If you’re not having fun at your wedding… What the is even the point?!! Brittinie and Matt were a couple who knew that, and their Renaissance wedding was the actual best day!! They said I do at Ancient Lore Village, which is seriously SUCH a magical Knoxville wedding venue. Their day brought some unique wedding ideas that I’ll never get over, and as a Tennessee wedding photographer, I can’t wait to share them with you!!
Ancient Lore Village: A Renaissance Wedding Venue
Ancient Lore Village is one of the COOLEST venues around. Hobbit houses, renaissance themed everything, treehouses, and even an archery range?? It feels like you’re in a fantasy novel. Perfect for you little unique, whimsical couples that love the cottagecore vibe!!
The Knoxville wedding venue holds up to 200 guests for a wedding, and it can sleep up to 48 guests, too. And trust me: on-site accommodations are a GAME-CHANGER. Not having to worry about your family or wedding party getting there on time the next day, and instead just having everyone already on-site, lets you relax (and not text your girls in all-caps at 8:00 am freaking out).
The Venues at Ancient Lore Village
The Woodland Terrace
This ceremony site is woodland fairy meets cottagecore whimsy, and it’s SO GOOD!! If saying “I do” in the middle of the woods is your dream (and you want to feel a little bit like a fairy while you’re doing it), this place will be your jam.
The Village Gardens
Cocktail hours on the covered pavilion? PERFECT!! It’s a great spot, no matter the weather, and a space that actually lets the couple talk to people, not just wave from afar.
The Overlook at Willow’s Landing
Holding up to 45, this pavilion overlooking a waterfall makes a dreamy AF spot for cocktail hours or receptions for an intimate wedding. If there’s one thing Tennessee is gonna do, it’s bring the VIEWS, so this area at Ancient Lore combines it all!
The Yeti Cave
Again, for an intimate wedding, this space?? Unmatched. This is an area that lets your creativity and personality shine for a wedding reception setup. Even if you’re having a larger wedding, using this spot for something like a bar is a must. It’s too good to pass up!!
Your Guide to On-Site Accommodations at Ancient Lore Village
Whether it’s a destination wedding, a wedding weekend, or you just want to have everyone in one place, I’ve gotchu with everything you need to know about on-site accommodations. I’ve shot a LOT of weddings at Ancient Lore, and my couples always opt to use the village for the weekend because it’s too adorable (and easy) to not!!
This is one of those venues that people will travel for, with great reason. When you have a ton of guests coming in for your wedding from out of town, you have a unique opportunity to get everyone in one place, make the party last all weekend (hell yeah!), and actually spend time connecting with people.
Ancient Lore Village has different wedding packages for whichever fits your vibe best, and two of them do require lodging, which, honestly, is a good thing. Each of the dwellings is cute AF. They’re all fantasy-themed from their names (Like, “The Leprechaun Lair,” “The Gremlin Den…” Are you kidding?!) to their decor!! Some of them are treehouses, some are Hobbit houses, and they range from holding two guests to eight guests.
My personal favorite way to do this is to have your respective wedding parties in the Bokees Bungalow and the Luxury Eleven Treehouse, then have others who will be a part of the wedding or wedding weekend reserve the other rooms!!
Brittinie and Matt did this with style. Not only did having lodging at the venue make it easier for everyone involved, but they found a way to make it hella fun, too. They set up a scavenger hunt for the guests to do on the morning of the wedding while they got ready!! I’m talking Renaissance fair vendors, different stations, a treasure chest… It was so rad. They had a fairy crown-making station, a juggler, a temporary tattoo station… I’ll actually never be over it.
Other Places to Stay Near Ancient Lore Village
If you have more guests than can stay at Ancient Lore Village, don’t fret. We’re in Knoxville, baby!! There are a ton of hotels around. I personally love the Oliver Hotel and Hotel Cleo.
Should You Have a Renaissance Wedding at Ancient Lore Village?
Ummm… Yeah. You should absolutely have a Renaissance wedding at Ancient Lore Village. I mean, just look at this place!! But seriously, if you’re looking for something ultra-unique that lets you get creative as hell and that NO ONE will forget about… Ancient Lore Village is the place!!
And the best part: it’s equal parts fun and romantic. Yeah, Brittnie and Matt had mermaids and pirates, but they also had the sweetest moments!! Matt crying when Brittnie walked down the aisle (cue the tears from EVERYONE), a hand-fasting ceremony (shoutout my fave officiant, Rev Jill Dinner!), and private vows that were the sweetest things I’ve ever heard in my life. Then a bubble exit that was so fun and so whimsical right after!
If you want a ceremony that can do both… Ancient Lore Village is your place.
Unique Wedding Ideas from Brittinie and Matt’s Renaissance Wedding
THIS is how you do a wedding at Ancient Lore Village. The full commitment to the aesthetic? How quirky and full of life it was?? YES. Their day is bringing ALL the unique wedding inspo, and I’m pulling all the ideas from it as your Tennessee wedding photographer!!
Incorporate Guest Interaction
Guest interaction is a huge trend right now, and it’s a sure way to make your wedding stand out. Aside from the scavenger hunt Brittnie and Matt set up for guests the morning of the wedding, they incorporated tons of things for guests to do. One of my personal faves? Archery during cocktail hour!!
Tie Everything to Your Wedding Theme
Listen, wedding themes are just FUN, and you already know I’m all about that!! And when you don’t hold back on the details, it builds a whole-ass world. Brittinie and Matt did it so well, down to the style. The bride had flowers and butterflies in her hair and makeup look, and everything down to her dress and florals fit the vibe perfectly!!
Make DIY Decor
Decor you make yourself literally puts a piece of you into your wedding. And who doesn’t love a good craft and being a sustainable baddie?!
But Brittinie and Matt’s decor… WOW. They DIY’d or thrifted everything, and it couldn’t have turned out better. The vow books, the order of events sign, the seating chart, the fairy garden book, and the centerpieces were on my list of faves. And you’ll def want to save them as inspo.
Have A Silent Disco Reception
The couple did a silent disco (emo version, hell yeah!) for the last hour of the reception, and it was absolutely iconic. I want to see this at EVERY wedding now, please and thanks!! Obsessed is such an understatement.
Wild Alchemy Photo | Tennessee Wedding Photographer
This wedding, the venue, the decor, all of it is living rent-free in my brain, and if it is in yours now too… We’re probably a perfect match!! If you’re planning a day full of whimsy and fun, I’d love to be a part of it and even toss in some ideas for you as your Tennessee wedding photographer. I’m obsessed with days that feel true to who you are. They not only make the day more fun and personal, but they make your gallery more honest. And that’s what I LOVE to do.
So, you can inquire about booking me here. Whether it’s at Ancient Lore Village or in Cali, as long as your day feels like you, I’m there!!
While you’re here, get more inspo from my Pinterest and check out a few more weddings I LOVED capturing:
A Wedding at The Loyston Full of Fun, Elegance, and Intentionality
5 Colorful Wedding Ideas from a Funky Day at Maple Grove Estate
