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We all know how much people love chocolate, and when its cold outside we all love our chocolate hot.  One of the more unique things we have seen at weddings and other holiday parties and events during the cold winter months is Hot Cocoa Bars.  What a fun and fantastic way to entertain at your reception.  Not only do the kids love it because it is hot chocolate but adults love it as well because it kind of brings out the kid in us.  And when you get creative with some pretty gourmet recipes it can become a big conversation piece at your reception, or any winter party you have for that matter.

Here are some tips for creating a fun hot cocoa bar.

• Color Coordinate~Adding your wedding colors not only to the table scape but to all the fun add ins you choose is a perfect way to keep your colors flowing.
• Use fancy mugs. This can be an fun, attractive way to tie in your colors.
• Have a few assortments of flavored hot cocoa. Some favorites that would also act as a perfect base for your guests’ creations would be peppermint, white chocolate, and dark chocolate.  Make sure the liquid starts out HOT.  The room temperature add-ins will cool the cocoa quickly.
• Be creative & add your personal favorites to your add ins
• Finely chop your chunky add-ins so they will melt well.
• Have both liquid and dry options for add-ins.

Here are some of the fun items you could include as add ins in your hot cocoa bar:

• Marshmallows (what hot cocoa isn’t complete without this staple?)
• Peppermint sticks
• Flavored syrups
• Flavored whipped cream
• Cinnamon sticks
• Orange twists or rinds
• Chopped up candy bar
• Chocolate chips
• Chocolate truffles
• Caramel squares
• Candied ginger
• Raspberry or Orange Sticks
• Macaroons (these are great as you can pull in fun wedding colors with these, plus they are great)

Basically if it tastes good when added to chocolate the sky is really the limit.  This is really a fun unique thing that you can add to your wedding reception and the cost for it would not be very expensive.

Good Things Utah 9th Birthday Celebration

So I have been searching on the internet and stumbled across an amazing site that can truly help you in your planning.  Take the time to review what they have to say.  Here is the link: http://www.theperfectpalette.com/.

Here is a palette that you can look at:  

Have a great day and if you have any questions or need assistance please give us a call.

“You’ve been dreaming about your wedding ever since you can remember, and now that you’re engaged, you’re excited to start the planning process. But planning a wedding isn’t all fun and games — there’s a lot to do to prepare for your big day! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring a wedding planner.

“A wedding planner is a professional consultant who will help you with most (if not all) of the tasks involved in planning your wedding. From vendors, accessories, etiquette and even the smallest of details, this expert has the skills and contacts necessary to make your day come together seamlessly. Not to mention that hiring a wedding planner will help you enjoy the planning process more by taking stress out of the equation!

“Is a wedding planner right for you? If you fit into one of these five categories of brides, then the answer might be yes.

5: You’re Just Too Busy … Do you have a job that requires a lot of your time? Or do you just have a lot on your plate in general? A wedding planner will help you schedule meetings with vendors (or even attend the meetings for you!), pick out linens and invitations, and take care of the other tasks that you just don’t have time for. Since wedding planners are professionals, they know the industry much better than the average person. With that in mind, they know exactly where to go to get the services and products that you want, which will cut down on the time you spend searching for what you like.

4: Your Wedding Is Out of Town … Hiring a wedding planner is a great idea for brides who are having an out of town wedding, whether it’s in a different city or country. If you’re miles or time zones away from the location, it’ll be helpful to hire someone who’s familiar with the area as well as local vendors and venues.  Not only will a wedding planner help you get more bang for your buck, he or she will also be able to represent you at meetings with your vendors before the big day. A planner who has knowledge of the area is also handy for helping organize all of the details you’ll need to cover for your guests, such as hotel accommodations, welcome baskets, maps and directions, and a list of fun things for them to do during their downtime.

3: You Have a Small Budget … Trying to plan a wedding on a small budget? Although it seems like hiring a wedding planner is counterintuitive, it will actually help you save money in the long run.

