Kokomo Magazine February 2022 by Towne Post Network, Inc.

FEBRUARY 2022

MAGAZINE

Capturing Moments

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION CHOOSING THE BEST VENUE FOR YOUR WEDDING AND RECEPTION FLOWER POWER SELECTING THE BEST BOUQUET FOR YOUR WEDDING

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IN THIS ISSUE

FEBRUARY 2022

CAPTURING MOMENTS

Factors to Consider When Hiring a Wedding photographer

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Choosing the Best Venue for Your Wedding and Reception

SWEET EXPECTATIONS

Selecting the Right Bakery for Your Wedding

PLANNING A STRESS-FREE WEDDING

Hiring a Wedding Planner Can Make All the Difference

FLOWER POWER

Selecting the Best Bouquet for Your Wedding

7 DATE IDEAS FOR A MEMORABLE VALENTINE’S DAY

Cover Bride and Groom: John and Rachelle Hartley / Photographer: Carly Eads

COPY EDITOR JON SHOULDERS

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Local Leaders Collaborate for Inaugural Hoosier Chocolate Fest

Incorporating the Right Florals to Enhance Your Wedding Day

MOUTH WATERING

PETALS WITH A PURPOSE

FEBRUARY PUZZLES

HOME HUNTING

Realtor Lisa Stokes-Bear Gives Advice on Home Buying in a Tough Market

Cover Bride: Annelie Maakestad / Photographer: Mik and Max Photos KEY CONTRIBUTORS ABIGAIL HAKE / CHRISTY HEITGER-EWING JON SHOULDERS / MATT KEATING

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Capturing MOMENTS FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

When it comes to planning a wedding, one of the most important elements is choosing the right photographer who can beautifully capture the memories. Carly Eads of Carly

Eads Photography suggests checking out potential photographers’ work on social media prior to reaching out for a consult, because the pictures will reflect their particular style. “I had a client once ask if I could edit her

photos to give them a dark-brown, grainy look, and while I can certainly edit photos, my style is my stamp,” Eads says. “My style is bright, colorful and airy. The key is to hire a photographer who has the style that is in line with yours.” Once you’ve hired a photographer, create a shot list of all the photos you want, to be sure certain moments are captured on your special day. “I might be running around shooting the venue and the ceremony,” Eads says. “If I’m unaware that the bride wants me to get pictures of her perfume bottle, that might get overlooked. Plus, I don’t want to bother

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the bride while she’s getting ready, to ask what pics she wants me to get. It’s best to make that list beforehand.” In addition to the shot list, Eads recommends that people jot down a timeline for the day so the photographer knows what to expect and when. Doing so makes the day less stressful for all involved.

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“When I don’t have a timeline it’s complete chaos,” Eads says. “Guests don’t know where to be when. If the reception is at a different place than the ceremony and there is no timeline, everyone is confused. I like to have a time for getting ready for pictures, a time for the start of ceremony, a time for the reception - everything down to the time for the sparkler send-off.” Eads takes first-look photos (shots of the bride and groom prior to the ceremony) for roughly half of her weddings. Doing so can make the day move along more quickly following the ceremony, plus it takes the pressure off the newlyweds so their pictures appear more natural. “They’re more excited to see each other when it’s just the two of them, rather than a roomful of people staring at them,” Eads says. “The moment feels more private and sentimental.” For brides and grooms who are on the fence about whether to take those photos pre-ceremony, Eads always encourages them to do so. “I’ve had so many brides and grooms tell me that it was the best decision they ever made because it allowed them to go immediately to the reception and begin having fun,” Eads says.

