Creative Ideas For A New Year's Eve Wedding

If you happen to be newly engaged and are possibly considering a New Year's Eve wedding next year, there are lots of fun ways that you can incorporate classic New Year's traditions into your reception. While some people prefer to steer away from holiday weddings, this is an occasion where everyone is looking for an awesome party to attend anyway. Country Jewell has a few great ideas that will make your celebration that awesome party they are searching for!

Start Late
If you want to keep partying long enough to last past midnight, then you'll want to begin the festivities late in the evening. Too early and you risk guests getting tired, or even worse, bored before the new year rolls in. Plan the ceremony for after dinner time, followed by late-night appetizers throughout the evening. Another option would be to host a dinner before the ceremony, then get married just before midnight at the reception.

Serve Traditional Foods
You can incorporate foods that are traditionally considered to bring good luck to the diner in the coming year. Some say that pork is the only meat that you should eat on this particular holiday. The reasoning is that chickens scratch backwards, cows stand still, but pigs root forward, just as you should move forward into the new year rather than looking back.

Lentils are another food that is said to bring good luck when eaten, helping to usher in a prosperous new year. Some seem to think that it may be because the roundness resembles coins. As a matter of fact, round foods are encouraged in general on New Year's Eve.

Make sure that you have a lot of white grapes available for all of your guests to nibble on at midnight too. In Spain, it is customary to eat one grape for each month of the year at midnight, taking in a grape at every midnight strike of the clock.  

Get Ready For The Countdown
In addition to having plenty of white grapes handy, midnight toasts are a must. Most people expect a champagne toast at midnight, but if you aren't a drinker, there's always sparkling cider to replace it with. Your band or DJ should be able to pull off an entertaining countdown to midnight, and make sure that they have "Auld Lang Syne" cued up to dance to after everyone indulges in their romantic midnight kiss. 

You will also want to make sure that noisemakers get passed out before the clock strikes twelve. One way to get them to everyone could be to incorporate them into the table settings or even the centerpieces. Making a lot of noise at midnight isn't just for fun. It was originally done to scare away any evil spirits that might try to follow you into the new year. Top it all off with a fun balloon drop and maybe even a few sparklers.   

Have Fun With Favors
New Year's Eve lends to some pretty cute favor ideas. You could send everyone home with pocket calendars for the coming year, and maybe even go the extra step of inserting a few special dates to remember. Hangover kits are a great idea for a reception that includes drinking. A small bag with some aspirin, a bottle of water, gum, antacids, and possibly breath mints. Whatever they might possibly need for "the morning after."  

Last but not least, don't forget about the black eyed peas. This is one final tradition to send your guests home with. Eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day is said to bring good luck and financial good fortune for the coming year. They suggest that you strive to eat one pea for every day of the coming year on January 1st. 

A Whole Year To Plan
While these ideas are a bit late for this year, you've got an entire year to plan an amazing New Year's Eve 2018 wedding at our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville. If this sounds like a good possibility for your ceremony and reception, give us a call at Country Jewell before the date gets booked. What a wonderful way to start your brand new life 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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Fun Holiday Activities For Family Gatherings

The holidays are here! Many people will be getting together with family and friends over the next week to celebrate the season. Once the food is eaten and the presents are opened, you may be needing a few ideas for how to keep everyone entertained. Country Jewell has put together some great activities that we've discovered over the years from parties held at our Knoxville special event venue. 

Play Games
There's a good chance that someone opened a brand new game for Christmas that you can all give a try. You can also have a pile of favorite board games stacked to the side to choose from, and see how many you can play your way through.

Another alternative is to put a holiday twist on some classic games, like "Name That Tune," Christmas Carol version, or Christmas movie "Pictionary" or "Charades." For the more active families, you could even set up a few "Minute To Win It" style relay games and take part in some friendly competition. 

White Elephant Gift Exchange
In addition to, or instead of, the regular present opening, a White Elephant Gift Exchange adds a bit of fun and mischief to gift giving. Everyone participating brings a wrapped gift, either something they already own and no longer want, or a new gift that fits within a pre-set price range. It's up to your group whether you bring useful presents or silly ones. 

All players pick a number, and player #1 begins the game by choosing a gift from the pile to unwrap. Next, of course, is player #2, but they have a choice: either open a new gift or steal the gift player #1 opened. If they steal, then player #1 gets to open a new gift. Later on during the game, once more presents have been opened, if you are stolen from, you have the choice to steal from someone else. The last person in the round that doesn't want to steal opens a gift, then play continues to the next player number.

Play continues in this way, with each player either stealing or opening, until everyone has gone. At the end, player #1 gets one last chance to steal if they so choose. There are numerous variations on this game that you can find online to help the game play go smoothly and fairly.  

Make Something
If you have a group of crafty individuals sharing the holidays with you, set up a work station where you can all make some items together. It can be a new ornament to hang on the tree, or maybe a holiday decoration to be used next year. You can even make something sweet to be eaten once it's finished, like building a gingerbread house together or decorating cutout sugar cookies. 

