Debating...Chocolate Fountain or NOT at a reception?

Question

I asked this question before and i got a lot of answers but the question was all messed up lol so i am asking again!

My cousin is getting married and she is debating if she should have a chocolate fountain along with the cake at her reception...what's your opinion... yes or no? If no what else should she place for a dessert along with the cake? (becasue she wants more than the cake as a dessert)

If yes she wants to serve - strawberries, raspberries, bananas, cherries, and biscottis…any thing else she should try severing?

Thanks

Additional Details

The fruit will be on stickes for easy dipping!
and Sicne the Biscotti is long it will be served like normal (by it self) lol of course

Additional Details
Also there are NOt a lot of kids!

I know most biscotti already has chocolate on it but we found a place that will make which out choclate

Answer 1

I think due to the popularity of fondue these days, there have been a LOT of weddings I have attended this summer (4 in fact) that had a chocolate fountain. It was NOT tacky. It was actually kind of pretty. I didn't find it difficult or messy to dip the fruit I ate. I loved it. When I marry I hope to have one. I think it is a great way for people attending who do not want cake to have another option. Especially b/c there are many options for what they dip in the chocolate.

In short...I say YES.

My friends also had little bits of cheesecake, pound cake and pineapple to dip. Congrats for your cousin!!

Answer 2

I had both a chocolate fountain AND a wedding cake. Because I had both options, a lot of cake, and a lot of fruit was left over since I think people didn't really eat both. They either had the cake or the chocolate covered fruit! It's just to much sweet stuff. Also...I didn't have a lot of kids, and I noticed that the ones that I did have went nuts for the chocolate fountain! They thought it was really cool!! If your cousin does have the chocolate fountain, I'd suggest she only get strawberries. I had a whole selection of fruits such as bananas, nectarines...etc.
The strawberries were mostly eaten, but the other fruit wasn't touched.
A chocolate fountain is sort of expensive, so I'd suggest if you do get one, get a very small one.
Oh....I also offered a coffee bar at my wedding so I had some Italian pastries offered. Things like biscotties, mascarpone cookies and individually rapped chocolate sticks! Those went really well because people could take them home since they had individual wrappers. So I didn't feel they were a waste of money.

Take my advice...it's good to have a second desert option besides the cake but don't go overboard...it will be a waste of money. At least this is how I feel about my chocolate fountain!

Good luck!

Answer 3

A good friend of mine recently was married, and she had a chocolate fountain at her wedding reception. It was actually a lot of fun, and yes it was a little messy, but that was part of the fun. There weren't many kids, but there were a lot of college-age people there as well as older adults.

My friend had a variety of different things for dunking if you will. She had strawberries, pineapple, rice crispie treats, pound cake cubes, cream puffs, marshmallows, peanut butter balls, cookies, and i think she did biscotti too.

She didn't place the food on sticks, but let peopl pick up what they wanted, and then had sticks sitting near the fountain so people only had to use one if the wanted. It made the preperations easier, and the food could be arranged in a prettier manner then too.

My only suggestion would be to see if there is a way to wait to bring the fountain out until after the cake is cut. That way, people wont start eating it at the wrong time, and there is less risk of making a mess. If the reception is outside, I would advise against the fountain because we used one for a graduation party recently, and if there is any wind, the chocolate goes everywhere!

Answer 4

Traditionally, the other option is a groom's cake besides the wedding cake (usually called the bride's cake when there are two). Tell her to remember that if she is getting the cake from a bakery, the cake will cost about $3 per person. Example:
100 guests = $300 cake. Anything messy is automatically a bad idea since people besides the bride and groom will be in formal attire that they probably spent a lot on. Fresh fruit is always a good idea, but I would stay away from stick and dipping. Besides the potential for a mess, there is always the people who might decide to "double dip". Yuck. Try having the fruit already dipped and chilled before serving for a no drip treat if that's what she really wants. Maybe some sorbet since cake and ice cream go together in many people's minds. Or some pastries or something from the same bakery. She could probably get a good rate if she was buying everything from the same place.

Answer 5

I think that the chocolate fountain would be very nice at the reception. I went to a wedding with one, and it was very nice. Also, at my prom in April, we had one, it was very nice. They had it on a big long table, and with a lot of greenery, with all of the dipping things(strawberries, etc) in bowls nestled in it. But only the big fountains, not the cheap little 30 dollar ones, that are a foot high... the ones i saw were probably 3 feet high. It looked very fancy. Also, there was a punch fountain at the wedding. Something else you could serve maybe is pretzals, or the big pretzal sticks...if you use pretzals i guess you'd have to have tongs or something to use to hold them.

I am getting married next june and i am planning on having both the chocolate and punch fountain.

maybe you could get an attendant (from the catering place, or just any person, have them wear black bottoms and white top) to help people so it wont get messy, although if there arent kids it should not really, but older people may need help...


good luck!

Answer 6

Why not go for it? Fountain rentals are usually about 500 dollars for four hours and come with 25 pounds of chocolate and marshmellows, grahm crackers, and fruits, and sticks. Its fun way to eat but can be very messy so guest in nice clothes may be a bit hesitant? If she wants one why wouldn't she get one?

A lot of times I see desserts like creme brulee, and fruit tarts, and chocolate mousses served in addition to cake. This should be discussed with the caterer. Petit fours are little tiny cakes that always look pretty all dressed up a nice plate. There are several options but if a chocolate fountain is in the budget do it. It at the very least provides lots of variety.

Answer 7

I've been to a wedding where there was one and not all chocolate works. The way that the chocolate fountain keeps the chocolate liquid also ends up somewhat burning it. The chocolate tasted really bad and burnt, maybe with a more premium chocolate this wouldn't happen, but I'm not so sure.

Plus, if you are having fresh fruit to go with it, the fruit will go soft from being placed next to the heat.
Also, when fruit sits out, some of it will turn brown.


I'd just go with a cookie tree.

Answer 8

too messy for a wedding the bridge could get it on her gown I think small fruit topped tartlerts, bite size on a platter with miniture pastries like creme puffs and canolis and a very special selection of rich chocolates and mints. I would alos order prepared vanilla ice cream slices and put into a freezeer chest wrapped in silver with wedding bells on it and let guests help themsel ves to the ice cream and the other deserts as they come by to be served the wedding cake i would have two lines and 2 servers down each side of a table so people do not have to wait very long If finances cover it better to have waiters serve the cake and ice cream and pass the other deserts or put the on trays for each table/

A changaign fountain would also be nice

Answer 9

I'm having a wedding next weekend, but I've been to several this summer. I am having a chocolate fountain at mine, as did the others that I went to. I think that it is usually a classy, positive addition to a reception. I am using strawberries, pineapple chunks, and dark grapes for the fruit; and pretzels sticks, marshmallows, and sandwich cookies. I've also had apple and bananas and they are good.. but you have to be careful they don't turn brown before the reception starts.

Answer 10

Chocolate fountains are HUGE right now! Fruit, marshmellows, pound cake, anything along these lines will work great. Usually, biscotti already has chocolate on it, but extra chocolate never hurt . . . much! LOL Make sure to have plenty of coffee on hand (always good with anything chocolate).

Good luck!