Showing posts with label rustic event venue near Knoxville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rustic event venue near Knoxville. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

5 Great Money-Saving Ideas For Your Wedding

Weddings can get very expensive very quickly if you're not careful. Choosing a wedding planning budget that you are comfortable with is the first step to keeping the spending under control, and the next (hardest) step is to actually stick to that budget. 


Cutting your spending in certain areas frees up money that can be spent on other parts of the wedding that are more important to you. Country Jewell has 5 great money-saving ways to do that in today's blog. 

Keep It Small
The more guests invited, the more you are going to end up spending on each one. Fewer guests mean less food to serve, fewer invites to order and put stamps on, and fewer favors that you have to buy. In reality, you only need your family and closest friends with you. 

Our small wedding venue near Knoxville is capable of hosting a wedding of up to 100 people in the special event barn and 45 in the indoor chapel, so if people that don't make the guest list inquire as to why not, you can blame the size of the venue instead of telling them that you wanted to save money by not inviting them! You save money and their feelings are less likely to be hurt.  

Take Your Time
Giving yourself at least a full year to plan your wedding will give you plenty of time to think your options over, compare pricing, decide what's truly worth spending your money on, and avoid any last minute "we're running out of time" impulse buys. Just be very careful that you don't end up spending extra on unnecessary items because you have extra time to shop before the big day.  

Use Floral Alternatives
Fresh flowers can be one of the priciest items you will purchase for your wedding, but they don't have to be. Unless lots of flowers is on your "most important wedding items" list, you can choose to buy fewer flowers and use other decorations alongside them to fill up space. 

Some examples would be candles, lanterns, or themed items like pinwheels and mason jars. When you get married at Country Jewell, the lush outdoor landscaping is filled with gorgeous flowers already growing on site, so additional cut flowers aren't really a necessity if they don't fit into your wedding budget.   


Use a Wedding Hashtag
If you incorporate a wedding hashtag that all of your guests can use to share photos online, you won't have to worry about hiring a photographer for extra hours to stay late into the evening. Most of the important photos are done early, and the end of the night is just lots of people dancing, laughing, and having fun. A professional photographer isn't really needed for those final, casual shots, and your friends and family are very likely to capture some moments only someone close to you would notice. The hashtag photo-sharing option also lets you see pictures of things going on at the wedding while you are in another area with the photographer taking your formal shots. 

Serve a Lighter Meal
Another extremely pricey item at your wedding will be the food, but you really should serve your guests some type of refreshment. Having your ceremony and reception earlier in the day allows you to serve brunch or lunch to your guests, which is generally a less expensive meal than a full dinner. A wedding that takes place midday after lunch but before dinner only requires you to serve light appetizers or simply cake and punch. 

We offer some wonderful packages at our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville that include delicious catering packages in the price already. A reception in our special event barn also gives you access to our warming/serving kitchen complete with a refrigerator, oven, and microwave if you want to prepare your own food. We do require a deposit to bring your own food, but it will be fully refunded as long the kitchen is left clean with no damage and you carry off your own garbage. 


You can have the wedding of your dreams at Country Jewell without breaking the bank if you take the time to make good choices and really decide what aspects of the wedding are the most important to you, and which ones you are fine doing without. As long as you have an amazing time filled with happy memories, the entire experience will be priceless! 


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+ 

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

The Gorgeous Indoor & Outdoor Wedding & Event Facilities at Country Jewell

If you are looking for a beautifully scenic wedding and event venue near Knoxville, you need look no further than Country Jewell in Heiskell, Tennessee. It doesn't matter what time of year that you will be hosting your celebration, because our rustic venue is breathtaking in every season and there are plenty of spots, both indoors and out, to host your event. 


Scenic Wedding Gazebo
Our timeless wedding gazebo is the perfect place to hold an outdoor ceremony. It is surrounded by lush landscapes, gorgeous mountain views, and all-around natural beauty. The vibrant colors of each season surround the gazebo, along with meandering streams and a bubbling waterfall.   


Charming Wedding Chapel
The quaint wedding chapel at Country Jewell was originally an old corn crib built in 1931. We renovated it to turn it into a magical place to say "I do!" During the renovation, we were able to keep the original barn board walls. A stunning Victorian reproduction stained glass panel was added behind the altar, giving the entire chapel an especially romantic ambiance. 


Standing inside the chapel is reminiscent of being in an old country church with its red oak floors and simple benches. The wedding chapel is able to accommodate up to 45 people, which is perfect for a small, intimate ceremony in front of your family and friends. 


