Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Shop This Weekend At Country Jewell

Most weekends, if you stop by our rustic Knoxville event venue, you will find a brand new bride and groom, happily beginning their life together as man and wife. Not this weekend though, because we are filling the Country Jewell event barn with all kinds of wonderful goodies for you to browse and buy. There are most likely quite a few people on your Christmas shopping list that will love the incredible items we will have for sale. 





Shop In The Country
Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 10 am - 4 pm, many talented vendors will be setting up booths full of their fantastic creations and unique items for sale. There will be lots and lots of awesome holiday gift ideas to discover. Everyone in the area is invited to stop by, take a look at the magnificent items available, and take home a few of your favorites. You will find an incredible variety of both new and used items at this weekend's event, including:

  • Antiques - furniture and other items
  • Framed Photography
  • Painted Gourds
  • Christmas Items
  • Wreaths
  • Bows
  • Hats
  • Candles
  • Crafts
Just a few of the items we will have for sale. Stop by to see many more!

Snacks & Entertainment

We suggest getting here early so that you get a chance to see the very best sale items before someone else gets to them first! Browse leisurely and enjoy the delicious refreshments that will be provided. Make sure that you stick around long enough to enjoy some great musical entertainment from noon until 3:00 pm from our "pickers & grinners" too!  



See You Saturday!
Saturday is an excellent time to get a lot of your holiday shopping done, and maybe even pick up a few things for yourself. If you will be planning a wedding near Knoxville soon, this event is an excellent time to take a look around the venue and find out everything that Country Jewell has to offer for a beautiful wedding. We even have a few dates still open on our calendar if you would like to throw a holiday party this year for some friends and family. Stop by and see us this weekend. You're going to be glad that you did, and we will too! 



A delightfully quaint Knoxville wedding
& event venue.

6550 Hickory Valley Road
Heiskell, TN 37754
865-494-0552

Visit our website:  www.CountryJewell.com

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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Our Top 10 Thanksgiving Food Picks

While Thanksgiving is a time to think about and be grateful for everything that we have in our lives, you can't help but think about all of those amazing foods that go along with the holiday too. Just about every single one of those dishes would make up a wonderful meal for your rustic wedding reception. Today Country Jewell has decided to list our top ten favorite Thanksgiving foods to serve a room full of guests.


Turkey
This tasty bird is pretty much the center of attention on a Thanksgiving table. It's a popular meat that most people love, making it a wonderful choice for a reception dinner. 

Ham
This seems to be the runner-up if you don't happen to like turkey. Both meats are perfect for leftovers too, if your guests don't gobble it all up! 

Mashed Potatoes
While this food happens to taste great just about any way you prepare it, there is something comforting about a big scoop of mashed potatoes. While it is delicious any time of year, it's especially nice during the colder months. 

Sweet Potatoes
These can be served up about every way that a regular white potato can, but sweet potatoes generally get the added sweetness of marshmallows, brown sugar, &/or cinnamon served with them. It also adds a nice burst of orange color to a buffet table.

Gravy
This tasty sauce seems to be great on top of almost everything, especially Thanksgiving-type dishes. It can be served brown or white, or even better, offer both!

Green Bean Casserole
The Campbell Soup Company created this recipe in 1955, and it's been a Thanksgiving staple ever since. There's just something about the creamy combination topped with crispy fried onions that is irresistible. 

Broccoli Casserole
Here's another comfort food casserole that's a buffet favorite. Vegetables always seem to be a crowd pleaser when they are cooked up with the addition of cheese and other add-ins. 


Stuffing
One more side dish that the masses love. Even whipped up out of a box of Stove Top it's delicious, but our Knoxville wedding caterers can do a lot better than that! 

Dinner Rolls
You've got to have some type of bread, and there are tons of choices. You can go for a seasoned type to match the meal, or stick with good old white and whole wheat rolls. Croissants are always a popular choice too.

Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin is the most obvious choice for this holiday, but any type of pie served at a reception in our wedding barn near Knoxville makes guests smile from ear to ear. It's a great addition to the traditional wedding cake. 


When you host a wedding or any other type of event at Country Jewell, you are welcome to provide your own food, but we also have access to some very talented caterers in the area. There are packages listed for meals provided by Bradford Catered Events on our website to give you an idea of what they can offer. 

Holiday menus are great for giving you inspiration for what to serve at your wedding reception. Any one of the foods above is sure to please your crowd, but these ideas are just the beginning! 


A delightfully quaint Knoxville wedding
& event venue.

