1Cover
Down the Aisle 2016
Magg Family Catering Colfax family known for homemade food, friendliness
Van Veen Chocolates Chuck and Jill Van Veen offer caramels, chocolate fountain
Impress Bridal
Bridal store owners Lara and Dan Bunkers expand their successful business to downtown Newton a product of the Newton Daily News
Now Open in Newton!
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Index 5 Specialty
Chuck and Jill Van Veen master caramels, chocolate
7 Venue
Colette Hill hosts Sugar Grove Vineyard and Gathering Place
11 Catering
Brad and Marilee Magg offer couples homemade meals
13 Floral
Four floral trends from Colfax florist Rebecca Carter
14 Shop
Lara and Dan Bunkers open Impress Bridal
This publication is a product of the Newton Daily News.
Dan Goetz publisher 641-792-3121 ext. 6510 Abigail Pelzer Editor 641-792-3121 ext. 6530 Kate Malott Niche Publications Editor 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 Jeff Holschuh Advertising Director 641-792-3121 ext. 6540
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Van Veens bring various themes to wedding treats Fresh fruit, caramel additions to chocolate By Jason W. Brooks PELLA — When Chuck and Jill Van Veen were preparing to go on a recent trip to a chocolate event in Philadelphia, there was plenty of scurrying to do. They had to make a special rush trip to Des Moines related to a particular order in the days leading up to their flight. That’s the life of a candy maker/caterer. The Van Veens are in their third decade of bringing traditional, tasty Dutch chocolate treats to weddings and other events in Iowa. From their popular, soft classic caramels to toffee to truffles and more specialized treats like the Dutch Crunch, the Van Veens have a variety of wellknown items.
Chuck Van Veen said his mother, Dorothy, began by making candy in the 1940s. It’s one of the many Dutch traditions that help give Pella its unique cultural identity. “Staying organized has really helped us,” said Jill Van Veen, “along with being flexible.” The couple has to be ready for surprises but tries to have everything prepared and to know at least a little about a venue ahead of time. For example, serving chocolate outdoors wouldn’t really work, and good timing is helpful. It takes about two and a half hours to arrange everything at the couple’s Pella shop prior to packing up and going to an event. That’s in addition to the time to bake all their food. Chuck Van Veen said the couple tries to have treats ready for wedding guests
well before dinner is served at a reception; there’s no waiting around for dessert time, as that could be hours away. “Our treats can be served at any point during a reception,” Chuck Van Veen said. Perhaps the most visual and most posh element of the Van Veen’s catering is the chocolate fountain. This allows guests to take strawberries or other fruit, on a stick, and dip it in moving, flowing liquid chocolate pouring down on the fountain. “The cost of strawberries, at any given time, can make that part expensive to do,” Chuck Van Veen said. “One couple recently told us they didn’t even want to do strawberries.” The Van Veens have each guest use a stick for all candy; it simply complicates things too much to have people touching food with bare hands. Chuck Van Veen sticks largely to either what he learned from family or his own c r e ations,
and said producing timehonored, quality treats is very rewarding. Van Veen | 7
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Van Veen | continued from page 5 “We aren’t real fancydancy,” Chuck Van Veen said. “We don’t do some of the off-the-wall things you might see elsewhere.” Rice-crispy treats made with cookie butter, fresh pineapple, s’more cookies, stroupe waffles and honey wheat pretzels are some of the Van Veen’s other treats. There are about 15 products available. The couple has had family members help at times, but it’s often just the two of them. Deliveries in or near Pella accompany their event catering, done out of their shop at 819 Huber St. Chuck was an ag equipment salesman before his
mother’s peanut brittle he used to give away turned into his full-time line of work. After being located in Newton in the 1990s, Van Veen Chocolates found a home on Franklin Street in Pella in 2002. After Dorothy passed away in 2008, the couple moved the business to their Huber Street house. Jill Van Veen said there is at least one thing that makes all of the hard work seem worthwhile. “Smiling faces,” she said. “When we see those at an event, that’s wonderful.” The Van Veens can be reached at 641-628-4222 or at vvchocolates@gmail.com.
Jason W. Brook/Daily News Jill and Chuck Van Veen have been baking and assemble chocolate treats for weddings for more than 20 years.