Rustic Special Event Barn
Our main special event building is obviously a barn from the outside, but don't expect a big empty space where you would keep livestock past the front doors. On the contrary, the inside will take your breath away. 


The Lewis Barn was originally built in 1929. Since then it has been completely renovated, yet still retains a feeling of tradition, history, and enchantment. You can comfortably entertain up to 100 guests in this quaint reception venue. It is fully equipped with restrooms, a kitchen and serving area able to accommodate your catering needs, and an open seating area capable of a variety of table setups. The old hay loft adds a unique and fun area for entertaining your guests, as well as a wonderful spot for photographs.   


Country Jewell is the ideal rustic wedding venue near Knoxville for small events of 100 or fewer guests. Words and pictures give you the initial facts you need, but to truly understand what a magical place Country Jewell is for hosting your next special celebration, you need to see it in person! Give us a call at 865-494-0552 and set up a time to pay us a visit and see everything for yourself. We believe you will love it every bit as much as we do, and we can't wait to see your happy celebration take place here!


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+ 

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

5 Tips For Hosting a Wonderful Engagement Party

Although we tend to focus mainly on the Country Jewell weddings that happen here, that's not the only type of celebration that you can host at our rustic event venue near Knoxville. We've been the site of reunions, anniversaries, birthday parties, holiday parties, business retreats, and much more. 

We are also the perfect size for an intimate engagement party. Your guests will be tickled to find out that the actual wedding will take place on the very spot where they are celebrating your engagement. Today we've got a few helpful tips that will ensure your engagement party is a hit. 


Decide Who Will Host
Traditionally the bride's parents host the engagement party, but today anyone is free to host this celebration. It can be parents, other relatives, friends, or even the couple themselves. In some cases where the bride and groom have family or friends that live far away from each other, more than one party may even take place. Whoever ends up playing host will most likely take charge of the majority of the party planning, but they will need your input on many things so that it works well with your wedding plans. 

Make a Guest List
You should only invite guests to your engagement party that will also be invited to the actual ceremony and reception. It is very likely that you may not have an entire wedding guest list made up this early in the planning stages. That's okay because this event doesn't need to be as large as your wedding. You can keep it small for just your closest family and friends that you are positive will be on the main guest list. This party is in your honor, so in this case, the guests are yours to choose, not the person hosting the event.    

Pick a Date
This type of party should be held within the first few months of the engagement. You will need time to create the guest list and plan the party, but you don't want to wait too long after the proposal that the newness has worn off. Also, give your guests plenty of notice so that they have enough time to make plans to join you. 

Set the Scene
This is an event celebrating your upcoming wedding, but it doesn't have to match the plans you are making for the big day. When you host it at our scenic event venue near Knoxville, you really don't need to plan for a lot of additional decorations at all. We have already set a charming, rustic scene in our event barn that looks festive, yet still works well with a variety of decorating styles. If you need some advice on how to get the venue ready, our talented staff can offer some wonderful suggestions. 

Decide What You'll Wear
You will be the center of attention all day long and the subject of many photos, so you will want to find something special to wear. It doesn't need to be as fancy as what you will wear at the wedding, of course. Stick to your personal style and what you enjoy wearing. Once again, the day is all about the two of you, so just be yourselves. The formality of the party you and the host decide on will give you a good idea about the type of clothing you will want to shop for.   

When you do hold your engagement party at Country Jewell, you will be able to use everything that our event barn comes with, which will save you from renting tables and chairs and also allow you to prepare your own food if you don't want to hire a caterer. The venue rental includes the use of:

  • 20 folding tables
  • 100 folding chairs
  • warming/serving kitchen with a refrigerator, oven, and microwave

Give us a call at 865-494-0552 soon and make an appointment to take a look at our charming event venue near Knoxville. Not only will you find that it is the perfect place to hold your wedding, but it's also an excellent spot for many of the other celebrations in your life.       




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+ 

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Valentine's Day Romance for Everyday Life and Your Wedding

February is a very romantic month. Not only does it contain Valentine's Day, but it is also labeled "Creative Romance Month" and "National Weddings Month." This seems like the perfect time for Country Jewell to highlight a few creatively romantic ideas that can both be incorporated into your wedding at our beautiful rustic wedding venue near Knoxville and your daily life. (Valentine's Day is a great time to start making one or more of these a tradition for the two of you!) 