6550 Hickory Valley Road
Heiskell, TN 37754
865-494-0552

Visit our website:  www.CountryJewell.com

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on LinkedIn
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Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Host Your Holiday Parties At Country Jewell

With Thanksgiving only a week away, it's not too early to start making plans for all of the holiday gatherings you will be hosting in December. Our event venue near Knoxville is an excellent spot for family celebrations, get-togethers with friends, and office parties. Country Jewell is the perfect place to celebrate Christmas, the New Year, and so much more! 


Plenty of Room to Party!
The main building at our Knoxville special event venue is the beautiful, rustic Lewis barn. It was originally built in 1929, but since then has been completely renovated into the gorgeous event space that so many groups enjoy every year. 

There is room to accommodate up to 100 guests, with lots of space to roam, mingle, and plan activities on either level, upstairs and down. There is room downstairs for open seating and serving food. The upstairs loft if perfect for dancing, karaoke, games, or any other fun that you have planned for your celebration.

The entire place is surrounded by the picturesque beauty of the Smoky Mountain area. Weather permitting, there are many breathtaking spots outdoors to enjoy. If it's too cold, you can still sneak outside long enough to take a few group photos with the gorgeous scenic landscape for a backdrop. 


Equipment Included 
You are welcome to decorate any way that you like, but we've got a lot of the basic things needed for your group already included in the venue rental price. Our warming/serving kitchen has a refrigerator, oven, and microwave to take care of all of the food storage and prep. You will also have access to our 20 folding tables and 100 folding chairs.  

We offer weekend and holiday rates for renting our facility, as well as a discounted rate for parties taking place Monday-Thursday. People seem to get so busy over the holidays, sometimes a weekday is the easiest time to accommodate everyone's schedules. You are welcome to provide your own food for the event, or we can discuss a catering package and have that taken care of for you.  


Conveniently Located
If some of your guests will be traveling to the area from out of town, there are plenty of places for them to stay nearby. Our rustic event venue is located in Heiskell, Tennessee in Anderson County, which is less than ten minutes off of I-75. We are out of the way enough to offer you a secluded venue, yet still in close proximity to Knoxville, Norris Lake, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. As you can see from some of our photos, Santa already knows the address!   


Start Making Your List
Jot down a list of all of the people you would like to celebrate with this season, check your calendar for an open date, then give our Knoxville special event venue a call. Once we nail down a date, we are happy to hear all of your plans and offer assistance in any way that we can. All of your family and friends will be thrilled to take part in your special Country Jewell holiday. 


A delightfully quaint Knoxville wedding
& event venue.

6550 Hickory Valley Road
Heiskell, TN 37754
865-494-0552

Visit our website:  www.CountryJewell.com

Like us on Facebook
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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

7 Creative Ways To Keep Kids Entertained At Your Wedding

Even the most masterfully planned reception can can seem a little long to a child. They have much shorter attention spans than adults do, and many things that grown-ups enjoy aren't a ton of fun for kids. If you will be inviting the younger generation to your Country Jewell wedding, here are a few creative ways to keep them entertained throughout the celebration.



Set up an activity table.
When you are planning the room layout for your wedding reception, reserve a special spot to set up a table full of fun things for the kids to do. Coloring books are always a hit. Have plenty of plain paper handy too so that they can draw their own creations. A basket of building blocks can provide hours of entertainment. A few board games or simple crafts make a wonderful addition to this activity station too. 

Make special place settings.
If the children are old enough to sit away from their parents, you can put them all at a table together. If not, these special place settings can be put right next to the adult ones at the regular reception tables too. The placemat can be made of paper so kids can decorate it with stickers, markers, or crayons. (Make sure it's something that won't harm the tablecloth!) 

You can have personalized kid favors that are more playful that what the adults will be getting. Each spot can have special snacks/appetizers to keep the little ones satisfied until dinner is served. If you'll be toasting at the reception, give the kids their own glasses filled with punch, or use milk and top the glass with a cookie.  

Host a fun zone.
Rather than just a table, provide an entire area for the young people to have their own kind of fun. It could include a play tent, or you could even bring in a TV and video game console and let them have at it. If space allows and the reception music won't overlap, you could set up an area for the kids to chill out and watch a movie. 

Hire a professional.
The parents will especially love this idea! Hire a sitter to keep all of the kids entertained throughout the evening. They can lead games, crafts, and other activities while the grown-ups enjoy their own reception fun. Another idea is to hire an entertainer for the kids, like a magician or a face painter.  

Play games.
If weather and space allow, yard games are always popular with both the young and the young at heart. Simple rules and the ability to get outside and be active make these a great thing to keep kids out of trouble. Easy ones to set up are bags, ring toss, and even hopscotch. Toss a few hula hoops and jump ropes outside while you're at it.  

