Unique Christmas Gift: Candy Bouquet

Tucked away on 1045 McBride Ave., West Paterson, NJ, only a five-minute drive from the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, NJ, is a place where sweet unique Christmas gift dreams come true. Owner-designer, Jackie Martello, and her daughter Danielle, hand-craft candy bouquets with gourmet chocolates and hard candies. Made ahead or to order, no two candy bouquets are alike -- a truly personal and unique Christmas gift for the "sweet tooth" in your life.

What is a Candy Bouquet? A Candy Bouquet, Inc. original design is a unique combination of gourmet chocolates and hard candies that are hand-crafted to resemble the stems of flowers. Like florist work, those "flower" stems are artfully arranged in a vase, usually with the addition of silk flowers, novelty items, or plush animals.

Martello says: "Don't be fooled by the candy bouquets you see advertised all over the Internet. They cannot use the original flower stem design, and believe me, it makes a difference!"

A Unique Christmas Gift and Candy Store. Martello's Candy Bouquet store can design a unique holiday gift bouquet, large or small, with your specific gift giving needs in mind. For example, you may choose from twelve delicious gourmet chocolate ganache flavors (from Lindt, Bachmann, or Candy Bouquet's own) and from over thirty yummy hard candy flavors. Martello can help you choose a vase, the colors, and the extras available to go into the bouquet. The store also carries stuffed animals and other sweet goodies, as in gourmet chocolate covered pretzels, gourmet chocolate lollypops and Jelly Belly jelly beans, just to name a few.

From the Owner: I started doing silk flower designs for home owners; I've always been creative. When I found this Candy Bouquet opportunity, I jumped on it. It's a fun way to make a living! I especially enjoy making inexpensive gifts for children. They like the fun candies (Snickers, Hershey, Tootsie Rolls, etc.). I can design a whole candy bouquet around a character they love, filled with extra goodies, or make smaller bouquets for table tops or take-home gifts. We also have corporate account customers who love these gourmet chocolate bouquets because they are personal and specific to meet their needs. We recently did a large order of individual thank you bouquets for a hospice group in our area. It's hard work, but we enjoy the smiles on our customers' faces. We are looking forward to holidays!

Colleen's Call (my opinion!): 5/5 Highly recommend!

I wanted to send my son a unique Christmas gift last year. I searched the Internet and came across Martello's Candy Bouquet store (I'm in NY). I liked the designs I saw online, but I had something special in mind. I spoke with Jackie (Martello) and told her what I was looking for in a gourmet chocolate gift. She was very pleasant, professional and accommodating. The delivery went smoothly and my son loved it! It took him a few weeks to pick through the flower stems to find his entire beloved raspberry gourmet chocolate ganaches and black cherry candies.

When I visited my son, I saw the gourmet chocolate bouquet was still intact, another plus for the Candy Bouquet design. The sweet goodies can be taken off the stems while leaving the bouquet whole. It was large (approx. 18" x 12") and exactly what I had desired. During my trip, I took the opportunity to visit the Candy Bouquet store in West Paterson, NJ. I was like a "kid in a candy store," literally. Martello's store was small but clean, colorful and fun. The bouquets were impressive and definitely carried a "wow" factor. Now, isn't that the ultimate satisfaction of gift giving?

Pricing: A range of $10 to $80 for small to large bouquets; gourmet chocolates, candies, gourmet chocolate pretzels and lollipops also sold separately.

Purchase: In store, online, by telephone (see below)

Delivery Available: $10 local; $15-$20 shipping/handling across the U.S.

Holiday Events: Martello offers a 10% discount if you mention this article. Please call the store or check the website for details.

Hours of Operation:

Mon., Noon - 6:00 p.m.; Tues. - Fri., 11a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sat, 11a.m -3 p.m.; and appointments by phone

Contact Information: (973)256-4465 www.fancyflorals.com

Directions/Parking:Google map

Sources:

C. Putnam, Author: personal product knowledge

Jackie Martello: Interview