Thursday, May 31, 2018

Creative Ideas for a Unique Wedding Ceremony or Reception Entrance

You don't have to do anything out of the ordinary when you make your first appearance at the ceremony and reception at our beautiful wedding venue in Tennessee, but some couples prefer to surprise their guests with something unique. Your imagination can most likely come up with all kinds of creative ideas, but here are a few from Country Jewell to get you started. Some work better for a ceremony entrance, others are best for entering the reception, and many could be used for either one. 


Ride In Style
Each of you can be dropped off separately at the top of the ceremony aisle in a unique vehicle. The person walking the bride down the aisle could also be in the vehicle or just waiting at the top of the aisle. 

The transportation could be a horse-drawn carriage, vintage automobile, or even a bicycle, possibly one built for two. You could also look to your professions for inspiration, for example, if you're marrying a fireman or policeman, use a fire truck or police cruiser. This type of entrance would work equally as well for your reception entrance too.  

Enter As a Couple
The tradition of a father walking a bride down the aisle comes from a time when she went straight from her parents' home to one with her new husband. This meant the father was "giving her away" to the groom. Today, many couples are getting married after years of living on their own or even living together. If you don't feel like you want someone symbolically giving you away, you and your groom can walk each other down the aisle, entering your new life together as a unified force. 

Choreograph It
You've likely seen many videos of wedding parties entering both ceremonies and receptions with a choreographed dance. If you and your friends are the goofy, fun-loving type that would really get into a performance like this and enjoy it, go for it. Pick a song that sums you up as a couple and put on your dancing shoes!  

Start a Flash Mob
A variation on the choreographed entrance is to bring a few of the wedding guests in on the show too. This would be much more of a stand-out surprise at the ceremony, but it could work well at the reception too. Have the wedding party get the moves started, and just when everyone thinks that's the big surprise, slowly have some of your guests join in one at a time until a whole bunch of people are a part of the entertainment.

An Entryway
If you are getting married someplace with doors, keeping those closed until the big moment and then opening them for a grand entrance is simple. If your venue doesn't have doors, like our outdoor wedding gazebo near Knoxville, you can make your own. It could be an actual door decorated and set up for the bride or the couple to hide behind, or possibly an arch with a curtain to pull aside for the big reveal. 


A Sporty Entrance
For couples that are huge sports fans, consider entering like your favorite team. You could have the wedding party hold up a big banner announcing the new Mr. & Mrs. for the two of you to break through. Another idea is to have them form a tunnel and you can enter running underneath their arms. You could even have the maid of honor and best man hold up ends of a streamer for the two of you to run through, like a symbolical finish line. 

Romantic Silhouettes
Creative lighting and a projection screen can allow you to begin your entrance in silhouette before the grand entrance when you step out from behind it. For a silhouette reception entrance, consider starting your first dance in shadow, and when the music swells, twirl yourselves out into the spotlight. 

Mood Lighting
You can use specialty lighting to set the mood as you enter the room. Many DJs have special lighting equipment that can do all kinds of exciting things. You could have pictures displayed around the room, sayings, your names or a monogram. Another idea is to use a different colored light for the entrance of each member of the wedding party, leading up to multiple colors and flashing lights for the new Mr. & Mrs. 

A Festive Drop
Shower yourselves with something festive as you walk into the reception room. You could set up a balloon drop, or drop something smaller like confetti or a bunch of rose petals. It will all look amazing falling around you and will add to the decor for the rest of the evening.  

Parade In
In addition to the two of you and the wedding party, enter the reception parade-style with extra people. You could hire dancers to surround you or have a live singer lead you in like a grand marshall. For the bride's ceremony entrance, instead of just one flower girl dropping petals, use an entire group of them to parade in skipping and cascading flowers down the aisle. 


That should be plenty of different ideas to get your own creative juices flowing while you plan your entrance to our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville. We'd love to hear all about any additional possibilities you can come up with too! Now that we've got you into Country Jewell, next week's blog will be filled with ideas on how you can make a creative exit. 


