I’ve had this idea about doing vendor spotlights on my blog for a while now.  It gives me a chance to get out and meet some new vendors that offer fantastic products or services that I endorse and also serves as an idea forum for brides who might have a need for any of the products that I spotlight.  Lets face it, we all love a great referral from a friend,  so when I find a cool resource I’m happy to share it.  It just so happens that my first vendor spotlight is a perfect go to source for Valentine’s day.  Welcome Cocoa Michelle founded by chocolatier extraordinaire Michelle Weber.  Cocoa Michelle opened it’s doors in neighboring Westport Connecticut in 2006.  Michelle and her staff take chocolate to a different level, plain and simple.  Her mission statement pretty much says it all, “At Cocoa Michelle our wish is to bring a sense of euphoria and tranquility to each and every guest that walks through our doors.  We want your experience to be like no other.  With each bite of chocolate and sip of coffee we are sure to leave your taste buds dancing”.  I visited with Michelle to ask her some questions about her remarkable business:

Q-How many years have you been in business?  A-3 years with a retail shop and making chocolates for 20 plus years.

Q-How did you get into making chocolate?  A-My Mother is a gourmet chef and I decided to do something that she didn’t do.

Q-What makes your product so good?  A-Small batches, no preservatives and the passion they are made with.

Q-Do you take custom orders for clients or do bridal favors?  A- Absolutely!  We can customize color, shapes and flavors.

Q-What is your most popular item?  A-Dark Chocolate Ganache w/Sea Salt/Strawberry/Banana Ganache w/Honey Caramel.

Q-What are your plans for the future?   A-To grow but remain boutique.

Q-What is your favorite part of the business?  A-Putting a smile on someones face and serving a great cup of coffee.

Q-As a sole proprietor, how do you juggle all of your tasks?  A-I don’t!  I’m crazy most of the time, and a glass of wine in the evening helps.

Q-What kind of experience do you want your clients to have, what’s your dream job?  A-I want my customers to leave with their taste buds dancing and a smile on their face.  I plan to continue doing what I’m doing.  Opening more stores, decorating them and keeping smiles on all the faces that come through my door.

Michelle gave me the lovely box of chocolates that I photographed,  and although I begrudgingly shared it with my family, I can assure you that my taste buds were in fact dancing and my grin was ear to ear!

Just a teasing reminder before our delicious Valentine’s feature!

I’m a huge fan of The New Haven Lawn Club.  It’s an elegant venue from a by gone era and a lovely place to have a wedding reception.  It has recently undergone a renovation and the ballroom is even more lovely than I had remembered.  My friend Aurora Onorato hosted a workshop there recently and invited me to come along.   Aurora is a natural teacher and she talked about all different kinds of lighting situations while we had a beautifully styled shoot and many models in wedding attire.  Definitely my idea of an inspiring fun day.  Our host, Christine Perusse will take fantastic care of you if you plan your wedding at the club.  Many thanks to Aurora Photography for including me and sharing her knowledge with us,  The Wedding Embassy for providing our wardrobe, Stylish Blooms did all of our flowers, Brazen Betties for providing us with all of our accessories and our hair and makeup was done by Kimberly Bordeaux and Samantha and Erin of Shine Salon.  I could create an entire album from the days shoot , so this is just a taste.

A while back I photographed baby Olivia at just one month old.  She was such a little peanut and though sleepy for some of our session, she spent most of her time kicking those little legs like she was training for a marathon.  I think that it’s safe to say that I have a thing for photographing mini body parts.  Welcome to the world beautiful baby girl!