Love Letters
Handwritten love letters are rare for most people, so receiving one from your sweetheart is an extra special treat. It is a lovely tradition for couples to write love letters to each other to be delivered on the wedding day while each is getting ready for the ceremony. You can also do this for other romantic occasions, or simply "just because" any time you feel like writing down your feelings and making your special someone smile. 

Don't stop there. While a handwritten love note is the ultimate, go a step further. Occasionally leave little notes around the house for them to find on post-its or other small scraps of paper. The occasional text full of sweet nothings is sure to make them very, very happy and keep that romance alive too. For the big occasions though, put pen to paper and seal it with a kiss! 

Relive A Memory
Every year, be it on your anniversary, Valentine's Day, or some other important date, recreate something that is special to the two of you. Pick a restaurant or a particular meal to enjoy only on that date each year, or possibly drink one certain type of wine you don't drink on a regular basis, making it unique to that romantic moment. You could even recreate your first date every year. You can begin this tradition at your wedding, or if you already have something in mind from your time dating, incorporate it into your wedding day. 

Make A New Memory
If you're the adventurous type of couple that prefers to try something new and different together every chance that you get, promise to pick out a new adventure to share with each other every year. It doesn't particularly have to be romantic. As long as it is something you can experience together, it is bound to bring you closer together, which is always wonderful for romance. 

You can bring this idea of trying something new into your wedding planning by searching for a unique unity ceremony to share or by learning a choreographed dance to perform at your reception. If it's something you haven't done before, give it a try!    

Take An Annual Photo
This is an excellent way to watch the progression of your love and life together over the years. Strike the same post every year and take a photo to add to a collection. If the picture can also be taken in the same place annually, even better, or go the opposite direction and make sure you find a brand new location each year. If you have not yet gotten married, make sure that you take this photo on your wedding day, and for already married couples, pick one of your wedding photos to inspire your recreated pose. 

Renew Your Vows 
This can be done in a big way like getting married all over again, or simply by going back over the vows that you made to each other in private. If this is something that you might want to do, have your wedding vows framed or saved on paper in a special place to keep them safe until you want to get them back out again. Another option is to watch the video from your wedding or flip through the album of photos from that amazing day.  


There are two main themes throughout the ideas suggested above. One is togetherness, and the other is reminding your loved one of how special they are to you. For those of you yet to get married, start some traditions that can be incorporated into your big day at our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville, and for everyone that has already tied the knot, start a tradition now, possibly pulling inspiration from your own wedding day. From all of us here at Country Jewell, have a wonderfully romantic Valentine's Day full of love! 

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+

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

7 Things You Should Do After You Get Engaged

Congratulations, you're engaged! Once the initial excitement of the moment dies down enough for you to concentrate, you will probably wonder what your next steps should be. You may want to immediately start planning that fabulous wedding you will have at our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville, but there are a few other tasks you will want to tackle first. Country Jewell in Heiskell has come up with a list of the important ones for you. 


Enjoy the Moment! 
Even though you may be tempted to start shouting it from the rooftops right away, it doesn't hurt to keep this magical moment between just the two of you for a little while. Privately take this time to celebrate together before sharing the news with your family and friends. 

Get Your Nails Done
Once you start spreading the news, people are going to start asking to see your beautiful new engagement ring. Your left hand will be the center of attention, so getting a manicure will guarantee that it is looking its best. No one wants a dingy fingernail taking attention away from that brand new ring. 

Share the Good News
Don't make a post on social media to the general public before you've had a chance to share this special news with your family and closest friends. Telling them in person is best, but if that's not possible, maybe you can set up a video chat to let them know. Once all of the important people have been told, go ahead and share it with the world! 

You might even consider throwing an engagement party to tell everyone at once. Our rustic event venue near Knoxville is a wonderful setting for this. Throwing that party here is excellent practice for getting ready to host a ceremony and reception at Country Jewell too! 

Think About Ring Insurance
Hopefully, nothing bad will ever happen to your engagement ring, but it's always better to be safe than sorry with an important item like that. Jewelers will often appraise a ring for free for the insurance company if it was purchased at their store.

Start the Guest List
You don't have to decide on the final guest list right away, but you do need to get an idea about the size of the wedding that you will be planning. Small weddings are a lot easier to plan for, and celebrations with 100 or fewer guests are the perfect size for a Country Jewell wedding. 

Book Your Wedding Venue
If you want to ensure that another couple won't book your desired date before you get the chance, you'll want to call Country Jewell as soon as you are sure about the wedding day. If you are a bit more flexible and don't have a specific date in mind, the dates that are still open on our calendar can help you to narrow down the special day. Once that's set, you can move on to other wedding planning tasks, like deciding on a budget and picking your wedding party. 