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She notes that the best time of day for snapping gorgeous photos is the “golden hour” - right around sunset. That time varies depending on the season. In the winter it falls around 4 or 5 p.m., whereas in the summer it’s between 7 and 8 p.m. The harshest light is between 1 and 3 p.m. Therefore, when planning the details of

the day, schedule your photos at sunset and that will determine the time of the ceremony. Eads likes to get creative with her shots. For instance, she’ll grab one of the bride’s flowers from a table and place it in front of the camera to create a blur. She also places veils in front of pictures for decoration. “I like to incorporate a lot of different things into pictures rather than just doing the basic poses because those are the shots that people remember,” Eads says. She once shot a “Star Wars”-themed wedding with pictures that incorporated lightsabers. She’s had couples spraying champagne up into the air. She’s seen brides and grooms train their pups to walk down the aisle to deliver the rings. She even recalls a reception in which a grandmother crowd-surfed across the stage. “She’d had a few drinks,” Eads says with a chuckle. One of Eads’ favorite weddings was a beach ceremony where she got to take some trash-the-dress shots. The bride and groom ran hand-in-hand into a lake to splash around. Though Eads typically does not get emotionally involved at the weddings she shoots, she does recall one during which tears started flowing. The couple had their first dance in front of everyone, and then, after all the guests departed, the deejay played a song just for the newlyweds.

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“Watching them dance together for the first time, just the two of them, was so touching,” Eads says. “I like the one-onone moments when you can see that they aren’t stressed out anymore. They’re just in love.” Find Carly Eads Photography on social media, including facebook.com/ carlyeadsphotography. She shoots weddings, engagements, senior photos and more.

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LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

CHOOSING THE BEST VENUE FOR YOUR WEDDING AND RECEPTION Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

as everything else falls in line after that.

People tend to remember a wedding as either a good experience or a bad one.

“It doesn’t make any difference who the deejay or photographer is if you don’t have the location set,” Trine says.

“We want to try to eliminate as many bad reasons as possible through our consultations,” says Tom Trine, owner of Elite Banquet & Conference Center. Trine, who also owns Windmill Grill, recommends that brides secure a reception venue as soon as possible after their fiancé pops the question. “Book it the night you get engaged,” Trine says with a chuckle. “Seriously, I’ve seen brides book two years out for a venue they have their heart set on.” It makes sense to reserve the location first,

When choosing a venue, make sure it offers quality food and inclusive packages so that you aren’t nickel-and-dimed for every little service. Decor is crucial, as ambiance matters. Nice lighting, a built-in bar and fresh circulation all top the list of must-haves. It’s also smart to think about proximity to hotels if there will be out-of-town guests. The most important task for brides from the get-go is to create a list of items that are important to them. “What is your vision for the event?” Trine says. “Do you have any special needs? Share any specifics you’re looking for, to be sure

the venue can bring that to life for you.” Between Elite Banquet and Windmill Grill, Trine and his team handle 120-plus weddings per year. When they meet with a bride and groom for a complimentary consultation, they walk the couple through the entire process, covering everything from the ceremony to the reception. One of the primary reminders Trine’s team offers to the bride is that although it’s her wedding day, there are other people to think about. “A bride and groom may like salmon with hot sauce on it, but we’ll try to steer them away from that choice because their 200 guests won’t like salmon with hot sauce,” he says. They also encourage brides to put themselves in their guests’ shoes. While the day may zip by for the happy couple, it can feel like time is standing still for everybody else. “Have you ever been to a wedding where you pray to God it ends quickly?” Trine says. A common complaint guests voice about weddings is the amount of time they spend waiting. They get to the ceremony and have to wait for it to start. After the ceremony, they have to wait to greet the newlyweds in the receiving line. They get to the venue and have to wait for the bride and groom to arrive - and on it goes. So much of the frustration can be avoided, however, with proper planning. “What drives us crazy is if a bride and groom decide to go down the street to take pictures at a park and leave 200 hungry people here,” Trine says. “If you don’t feed

