Im so happy you are planning a wedding in Chattanooga! I was born and raised in the Chattanooga area and I love my city. I lived in Atlanta for 3 years, traveled around the world and I can honestly say I love living, loving, and working here. 90% of the weddings I have shot have been in this area so I thought I’d put together some Chattanooga specific tips. There isn’t too many things to consider. It is a pretty easy-going town. However, there are few nuggets of wisdom that might be helpful as you plan your big day.
Check the Chattanooga Calendar
It’s always a good idea to check the internet for events in your area that could complicate the logistics of your wedding day. We are an outdoor city and we have lots of races that could effect your wedding day! Make sure the maps for the Iron Man, Half Iron Man, Chattanooga Marathon, and 7 bridges marathon won’t cause you any issues. We also have 2 HUGE music festivals every year that will cause issues with downtown venues: Moon River and Riverbend. Also keep in mind these events increase tourism in the city so your out-of-town guests may have trouble finding an affordable place to crash after your party! I recommend checking ChattanoogaFun’s site.
Peak months for weddings are May and October
In the southeast we have a little bit of a unique “wedding season”. The season is split because most people prefer outdoor weddings in the outdoor city and the summer months can be too hot. This means the most desirable dates are in the late Spring and the Fall. This means if you are planning the perfect fall wedding you will want to book the best vendors 8-12 months in advance! Sometimes more for the most in-demand DJs and Venues! PS: If you want fall colors check the smokey mountain national park website. They have a great fall color predictor each year!
We have an amazing community of wedding professionals! Take advantage of their network and expertise!
I have had the pleasure of working alongside a lot of amazing Chattanooga wedding vendors . There are a lot of great people to choose from and we all know each other for the most part. A big benefit to hiring a local vendor is they will be able to share insight into their favorite co-workers in the area. Chattanooga is big enough to have a lot to offer, but small enough to know most of the local business owners. So if you are looking for a florist, videographer, DJ, cake artist, Make-up artist, etc just reach out to me or one of your other vendors! I’d be happy to share my positive experiences!
We have LOTS of options! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, or outside of downtown!
We have a ton of great venues to choose from in Chattanooga. You can create any kind of wedding you want without having to go too far. The great thing about our city is you can have it all! If you want a wedding surrounded by nature AND the convenience of a city for your guests, look no further! We have tons of venues just outside the city that can give you everything you want in an outdoor wedding and be within 20 min of the airport.
Use your wedding as an opportunity for out-of-town guests to have a weekend getaway, share what you love about Chattanooga with them!
You obviously chose Chattanooga as your wedding location for a reason. It’s pretty great! Share why you chose it and why you love it! Your guests will appreciate the thoughtfulness of sharing what you love about your wedding location/destination with them. Chattanooga probably isn’t a destination wedding for you, but it might be a destination for your guests. Even if most of your guests live here, sometimes it’s fun to re-discover the town they live in. There is new stuff developing every day! I’ve put together a “Things to see and do in Chattanooga” guide for my couples. Click Chattanooga Guide for Guests to download it as my gift to you!
Hi! I’m Sarah Larae! Nice to Meet you!
Thank you for visiting my blog! I’m a wedding photographer based in Chattanooga and I would be honored if you took some time to look around my website to learn more about me and what I do. You can see more of my work on the blog and be sure to follow me on Instagram! If you are looking for a fun, bright, classic wedding photographer who prides herself on excellent client experiences head over to our contact page!