Establish A New Tradition
Finding a favorite story to read to the group year after year, like "The Night Before Christmas," is an excellent tradition that everyone will look forward to each year. Another option could be to choose a classic movie that is entertaining for any age, grab some snacks, turn down the lights, and settle down for a great seasonal movie. You could even change into your pajamas and start a movie marathon. Pick something that everyone finds fun and do it every year. 

Set Up A Photo Booth
Memories are a wonderful thing to cherish, and taking lots of pictures is a great way to share those memories with those that could not be at your celebration. Setting up a photo spot and providing a few clever holiday props is a wonderful way to encourage everyone to smile and say cheese. 

If you don't have the chance to celebrate Christmas with everyone that you would like to due to conflicting engagements, consider throwing a belated get-together after the holidays. You could even throw a "Happy New Year" party at some point in January at our rustic event venue near Knoxville when everyone is a little less busy. Whatever you end up doing, all of us at Country Jewell hope that you have a magnificent holiday season full of all of the things and people that you love. 

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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Your Wedding Save-the-Date Questions Answered

Our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville is beloved by people that live here in the area, and many travelers passing by have had the chance to fall in love with its country charm too. When that happens, some of them decide to travel back to Country Jewell for a destination wedding. If you will be hosting a wedding outside of your hometown, sending Save-the-Dates is the best way to make sure most of your guests will make the trip with you.

Why Send Save-the-Dates?
These pre-invitations allow your guests enough time to make arrangements to attend your special day. While they are not necessary for weddings taking place close to home, you are welcome to send them out in that case if you want to. 

Generally, Save-the-Dates are reserved for destination weddings, where guests will need time to make travel arrangements, or for any that will take place over a holiday or busy weekend, where you will want to get on your guests' calendars before another event. Many couples now plan things to do during the days surrounding the wedding too, making an entire weekend out of the celebration. This would be another good reason to go ahead and send out Save-the-Dates. 

When Should They Be Mailed?
Right around 6 months before the wedding date is when you should be mailing your Save-the-Dates. An exception to this is if you will be getting married out of the country. That may require a little more planning for those invited, so you may want to send those out 8-10 months before the date. 

What Should They Say?
Right now, only the basics need to be shared with everyone. More details will be included on the actual invitation, and even more can be shared on a wedding website if you choose to have one. Make sure that your Save-the-Dates DO include:

• The names of the bride & groom
• The wedding date
• The wedding location (city & state; the venue information can wait)
• The wedding website address (if applicable)
• "Formal Invitation To Follow" (Most people will realize this, but some do not and may start calling you for more details unless you use this phrase.)

Another thing that you most definitely want to include on your Save-the-Dates is a return address. That way if any don't make it to their destination, you can reach out to those people in another way or re-send it. Now, some things that you should NOT include on this correspondence are:

• Registry information
• RSVP information
• Venue (This information can wait until later, but if your venue is booked and guests can make reservations for overnight stays there, you may want to go ahead and share this with them now.) 

Who Gets Them?
Everyone that you will be inviting to your wedding should receive a Save-the-Date, even your bridal party and parents. Address them the same way that you will be addressing the invitations. This will let everyone know if they should also make travel plans for children or "plus ones" that are also invited. 

Formal or Funny?
The type of Save-the-Date that you send out is totally and completely up to you. It does not need to match your wedding invitations, but it can if you would like for it to. This is a wonderful place to add in a little bit of your personality as a couple. If you are known for your great sense of humor, inject that into the style. 




While postcards are very often used for Save-the-Date cards, you are not limited to that idea. A few fun options that we have seen are: calendar pages, magnets, photos to frame (with the couple holding a sign containing the important information), bookmarks, luggage tags, tickets... The only limit is your imagination.  


Our scenic Knoxville event venue is surrounded by a warm sense of Smoky Mountain tradition and enchantment. Once they see it, all of your guests will completely understand why you chose our charming country setting to say your "I do's." 

Country Jewell is just far enough away from the traffic, noise, and bustle of the cities, yet still close enough for all of your guests to find lovely places to stay and visit while they are in the area. If this sounds perfect to you, give us a call and let us tell you what a beautiful wedding day that we can help you host right here. 

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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10 Great Ideas For Those Leftover Mason Jars From Your Wedding

Mason jars are a very popular wedding decoration that we see often at our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville. They fit the theme beautifully, and there are lots of creative ways for them to be used. The only problem may be what in the world you are going to do with all of those mason jars after the wedding is over. Well, Country Jewell has a few ideas for you. 

As we already mentioned, we have seen the versatile mason jar used in lots of different ways at the various weddings that have taken place here. Most often they are utilized in the centerpiece somehow, usually as floral vases or candle holders. Some couples chose to use mason jars for their guests to drink out of, others put them on the buffet line to hold utensils, and a few even incorporate them as favors. 