Rent a bounce house.
This requires some extra wiggle room in your wedding budget, but every kid at your wedding will be super excited when they see a giant bounce house. As a matter of fact, there's an excellent chance that the grown-ups will even want a turn in there, and it will make for some incredible photos.  

Play kid-friendly tunes.
Children are not shy when it comes to hopping out on the dance floor. They will especially love it if you have the DJ throw in a few of their favorite songs or line dances that they know. They really love glow sticks out on that dance floor too. 

Country Jewell, Knoxville, rustic wedding venue

Keeping kids entertained is not only for the little ones' benefit, but also for all of the adults at the wedding. Parents will be able to participate more, and guests that aren't used to dealing with children won't have to worry about them getting underfoot. A little extra effort to keep the youngest guests entertained at your rustic wedding near Knoxville will help to keep everyone happy, which is the goal after all. The bride and groom are the most important people to keep happy, of course, but Country Jewell knows from experience, that's a lot easier to do when the guests are having a good time. 


A delightfully quaint Knoxville wedding
& event venue.

6550 Hickory Valley Road
Heiskell, TN 37754
865-494-0552

Visit our website:  www.CountryJewell.com

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Thursday, November 3, 2016

Clever Ideas for a Rustic Winter Wedding

Winter will be here before we know it, which of course means winter wedding season. Our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville is the perfect spot to hold your cold-weather nuptials. It's beautiful outside and warm and cozy inside at Country Jewell. If you are planning a winter wedding, here are some cute ideas that you may want to incorporate. 


"Snow"
Baby's Breath is an excellent "filler" flower. It can decorate a lot of space at a low cost, and the blooms sort of resemble falling snow. Twinkle lights are another excellent way to simulate the effect of a sparkly winter wonderland. White glitter on decorative items gives off a pretty, snow-like look too. 

Hot Drink Bar
It's chilly in the winter, so something hot to drink really hits the spot. Set up an adorable "bar" with your favorite hot drink. Hot chocolate bars can have a table filled with mix-ins like whipped cream, peppermint sticks, marshmallows, and syrups. An apple cider bar could have cinnamon sticks, dried apples, and red hot candies. If you love tea time, set your bar up with lemon slices, honey sticks, and a mixed selection of your favorite flavors of tea. If you prefer coffee, set out the fixings for your very own makeshift gourmet coffee bar.       

Natural Elements
Rustic weddings make use of many elements that you find in nature for decor, and winter has many that look absolutely beautiful. Sprigs of evergreen bring a nice, rich color to your centerpieces, plus they fill in a lot of space for little cost. Pine cones can be used in a variety of ways for wedding decorations. Scented ones bring a lovely aroma to your celebration, and they also make excellent place card holders. Firewood is another natural element that brings to mind cold temperatures and cozy fireplaces. Cut wood makes nice stands for the different parts of your centerpieces to rest on. 

Candles
Candles at a wedding always bring about a romantic feel. Lots of candles will cast a warm glow all around the room. Plus, in a way, the candle flame is a nice, smaller alternative to a fireplace. 

Unique Guest Book
Creative guest books are very popular. Instead of having your guests sign the pages in a book you may never open again, have them put their signature on something decorative that you will display, or something that you know will get plenty of use. Quilts are great for keeping you warm in the winter, and quilt squares with your guests' well-wishes on them make a sweet memento. If your ceremony will be near Christmas, guests can sign ornaments, or you can have a print of an evergreen tree that guests make "ornaments" on with their fingerprints.  

Wintry Favors
If you will be sending favors home with your wedding guests, this season offers plenty of ideas to choose from. Scarves or throw blankets are nice, and during our research we came across the cutest saying to go with them: "To have & to hold in case you get cold!" Mittens could work with this theme too. Another idea is a mug from your hot drink bar. If you personalize each one, these can double as place cards on the tables. Go the extra mile and make up a to-go packet of hot chocolate or apple cider mix, or a selection of flavored teas. Holiday weddings are a wonderful time to give decorated ornaments as favors. 


Those are just a few ideas to get your imagination flowing. Winter is a beautiful time to get married, and you can have a lot of fun with the decorative details. Our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville has an indoor wedding chapel for those days when it's a bit too chilly to get married outdoors. The wedding barn stays nice and warm for your reception, and if the temperatures aren't too low, right outside is some of the most beautiful scenery you've ever laid eyes on in any season. If you would like to see if Country Jewell is the right venue for your winter wedding, we'd love to show you around. 


A delightfully quaint Knoxville wedding
& event venue.

6550 Hickory Valley Road
Heiskell, TN 37754
865-494-0552

Visit our website:  www.CountryJewell.com

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on LinkedIn
Follow us on Google+