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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Small Weddings Offer Big Possibilities

Weddings are a very special, one-of-a-kind occasion. Some couples may want to throw a gigantic bash and invite every person they have ever met, while other couples prefer to host a smaller, more intimate celebration. Our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville is perfect for the latter. 

There are many wonderful advantages to hosting a small wedding, and we just happen to be experts on that subject. Country Jewell can accommodate up to 100 wedding guests. A wonderful size for a lovely ceremony and reception with lots of personal touches. If you are considering throwing a small wedding, the following reasons may convince you that it's a wonderful idea.    

Budget Friendly
The smaller the guest list, the smaller the catering bill will be. You will also be able to cut back on expenses for everything else, from invitations and postage to seating and favors. If you are trying to save money, this is an excellent way to do that. On the other hand, it also frees up more of your budget to splurge on fancy favors and a custom-designed meal if you are providing those for fewer people.  

Easier To Personalize
When there are 200-300 people at your wedding, personalizing the tiny details for each one of them can be time-consuming. Also, there's a good chance that you don't know half of those guests very well, especially if they are merely an acquaintance. 

You will know all of your guests much better when you only invite those closest to you. This allows you to add elements that you truly know everyone will enjoy. It also requires much less work if you choose to personalize favors with names or plan a seating chart with place cards.   

Extra Time With Each Guest
Your wedding day will be a whirlwind of activity. Everyone in attendance will want to have some one-on-one time with the bride and groom, and you will want to be able to personally thank each guest for coming. When you host a small wedding, you are left with a lot more time to make this happen without getting overwhelmed. 

Country Jewell -
Small Weddings With Big Possibilities 
There are a wide variety of possibilities available to you when you host your special day at our scenic Knoxville wedding venue. You may have your ceremony in our charming rustic wedding chapel, or in one of the beautiful outdoor spots, including our delightful wedding gazebo or the patio by the waterfall.

Our reception hall has a wide open floor plan inside a remodeled barn. All of the tables and chairs are included with the venue rental, as well as use of the serving kitchen. The rustic loft is an excellent spot for dancing the night away at the wedding reception too. There are a variety of package possibilities available to you, and if you need something a little different, we are happy to talk to you about customized packages. 


A small, intimate wedding is an excellent way to begin your new life together. If this sounds good to you, give us a call at Country Jewell to hear about everything we can do for you and your special day. We would love to show you around our beautiful event venue near Knoxville and imagine the possibilities 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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7 Delicious Wedding Desserts To Enjoy Instead Of Cake

Traditionally, a giant, multi-tiered wedding cake is displayed prominently at the wedding reception for the bride and groom to ceremoniously cut. What if you don't particularly like cake? There is no set-in-stone rule saying that the dessert at your wedding reception must be cake, and traditions are made to be broken! You should eat what you enjoy at your own wedding, and Country Jewell has come up with a few alternative ideas for sweet treats you can serve instead.

As we have stated before, it's your special day, so do things that make you happy. If you enjoy something, there's a good chance that your guests will like it too. The desserts mentioned below can be served alongside a small wedding cake, instead of it altogether, or choose more than one to make up an entire dessert bar. 

Cupcakes & Cake Pops
Yes, technically this is pretty much the same thing as cake, but these little versions are perfect for a small wedding. Another bonus to serving these instead of one big cake is that there is no fight over whether you will serve white or chocolate. Instead, you can order a variety of flavors.

Donuts
Another cake-like dessert, yet totally different. This is a fun twist that many guests will be tickled to see... and eat. If you are creative and very careful, these can even be stacked in a way that resembles a cake. They also are excellent for a late-night snack after hours of dancing. 

Pies 
This dessert fits in perfectly at a rustic country wedding, and there are so many to choose from: fruit, cream, meringue, and even cheesecake!. You can use mini pie tins and offer a lot of different kinds, fill a table with many large pies, or place one at each individual table for those sitting around it to relish. 

