Julie and Jim’s destination 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 most areas of 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, one of the two areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that was still open. 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 our wedding was. The day went so smoothly. Thank you especially for sticking with us through the craziest of times.”

Photography: JoPhoto
First Look Location: Foothills Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Ceremony Location: Rental Cabin in Gatlinburg
Florist: Thistle & Lace Florals
Dress: Watters