Schedule Engagement Photos
The earlier you can get these done, the better. That way you will have lots of gorgeous photos of the two of you to use for things like announcements or save-the-date cards. It's best if you find the photographer that you want to shoot your wedding first because many of them will offer engagement photos as a part of your wedding package. 


This is a very exciting time in your life. Don't let the planning stress get to you, but instead remember to enjoy the moments as they happen. If you have any questions at all, our knowledgeable staff at Country Jewell may have the answers. We've seen many beautiful weddings over the years, and we can't wait to add yours to that list! 


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+

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

7 Creative Ways To Make Your Wedding Unique

Your wedding guests will most likely be expecting a typical ceremony and reception when you invite them to join you at our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville. Traditional weddings are wonderful, but if you want to shake things up a little bit, Country Jewell has come up with some creative ways to incorporate some additional fun to surprise everyone with. 


#1- Serve refreshments before the ceremony.
You don't have to make your guests wait until after the "I do's" to grab a drink. Set up a drink station with refreshing flavored waters, tea, or lemonade so that they can pour a drink to enjoy during the ceremony. You could even schedule the cocktail hour to happen before the ceremony with drinks and a few small appetizers for everyone before you walk down the aisle. 

#2 - Keep everyone well-fed all day.
Instead of the traditional ceremony followed by a cocktail hour with appetizers and then dinner followed by cake, spread out the food. Start by using the advice from tip #1 to feed everyone a little bit before the ceremony, then have a few more appetizers before dinner. Serve a light meal at the reception, then go ahead and cut the cake for any guests that need to leave early. 

As for the rest of the guests that stay to dance the night away, serve a snack midway through dancing. It could be a surprise appearance by a food truck, a dessert table with cookies and cupcakes, or maybe even a popcorn bar. If you're going late into the evening, have a few pizzas delivered for everyone to munch on before heading home or send them away with edible favors to enjoy on the ride home or the next morning. 

#3- Relive memories with each guest.
Many couples like to display photos from their relationship leading up to the wedding day as a part of their decorations. Some also display pictures from the weddings of other family members. Why not add your friends to the mix too? Display photos of yourself with particular guests or handwritten memories you have of them at their reception table. It's a very sweet and personalized gesture. This is a lot easier to do with a small, intimate wedding rather than a large one with lots of guests.  

#4- Act like kids again.
Kids always seem to be happy and having a great time. Take a cue from them and do something child-like that will put a smile on everyone's face. Rent a bounce house, play some goofy games, serve cotton candy and ice cream... you get the idea. The kind of stuff that grown-ups don't normally let themselves enjoy. You'll all go home with incredible memories of having an amazing time. You can be a grown-up again the next day.   

#5- Surprise them with your first dance.
Your first dance as husband and wife is a romantic moment, but if the song goes on too long, guests may lose interest and you might start feeling awkward having everyone stare at you both for so long. One way to avoid this is to have the DJ cut the music after a verse or two to shorten the song. A fun way to fix this problem is to have the DJ merge your romantic slow song into a fast dance midway through. You could even invite your wedding party or the entire room to join you on the dance floor at this point. It's a very lively way to get the party started. 

#6- Arrange for unique entertainment.
In addition to just having a DJ or live band perform at your wedding reception, think outside the box. You could have a professional dance troupe come in to perform for your guests. An impersonator or hypnotist would be very entertaining. Another creative option could be a close-up magician wandering around the room or a caricature artist on-hand to draw favors for your guests. 

#7- Set aside an area to chill out.
If you have some wedding guests that don't like to dance a lot or some that dance so much you know they'll need a place to take a break, set up an area away from the dance floor where they can all chill out for a while. A few comfortable chairs set off to the side of the room will do the trick. Inside our beautiful event barn near Knoxville, you could host dancing upstairs in the hayloft and set up a relaxing area downstairs after the reception tables have been moved out of the way.


Those are just a few fun ideas that you might want to add to your wedding plans to make the celebration unique and add an extra element of fun. When you visit us at Country Jewell in Heiskell, we would love to hear what type of fun ideas you have in mind. Between the both of us, your wedding will be one that you and all of your guests will enjoy and remember fondly for years to come! 