Dessert Shooters
These are desserts that are served out of a shot glass or tiny drinking glass. Miniature versions of strawberry shortcake, banana pudding, chocolate mousse, or some type of similar food can be served in individual portions this way. Using small mason jars would be perfect for a rustic twist. 

Homemade Treats
If you come from a family of cooks and bakers, then there are probably a few amazing recipes that have been passed down over time. Cookies, brownies, trifles, tarts, pies, cakes... anything that your family is "famous" for. You can have your family members make these for the wedding ahead of time, or you can give the recipes to a professional baker to recreate for you, but only if you're willing to share those secret recipes!  

A Candy Bar
We aren't only talking about "candy bars" like a Milky Way or Butterfinger (even though those could be used for this too) but a table full of a variety of candies in jars or other cute containers. Guests can fill bags full of their favorite sweets to take back to the table or home with them after the reception. Wrapped candies work well for easy grabbing, or you can use bulk unwrapped candy and provide a pretty scoop to dig in with.  

DIY Dessert Station
Put your guests to work, but in a fun, delicious way. Set up a station for making s'mores or ice cream sundaes. Fall would be an excellent time to incorporate a caramel apple making station. Provide the base ingredients plus plenty of toppings, then let everyone start assembling their dessert. 


Whatever dessert you choose to serve, it's a great way to add a bit of personalization and flair to your small country wedding near Knoxville. If you are in need of a baker, Country Jewell knows many talented local wedding vendors. Tell us what you have in mind and we'll do our best to connect you with the right person for the job.  

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 New Twists on Old Wedding Traditions

When it comes to a wedding, most people may expect you to stick to tradition, but it's your wedding, so you should do things the way that makes you the most happy. Just because something has "always been done this way" doesn't mean that you have to have it in your rustic wedding near Knoxville. 

On the other hand, you can choose to include some of the old traditions, but put a new spin of your own on them. Country Jewell has a few ideas for some fun ways to put a new twist on old wedding traditions.

The Unity Candle

The traditional unity candle is still used, but there are lots of other options for couples to choose from now if they want to do something different, or if they are having an outdoor ceremony and a candle may not stay lit easily. A few sentimental ideas for your unity ceremony include: a sand ceremony, a wine ceremony, or a tree planting ceremony.  

The Guest Book

A book full of your wedding guests' signatures is not something you are likely to flip through often, if ever. Instead, have everyone sign a piece of artwork to hang in your home, or the matte around a big, framed wedding photo. If you will be having a photo booth, have your guests leave their pictures from it in a scrapbook in place of a regular guest book. 

Cutting the Cake

You don't see a gigantic, tiered wedding cake very often anymore. Lots of couples prefer to offer a variety of desserts to their guests. You can have a small cake specifically for the two of you to cut among the smaller desserts, or you can switch it up completely and cut a wedding pie or another favorite sweet treat that you both love. Some couples even choose to use desserts for the guests as table centerpieces or as a favor at each place setting. 

The Bouquet Toss

If you don't want your single friends fighting over your bridal bouquet, there are a few different things you can do in place of throwing one big bunch of flowers. Toss loose, single stems or small bunches instead of just one bouquet. Rather than throwing anything, you can choose to present the bouquet to someone special, like a close friend, relative, or the woman in attendance that has been married the longest. 

The First Dance

Some brides and grooms like to wing it, others choreograph a number, and other couples don't like dancing and want to skip this tradition completely. That's totally your call, depending on your comfort level. If you will be having a dance, but don't want to be alone on the dance floor, ask all of the married couples or your bridal party to join you instead of going it alone. You can also ask the DJ to keep your first dance down to only one verse, then fade the music out, keeping it short and sweet. 

When you host your wedding at our scenic Knoxville wedding venue, you're the boss. You are free to stick with all of the traditions that you love, leave out the ones you don't, and make up your own brand new traditions. This is your special day, and Country Jewell is here to help you make it an amazing one you will never forget. 

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+