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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Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Things to Consider When Planning a Wedding Near a Holiday

Many holidays fall on a Monday, resulting in a 3-day weekend. It can be tempting to plan your wedding for that extended weekend, especially if it is a destination wedding. Other holidays hold a sentimental meaning for some couples, so they want to host their wedding day close to that holiday. 


There are a few obstacles that come with planning a wedding in Tennessee around a holiday that you are less likely to encounter if your ceremony and reception are held during a week that is holiday-free. Country Jewell has a list of some things you will want to take into consideration before deciding whether a holiday wedding is a good idea for you and your guests. 

Do Guests Already Have Plans?
Save-the-Dates are generally sent out about 6 months before the wedding date, but in the case of a holiday wedding, you may want to give even more notice. People tend to make their own plans on holidays, so the more notice that you give for your wedding date, the easier it will be for your guests to work it into their plans. 

Hosting a small wedding, like the kind that fits perfectly at our small wedding venue near Knoxville, can make it a little easier to coordinate with your guests, making sure that plans work best for as many of them as possible. Be aware, though, that trying to fit in both their holiday plans and your wedding may be difficult in some cases, so expect some of those guests to decline your invitation.     

Is There Time For Both?
On the other hand, long holiday weekends can also make it easier for some people to get away from work, especially if they have to travel from out of town to your wedding location. It will be extremely helpful for your guests when you share as many details about the wedding weekend as you can, as early as possible. 

The more they know about the timing of everything, the simpler it will be for them to work in both your wedding and their own holiday plans. This is a good factor to keep in mind during the wedding planning. You can either plan lots of activities to combine the holiday celebration with the wedding so your guests can do both at once, or you can limit the wedding activities, giving them enough time on their own to do their own thing.  


Is It a High-Travel Holiday?
The holidays that people generally get out of town are the ones that hotels will be booked up further in advance than other weekends. This can also cause the price of travel, such as airfare or gas, to go up too, which means it will cost your guests more to get to your wedding. Advance notice and detailed information can help with this, but the added cost may deter some guests from attending. 

Keep vendor pricing in mind for yourself too. For example, florists may cost more around Valentine's Day when they are already in high demand. DJs and bands are needed for New Year's Eve celebrations so their prices may go up around that time of year.  


Each Holiday is Different 
Take the particular holiday you are planning to get married near into consideration. If it's one that people may have long-standing traditions connected to, they are less likely to break that tradition to attend your wedding. Also, holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas are most often times to get together with family, so guests may be having to choose between their family and you, their friends. 

The upside is that you can use some holiday traditions as inspiration for your wedding. You can use the activities, decorations, and foods surrounding it to inspire some of your wedding planning choices. For example, snowflakes and cranberry cocktails for a Christmas wedding, and a red, white, and blue color scheme with a sparkler exit for a 4th of July wedding. For New Year's Eve weddings, you will want to start everything later than usual so that the party is still going at midnight instead of leaving your guests on their own looking for a place to count down the New Year at 11 pm.    

Don't Feel Guilty  
Last but certainly not least, if you have your heart set on getting married on a particular holiday, do it! Just make sure that you can allow yourself to not feel guilty about any guests that are unable to attend. On the flip side of that, it is courteous to let your guests know that they should not feel any guilt in turning down your invitation either. 


There are both good and bad factors surrounding the planning of a holiday wedding at our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville. You, as a couple, need to decide what is most important to you and make that work with the wedding planning you are doing. This is your special day at Country Jewell, and in the end, do what makes the two of you the happiest. 


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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Wednesday, May 16, 2018

10 Things That Wedding Photographers Wish Couples Knew (#6-10)

Last week our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville shared the first half of our list of 10 things that wedding photographers wish couples knew (#1-5.) Today, we're continuing those tips with #6-10 so the wedding photos that you have taken at Country Jewell can be the best photos ever! 


#6
Lighting Makes A Big Difference
If your wedding will begin during the day and continue late into the evening, that gives you a lot of chances to take photos in a variety of different natural lighting situations. Your photographer should recognize the best opportunities, so be sure to listen to them if they want to pull you away for a moment because they see the possibility for a great shot. 

