Bridal Club Magazine

Thinking About a Chocolate Fountain for Your Wedding?

You dream of the perfect wedding? Come one step closer while treating your guests to something special by celebrating with a chocolate fountain. Chocolate fountains have become the most sought after attraction at weddings and related parties. A chocolate fountain offers a welcoming sight and is visually stunning as it delicately circulates melted chocolate over its tiers, creating an elegant chocolate waterfall. It is an unforgettable centrepiece and your guests will certainly remember you reception for years to come! It is a unique and beautiful alternative to the traditional wedding cake without losing the essential picture opportunity.

When is the best moment to serve the fountain? It all depends on your menu, if it includes heavy "hors d'oeuvre" you might want to save it for last and let it be THE desert. If you still want to have a cake for desert, go with a small one and this way you will save money. Wedding cakes often go uneaten, a bite taken and then thrown away but that doesn't happen at the chocolate fountain table! All guests from kids to elders will be attracted to it. At first it looks like a rigid sculpture and people do not really know how it works, but after the first dip, people are always asking for more.

If your guests are having light appetizers, then this is the best time to use the chocolate fountain. Most guests during this time are having a drink and anxiously awaiting the arrival of the guests of honours so that the celebration can begin. When the Chocolate Fountain is flowing during this 'lull' in the day, the guests aren't too concerned about how long the bride and groom are taking for their photographs! The chocolate fountain becomes a delicious icebreaker and encourages mingling among guests. It is almost like having an entertainer for your guests while you attend to other things.

What can you dip in the chocolate fountain? Almost anything, from strawberries to marshmallows, profiteroles, mangos, pineapples, cookies, Turkish delights, you name it. But stay away from anything that can easily crumble, too juicy like watermelon or too small like peanuts as it could ruin the smooth flow of chocolate. Chocolate fountains are mostly used indoors as the smell of chocolate will attract all sort of insects when set up outside unless you use it in a tent under very protective conditions. With your chocolate fountain, you can get creative with tastefully coloured chocolate to match your party theme. Have a powder blue, green, pink or orange chocolate fountain. Let your imagination run wild, your guests will love it.

When choosing your chocolate fountain company, it's important to compare apples to apples. Not every company offers the same quality of chocolate, experienced attendants, level of expertise or service. It's like choosing a photographer--you want to see the quality of his work. There are small details that could make your life so much easier on the day of your wedding. Do they deliver, set-up, dismantle, pick-up and clean up after the event? Is there a professional attendant present to run the chocolate fountain? Are they flexible in term of serving time? Can additional chocolate be provided?

There are companies that will set up the fountain and leave it. Firstly, for liability reasons alone on both the part of the vendor and the purchaser, this is not wise. Secondly, the fountain will look like an unsightly chocolaty mess in a very short time if unattended. It also means that you need to delegate and find someone who would take care of the fountain. It is always preferable to have someone comfortable and experienced to take care of the machine because you do not want to have surprises at the time of serving and end up ruining the moment. Even though the chocolate fountain in itself is not difficult to operate if unattended, it can be very messy with people dipping into it. Someone needs to make sure that there is enough chocolate in the fountain at all time and that people do not "double dip".

Also the quality of the chocolate is very important. Not any type of chocolate is suitable to run in a chocolate fountain. You want to make sure that you have a chocolate covertures, chocolate with a high percentage in cocoa butter minimum of 34% (Callebaut chocolate being the crème of the crème). Some rental stores would sell chocolate low in cocoa butter that must be supplemented with vegetable oil; however, this hampers the smoothness and taste of the chocolate.

If presentation, service and quality are unimportant to you, then shopping for price alone is the way to go. If these qualities are very important to you, then find a reputable company, get references, and try to pop in for a moment to see them in action. These are the things to look for: Is the attendant dressed professionally? Is he/she pleasant? Is he showing the guests how to use the fountain or merely standing around looking at his watch? Is the table well stocked, neat and clean? Planning a wedding takes time, money, and patience. Do your homework, hire reputable people, and on your wedding day, worry about nothing. You've planned well.