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+

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Romantic New Year's Eve Traditions To Start

After you get married at our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville, you will have many years of holidays together to look forward to. Beginning traditions that are just for the two of you can add a romantic spin to any holiday. Country Jewell has come up with a few ideas that you can turn into annual New Year's Eve traditions and look forward to every year. Even if you're not married yet, you can go ahead and start these traditions now and continue them after your wedding. 


Write Love Letters
A wonderful way to get excited about a brand new year together is to highlight all of the great things that happened to the two of you in the past year. Sometime between Christmas and New Year's Eve, put pen to paper and write a heartfelt letter to the love of your life telling them all about the things they did over the past year to make you love them more and more each day. 

Add to a Time Capsule
You can have an ongoing time capsule that you add something to every New Year's Eve. A few things to include could be tickets from movies, games, or concerts you attended, your favorite new thing from that year, or possibly a special photo you took. Every New Year's Eve when you get the time capsule out to add something to it, you can look through the additions of years past and relive sweet memories of your life together. 

Make New Plans
After taking a look at your fantastic past as a couple, make plans to do something special together at some point in the next 12 months. You could go ahead and pen in a few date nights on the calendar for the coming year. Another great idea is to pick something new that the two of you have never done and vow to give it a try. It could be going to a new restaurant, taking a class together, visiting a new city, or even taking on a DIY project for your house. The important thing is that it be something you can do together. 

Share a Toast
Pick up a special bottle of your favorite wine, champagne, or other beverage that the two of you love and use it to toast each other at midnight. It could be sweet to use the same glasses that you toasted each other with on your wedding day. Maybe you could even come up with a special toast that you say every year, just on this night. 

Dress Up
Turn New Year's Eve into a formal occasion and put on your finest party clothing, even if you're staying home this year. Everyone feels a little more festive when they are wearing something fancy, and you know you like the way your spouse looks when they're all dressed up! Whether you go out for the evening or stay in, you'll look incredible. (Be sure to take a photo together! It will be a perfect item to add to the time capsule.) 

Break a Record
At the stroke of midnight, you are supposed to share a romantic kiss. See how long you can make that kiss last every year, possibly even breaking your record from the previous New Year's Eve. A tradition like this is bound to lead to more interesting things later on for a couple in love!


Your wedding day is a very romantic time in your life. Take every chance you get after the wedding to add romance to your day to day routine. You may even be able to recreate some of the things that you did at your romantic wedding near Knoxville and turn them into traditions too. All of us at Country Jewell wish everyone out there a very prosperous new year full of love and lots of new romantic traditions! 

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+

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Country Jewell Through The Words Of Our Brides & Grooms

Our beautiful scenic wedding venue near Knoxville is a marvelous place to begin your life together as husband and wife. We do everything that we can to make sure the day goes as smoothly for you as possible. When a couple takes the time to write a review about their experience at Country Jewell after the wedding, we know we've done our job. 

Brittany Sidwell Photography, Country Jewell, Tennessee, weddings
photo by Brittany Sidwell Photography
Here are a few of our most recent reviews to give you an idea of what the Country Jewell experience can be for you. We are used to hearing back from the brides, but we were thrilled to see a couple of grooms chime in this time around too!

"We had our wedding here about a week ago and it couldn’t have been more perfect and beautiful! Claudia was awesome to work with and very patient with a scatter-brained bride! We absolutely had the best time here! Thank you Claudia and the Country Jewell!"
~Taylor Grant, Facebook review

"I would like to say that Claudia (the owner and manager of Country Jewell) has been one of the nicest, easiest to work with people I've ever met. My wife and I looked and looked for a wedding venue that was affordable and would let us bring our own food, and Country Jewell was able to do all of that and more! Claudia keeps the place very neat and clean, and it is very beautifully furnished. I highly recommend you give her a call and go by and check the place out, you won't be disappointed!"
~Ryan Carrell, Google review

"Not only did the venue include a site for the ceremony and the reception, but Claudia offered her time to help the day go smoothly."
~Kristen, WeddingWire review

"Wonderful place for a wedding, anniversary, or birthday party. Serene country setting, just off Norris Freeway. Beautiful grounds with waterfalls and a quaint chapel. Just beautiful!"
~d jeanseau, Google review

Country Jewell, wedding venue near Knoxville, Heiskell TN

"I just went for a tour just now and she is so nice and sweet! Me and two of my bridesmaids loved her. I'm definitely booking with her! Her venue gives a very intimate vibe and feels that you are at home when you are there! Can't wait to marry my sweetie."
~Shelby Chambers, Facebook review

"We loved the place. Claudia Jewell is a jewel herself. We made the decision to be married there October 12th."
~Teresa Keck, Google review

"Great place for a wedding ceremony and the folks that run it are seasoned professionals."
~Chuck O'Connor, Facebook review

"My twin sister got married here a few years ago. I had my wedding here today & it was literally Perfect!! The owner, photographer, DJ, caterer, and everyone else were all very professional."
~Kristen Hubbell, Facebook review


If you like what you've just read in this blog, give our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville a call at 865-494-0552 so that we can give you an in-person tour of the entire place. We would love to help you host your wedding at Country Jewell, and once you set your eyes on it, we bet you're going to love it here as much as these past couples have! (We sure do!) 

