The first thing that I noticed as we walked into the room where Jen had booked the shower were the beautiful tables covered in linen. People were milling about setting tables and preparing the buffet.

That’s when it hit me…

This is really happening.

A bridal shower for my baby girl.

It was a moment.

Then it was time to get to work.

The first things that we unpacked were the boxes and bags of candy that we had been stockpiling for over a month.

I was so looking forward to having a candy bar at Aria’s shower.

It was at my niece’s baby shower that I was first introduced to the concept of a “Candy Bar,” which really captured my imagination.

How glorious it was to have been given a small sack and then to fill it with white chocolate bark, jelly beans, sugared pretzel sticks and a cake pop.

Jen agreed to make the cake pops, and I had resolved to hunt down all the jelly beans, chocolates, ju-jubes, toffee, and lollipops, and let us not forget the bomboniere, or more commonly known as candy coated almonds.

Almost as much fun as hunting down the candy was stalking the store shelves for decorative containers to display our tasty treats. Our favourites were the retro clear glass jars, just like the ones I remember as as a child when I visited the five and dime store.

Jen and Chantel, one of the bridesmaids had volunteered their Victorian cup and saucers sets for added decor.

I can’t believe the fun we had in setting it up.

Even more astounding, is the fact that virtually all the candies arrived at the shower intact and unmolested.

Except of course for a bag of strawberry jujubes that I had commandeered during a weak moment while watching Turkish travel documentaries with Richard Ayoade.

As Jen and I were finally placing the finishing touches to the candy bar, we both stepped back and took in the vision before us.

Willy Wonka would have been proud.