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the guests, they’ll start to feed on each other become the busiest month of the year, even and that can get ugly quickly. Some people surpassing June.” will just leave if they get tired of waiting.” This makes sense when considering all of If you anticipate a lull in the action between the activities that typically take place in the the ceremony and reception, Trine suggests summer. There are vacations, graduations, serving a second appetizer. If children will barbecues, swim lessons, baseball games be in attendance, he advises that brides set and more. With so many activities going on, it can be difficult for folks to attend a up a play area or activity table to keep kids wedding. occupied. Trine has noticed that the favorite wedding season has shifted to fall. “When we first started doing weddings, if you landed one or two weddings in October it was crazy,” Trine says. “Now it has

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“We will have a wedding booked in June that says they’ll have 200 people and another booked in November for 200, and the one in November will come closer to 200 than the June one,” says Trine, who claims that the worst wedding date to select

is the Fourth of July. “We actually had a wedding booked for the Fourth with 150 invited guests, and nobody showed up. I’m not joking. It was terrible.” On February 20 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Trine and his team will host the first annual Elite Bridal Gala. With 30-plus vendors, brides can chat with florists, deejays, photographers, bakers, florists, hotel staff members, jewelers, makeup artists, tuxedo company representatives and more. Elite Banquet & Conference Center is located at 2820 South Lafountain Street in Kokomo. For more information, call 765-453-2500 or visit elitebanquet.com.

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Sweet Expectations

SELECTING THE RIGHT BAKERY FOR YOUR WEDDING brides not to book much further out than that, however, because logistics, minds and numbers can change.

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

When it comes to wedding cakes, many brides today are searching for simplicity. Clients are asking for simple, iced cakes, beautifully and “messily” iced cakes, and even naked cakes, which is just a cake with no frosting on the outside.

“Before you can deal with a bakery, you need to have your numbers, your colors and your overall feel of the wedding,” Riffle says. She reminds her clients that selecting a bakery should be an enjoyable experience, not a stressful one.

“We’ve done cakes that look like tree stumps,” says Emily Riffle, owner of Indulgence Bakery.

“Cake should be one of the more fun things about a wedding, so enjoy the whole experience - tasting it, designing it and eating it at the wedding,” Riffle says.

Though a current trend in cake style centers on simple and natural, brides tend to gravitate toward unique flavors. For instance, Riffle makes a vanilla cake with a honey swirl and lavender buttercream icing that is a top seller. They also do a French toast with cinnamon butter cream that people love.

When trying to choose a bakery, sample all the bakery locations in your area if possible. “If you like what they do with birthdays or what they sell in the front of their store, you’re going to like the wedding cake also,” Riffle says.

The time frame for hiring a baker depends on the season of the wedding. For instance, busy months like May or October should be booked at least six months out, while January through March can be booked just a couple of months out. Riffle encourages

When meeting with a baker, share your budget so everyone is on the same page.

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“Price is always a factor when selecting a baker,” Riffle says. “We try to keep things simple as far as the cost. We don’t like to add on a bunch of stuff. What you see is what you get.” It’s important to trust the person who is making your wedding cake, and you can do that by scheduling a tasting and talking everything through. Also take into consideration the location of your wedding and reception, because some bakeries won’t serve beyond a certain distance from their location. For instance, while Indulgence Bakery caters to clients from Indianapolis and Lafayette, they don’t deliver outside of the Kokomo area. If you want a bakery outside of your area, make sure they can deliver or that you can pick up the cake from them. Wedding cupcakes have become popular in recent years. In fact, Riffle estimates that 75% of her weddings include cupcakes. She suspects this is partly because it’s not

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as scary for clients to pick up cupcakes as it is for a massive cake. Plus, cupcakes give guests flavor options.

“If they met online we’ll make a silhouette of a desk with a computer, or if the proposal was in the fall, we’ll have a man on his knee and a woman in leaves,” Riffle says.

“If you’re served a slice of cake, you don’t always know what it is,” Riffle says. “With cupcakes, guests can see exactly what they’re getting. Plus, they’re fun and so much easier to serve.”

