Ah, chocolate. Probably the most popular of all edible wedding favors. It’s a sweet treat that we all enjoy. But, on a hot summer day, it can be a little difficult to manage if you’re planning an outdoor wedding. Don’t let your chocolate wedding favors sit mercilessly in the sun. Follow these tips and ideas to keep ’em cool under pressure.
Tip #1: Candy coatings make sure chocolate melts in your mouth and not in your hand. This one’s a no brainer. Including Jordan almonds, M&Ms or some other coated chocolate in your favor boxes will ensure they don’t melt away on your big day. Besides, they come in such tasty colors. It’s a great do-it-yourself wedding favor.
Tip #2: You’ve probably seen the vending machines selling frozen chocolate bars, so why not use this idea to help you keep them cool and collected? Apparently, there’s a lot of people who like their chocolate cold, so freezing the bars a day or two in advance might just give them some resistance to the sun. Place them on the tables right before the guests arrive to be enjoyed as a pre-dinner treat. Test a few different types of bars in the freezer beforehand to be sure thawing doesn’t result in those unattractive white spots. (Since I am a fan of frozen Snickers bars, I can tell you from experience that they hold up very well after thawing.)
Tip #3: Make it a sweet send-off. Keep them refrigerated during the reception and wait to distribute your chocolatey treats until the end of the reception. That way, you can avoid the whole possibility of them melting entirely. Going home with chocolate is a sweet end to an even sweeter day.
Tip #4: Ice, ice, baby! Similar to the way caterers place shrimp on ice, placing the chocolate on ice is a great way to keep it from melting. It’s even a fun idea for a cool (pun intended) wedding centerpiece. Wrap a small block of dry ice in lightweight fabric (to protect grasping fingers) that’s the color of your wedding and place it in the bottom of a clear bowl. Putting your personalized miniature chocolate bars on top will help avoid a major meltdown. A 3-4 lb. block of ice should last about 4 hours on a hot day.Keep in mind that whether the chocolates are exposed to direct or indirect sunlight under a tent and the time of day will affect how long they can remain in the heat. Experiment with a variety of scenarios to see what will work best for you.
