Country Jewell Gems: fun wedding ideas

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

5 Wedding Favors Your Guests Will Love

Wedding favors aren't a necessity, but they are a nice extra touch to have for all of your Country Jewell wedding guests. The key to an incredible favor is offering something enjoyable that won't get left on the table after everyone leaves. We've listed five of our favorites that look wonderful on the tables at our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville.

Food
A sure way to get your wedding guests to take the favors you give away is to give them something edible. A delicious treat is just too hard to resist! An individual serving can be a part of each place setting, or you can put them all on a table together with a charming "Love is Sweet" banner. Small jars of honey with the tag "Thanks for 'bee-ing' here with us!" is adorable. A bag full of Hershey's Kisses and a "Hugs & Kisses from the Mr. & Mrs." label is a classic. One couple even gave away soft pretzels in a bag stating, "Thanks for helping us tie the knot!"

Glasses
Your guests have to drink out of something, and if you give each of them their own special glass to drink out of, they'll be sure to keep an eye on it all night. If you like the mismatched look, you can hit the thrift stores before the wedding and find unique glasses for under a dollar a piece. Another option is to paint a chalkboard label on mason jars and let everyone write their name on their glass. There are also lots of places where you can buy personalized stadium cups with your wedding details and a cute saying like "Eat, drink, & be married!" printed on them.

Frames
Frames are perfect for using as place cards with guests' names written on them, and then they double as a wonderful favor that can be taken home and filled with a special photo. While many wedding favors are personalized with the couple's wedding details, in this case, the guest can personalize it later with a memory of their own.

Local Souvenirs
This is especially nice if you are having a destination wedding. Find something that the the town is "known for" so that your guests can take a little piece of the nostalgia home with them. Cherry Coke (the packaged variety of this soda fountain favorite) was introduced at the Knoxville World's Fair. Little Debbie Snacks are headquartered in Tennessee. This state is also well-known for the incredible music that comes from it, so a CD full of catchy tunes can be enjoyed by all of your guests on the way home and long after.

Plants
Another double-duty favor is a pretty potted plant. These can be used for the reception table decor with a note for the guests to pick one to take home with them after the wedding. It doesn't have to be a grown plant to be a great favor. Seed packets are nice for guests to take home, plant, and "watch your love grow!"

These five wedding favor ideas will hopefully inspire you to come up with something your guests will treasure both during and after your special day. They are great mementos for everyone to remember your beautiful ceremony at our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville, plus they help to give your Country Jewell wedding that little extra something special.

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, March 8, 2017

Wedding Reception Fun If You Don't Want To Dance

For most weddings, the main activity at the reception is a dance party. This isn't very much fun for anyone that isn't really into dancing. You don't have to worry about those guests being wallflowers all night long if you add a few of these fun ideas to your Tennessee wedding.

The old hay loft at Country Jewell is an excellent place to dance the night away, but there are plenty of other things that you can plan for your guests to do during your reception too. Plus, it's a great way to add a unique element to your day that not all weddings have.

Play Games
Lawn games are a great way to keep your wedding guests entertained, and weather permitting, our scenic wedding venue near Knoxville is a gorgeous place to spend time outside. Indoor games can be lots of fun too. Set up a table or two for guests to sit together and play cards or board games. You could even bring in a TV and gaming console and let guests play a few video games.

Plan Entertainment
If you have a live band, they will be needing to take breaks, and even if you hire a DJ, they can pause the music for an entertainment break. Hire professional dancers to perform a dance routine, or you could have a magician or hypnotist captivate the crowd.

You, the bride and groom, could continue being the stars of the show with a mini-movie or slideshow presentation of your relationship. There are even some fun games that everyone will enjoy taking time out to watch, like the Shoe Game, or have an "I Spy" scavenger hunt that goes on throughout the evening.

Offer Extra Activities
Guests can be kept busy by offering interactive stations, like a cupcake decorating table or s'mores-making area. If your friends and family enjoy party games, play a round of Bingo or really get crazy and have a pinata filled with treats. A few games that involve a bit of friendly competition, like beer pong or flip cup, can really get everyone excited.

Just Don't Dance
If you happen to be the one that doesn't like to dance, there is no rule that says you have to include dancing at your wedding reception. You can incorporate these other activities in place of the dancing, or simply have a cocktail hour-type reception with refreshments, keeping it short and sweet. You can also host a wedding at brunch or lunchtime and guests most likely won't expect dancing.

Whatever you decide to do for your wedding reception, most importantly, it should be something that you as a couple are excited about doing. You want your guests to have a good time too, though, so having a few backup activity ideas in addition to dancing couldn't hurt. When you tour our rustic wedding venue near Knoxville, you may see something about Country Jewell that inspires even more fun ideas.