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Unity Minister-Officiant Services are provided by Unity Life Coaching and Sacred Gatherings, Inc.

Copyright ©2005-2012 by Carolyn Claiborne. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be copied, reproduced, translated, hosted, cached, distributed or otherwise used without prior written permission.

Wedding Ceremony with Mountain View, Sevierville, TN - Daniel Howell Photography

Smoky Mountain Destination Wedding - Photo by Rick Hansen

Custom Elopement for Two

Historic Palmer Chapel, Cataloochee, NC

Upper Level of Cabin Set-Up for Wedding Ceremony

Smoky Mountains, Wears Valley, TN

Winter Wedding at Christmas Place, Pigeon Forge, TN

Cable Photography

Custom Wedding Ceremony

The Barn Event Center

Townsend, TN

Scenic Spots for Wedding Photography, Sevierville, TN

Blackout Photography

Reverend Carolyn Claiborne, Founder

Unity Minister-Officiant Services

Serving the Smoky Mountains Region

Elegant Cabin Wedding Ceremony, Wears Valley TN

Claire Corbin Photography

Smoky Mountain Custom Elopement Ceremony

Townsend, TN

What Brides Are Saying

Rev. Carolyn officiated our Smokey Mountain wedding ceremony in October of last year. I found her services online and after our initial emails I knew she was exactly what we were looking for. She is delightful to work with! Friendly, professional, caring, and prompt in her communication. She helped us create a beautiful ceremony that was very personal, meaningful, and custom to us. The ceremony is ultimately the most important part of the wedding day and it was so nice to spend time with Rev. Carolyn creating something meaningful that spoke to exactly what we wanted. Many of our guests commented on our beautiful and personal ceremony. Thank you Rev. Carolyn!

- Meghan and Chris

My dream wedding has always included a beautiful view of the fall leaves in the Smoky Mountains. The only problem I encountered during my planning was finding an officiant for a wedding that would take place six hours from where I live. I found several that were very inflexible about the wording of their sermons. No one would even send me a copy of what they would say. That is until I found Rev. Carolyn. She was extremely helpful and kind. Not only was she more than willing to work with me on what she would say but I got to choose everything! The result was a beautifully constructed ceremony that fit perfectly for my husband and me. The wording of a wedding is so important because it is what you are there to hear. The vows and promises need to fit your personality and beliefs and that is exactly what happened. We could not be any happier with our wedding. We really appreciate Rev. Carolyn and would recommend her to everyone.

- Jessica and John-David

Nature’s Grandest Wedding Cathedral

The Great Smoky Mountains

You have chosen to get married in one of the most scenic natural areas in our country – the Great Smoky Mountains.

Now that you have chosen this beautiful location do you have concerns about finding a wedding minister or officiant who will honor you and your fiancé’s wishes and personal beliefs and who will provide you with a ceremony that truly fits you?

Spiritual • Civil/Secular • Or Non-Denominational

Do you prefer a spiritual or civil / secular type wedding ceremony over a traditional religious one? Your wedding day is about the two of you, and the tone of your ceremony should reflect your personal beliefs. We will never require you to have any religious elements in your ceremony. (Although we are happy to perform a religious ceremony if that is what you want.)

Interfaith • Multicultural

Are you perhaps an interfaith or multicultural couple who would like to honor both of your traditions in your wedding ceremony? Our open-minded wedding ministers and officiants honor all spiritual paths and cultural backgrounds and will gladly help you to do that.

Celebrate Your Love

with a Custom Wedding Ceremony

Do you believe your ceremony is the heart of your wedding day and do you want to customize it to be as unique as the two of you? Do you want choices for every part of your ceremony – not just the wedding vows – to make your day truly your own?

With a custom ceremony the two of you will get to express what is in your individual hearts and declare your love for one another in words that are meaningful to you. Our extensive custom wedding material gives you an abundance of choices and makes the whole process a simple one.

Even if you are planning an elopement for just the two of you, you can still have a completely customized wedding ceremony to celebrate your love.

Do You Just Want to Make It Legal?

On the other hand, if you just want a very basic justice of the peace style wedding ceremony to simply make your marriage legal, our wedding ministers and officiants can help you with that also. We have Pre-Prepared Ceremonies available in spiritual, civil or religious versions. The main difference between a Pre-Prepared and a Custom Ceremony is that our Pre-Prepared Ceremonies are very basic and simple ceremonies that are designed to be used exactly as is with no changes, while our Custom Ceremonies allow you to have an abundance of choices for the wording of every part of your ceremony.

Any Size Wedding

Whether your wedding is a private celebration just for the two of you, an elegant formal affair with hundreds of guests, or anything in between - our professionally-trained, nonjudgmental ministers and officiants will put and your guests at ease as they expertly present your ceremony.

Any Location

We are delighted to officiate your wedding ceremony at your cabin, home, lodge, resort, condo, hotel room or at any wedding venue of your choice. Our wedding ministers and officiants are also happy to meet you for your ceremony at a natural scenic location or at one of the Smoky Mountain National Park’s historic chapels in Cades Cove, TN or Cataloochee, NC.

Please note: if you are planning to have your wedding ceremony anywhere within the Smoky Mountain National Park itself,

a special permit from the Park Service may be required.

A Beautiful Smoky Mountain Cabin, Lodge or Resort

Can Provide a Delightful Alternative

to a Traditional Wedding Chapel

Planning to have your wedding at a cabin or lodge does have some advantages. If you use care in choosing your cabin, you can have large windows and a deck overlooking a magnificent mountain view There also may be additional areas outside your cabin where you could have your wedding ceremony. You might have your reception there also and do your own catering. Last but certainly not least, a cabin also provides a beautiful and romantic spot for your honeymoon.

If you are planning a wedding ceremony just for the two of you, you would rent a small cozy cabin. If you plan to have friends and family come with you, some of the big cabins have up to 12 bedrooms and can sleep 50 people. If you are having an even larger wedding, you could rent several cabins close together. Many of the large resorts offer other amenties like gazebos for your ceremony and a lodge for your reception.

Advance In-Person Meetings Not Required

Are you concerned about how to work out the details for your ceremony when you do not live in the area? We understand. The Smoky Mountain region is second only to Las Vegas for the total number of destination weddings every year. Because so many of our couples come from other areas for their Smoky Mountain Wedding, we actually only get to meet personally with about 10% of them before their wedding day. Instead, we usually exchange dozens of emails and phone calls throughout the process of creating your ceremony.

For more information or to reserve your date

Call (423) 636-1003

or Send Email now

When you write, please let us know

the date and time of your ceremony as well as

the state, city and location for your wedding.

RIK Photography

Our Caring, Open-Minded Ministers and Officiants

Will Come to Your Choice of Location Including:

Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Wears Valley, Cades Cove, Townsend, Maryville, and Cosby, TN;

Cataloochee, Maggie Valley, Lake Junaluska, and Waynesville, NC. Other Areas by Request

Customized and Distinctive Wedding Ceremonies for

Your Smoky Mountain Wedding

A Natural Wedding Cathedral, Gatlinburg TN - Steven Bridges Photography

You will always get to work with Rev. Carolyn personally for everything leading right up to the day of your wedding - including completely customizing your ceremony. Then on the day of your wedding either Rev. Carolyn or one of her experienced & professionally-trained associates will come and present your ceremony exactly as you have it planned.