A balloon canopy over the dance floor has a big impact

One universal thing that can make people of all ages smile is a balloon, or better yet, a whole bunch of balloons. Above the Rest Balloon Designs and Event Planning is in the business of making people smile.

Above the Rest specializes in providing custom balloon and fabric decor for events of all sizes, ranging from baby or bridal showers to wedding receptions or large corporate functions.

“People can have exciting decorations at their event and not lift a finger,” said Dianna Glandon, Certified Balloon Artist and owner of Above the Rest. “We take that stress off them.”

Dianna has been working with balloons for more than 20 years. She stays up-to-date on all the latest balloon trends and design elements.

In addition to incorporating balloons in their decor, Dianna and her staff of five create their captivating designs by using fabric and lighting for backdrops, arches, columns and centerpieces and anything else you can dream of.

“Balloons create the ‘Oh, my gosh!’ look,” Dianna said.

Dianna said their business seems to attract people who want their event to be fun and entertaining.

For wedding receptions, their designs add pizzazz to centerpieces or as the backdrop behind the head table. Dianna said one of the design elements that has the biggest impact is a balloon canopy over the dance floor.

Balloon designs are an excellent way for companies to decorate their event while spending an average of one-third less the cost of other types of decor. A stage backdrop or an eye-catching trade show booth design, Above the Rest can create the wow-factor for any event.

The excitement of the balloon designs and the energetic and knowledgeable staff of Above the Rest are just a couple of reasons why they are one of Jubilee Banquet Facility’s preferred vendors.

There’s no doubt about it, wedding planning can be fun, but stressful. Keeping organized will help alleviate the stress and make the process special and memorable.

The key to organization is knowing what to do and when. Wedding planning timelines can vary depending upon the type and size of the wedding and the season, but here are some general timeline guidelines:

One year before the wedding:

Determine the budget

Hire a wedding planner, if you choose to work with one

Choose the venue and the date

Contact vendors such as photographers, caterers and florists

Shop for a wedding dress

Nine months before the wedding:

Finalize guest list and gather addresses

Shop for attendants’ attire

Start on honeymoon plans

Schedule engagement photo session

Six months before the wedding:

Order invitations

Choose floral arrangements or other wedding or reception decor

Select registry and start registering for gifts

Plan bridesmaid luncheon

Finalize plans and orders with vendors

Four months before wedding date:

Make reservations for accommodations for out-of-town guests

Address and mail invitations

Arrange for final dress fittings

Order accessories, bridal party gifts, wedding favors and a guest book

Two months before wedding date:

Make appointments with hairstylist, make-up artist and manicurist and go for a trial run

Start gathering RSVPs

Go over song list and requests with band or DJ

One month before wedding date:

Finalize and confirm all ceremony and reception plans

Provide photographer with instructions on must-have photos

Work on reception seating arrangements

Make date to get marriage license

Confirm and make any final vendor payments

Two to three weeks before wedding date:

Pick up rings

Confirm vendor arrival times

Confirm hotel arrangements

Have final dress fitting

One week before wedding date:

Provide caterer with final head count

Pack for the honeymoon

Make arrangements with bridal party on who will return groom’s tux and how gifts will be transported

Arrange for pick-up of attire

Put together a wedding day emergency kit with extra hose, pain reliever, band-aids, safety pins, etc.

Just as every bride and groom are unique, each wedding is different and special. These timeline guidelines are suggestions and provide a glimpse into planning the Big Day.

Another suggestion to keep organized is to purchase a notebook with a calendar and keep it with you. This will help you jot down important dates and keep up with ideas and contact information.

Do you have any tips to keeping organized and stress-free while planning your wedding? Please share them and we’ll post them on our Facebook page.

So if the thought of making a toast makes your palms sweat, here are stress-free toasting tips. The typical order of toasts is the best man gives the first toast, followed by the fathers, the groom, the bride, family friends, relatives, maid or matron of honor, the mothers and then anyone else who would like to toast the couple.