Making Wedding Days Worry-Free and Unforgettable Since 2001 Brad Magg Phone: 515.674.4001
Mitchellville, IA Brad@maggfamilycatering.com maggfamilycatering.com
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Peaceful, personal, meaningful Sugar Grove Vineyards holds to three wedding tenets in elegant day By Mike Mendenhall NEWTON — When Colette and Steve Hill decided to shift from the wine business and focus Sugar Grove Vineyards and Gathering Place on hospitality, their goal was to “share the view.” “In the beginning of the vineyards, we had outdoor concerts all summer long. The place basically was started because we had a desire to share this great Iowa countryside,” Colette said. The Jasper County vineyard located just west of Newton at 6602 Ginger Ave. began the transition to a primarily wedding venue in summer 2013 when Colette and Steve commissioned the construction of a two-story custom horse barn. It was finished in May 2014, and Sugar Grove now hosts 32 weddings per year from April through November. Just because Sugar Grove no longer bottles wine, couples will still get the
full vineyard aesthetic at their wedding. Colette and Steve grow more than 11 acres of grapes, and in the summer the vines are green, full and give a classic look. The barn has a rustic veneer made with Hill a mix of treated and untreated wood finishings, polished concrete floors and a prominent stained glass window near the building’s peak. “The stained glass is built on the idea of a quilt,” Colette said. “The circular piece is if you took a hoop and layer down on grandmother’s double wedding ring quilt. All of the other pieces are meant to remind you of a patchwork quilt.” Colette is in the process of painting a barn quilt, a trend seen displayed on many Iowa barns, and hanging it out-
side at the building’s peak. Colette said it’s popular to hold the wedding ceremony outside at Sugar Grove among the landscape of the rolling hills, grape vines and Iowa countryside — then move inside the barn for the dinner, reception and dance. Outdoor wedding ceremonies can face the east for view of the pond, or get the sight of the old Hackberry tree with the barn and grange building as a backdrop. Colette said she likes the “intimate feel” of this location. A Sugar Grove booking offers all indoor setup and tear-down, bar tending and table busing services during the reception. Colette also has a full room of vases, lanterns, Sheppard’s hooks and more couples can use to add to their wedding day decor. Colette said Sugar Grove does not decorate the venue but she will guide a couple in choices. Outdoor setup is not included in a booking, SUGAR GROVE | 9
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Sugar Grove | continued from page 7 but Sugar Grove will help with the framework of the ceremony. The barn has a bridal room from wedding day prep, a dance floor and an area for a DJ or live band. The space is two-level, with tables set up on the floor and in the loft which overlooks the dance floor. Colette is not a certified wedding planner, but she coordinates wedding events at the vineyard. Sugar Grove holds three, twohour meetings with each couple with a final meeting to ensure everything is a go. Colette will help with wedding layout design, the full weekend itinerary, vendor and decor suggestions and linen rental. “I’m not a wedding planner in that I won’t contact all vendors, but I’ll help them shape their planning and help keep couples on track — getting everything done they need to finish for their weekend,” she said. A reservation gets couple the venue from 8 a.m. Friday to noon Sundays, providing time for wedding parties to decorate and have rehearsal and rehearsal dinner in the grange building. The entire property is open for photography. But the Sugar Grove co-owner said the best thing about the vineyard is its peaceful feeling, and she plans a little bit of that tranquility into each wedding day itinerary. “I have an official chill time that I put in every itinerary a halfan-hour before every ceremony. The entire wedding party and the parents have to sit down and relax. It’s a requirement,” she said. Sugar Grove’s barn has a capacity of 288, but Colette will work with every bride and groom to match their personalized design for the space and their personal needs. She said Sugar Grove is currently crafting a wedding layout utilizing indoor and outdoor space to seat 340 people. “I think it has to do with the personality of the couple. That’s probably the biggest thing I do in the planning,” Colette said. “I think couples get stuck on trends too much. I think they need to consider what their personalities are, what they like and try to build their personality into their decision so that the guest walks away feeling like they were a part of their lives.” To find out more about Sugar Grove’s pricing and services contact Colette Hill at 641-831-3843 or visit the Sugar Grove Vineyards and Gathering Place on Facebook.
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Family catering gives personable service By Alex Olp What separates Magg Family Catering from the larger catering businesses is its reputation for taking a personal approach to weddings and helping the bride and groom present an individualized menu of homestyle, casual food. “Weddings are definitely my favorite events. Most of the weddings we do are true celebrations and they’re really fun and have lively atmospheres, so it’s really nice to be a part of those,” Magg Family Catering owner Brad Magg said. “It’s fun to be on the planning process of that as well and to see the families come together and having a good time.” The Colfax resident owns the 15-year-old company with his mother, Marilee Magg. The business operates out of the family farm between Mitchellville
and Colfax at 13190 S. 28th Ave. W. In the early years of the business, which began when Brad was a freshman at ColfaxMingo Jr/Sr High School, Magg Family Catering did 10 to 15 events per week and usually a handful of weddings each weekend.
