This Valentine's Day, many couples in east Tennessee are saying their “I do’s."
Several weddings took place in Gatlinburg, where the wedding industry initially took a hit after the devastating wildfires.
The Chapel in the Park hosted 10 weddings on Valentine's Day.
"We started early this morning and we’ll finish late this evening. So it’s been a good day," said Reverend Lee Bennett with the chapel.
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While Valentine's Day may be a busy one, business overall is down.
After the November wildfires, Bennett said they saw a 50 percent decrease between their two venues, Chapel in the Park and Cupid’s Chapel of Love, which didn’t survive the fire.
“Hopefully we’ll recover by the end of the year but it’s been a tough year for us as well as waiters and arts and crafts people," Bennett said.
As part of the Gatlinburg Wedding Center, they are the largest provider of weddings in the entire state of Tennessee. Last year alone, 2,000 couples tied the knot with them.
“We are hoping to be able to get back to that level," Bennett added.
Only a few minutes away sits another chapel, the Wedding Chapel in The Glades, where one wedding took place on Tuesday.
“January and February are slow. Usually Valentine’s Day is our peak day of February but being as it fell on a Tuesday that made a big difference," said wedding coordinator Barbara Martel.
Martel said the fire only affected their business slightly.
“We’ve had a lot of couples that have been married here just wanting to call and check that their favorite chapel was still okay," she said.
Both Reverend Bennett and Martel want future brides and grooms to know they’re open and ready to help them say “I do."
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