When giving a toast, don’t be long-winded, after all, it’s about the happy couple. If possible, stand to give the toast. Don’t forget to introduce yourself and your relationship to the couple. It’s okay to include witty anecdotes, as long as they’re in good taste. Be clear and speak loud enough so all guests can understand you. And, end on a positive note. “Cheers” or “Best Wishes” are always nice sentiments to conclude the toast.

Do you have any toasting hints or suggestions? We’d love to hear them!

For example our largest room, Jubilee Hall, can accommodate up to 250 guests or we can divide Jubilee Hall in half with a partition to create two rooms. Also, the banquet room can be configured to suit the needs for each event. At your wedding reception, we can design the room layout with round tables. Or, for your corporate training seminar, we can use long tables so guests can face the projection screen.
“It’s the perfect facility for us,” said Bill Cole, Planner and Coordinator with Homeland Security, District 2. “Jubilee has great audio and visual equipment and great food.”
Bill coordinates Homeland Security training seminars for law enforcement officials, emergency management workers, first responders and healthcare professionals from 16 area counties.
At the conclusion of the training seminars, the guests fill out evaluation forms and according to Bill, the results are uniformly positive about the location.

The room fee for Jubilee Hall includes the use of chairs, tables, china, glassware, silverware, table linens, standard centerpieces, sound system and wireless internet.
“The attentive staff are great to work with,” Bill said. He said that it’s good to have a facility where they can conduct meetings and have lunch, so guests aren’t left to search out lunch for themselves.
To find out if Jubilee Hall is perfect for your next event, contact us and we’ll give you a tour,865-938-2112.

While our 3rd anniversary is next month, our history is much longer. Jubilee Banquet Facility began as a dream for Sharon Morton seven years ago. As a Powell resident for many years, it was Sharon’s desire to offer something unique to the community. She wanted to give families a place to celebrate all the special moments like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, showers and reunions.

To make the dream of Jubilee Banquet Facility a success, it takes dedicated and experienced staff. Greg Austin, Executive Chef, graduated Summa Cum Laude in Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales. He began his career working for Chef Simmerman at Club LeConte in Knoxville. For five years, Greg worked with Wolfgang Puck opening cafes in the Beverly Hills area and in Wolfgang Puck’s catering business doing events like celebrity weddings, movie premieres and the Academy Awards.

Jubilee’s Event Coordinator is Brittany York who’s been with the company since it’s opening. She has event experience planning parties for a multitude of clients from corporate and small businesses to weddings, birthdays and more. Her background of sports training and conditioning as well as modeling and pageants make her a well-rounded and experienced member of Jubilee’s staff.

Sharon and the staff members of Jubilee Banquet Facility are looking forward to many more successful years of hosting your special events.

Knoxville, TN - July 7, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading site for wedding reviews, just announced that Jubilee Banquet Facility is WeddingWire Rated 2010 for wedding and reception venue and catering. WeddingWire Rated is an annual award program for wedding professionals based on hundreds of thousands of recent wedding reviews.

WeddingWire Rated, the industry’s first formalized review program, is the most recognized and trusted brand among engaged couples looking to locate wedding businesses. The award program recognizes wedding professionals across the country, like Jubilee Banquet Facility, that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to service.

“We are excited to unveil WeddingWire Rated, now in its fourth year, as a way to recognize wedding professionals for their commitment to service,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s CEO. “WeddingWire Rated allows wedding businesses to clearly differentiate themselves in their market, while providing engaged couples an easy way to find the best services for their wedding.”

Jubilee Banquet Facility would like to thank their past clients for sharing reviews of their weddings on WeddingWire. Reviews for Jubilee Banquet Facility can be found across the entire WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee.

For more information, please visit Jubilee Banquet Facility on WeddingWire at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/jubilee-banquet-facility-knoxville/eab039fd1d99bc10.html.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire, the nation’s leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 100,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com, ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands).

Jubilee Banquet Facility decorated at Christmas

While some are planning their summer vacations, smart and budget-conscious people are planning their company holiday parties.

In recent years, the state of the economy has been reflected by a company’s holiday gatherings. As the economy slowly recovers, trends show that management is still taking the conservative approach when it comes to office parties. The goal is to strike the perfect balance of controlling expenditures while supporting the desire for fun.

