About Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is Tennessee's fourth-largest city, the largest industrial hub in the Southeastern United States, and a delight. The city is renowned for its liveliness, entertainment, architectural and cultural attractions, and fine dining experience.
Chattanooga is a three-time recipient for the national awards for outstanding livability, and it's not surprising, other than being a historic site for railway networks, the city sits on the footprint of the Appalachian mountains, revealing historical, natural, and scenic scenes. Because of the city’s natural mountain surroundings, there are dozens of places you can hike, bike, run, power walk, or cycle. You can also explore the rush of the Corcovado jungle exhibit, the Ruby Falls, or the Raccoon mountain reservoir.
Chattanooga is also credited for its bubbly nightlife and beautiful dining culture; and you’ll find many world-class restaurants, hotels, and concerts throughout the city as well. It even features Nightfall - a free weekly concert that features live local blues, jazz, rock, folk, zydeco, funk, and soul music.
Chattanooga's festive air and incredible venues will make your stay worthwhile. While the city’s endless list of caterers, photographers, videographers, florists, event planners and decorators can make your rehearsal dinner as memorable as can be for you and your guests.
Rehearsal Dinner Vendor Options in Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga is home to many small businesses that specialize in wedding and event related services. From caterers to florists, décor, and equipment suppliers, the city’s vendors can help make your dinner rehearsal incredible.
- Caterers
What's a dinner rehearsal without exotic food and fine wine? Explore Chattanooga's food culture and its people's love for exotic dining. While Chattanooga may be a relatively small city, the city's caterers offer a wealth of options, and will allure you with Italian dishes, soulful appetizers, seafood, and more. They can even prepare a custom menu designed around your specific food preferences.
- Florists
Chattanooga is a beautiful city, nurtured with some of nature’s best elements, like flowers. There are arrays of professional Chattanooga florists that can illuminate your dinner rehearsal with rhythmic patterns and gorgeous flower arrangements.
- Equipment Rentals
There are many event rental companies in Chattanooga, each with its own distinct offerings when it comes to prices and value. They can help you source all the essential (and not so essential) items you might need for your rehearsal event.
- Transportation
Transportation is an important factor when hosting a rehearsal dinner. After all, it can’t happen unless everything shows up on time. Fortunately, there are many options for moving around in Chattanooga. The city offers free electric shuttles for visitors and drops them off at terminals around the city. You can also explore car rental services, as well as top-quality private limousines services, to ensure your guests arrive safely, gracefully, and on-time.
- Décorists
Explore Chattanooga’s décor vendors for memorable lighting, draping, furnishing, and arrangement services. They can work with you to make your rehearsal dinner venue absolutely stunning - the perfect backdrop for a night that will be remembered forever.
Event Planning Companies in Chattanooga, Tennessee
- V-Love Event Planning
The V-Love event planning firm is run by an experienced three-member board of planners with more than twenty years of experience in the hospitality business. Whether you want a luxury wedding, a private party, a large conference, or a small get together, V-Love's vast experience in the market will make your vision for your rehearsal dinner event a reality. They also offer in-depth customization services for food, décor, and transportation.
- Wild Flower Wedding Planning Company
The Wild Flower Wedding Planning Company offers wedding planning services for a niche market. With almost a decade of experience in the event planning industry, the woman-led company has a network of vendors who are available to make your rehearsal dinner a memorable one. They have an experienced event management team as well as a network of local vendor partners available to ensure your event goes on without a hitch.
- Grand Finale Events & Décor, LLC
Grand Finale is an award-winning event planning vendor based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The team's primary focus is on the décor; hence, expect splendid visuals, floral, and lighting when they plan your rehearsal dressing. They also aim to eliminate the stress of planning an important event from their clients through communication and professional delivery of services.
Pros and Cons of Having a Rehearsal Dinner in Chattanooga
Pros:
- Natural and Scenic Views
Chattanooga's scenic natural view is a sight to behold and certainly surreal for adventurers and nature lovers.
- Local entertainment
Albeit a small city, Chattanooga offers visitors many entertainment options, including concerts, theaters, and music festivals.
- Great food
Chattanooga is well known as one of the top spots of Italian cuisine. Beyond Italian food, the city offers an array of 5-star restaurants, cafes, and diners, that serve exotic food and wine in the most hospitable manner.
- Affordable amenities
While Chattanooga's housing cost is 2% higher than the national average, their utility and transportation prices are 6% and 9% lower, respectively. Prices of groceries are 7% lower than the national average cost.
Cons:
- Cold winters
Chattanooga is known for freezing winters, and temperatures can drop as low as 190F.
- Transportation hiccups
Although not frequent, transportation hiccups in Chattanooga can be very bad, especially in times of extreme weather conditions.
- Trains
A common form of public transportation in Chattanooga, trains can be heard rumbling by frequently, especially if your event is located close enough to one.
- Allergies
The abundant nature of Chattanooga does come with a price: allergies. If you have allergen prone guests, be sure to stock up on allergy medicine, because the pollen in Chattanooga is brutal.
Famous Rehearsal Dinner Locations in Chattanooga, TN
- The Tennessee Aquarium
The Tennessee Aquarium is Chattanooga's most significant tourist point and one of the biggest freshwater aquariums in the world. The Aquarium features two exhibitions: the River Journey Exhibit, which includes travel through ecosystems like the Appalachian Cove Forest and Tennessee River —with their alligators, chirping birds, turtles, and river otters. The second is the Ocean Journey which features sea animals like penguins, reef fish, sharks, and jellyfish. It’s a great family-friendly attraction to visit before or after your rehearsal dinner event!
- The Chattanooga Zoo at Warner
The Chattanooga zoo was instituted in 1937. The zoo has many notable exhibitions like the La Selva Amazon, the Deserts and Forests of the World, The Gombe forest, the Warner Parker Ranch, and Walkin' the Tracks, with its most notable exhibit being the Himalayan Passage - home to the rare Red Pandas. Unique animals within the zoo include macaws, kinkajous, porcupines, chimpanzees, spiders, jaguars, capybaras, and komodo dragons.
- Creative Discovery Museum
The Creative Discovery Museum is a family-oriented museum that explores science, art, and music creatively. Activities range from tours, parties, lock-ins, and educational outreach programs. The museum also has an IMAX 3D Studio and the Hunter Museum of Art, making it a unique attraction and learning experience while visiting the city of Chattanooga.