Spence Cabin Wedding in the Great Smoky Mountains

One of my favorite days from 2023 was this intimate outdoor wedding held at the historic Spence Cabin in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for Sara & Ethan. They were so incredibly happy all day and carefree, it made my job so effortless when it came to photographing them being with one another and with their friends & family.

I first met Sara when I was doing some product photography for her interior goods brand. We stayed in close contact, and I was beyond honored when she asked me to photograph her wedding day. I couldn’t wait to celebrate with them and finally meet Ethan in person. Their families were so sweet and welcoming and we had the best time together at Spence Cabin.

Cabins for a National Park Wedding

There are lots of intimate cabins for a national park wedding. Spence Cabin is located in the Elkmont region of the Great Smoky Mountains. It is the cutest historic cabin equipped with tables and chairs which is perfect for an intimate national park wedding. The cabin has the most beautiful cobblestone ceremony space that overlooks the river. 

One of the main considerations though is that there is no cell phone service at this venue, so you will need to communicate clearly with every guest ahead of time! Sara made her guests a map and we had a detailed timeline worked out together.

National Parks are some of the BEST places to get married for cheaper! I can’t say enough great things about Spence Cabin. Especially for couples who are laid back and love being in spaces like National Parks. 

Spence Cabin Wedding Photos

The historic Spence Cabin is a beautiful space for wedding photos. We ventured out to the river for Sara & Ethan’s first look and they stood on the rocks to read the vows they wrote to one another privately. It was incredibly intimate and emotional for them to read vows along the water. We also took some bride & groom photos in the beautiful forest areas at Spence Cabin.

Sara & Ethan wanted to spend the majority of their intimate wedding day with their guests, so they booked a day after session with me. They got dressed up into their wedding clothes again and I took them to some of my favorite spots in the national park for sunset in Cades Cove. A lot of my national park wedding clients choose to do a day after session due to how expansive most national parks are! It gives you, the couple, time to be fully present with your guests and the opportunity to explore a new part of the national park.

Spence Cabin Wedding Cost

The cost to get married at the Spence Cabin Wedding venue is $250. This cost includes the Spence Cabin Rental and your Special Use Permit. It’s an extremely affordable wedding venue for a national park.
You would first need to reserve your wedding date online. You can check to reserve your date here.

Then you would need to obtain a Special Use Permit, you can read how to obtain this here. It’s a very easy and stress free process. You will need to know your ceremony start time when you apply for the permit, and so definitely reach out to me for advice on lighting because this location is very forested and thus gets darker quicker than other locations in the park!

Smoky Mountain Wedding Photographer & Packages

As a permitted Great Smoky Wedding & Elopement Photographer, I am incredibly familiar with the process of weddings at Spence Cabin and all over the mountains. I’m here to help you if you & your partner need any help with the permitting process. I love helping you plan out your wedding day just as much as I love photographing it.
I loved working with these two and at this venue! If you are planning your intimate wedding day at Spence Cabin you can reach out to get in touch with me for my photography packages HERE.

Here is the sweet review Sara left me:

“Nicole photographed our intimate wedding and did an incredible job. She is easy to communicate with and even assisted with planning! We love her true to life colors, and she is the sweetest!”