While COVID-19 did a number on the wedding industry, especially early on, Riffle says one positive factor that has come out of the pandemic is that many couples are less likely to stress over creating the perfect day.

The cupcake trend follows the simplicity that many brides are craving, as the tinier treats don’t have to be cut and served. Guests can just pick one out.

“I don’t see as much bridezilla stress because they just want to start their lives together as “The days of the huge, elaborate four-tiered husband and wife,” Riffle says. “I think we’ve cakes seem to be past,” says Riffle, who notes had stress in other areas of our lives and now getting married is met with less stress and that square, offset cakes and colorful cakes more fun.” are now rarely requested. In their place are ivory and white cakes with silhouette Indulgence Bakery is located at 101 West designs. For instance, a couple may ask for a white cake with a black fondant silhouette Defenbaugh Street in Kokomo. For more information, call 765-452-5200 or visit of the bride and groom. Many couples also like to tell a story with their dessert, perhaps indulgencebakerykokomo.com. sharing how they were introduced or where

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PLANNING A

Stress-Free WEDDING

HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

Weddings are beautiful, but they can also be extremely stressful to plan. This is precisely why many brides elect to hire a wedding planner to help alleviate anxiety. “Brides are afraid they’ll miss something or that they’ll pay for something they didn’t need,” says Crista Tharp, owner of Blissfully Simple Events. “They have nightmares of things falling apart or of a vendor not showing up.” By hiring someone to help guide the process, however, that fear melts away. At Blissfully Simple, brides can choose either a full-service option or day-of coordination. Full service involves hiring Tharp and her team to make all the phone calls, obtain all the quotes, and ensure the whole affair stays

on track. For day-of coordination, the bride and her family plan the event on their own and then four months out, Tharp’s team takes over tasks like managing vendors. Day-of coordination services also include overseeing the rehearsal, making sure everyone gets down the aisle, and cleaning up afterwards. “Day-of coordination saves families money, yet they can call us with questions at any time,” says Tharp, who compares wedding planning to house building.

“That’s not sexy or fun, but it needs to be done first because it lays the foundation,” Tharp says. “Brides are so eager to jump into the decor, invitations and all of that, but you can’t decorate a house that’s not yet built.” Step two is picking the date and booking the vendors, which equates to framing the house. Step three is decor, colors and swatches. It’s painting the house, installing the carpet and hanging the decorations. The last phase she calls “countdown to bliss” because this is when homeowners feel like the process has taken forever and they just want to get in the home.

“When you build a house, you get a subcontractor who knows the reputable vendors,” Tharp says. “The same is true of an “The same is true with the wedding,” Tharp says. “Couples are like, ‘OMG, I just want it event planner.” done!’” Tharp and her team employ a fourThis is where tiny details come in, such as phase system that walks a bride through obtaining the wedding license, deciding the planning, delegation, execution and direction of a wedding. Step one is who is going to hold the rings and figuring determining the size of the guest list. out parking logistics. It’s equivalent to getting a house ready with phone cables and

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WHAT’S TRENDING, WHAT’S NOT OUT: Bouquet and garter tosses. IN: Anniversary dances, where all the married couples come to the dance floor and the one who has been married the longest is presented with the bride’s bouquet. OUT: Wedding registries filled with items for the home. IN: Honeymoon registries to help fund the trip. internet connection. Blissfully Simple was built to offer real wedding planning for real couples with real budgets. “Everyone deserves to have a wedding planner, but not everyone can afford it,” says Tharp, who notes that most of her weddings cost between $10,000 and $15,000. “We try to be the best stewards of their money as possible.” Besides saving her clients money and alleviating stress, Tharp’s other main goal as a wedding planner is to make sure the bride and groom can be guests at their own wedding, so they can enjoy the day rather than running around sweating the details.

