New Year's Eve or New Year's Day falls on a weekday, Holiday/ Weekend pricing only will be available for this very popular holiday. There may be an upgrade charge applied for holiday lodging, especially over New Years Eve.
Additional cost may be incurred on holidays such as the following: Monday Holidays, Valentine's Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, President's Day, MLK Day, Leap Year (2/29) etc. If any of this information is not clear, please give us a call at 865-430-3372 and we will help clarify the details.
Pet Policy
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are unable to accommodate your beloved pets in the chapel or on the chapel grounds for the safety and comfort of our staff and guests. Thank you in advance for your understanding.