Your wedding planner will work with you to set a budget and then help you stick to it, stretching your dollar as far as it will go. Not a big fan of monogrammed napkins but can’t do without an ice sculpture as the buffet centerpiece? By understanding what’s important to you, a wedding planner can also help you determine what items can be cut from the budget so you can afford to get what you want. Because most wedding planners have special relationships with vendors, they won’t just get you the best deal in town — they’ll also help you rest easy knowing you’re working with reliable companies.  If you can’t afford to hire a planner to help you during the entire process, it’s acceptable to bring one in halfway through your planning period or even just on your wedding day. This way, you can still benefit from the services of a wedding planner without the total expense. (bold added)

2: You’re Just Not That Into It … So, your best friend spent days picking out the perfect shade of Tiffany blue for the fondant on the wedding cake. And your sister interviewed six seamstresses before choosing one to alter her wedding dress. But you just aren’t the kind of girl who’s excited about hopping from store to store picking out party favors and centerpieces.  That’s OK! A wedding planner is sure to take the things off your hands that you’re not interested in doing yourself. Your planner will get to know your tastes so the wedding is tailored around your personality from the start.  It’s your planner’s job to take care of as many details as you want, and since you’re paying for the service, take advantage of having the professional help. The key is to have fun while organizing your wedding, so have a planner take care of the dirty work so you can enjoy your engagement.

1: You Get Easily Stressed … Does the thought of planning a wedding stress you out? Sure, there are a lot of details and things to think about, but planning a wedding should be fun! Having a wedding planner can ease the stress that you may feel during the planning process. A wedding planner will help you keep a timeline, stick to your budget and do the heavy-lifting so you can spend your time at hair and makeup trials or clinking champagne glasses at wedding showers. Especially on the actual wedding day, it’s convenient to have someone on hand to fix any issues that come up (and there are bound to be a few!). You shouldn’t have to worry about sewing a button on the groom’s tux or finding your grandmother’s corsage — you should be having the time of your life! After all, planning your wedding (and enjoying it) is the No. 1 priority on your to-do list.”

I hope that you have found this as informative as I did.  Have a great day.

The visitors to our booth were able to see samples of what our preferred vendors can provide in quality and in excellence of taste. Our booth showed pictures from several of our events and MarDel Photography provided some enlarged pictures to display.  How grateful we are for our preferred vendors that help to make our bride’s day memorable and affordable.  We had 500 mini cupcakes made by Dippidee and those cupcakes were gone within 3 hours!!  We also gave out mints, chocolate and bubble wands.

We also had a drawing for a $100 gift card from Bed, Bath & Beyond and a $50 gift certificate from Dippidee.  Our lucky winners are Bria R of the $100 gift card and Nicole K of the $50 gift card.  Look forward to being able to meet and give them their prize.

We are excited to be working with so many brides in the upcoming months as their special day draws near.  I LOVE MY WORK!!

If you missed us at this bridal show be sure to look for us at the Grand America on January 14, 2012.

#1 Mexico … Mexico entices couples with its warm, sunny weather, colorful culture, extensive coastline, spicy cuisine, and wide choice of accommodations.

#2 Jamaica … A lush island, Jamaica has beaches, waterfalls, mountains to explore. Add in more all inclusives than anywhere else in the Caribbean and a reggae beat, and it’s no wonder it’s so popular with couples who want a destination wedding followed by a beach honeymoon.

#3 Dominican Republic … The Dominican Republic has both fine boutique hotels and price-competitive all-inclusives.

#4 Bahamas … The beautiful Bahamas, just off the coast of Florida, offer couples everything from 24/7 excitement to total laid back bliss, depending on whether they opt for developed Nassau, Freeport, Paradise, and Grand Bahama Island or one of the low-key Out Islands.

#5 Hawaii …   It’s a long flight to Hawaii from just about anywhere, yet couples flock to the state’s gorgeous islands in order to have a memorable destination wedding in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Following the ceremony there was a Dessert Bar reception with chocolate fountains, a variety of desserts ranging from cookies, candies and cheesecake along with fruit, cheese & cracker trays and also fresh vegetable trays.  The couple chose a very unique style wedding cake.  The evening was perfect with the warm weather and with a gentle breeze blowing.

To include the children in the reception we planned a “Fun Zone” for all the children (and adults alike) where there was face painting, popcorn stand and cotton candy.  It was a great evening for everyone. 

Did you know that the average bride spends $2,000 on flowers for her wedding?  What do you do with the flowers afterwards?  So often the inside of the trash bins see these beautiful and colorful arrangements.  In a recent article in the Washington Post we are now hearing of florists who are recycling by giving the flowers to charitable locations.  Sarah von Pollaro, floral designer, said: “I believe that all people should have flowers in their life and especially people who might not be able to afford to buy them on a regular basis.”

Also, donating to nursing homes, where the patients at these facilities do not get a ton of visitors and they enjoy the flowers immensely, is an excellent idea. Their reaction is always positive.  But you can also choose to have your arrangements of hydrangeas, coxcomb, roses and lavender, which dry well and can be kept on display long after the last dance.  Did you know that you can also strip some flowers from your bouquet and press them in a book.  The pressed flowers can then be glued in scrapbooks, placed with an invitation and framed or used as potpourri.