“I’ve had weddings that were three years out and others that were just two weeks away,” Tharp says. “One bride hired me seven months out. She said that every wedding planner she’d contacted turned her down and told her ‘Good luck.’ That’s silly. It’s the way people look at things. We are not those wedding planners at the top barking orders. We’re at the bottom holding people up. We work with the vendors and play well with others.” Mostly, Tharp just likes putting smiles on her clients’ faces. “It’s so nice to be able to help these brides who have been under so much stress,” Tharp says. “It’s easy for us because it’s what we do every day.”

Contact Tharp and her Blissfully Simple Though it’s always a good idea to book a wedding planner as soon as possible, Tharp Events team at 765-863-1222, or visit says she’s happy to accommodate any bride’s blissfullysimpleevents.com. schedule.

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Flower Power

SELECTING THE BEST BOUQUET FOR YOUR WEDDING

When selecting flowers, Perry suggests that brides start by researching different types of bouquets online, to get a sense of the style Flowers represent one of the most beautiful and colors they gravitate to. This will help ways that brides and grooms can make their them figure out if they like an open or closeweddings unique. Susan Perry, owner of knit style. This is also the time for a bride White Lilies N Paradise, has worked in the to consider an informal, outdoor look, or a flower industry for more than three decades. classic, formal look. She loves doing weddings, particularly when a bride provides her with color and flower “Once you have an array of options that choices and gives her free reign to design. interest you, you can start eliminating based Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

price,” Perry says.

As for color, some flowers don’t come in a preferred shade, but Perry has a spray used to tint flowers.

Certain types of flowers hold up better than others when not in water, though Perry has some techniques for treating them ahead of time to make them last. Still, should a bride want to utilize her flowers throughout the on budget,” Perry says. “A lot of brides don’t day and carry her ceremony flowers into “We’ve done some weddings that incorporate know what they want when they come in to her reception area, it’s important to put the succulents and vegetables into bouquets, see me for the first time. That’s why I suggest stems in vases so they stay fresh. such as kale and oriental cabbage,” Perry says. they start looking at ideas early on.” “We did a wedding where we cored out green Unfortunately, some flowers have increased apples and put them down inside the vase. in cost due to COVID-19. This is because After setting a date, it’s time to start Bridesmaids stuck their bouquets into the considering what kinds of flowers will be many growers can’t get flowers picked and core of the apple.” processed due to a lack of employees. in season at that time of year, because that will help determine the colors. For instance, A lot of these ideas are generated because “Roses have doubled in price,” Perry says. peak peony season is April, May and June. increasingly, brides want to bring an outdoor “You can get them when they are out of and garden vibe into their weddings, even if season, but they will be double and triple in Given the shortage, it was difficult for Perry their ceremonies are inside.

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to fill all of her Christmas and Valentine’s orders, and she says it’s hard to predict what will happen going forward. It’s always wise, however, to take note of whether there are holidays right around your wedding date, because that can affect both pricing and availability.

breath, which is big yet inexpensive. “Baby’s breath fills in a lot of area, and then we put a few prominent flowers like roses, lilies or hydrangeas in the bouquet,” Perry says. “Stock flowers also have a good fragrance, and come in several different colors but are not as pricey.”

“With certain holidays there is a big demand As far as trends, Perry is seeing a lot of handfor flowers, so there could be a shortage on tied bouquets, with just the stems showing them,” she says. and ribbon wrapped around the stems. Perry assures couples who are on a tight budget that they can still design a gorgeous “Brides are choosing a lot of things with eucalyptus and foliage, where it’s big, wedding with limited resources. For starters, not all flowers are priced the same. open bouquets,” Perry says. “Simple and outdoorsy is in.” For instance, carnations, daisies, mums, sunflowers, alstroemeria and snapdragons White Lilies N Paradise is located at 333 are on the less-expensive spectrum, so North Philips Street in Kokomo. For more often brides opt to use these flowers in bridesmaid bouquets and centerpieces. information, call 765-459-0637 or visit Perry is seeing more and more brides make m.whiteliliesinparadise.com. their bouquets using predominantly baby’s