And, Jubilee Banquet Facility wants to help. If a Christmas party is booked during the month of July, companies can receive a $75 discount off the fee for Jubilee Hall or a $30 discount off the room fee of the Blue Room.

Jubilee Hall can accommodate 250 guests and the Blue Room is perfect for an intimate gathering of 40 people.

When planning the office holiday party, there are other cost cutting measures. Consider a dessert station which allows for smaller portions, rather than serving full slices of cake. Serving seasonal fruits and vegetables is a smart and delicious cost saver. Another budget-friendly idea is to hire a DJ rather than a band.

More suggestions include hosting a business casual dinner, rather than suit and tie affair. This gives you more flexibility when planning the menu options. Another suggestion for slicing the menu budget is to host a holiday luncheon rather than dinner. Not only will this save money on the menu, but it will also decrease the head count by eliminating employee guests and family members.

Jubilee Banquet Facility will help you host the perfect company Christmas party that the staff and your wallet will love. Contact Jubilee today to discover your options, 865-938-2112.

Jubilee Hall

Do you have a special event creeping up on your calendar? An anniversary, a birthday party, or even perhaps a wedding? You can book that room where your cousin had her party, but the food wasn’t all that great. Or you can try an event facility that will host your party and give you and your guests the attention you deserve. That place is Jubilee Banquet Facility.

At Jubilee Banquet Facility, events aren’t just held, they are hosted. When Sharon Morton, the owner of Jubilee, had the vision of opening an event facility, she wanted to create a place where families can come and celebrate the important events in their life. And, to ensure that each event at Jubilee is special, Sharon makes a point to get to know the client.

Sharon said that when you have a role in their life, like hosting their special event, it’s important to get to know and care about them. “Anybody can book a room,” Sharon said. “We become part of their lives.”

Jubilee Banquet Facility has multiple room options for different events. The largest, Jubilee Hall, can accommodate up to 250 guests. It’s perfect for weddings, birthday or anniversary parties. It’s also great for corporate functions or banquets. The room can be divided into two separate rooms for parties up to 100 guests.

Retro Alley is decorated in a 1950’s cafe motif and can easily accommodate 30 guests. This is a great room for birthday parties, especially since it can open up to the full-sized gymnasium. Kids and adults alike love the gym to play games like soccer, basketball, or any imaginable party activity. Guests have access to an array of hula hoops, balls and toys.

The Blue Room is a smaller banquet room that seats approximately 40 guests. It’s ideal for rehearsal dinners or company training seminars.

The Green Room is another small banquet room that can easily accommodate 30 guests. It’s perfect for wedding or baby showers.

All the rooms at Jubilee have access to wireless internet and projection screens. Jubilee has a full kitchen with in-house catering and a multitude of menu options prepared by world-class chef, Greg Austin. The event rental includes linens, place settings and set-up.

So, if you’re looking for the perfect location for your next special event, contact Sharon at Jubilee Event Facility, 865-938-2112.

We would also like to take the time to thank our recent clients for allowing us to host their recent events:

First Friday of Knoxville, Papaw Tom’s Foods, Farm Credit Services of Mid America, Frontier Communications, Lisa Nix, Trey Meadows, Melissa Holloway, John O’Brien, Homeland Security District, Schaad Companies, Brian Crowe, Amanda Cameron, Phee Nelson, Michelle Steffey, Food City, Y-12 Federal Credit Union, Rural Metro, Faithful Promises, Kathy Graybeal, Lauren Scarbro and Family and Anna Russell.

We are currently booking events for the Springtime. If you are planning a wedding, reunion, graduation party or any event coming up, give us a call! 865-938-2112

Come check out our booth at the Knoxville Premier Bridal Show this Sunday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. It will be held at the Knoxville Convention Center downtown. This year we will have some yummy treats from our chef to hand out. You won’t want to miss it!  If you have any questions or would like to schedule a time to come by and tour the facility, just give us a call at 865-938-2112. We look forward to hearing from you! Good luck with all of your planning!