Feature Story

By Marissa and Paul

Happy couple

Editor’s note: The following is an account of a couple’s recent elopement.

Day 1: We got off to a late start due to the tactical error of telling the parents at the last second. This resulted in practically no sleep along with numerous emotional last-minute speeches, lectures and goodbyes. We ended up getting off a little after 10 a.m., which was not looking good for our plans to get through Atlanta before rush hour. This was by far the worst we had ever seen Atlanta, taking us three hours to drive through downtown and its northern suburbs.

Thankfully, we were able to make it into Asheville, N.C. by 9 p.m., where we quickly changed clothes, filled out our breakfast-in-bed form, and walked to the Orange Peel to see The Beatles cover band, 1964. I would recommend anyone who has ever loved the Beatles to go see 1964. They have the music, charm and British swagger of the Beatles down to an art.

1964 ended up out-lasting us. We had been in the car all day and had not eaten since lunch. We went across the street to the Taproot Pizzeria and called it a night.

Day 2: Thanks to our late start on Friday, we had to head to Gatlinburg to pick up the marriage license. Not aware of another route, we drove the dreaded I-40, a windy, mountain two-lane interstate. After surviving the drive, we discovered how crowded a touristy city can be on a Saturday in August.

We were able to pick up the marriage license without hitting any pedestrians on the way and headed to the marriage site. Greenbrier Cascades was about 10 miles outside of the “touristy hell” part of Gatlinburg and was perfect for the ceremony Monday morning.

We headed back to the family cabin in Burnsville for the night. It was exactly as I had remembered it as a kid and a perfect setting for our honeymoon/eloping weekend.

Day 3: We headed back to Gatlinburg. Our wedding was at 9:30 the next morning. We wanted to be as prepared as possible. We only had two things to figure out: how to get there without using I-40 and how to avoid downtown Gatlinburg.

We discovered the “Scenic Highway” route through the mountains. It was a beautiful drive with far less traffic and “we’re lucky we didn’t just die” moments. After buying some flowers at a local florist, we headed to the hotel where Marissa made her bouquet and Paul’s corsage and hemmed Paul’s pants.

Going back on our other plan, we decided to head downtown to the Hard Rock Café. Here we discovered that this was the only Hard Rock Café you could actually get married in. Marissa breathed a sigh of relief Paul did not know this ahead of time.

We then jumped on the new indoor tourist game craze: indoor black light minigolf. We also played some skeeball, bought some useless toys with our tickets and headed back to get some sleep before the big morning.

Wedding Day: We got up way before our traditional wake up times and got ready. We headed out to the site around 8 a.m. Unfortunately, nervous jitters took over Paul’s driving speed and we got pulled over about half way between downtown and the wedding site.

Paul informed the officer it was our wedding day, and he was probably just nervous. The officer informed Paul that speeding endangers not just yourself but the other drivers on the road as well. We politely thanked Dudley Do Right for the warning and were back on the road.

We arrived at the waterfalls in plenty of time to shoot some pictures and record video footage. The photographer and minister arrived soon thereafter and we were ready for the ceremony.

The ceremony was very pretty and spiritual with the sounds of the waterfall, stream and birds around us adding to the ambiance. The service was quick, informal, but very meaningful in both its delivery and its overall meaning to both of us.

We headed back to the cabin and had dinner at Albert’s Inn,, a family owned Bavarian restaurant that overlooked the Mount Mitchell Golf Course. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Day 5: We went to Little Switzerland just north of where we were staying since it was raining Tuesday morning. This was a perfect place to find little gifts. Once it cleared up, we went hiking at Crabtree Meadows with our camera and video camera. We later found out this hiking trail was labeled “Strenuous,” much to the dismay of Marissa. The falls were great and made the whole hike worthwhile.

We headed back to the cabin, cooked dinner, and packed up for the trip home.

Overall, eloping, despite the stigma that goes along with that word, was a great experience It broke down the wedding experience to its essentials: the two people getting married setting out to do it on their own terms. For anyone who does not want to deal with the hassle of planning a wedding, we highly recommend taking this approach. It is a memory that we will always share and cherish.

Paul and Marissa don’t think they’re in too much trouble with their parents.

E-mail Paul and Marissa at rissalauren@yahoo.com

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