Professional photographers are skilled at making artificial light do some incredible things too. If they need to move you a little to get the right lighting, trust them. The pictures that come out of the suggestion will be well worth it.  

#7
Ask Guests To Unplug
Unplugged weddings are a wedding where guests are asked to put away their phones, cameras, and other mobile devices. A lot of wonderful wedding photos can be ruined because guests are in the photographer's way trying to get a picture of their own. Let the pros take the photos and convince your guests to just enjoy the moment. 

You can always request the "unplugged" treatment for the ceremony and let your guests take their own photos at the reception, as long as you remind them to stay out of the professional photographer's way. After all, you paid them to take pictures, so let them do their job.  

#8
Connect Your Vendors
This goes for most of your wedding vendors, not just the photographer. If you make sure that they all have the names and contact information for each other, it can be a lot easier for them to communicate and work together to make your wedding flow smoothly. Sometimes your photographer may need a certain person for a certain shot, and rather than running around the wedding venue to find them, they can instead reach out to other vendors for help.   

#9
Don't Wait To Order Prints
Even if you hire a photographer that gives you a digital copy of all of your wedding photos, don't put off ordering prints to frame, put in photo albums, and share with your family and friends. The longer you wait to get those wedding photos printed, the less likely you will ever get it done. They are going to be amazing, so pick out a  few to show off! 

#10
HAVE FUN
This advice is the most important! The planning is over, so relax and enjoy all of that hard work. The way you feel is going to show in all of the photos that are being taken. You deserve to have the best day ever, and when you do, your wedding photos are going to be unbelievably amazing! 


If you are still looking for a photographer, or any other wedding vendors, the staff at Country Jewell can make some helpful suggestions. We work with lots of incredible wedding vendors all of the time, and we're good at matching couples with talented wedding professionals they can be comfortable with. When we all work as a team, your ceremony and reception at our beautiful wedding venue near Knoxville can be the one you've always dreamed of. 


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, May 8, 2018

10 Things That Wedding Photographers Wish Couples Knew (#1-5)

May is National Photography Month, which seems like an excellent time to talk about all of those wonderful photos that you will be taking at our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville. Those photographs will contain sentimental wedding memories, so you want to make sure that you have every chance to capture those moments in the best way possible. 

Country Jewell has a list of 10 things that most wedding photographers wish all of their clients knew before the wedding. We'll cover the first half of that list today and continue this discussion in next week's blog. Going into your special day with this advice will help you to take the most gorgeous wedding photos possible. 



#1
You Get What You Pay For
If wedding photographs are at the top of your "important wedding items" list, make sure that you set a big chunk of your budget aside especially for a quality photographer. It's a lot more than pointing and clicking. You need someone with the proper equipment, a full knowledge of weddings, the skills to know correct angles and lighting, and the ability to spend hours editing the multitude of photos that will be taken. 

A friend of the family may have a nice camera, but if they don't know how weddings work or get distracted because they are also a guest, they could miss some very important shots. Sometimes you can get lucky and find a photography student who is willing to work for cheap to build their portfolio, but your safest bet for pictures that you can be proud of is to stick with a pro.  

#2
Hire Someone You "Click" With
Photos look best when you are comfortable and happy in them. Choosing a photographer that you get along with well will make it much easier to be yourself, and that will show in your pictures. It makes your photographer's job a lot easier too when you are all comfortable with each other. This also means that you are much less likely to notice the photographer during intimate moments, which allows them to capture those special shots without interrupting them. 

#3
Have a List To Discuss With Them
You will probably have a list of "must have" photos that you want, and this can only happen if your photographer is aware that you want them. Don't overdo it and come up with a list too long to ever accomplish, but do include family photos that you want to have. This includes the names of who needs to be in which picture, and it's always nice to warn your photographer of any issues or family drama that may surface when these people get together. 

Also, let your photographer know if there are any wedding items that you made yourself or that have a special meaning to you so they can make sure to get a few photos of those things. Make them aware of any surprises you have planned too, such as a specially choreographed dance, so they don't miss capturing it. It's not your photographer's job to create your wedding day timeline, but their experience allows them to be a great resource for fitting everything in as long as they know what needs to fit in.     