“We do as much or as little as the bride wants us to do that works in their budget.” — Marilee Magg, Magg Family Catering
The Maggs have since lowered that to about three to five events per week in order to focus more on each celebration.
Their personalization, Brad said, is what differentiates them from the larger catering businesses, and Magg Family Catering’s client satisfaction backs that up. “Most of our clients are referrals and we rarely do more than one wedding per weekend,” Brad said. “It’s amazing how often, more often than not, we’re invited to ‘please stick around for a beer or have a drink with us or
please stay to dance and party.’ That means a lot on multiple levels,” Magg said. “Not just the dedication we have toward the clients but the respect they have back is really one of the fun parts that makes it worth while.” To book Magg Family Catering for a wedding, Brad and Marilee typically need a two- or threemonth notice prior to the event so they can pin down an expect-
ed number of guests which ultimately helps decide the size of the menu. Magg Family Catering is also quite flexible on incorporating families’ favorite dishes into the menu. “Sometimes we get special requests and accommodate a grandmother’s pasta salad recipe or some favorite dish of the bride or groom,” Brad said. Magg | 12
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Magg | continued from page 11 mix-raced weddings and, a lot of times, family members prepare some kind of authentic cuisine from their heritage and we work with them to serve those as well.” Brad, who is now 29, was just 14 years old when the business began, but by then he already knew he had a passion for cooking. The passion stemmed from learning to bake and decorate cakes with his babysitter. Not too long after that he built a smoker in the garage with his father and brother where they smoked meals for family events.
Eventually, word spread around town about the variety of food coming out of the Magg household and people began requesting his service for other private events. The business “just took,” he said. “In a town like Colfax word travels fast,” Brad said. “People began ordering cakes and pies from me and that turned into doing some food here and some food there and food for parties and whatnot. Those people have friends and then those people have friends and it just turned into a catering business.”
A commercial kitchen was then built on his parents’ farm, and before Brad became a sophomore in high school he had a catering license and an insured business. “The business plan I developed was that I would do this on weekends through high school and I would have the business paid off by the time I graduated. Then I’d go to college and get a real job,” Brad said. “But it didn’t quite happen that way.” Brad did move on to DMACC after graduation and earned a culinary arts degree, but returned home to continue growing the catering business
while also opening Goldie’s Ice Cream Shoppe in Prairie City. Marilee said she tries to encourage all of the children to pursue their dreams, which is a big reason why the business began and got to where it is now. “I still live on the farm where our commercial kitchen is so I’m the one who starts putting everything in the oven to get stuff ready,” Marilee said. “I’m retired now to help him out full-time and together we do a lot of the cooking, but Brad does all the specialty stuff. I’m just there to help him in whatever I can.” Because Magg
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Family Catering is a small business run by members of a single family — with help of a few part-time workers — there are fewer restrictions in the business that a lot of the larger caterers experience. “One thing we pride ourselves on is we do more homestyle cooking. Everything is homemade and it’s better food than the mass-produced type of food you might get elsewhere,” Marilee said. “And we do as much or as little as the bride wants us to do that works into their budget. That’s kind of what sets us a part of some of the big companies.”
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Florist shares wedding trends Sorbet
Sorbet is a romantic, modern and lively style trend with incorporated elements such as geometric patterns or graphic floral prints. Colors are soft with bright accents and tend to be pink lavender, lemon, spring green, rose and blue sapphire. Common flowers for this trend are cymbidium, tulip, call lily, rose, and delphinium. Vessels tend to be cement, colorful ceramic, clear glass natural cork, bard and wood in modern shapes.