After the wedding, unless you used them as favors, you are going to have a lot left over. Unless you happen to know another bride that would like to take them off your hands, here are some great ideas for what to do with them instead of throwing those multi-functional items away. 


1. Gift Jars

With Christmas just around the corner, you've probably seen lots of small gift sets wrapped up neatly inside of mason jars. You can make a mini-spa gift and fill it with small bottles of hand lotion, nail polish, emery boards, and other items that pamper a person. Small bottles of alcohol and a mini can of soda tucked away inside make a mini bar right in the glass you can drink it out of. Another trip around the internet can also give you tons of recipes for cookies and more where the dry ingredients are layered inside the mason jar and a recipe is attached. 

2. Snack Holders
These work great for both people snacks and pet treats. You can also layer a salad in such a way that the dressing doesn't soak everything else before you're ready to eat it at lunchtime. The lid makes it a great soup container to take to work too. 

3. Baking "Pans"
Glass can go into an oven, which means filling a mason jar with cake batter, bread dough, or muffin mix will result in fresh and hot treats straight from the oven. We have even seen some recipes that allow you to bake a wonderful single-serving pie in them. 

4. Kitchen Containers
Foods like pasta and rice often come in a bag that is not resealable. A mason jar is the perfect thing to keep your leftover dried goods in. They can also hold other cooking and baking ingredients. The lid from a plastic Parmesan cheese container from the store even fits on the top of some jars to make a nice shaker.   

5. Desk Containers
These glass jars are great containers for all sorts of household items. Either plain or decorated with a fresh coat of paint or wrapped in some type of paper, they will keep all of your stuff neatly where it belongs. Pens, pencils, scissors, and more will always be where you expect them to be.

6. Bathroom Containers
Just like on your desk, there are lots of things in the bathroom that can be kept neatly in a mason jar. Q-tips, cotton balls, makeup sponges and brushes, bath salts... all sorts of things!

7. Waterproof Containers
If you like to go camping, use one to store your matches so that they stay nice and dry. The jars could also keep the scents from some aromatic foods locked away so that animals aren't as tempted to visit and examine what you're eating. 

8. Liquid Dispensers
You can find lots of fairly easy tutorials online that instruct you on how to add a pump to the jar lid. Then you can use it as a clever dispenser for soaps, lotions, and more.

9. Herb Garden
These are great little containers to line your kitchen window with. Fill them with a bit of dirt and plant your favorite herbs so you will have fresh ones whenever you need them.  

10. Vases or Candle Holders
There is no reason why you can't use them all around the house in the same way you used them at your wedding. As an added bonus, every time that you see one in a room, it will remind you of your very special wedding day.

Even if you use all of the ideas above, you may still have a few left over. Re-make a few of the things that you made for yourself and save them to give away for housewarming gifts, birthday presents, or any other time that you need a quick present. We love being able to see what everyone does with their mason jars at our Knoxville wedding and event venue. Share a few of the things that you have done with those jars after the wedding with Country Jewell too. We bet you've got a few more great ideas that we didn't even think 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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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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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

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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

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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. 

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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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

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Traditional & Modern Wedding Anniversary Gift Suggestions

Tradition states that every wedding anniversary has a specific gift attached to it. Most people have heard about that, but did you realize that each anniversary also has a flower and a gemstone attached to it? Country Jewell did a little digging into this, and we came up with a few lists for you to keep in mind for each year when you celebrate the anniversary of your wedding. 

Traditional vs. Modern Wedding Gifts
As time moves on and society changes, some traditions become a bit dated and no longer make sense with modern times. The gifts associated with some of the anniversary years have changed, and many of them remain the same. 

According to Emily Post, there are 8 anniversaries that are expected to be acknowledged: 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 50th, and 75th. Before the 1940's, these were the only ones that really had anything associated with them. Whether it was for sentimental reasons of commercial ones, we now have items associated with almost every single year of marriage, at least before the 25th anniversary.

If you dig deep enough, you can probably find a list someone has made for the ones we have not included below. You aren't expected to follow these to the letter, but they are wonderful inspiration if you are stumped for what to buy your significant other. From the lists that we found, the following is a good mix of the most common suggestions that we discovered for each year.     

Host your anniversary party at Country Jewell!
All of the ideas listed above are also wonderful inspiration when you are throwing an anniversary party and need ideas for decorating it. Our scenic Knoxville event venue is an excellent place to invite your family and friends to celebrate a milestone anniversary. This is especially true if Country Jewell is the place where you originally said "I do." 

Our spacious barn can accommodate up to 100 guests, and our outdoor gazebo and wedding chapel are both beautiful places to renew your vows. We are conveniently located less than ten minutes off of I-75, putting us very close to Knoxville, Norris Lake, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. That means there are plenty of places nearby for your guests to stay and easily get to your party. 

If you are considering throwing an anniversary party for yourself or a close friend, give us a call at Country Jewell. We would love to show you around and discuss the wonderful ways that we can help to make that celebration a memorable and fun one. 

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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