In researching where to run off to I came across some other places where it’s easy to get married.
First was Eloping to Vegas? Why Not Lower Manhattan? in the NY Times. In the hopes of bringing in more tourist dollars the Manhattan Marriage Bureau is taking on Vegas as a wedding destination and has created a two small chapels, a photo backdrop of city hall and offers faux rings, bouquets and tissues for sale. They’ve streamlined the process of getting a license and even offer you the ability to fill it out online. If Vegas weren’t so much closer I would seriously consider running off to get married in New York.
Things have also been made easy in the Smoky Mountains where you don’t have a waiting period. Gatlinburg is the “the wedding capital of the South” and as many as 60,000 couples get married there every year. The license is inexpensive and there is no waiting period. The original article has gone missing but you can read a portion of it over at Wedding Thrift, Walk In Single… Hike Out Married! I have to admit, eloping to the Great Smoky Mountains sounds pretty good.
Photograph from Mary Altaffer/Associated Press.
My husband and I eloped three years ago. We researched places that would be easy and painless, and came up with Tennessee. Right smack in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains you can get married on the front or back deck of your log cabin by the wedding officiator of your choice. I recommend Phil King, an enormous man with an equally large spirit. It was the best of all possible worlds. Really inexpensive, beautiful surroundings, and vows that exactly fit us (without our having to write them ourselves!).
Best of luck with yours!
Sound lovely Deb, thanks so much for the recommendation of officiator.
My brother and sister-in-law got married at the Little Log Chapel in the Smoky Mountains — just lovely! Hubs and I are going to renew our vows there, and are talking to the folks at the Smoky Mountain Cabin Weddings. When we asked if we could have our dogs present, the officiator responded “Just a minute — yup, our dogs said it’s fine for me to pet yours, so it’ll be great to have them there!”
Oh Gatilinburg. Home of more Ripley’s Believe it or Not’s then I hope to ever see again. The Smokeys are lovely but Gatlinburg is…. touristy (to say the least).