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20 / KOKOMO MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2022 / TownePost.com

Lice

7 DATE IDEAS FOR A MEMORABLE VALENTINE’S DAY Writer / Abigail Hake Photography Provided

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TownePost.com / FEBRUARY 2022 / KOKOMO MAGAZINE / 21

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Give the Gift of Love This Valentine’s Day We Have Flowers For Your Valentine That She Is Sure To Love

alentine’s Day is coming up, which means it’s time to start planning the perfect date for you and your special someone. Do you prefer a typical dinner with your loved one or would you rather enjoy a Valentine’s Day that’s a little more memorable? Whatever you like, here are a few ideas that you may or may not have thought of before.

1. GO SKATING Lots of outdoor ice rinks are still open through the end of February so check out your options. Skating under the stars can be very romantic. If outdoor skating isn’t an option, look into skating times at your local indoor rink or even roller rink. Gliding around together and holding hands is always a good time. If you aren’t comfortable with skating, grab some hot chocolates and go watch others do it. This can actually be quite entertaining and definitely leave you with something to talk (or laugh) about!

2. RECREATE A FAVORITE MEMORY Whether it’s your first or 15th Valentine’s Day together, there’s probably a memorable moment between the two of you that stands out. Do your best to recreate that special moment. Go back to where you met or where your first date was, and take a walk down memory lane it’s sure to give you all the feels.

3. PLAN A PICNIC While you might not be able to do this outside, there are plenty of indoor-

friendly ways to have a picnic. Set up in the living room in front of the fire, crack open a bottle of wine, and enjoy some light snacks and appetizers while getting to know each other a little better - or, if you’ve been together a while, getting to know each other again.

4. DO A DRIVE-IN DATE Load up the car with some folding chairs, cozy blankets and lots of snacks, and head to your closest drive-in theater for an evening with a throwback feel. Depending on the weather, you could set this up in

The Upper Level Small Events Venue

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TINKER AND DELIGHT Come see our newly renovated and expanded shoppe, makers/gathering room, and so much more!

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your backyard, at the park or even in the basement if the weather won’t cooperate. If you plan to do it at home, string some bistro lights for a little extra magic, and don’t forget the popcorn.

5. ENJOY A QUICK GETAWAY Getting away is always refreshing for those involved. Whether it’s an evening at the local boutique hotel or a cabin in the woods a couple hours away, enjoy the uninterrupted time together. You might even seek out a treehouse to rent as those have a truly magical and romantic feel,

which is sure to make for a memorable Valentine’s date.

6. GET ACTIVE TOGETHER If you don’t regularly work out together, this might be a fun one to try. Set up a personal training session, go for a run together or plan a hike with a special surprise at the top. Getting the endorphins going together could really help get the sparks going. Plus, it’s always fun to cheer each other on when doing hard things.

7. CREATE A BUCKET LIST Bucket lists are always fun to come up with and even more fun to complete. Why not make one just for the two of you? Come up with all the things you can do without the kids, or maybe before you have kids, depending on where you are in the relationship. Make sure to include all kinds of ideas - fun, silly, extreme, romantic, easy and hard. Start by checking one of the items off the list THIS Valentine’s Day.

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Remember, just because it’s Valentine’s Day, that doesn’t mean it has to be a two-person event. No matter where you are on the relationship spectrum, we’ve all had a crazy past couple of years and we all deserve a little treat. If there’s not a significant other in the picture, or maybe you just can’t be with the one you love so dear, spoil yourself and indulge a bit. Grab some chocolates, treat yourself to a nice dinner, or just take some time for yourself - because you deserve it!

A N C H O R E D I N H O P E * 1 1 6 E . J E F F E R S O N S T, T I P T O N * T H U / F R I 1 0 - 5 , S A T 9 - 4 * P H . 7 6 5 . 4 0 8 . 0 3 5 9

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