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+

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Fun Ideas For Your Holiday Parties

Thanksgiving has come and gone again, and we all find ourselves in the midst of the excitement of the holiday season. Country Jewell realizes that means it's time to start thinking about how to entertain all of the people you'll be celebrating the holidays with this year, so our rustic event venue near Knoxville came up with a few fun holiday party ideas to help you out.


We've seen a lot of wonderful parties here at Country Jewell in addition to the gorgeous weddings we often host. Our event barn is the perfect place to entertain family and friends, and the following ideas all work beautifully when you have your party right here with us. 

Festive Food & Drink
One thing that everyone always seems to remember the most from any celebration is the food. During the holidays, there are certain flavors that people most likely expect, so incorporating those can be important. These include gingerbread, peppermint, pumpkin spice, chocolate, sugar & spice... (We just realized, holidays include a lot of dessert flavors!) 

Serving gingerbread cookies is not only delicious, but you can make it do double duty by letting everyone decorate gingerbread men as an activity. If your group likes a challenge, maybe you could build an entire gingerbread village together! As for dinner, buffets work well to let everyone pick and choose what they like and feel comfortable going back for seconds. 

Drink stations are perfect for parties because it allows everyone to help themselves when their cup is empty. Jugs of self-serve water, tea, and punch make it easy. You might want to set up an apple cider, hot cocoa, and/or coffee station too. Set out delicious add-ins like cinnamon sticks, marshmallows, and other flavorful mix-ins so everyone can create their own special holiday drink.   


Fun Party Games
Most holiday parties include gifts, and you can turn those gifts into a game with a little planning. If everyone will be bringing a present with them, ask them to wrap it but not put a name on it. Then you can have a "White Elephant Gift Exchange," which is a game where guests take turns opening presents but are allowed to steal gifts from each other. You can find rules for a variety of ways to play this at WhiteElephantRules.com. 

This site also has some cute "Left - Right" story poems that are another way to decide who gets which present. It involves all guests starting with a gift and sitting in a circle, but as the story is read, presents are passed either left or right when that word is read. 

Another fun present-giving game is to wrap a gift in a box within multiple wrapped boxes, set a timer, and let guests take turns racing to get to the final box in the middle. When the timer goes off, the gift is passed to the next player, and the one that finally gets to the present gets to keep it. To make this even harder, you can make players wear oven mitts while they unwrap! It's quite funny to watch.    


Creative Decor
You can work party favors into the decor by making personalized ornaments for each guest and using those either in the centerpiece, on a tree in the middle of the room, or as place cards at their seat. Appetizers beautifully presented on stacked platters are excellent centerpieces that also keep guests fed until dinner is served. 

We are big fans of photo booths at every celebration too. Nearly everyone at your party will have a cell phone with a camera on it, and a photo spot encourages them to capture memories throughout the night to share with each other. It doesn't need to be an actual booth. All you have to do is designate a special spot with a few decorations and set out props, like chalkboard signs, hats, funny glasses, etc... and let your guests at it. When staging a holiday photo spot, don't forget the mistletoe too!  


Country Jewell Events & Parties
Our rustic event venue near Knoxville is a wonderful place to host a party for your family and friends, not just during the holidays, but any time of year for all kinds of special occasions. There is plenty of room to accommodate up to 100 guests.

Downstairs offers lots of room for everyone. We have 20 folding tables and 100 folding chairs at your disposal. There is a warming/serving kitchen with a refrigerator, oven, and microwave. You are welcome to bring in your own food and drink, or Country Jewell can arrange to have the party catered. The spacious upstairs loft is also open to you, where you can dance, play games, sing karaoke, and all kinds of other fun activities.

The most important part of any holiday party is that you have fun spending time with friends and family. If you'd like to use our spacious event venue near Knoxville to do that, give us a call at 865-494-0552. Happy Holiday-Planning!  



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+