#4
Trust Your Photographer
They are the experts, so trust your photographer's suggestions. They know how to make the lighting work in your favor and what types of things look great on film. If you have a long list of photos that you found on Pinterest but they say that shot isn't going to work in this situation, they usually know best.

Your input is needed to give them an idea of what you are wanting, but they need to have the freedom to create. You hired them because you loved the photographs from their portfolio, so you need to trust that they will do the same amazing work for your wedding too. With that in mind, if you are uncomfortable with a photo or a pose feels unnatural, speak up and your photographer will create another shot that you can be happier with.   

#5
Be Yourself
Just because it's a wedding, you don't have to do traditional "wedding poses" for your photos. Be goofy it that's your personality, and be willing to be photographed getting a little silly. Incorporate some props that show off a favorite hobby, pastime, or favorite thing. 

Also, if you don't normally wear a lot of makeup, there's no reason that you need to pile it on for your wedding day. You'll end up with pictures of a person you don't recognize. Stay true to your own style and personality and you'll get some fantastic photos that you love. 



These first 5 tips are a great place to start, and next week our Country Jewell blog will have 5 more tips to help your wedding photos turn out incredible. Our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville makes a gorgeous backdrop for your photographs, and these 10 tips combined with the love that will be emanating from the two fo you are going to make wedding magic together! 


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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Wednesday, May 2, 2018

5 Marvelous Ways to Make Your Mother Feel Special at the Wedding

Mother's Day comes once a year, but your wedding day is another wonderful time to honor the special lady that helped you become the person you are today. There are lots of different things that you can do to make sure that Mom feels a little extra love when you get married at our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville, and today Country Jewell has a few of them to share with you. 


Wear Her Gown
If you (the bride) love the wedding dress that your mom walked down the aisle in, have it altered to fit you. Another option is to have a seamstress use the original dress but turn it into a new style that fits the time and your personality. For brides that prefer to buy their very own brand new gown, you can use a part of your mother's wedding day ensemble, such as the veil, as an accessory. 

It is also a wonderful idea to take a swatch of Mom's bridal gown and use it to make a keepsake, like a handkerchief to carry with you down the aisle. This is an excellent way for a groom to carry a piece of his mother's bridal gown on the wedding day too.    

Borrow Something of Hers
For your "something old, new, borrowed, and blue," get the borrowed item from your mother. She will be thrilled that you asked, and that item will have an extra-special meaning to her when you give it back. Since grooms don't normally take part in this particular tradition, you might ask your future mother-in-law to also borrow something of hers. There's no rule saying you can't have more than one borrowed item!


A First Look Moment
Unless she is the one helping you get into your wedding dress, ask your mom to leave the room before you step into the gown. Next, have your photographer capture the moment when you step out of the room and Mom sees you for the very first time, all dressed up to get married. First look photos don't just have to be reserved for the bride and groom.  

Let Her Walk You Down the Aisle
A groom sometimes walks his mother to her seat at the ceremony on his way to the altar. In most cases, it's the father who walks the bride down the aisle. Since he's not the only parent "giving you away," ask your mom to take your other arm and let them both walk you down the aisle. Along the same lines, you can add another dance to the traditional mother/son, father/daughter dances at the reception and have a moment for a mother/daughter dance too.  

Thank Her in the Program
Surprise your mothers with a very special thank you directed at each of them in your wedding program. It will be a very sentimental gesture that will most likely catch her off guard and make her feel extremely loved and appreciated. A handwritten thank you is always a touching gesture too, so you might even consider placing a handwritten copy of that same thank you inside each mother's personal program. 


There are many more things that you can do to make your mothers feel extra-special on your wedding day, but these 5 ideas are great for getting your own ideas flowing. Moms provide us with a lifetime of enjoyable memories. Your wedding day at our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville is an excellent opportunity to make a few heartfelt memories for those wonderful women to treasure. Getting married at Country Jewell places your special day in a charming setting that all of your guests will remember fondly, and these sweet additions will enhance the event even more. 

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
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