DIY: Coffee Bark

This weekend's Pear Tree Events wedding has a coffee "flavor" to it since the groom is a mad coffee fan. For table assignments we decided to go with small tins of coffee bark (think a combination between peppermint bark and chocolate covered espresso beans) labeled with each guest's name and table number. This bittersweet treat couldn't be easier to make and will be sure to keep your guests' energy up on the dance floor long into the night!
1. Gradually melt chocolate of your choice using a double boiler or in the microwave (being sure to stir at least every 30 seconds to a minute.) We used blocks of coating chocolate but chocolate chips would also work well.

2. When the chocolate has melted completely, add whole coffee beans and mix well. The chocolate to coffee bean ratio is entirely up to you. I tend to prefer more chocolate, but being that there was only a small amount going in each tin we opted to make the coffee bark heavier on the beans.

3. Pour the mixture onto cookie sheets covered with wax paper or cellophane. (Note: if you use cellophane make sure there are NO wrinkles in the plastic otherwise it will get caught in the creases of the chocolate... then you'll be forced to eat those pieces...)

4. Place the cookie sheets in the freezer for about half an hour. When the chocolate has cooled and set completely, remove the cookie sheets and set the slab of coffee bark on a hard surface. Break the coffee bark into small pieces and place into tins, goodie bags, or whatever you are using to present them. We purchased these tins from Beau Coup for 80 cents each, the chocolate was only $1 per package on sale (a STEAL) and whole coffee beans can be picked up pretty much anywhere you like to buy your coffee. That makes this DIY favor a very cost effective detail as well.

5. Attach labels or a gift tag and enjoy!

You'll see the finished product sometime in the coming weeks when we feature Katie and Jon's wedding. For guests who shy away from caffeine and for the youngin's attending this wedding, we filled the tins with red jelly beans. Something for everyone.

Feature Friday: Paperless Invitation Providers

Today's Feature Friday is a bit unique in that we are not actually featuring a small business, rather we have chosen to highlight an often overlooked means of inviting guests to your event: with an online invitation. Using online invitations can save you a significant amount of your event budget while still setting the tone for your party. Then there is the obvious benefit (which we LOVE at Pear Tree) of being environmentally friendly!
Most people are familiar with Evite, which offers a collaborative website to users that has a design unique to their event. Evite's services are also free, which is helpful in questionable economic times. Guests can write notes and RSVP directly on the site. Evite designs tend to be on the cheesy side (although they have made improvements, check out these designs by another Pear Tree fav, Sarah and Abraham) so there are a couple of other option we wanted to share.
Pingg is similar to Evite however they have a wider selection of "designer" invitations and provide the option to have announcements sent directly to your Facebook or Twitter accounts. Pingg has quite a variety of beautiful wedding invitations that are worthy of even the biggest budget wedding. Most Pingg invitations are free but you can purchase "Premium Plus+" invitations for $10.

Lastly (but couldn't be farther from least) is Paperless Post (pictured up top.) While this service isn't free, it is so cheap you can't help but spend entire lunch-hours designing the perfect invitation-- we know from experience! "Stamps" on Paperless Post are $5 for 60 (we said they were cheap) and you get credits for inviting friends. Sign up today, but don't forget to eat your lunch.