As you know, the lovely and beautiful Elvira Schuetz and I are getting married. This page is where the most up-to-date information will be for the wedding details. Countdown timer to the wedding is here. Countdown timer to her arrival in the US is here (obviously she’s here now). 🙂
We are planning to have a small wedding with a reception in Gatlinburg, a reception/party in the Daytona area a bit later, and a reception/party in Romania once we are allowed to travel there. Between the limitations of location and budget, we aren’t going to have a huge wedding. It will mostly be immediate family and friends who are part of the wedding party. I will be sending out formal invitations, but have tried to let most everyone know already if there is a chance that you will be at the wedding (in order to give people time to book travel/hotels/cabins).
We are having a “rehearsal lunch” on Sunday, July 25th. It will be at Crystelle Creek Restaurant at 2pm (try to get there early, it is VERY difficult to get around downtown Gatlinburg on a summer weekend). Everyone is invited, it will be good to get everyone together before the wedding. The restaurant is located at 1654 East Pkwy, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, or you can just click here to have Google take you there.
The wedding is going to be on July 26, 2021 at noon. It will be at the Chapel at the Park: 1844 East Pkwy, Gatlinburg, TN 37738. A lot of weddings are performed in Gatlinburg, so I have the chapel for a limited time. I would really appreciate it if everyone can be there by 11:45 at the absolute latest, plan for parking and getting to your seat and such (so you’ll want to get there by 11:30 at the latest). Parents, photographer, pianist, and bridal party can come at 11. Since this is a small, simple wedding (and since Elvira’s family will unfortunately not be able to attend), there won’t be the traditional bride/groom sides or ushers. You will be able to sit anywhere.
Both upon request of the chapel and also from Elvira and me: please leave all phones and cameras in your car. We have one photographer, and would like to have him be able to take pictures unfettered. The chapel also does not allow pictures. We request that you please honor us in this way. Additionally we *really* don’t want our special day interrupted by cell phones ringing and making camera sounds. 🙂 Additionally the chapel doesn’t allow non-professional pictures of the grounds.
The wedding reception has unfortunately been changed, as the roof of the original location was ripped off in a storm and will not be replaced in time. The new reception is going to be at Pavilion 1 (there is ONLY 1, so I don’t know why they call it Pavilion 1) in the Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion. From downtown Gatlinburg Tennessee, Turn south at stoplight #8 in Gatlinburg. Follow Historic Nature Trail Road to 4-way junction at access road to Park Vista Hotel. Go straight and continue 1.4 miles into the Park. Turn right at Twin Creeks sign. Or you can just click here for directions. For the parking lot for the pavilion drive past the main parking lot and park at the pavilion itself. For some reason they designate wedding receptions differently than other get-together events, so officially this is a “family get-together” and “technically” not a wedding reception.
There is a fairly large parking area near the pavilion, and a small parking area right next it. Please use the large parking area and save the small one (with the handicap spaces) for the few people who cannot walk from the other one.
There will be a small selection of whiskey and a larger selection of cigars. We are planning to do a Low Country Boil, so bring your appetite! We will have some sides, and of course a wedding cake (or two). We will likely have tea and lemonade (and seltzer water). If you think that you won’t be in the mood for the food or you want something specific to drink, you are also welcome to bring something. If you want to bring a side for everyone, let me know (I don’t want to end up with too much or too little). If you don’t like Low Country Boil or have other needs (vegetarian or such), let me know in advance and we will try to have another option or two as well. We are only a month out and I haven’t heard from anyone, so we are going to grill some hot dogs and hamburgers for anyone who doesn’t want the LCB.
A couple of other wedding-day details:
You will have to show up at the chapel already in your wedding clothes. They provide a ready room for the bride to change/primp, but there isn’t an area for others to change.
The reception is going to be held in an outdoor pavilion. You can stay dressed up, or change on the way there. I will definitely change before the reception, it is likely to be really warm out. If your cabin/hotel/tent/cardboard box is close enough, you can just go back and change on the way.
Wedding gifts: Elvira and I are more established in our lives than a traditional/younger couple getting married, we understand that not everyone will be bringing traditional wedding gifts. We will honestly be happy with people who will be at the wedding to support us (or at the reception/party we plan to have in the Daytona area . . . and later in Romania) and don’t expect anything. We also don’t really need the traditional wedding presents, as we are both pretty set up as far as house supplies and decorations go.
That said, for those who still wish to purchase a wedding present we have decided to go a slightly different route. Rather than registering at stores, we have set up a page that will allow you to buy parts of our honeymoon instead. I think that this will help us a lot more than extra dishes or sheets. 🙂 The website for that is here:
If you have any other questions that I have overlooked, please send an e-mail/Facebook/phone call/text/carrier pigeon message and we will respond quickly (and I’ll probably add it to this page as well).