Lustre
Lustre is an elegant and formal style trend with form flowers. Colors are soft with bright accents and tend to be copper, gold, silver, cream and rose. Common flowers for this trend are ranunculus, call lily, spray rose and stock flower. Vessels tend to be gold colored glass, clear glass, ceramic, mirror and high sheen finishes. By Kate Malott Becky Carter, of Colfax, loves working with flowers. Not only does she love the look and smell of flowers but also the way they brighten someone’s day and the impact they have on a person’s mood. Carter grew up in Colfax and graduated from Colfax-Mingo in 1999. She moved to Iowa City and began working in the floral department at Hy-Vee where her passion for flowers grew. Carter graduated from floricultural school at Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids and continued her work as a florist in Iowa. She recently started her own small floral business “Flowers by Rebecca” where she enjoys meeting the floral needs for
any occasion whether it’s a holiday, sympathy or celebration. Accompanying a wedding and working with brides, Carter especially enjoys helping those who see flowers as one of their wedding needs. “It’s gratifying for me to make my customers happy. You want to help the bride as much as you can. It’s their day, and you want to give them the best,” Carter said. Brides who anticipate incorporating flowers in any part of their wedding day should look for someone to help guide them with their needs to keep them organized and in budget. Carter recommends finding a florist four to six months in advance. She likes to collect in-
formation about the bride’s likes or dislikes when determining arrangements such as a color, style or flower preferences. “Florists just genuinely love what they do and working with flowers,” she said. There are four main trends in the 2016 design forecast by the American Institute of Floral Design, Carter said. A forecast reveals predicted wedding trends include colors, design and floral varieties. Flowers by Rebecca serves Colfax and surrounding towns throughout central Iowa. For more information about custom designs and florals for any occasion, call Carter at 515-710-1325 or email her at flowersbyrebecca2013@gmail.com.
Lavish
Lavish is a sophisticated garden style with rich textures. It’s a gathered, grouped garden style with berries, succulents and textural foliage. Lavish colors are soft with bright accents and tend to be rhubarb, crimson, purpole, orchid, delative pink and gold. Common flowers for this trend are rose, dahlia, hypericum and stock. Vessels tend to be vintage glass, gold metal, wood with clean lines and pottery.
Festival
Festival is an informal, colorful, global and bohemian style trend with beaded accents, feathers, wood, yarn and ribbon. Designs include organic, loosely gathered groupings and tend to be fresh green, orange, turquoise, yellow and raspberry. Common flowers for this trend are celosia, garden rose, sunflower, gerbera and delphinium with pottery, wood and colorful glass vessels.
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Impress Bridal
welcoming brides in Newton By Jamee A. Pierson A new bridal shop will open in Newton just as the doors closed at The Bridal Sweet. Impress Bridal and owners Lara and Dan Bunkers are excited to expand their business to Newton from their already successful Ankeny location, The Bridal Connection. “My husband and I had been considering a second location for the past couple of years since opening our location at The Bridal Connection in Ankeny in 2008,” Lara said. “In November, we were approached by Frank Liebl from the Newton Economic Development Corporation and Andrew Bassman from Newton Main Street. They were concerned that Newton keep a bridal shop in town after hearing Judy Swenson from The Bridal Sweet was retiring, and inquired to whether we may be interested in continuing a presence in Newton.” Following a meeting between the Bunkers and Swenson, the wheels began to turn to give the Bunkers the opportunity to move forward with a second location. “Since this introduction, we have worked closely with Judy in acquiring
equipment, dress lines and current staff,” Lara said. “Other than some remodeling at this location, we will continue to maintain a similar offering Judy has incorporated, including men’s formal wear and suits, that she is renowned for in her past 34 years as a Newton icon.”
Several folks in the area I have visited with have encouraged us to add these dresses as well,” Lara said. Impress Bridal will also feature the Bunkers’ full service travel service, All About Romance Travel. The business specializes in honeymoon and destination wedding travel, as well as leisure.
“We are looking forward to working with the brides, grooms, mothers, bridesmaids and prom clients soon.” — Lara Bunkers, Impress Bridal cowner
With a projected opening date of Feb. 20, the new location will have a different feel than the Ankeny location, Lara said. It will have different designer labels as well as designs by Lara herself, that will not be available anywhere else. Along with wedding gowns, tuxedos, mothers and bridesmaids dresses, Impress Bridal will begin providing prom dresses. “Judy has not had prom dresses for several years, but we have decided this would be a great addition to our store.
“We have a lot to do in a short time but hopefully a little quick rehabilitation, and we will be up and running. We are looking forward to working with the brides, grooms, mothers, bridesmaids and prom clients soon,” Lara said. “I would like to send special congratulations to Judy on her retirement. She has been very helpful in making this dream a reality for not only Dan and I, but the City of Newton.”
Submitted Photo The Bridal Sweet owner Judy Swenson and Impress Bridal owners Lara and Dan Bunkers stand in front of the business front on First Avenue West in Newton. The new store will feature wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses and other formal wear for both women and men.
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