Planning the perfect Tennessee wedding can be a challenge when money is tight, but finding free wedding places in Tennessee is doable with some effort and research. Look for a wedding location that meets your needs while ensuring a lasting, happy memory of this once-in-a-lifetime day. A free venue for an outdoor wedding is easier to locate than an indoor one, so make your wedding plans accordingly.

Cades Cove in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains makes a beautiful venue for a wedding ceremony. You can choose to have your wedding in the park itself where there are any number of fields and slightly isolated areas. Or choose one of the historic pioneer cabins, or one of the primitive churches. Be sure you have a marriage license, because a park ranger may ask to see it. And be prepared for outside guests—both human, who may wander in, since there are no reservations in the cove—or the four-legged variety such as deer, elk, or bear that freely roam the land.

Cades Cove Great Smoky Mountains National Park Park's Ranger Activities Division 107 Park Headquarters Gatlinburg, TN 37738 423-436-1266 CadesCove.net/cades_cove_wedding.html

Situated on the Cumberland Plateau, a portion of the great upland that is said to be the largest timbered plateau in America, Cumberland Mountain State Park offers a number of beautiful locations to hold a free wedding ceremony in the midst of nature's splendor. While you can't be guaranteed privacy, since there are no reservations in the free access areas, it's easy to locate a relatively secluded corner of the park. Uninvited guests shouldn't be a problem with 1,720 acres to choose from in this beautiful natural setting.

Cumberland Mountain State Park 24 Office Drive Crossville, TN 38555 931-484-6138 StateParks.com/cumberland_mountain.html