Chocolate Fountains Add Sweetness to Wedding Receptions

There's so much that goes in to planning a wedding reception. Choosing the venue, the menu, the music, the cake... it's all enough to make a bride-to-be go crazy.

If you've been toying around with ideas for food but haven't gotten anywhere, why not consider having a chocolate fountain at your reception? Chocolate fountains have grown in popularity over the past few years, and they're showing up at all kinds of events from bridal showers and wedding receptions to corporate events. It's an attractive addition to just about any special event.

With a spread of fruit and other dipping foods to go with it, it would be a place for your guests to gather other than the bar, and it would be a nice contrast to other finger foods. When they're running, chocolate fountains look like liquid chocolate sculptures, which make them like edible centerpieces. Plus, they're fun, relatively easy, and will be a hit with kids and adults alike.

If you like the idea of having a chocolate fountain at your reception, here are a few ideas of what you can do with it.

Guess what: you can do it yourself

You may be looking at your wedding budget and wincing at the cost of hiring a chocolate fountain company for your reception. Fear not. Like most things with weddings, you can save yourself a lot of money if you do it yourself instead of farming it out.

You can find chocolate fondue fountains for sale online at sites like LiquidationConnect.com, and you can find the chocolate to melt inside them the same way. Look for chocolate with a minimum of 34 percent cocoa butter to make sure that it will run smoothly in the fountain.

If you're worried about spills and such, ask a friend to watch the fountain for you. That way you'll have somebody you trust over there, and you'll be able to enjoy your receptions without worries.

Appetizer or dessert?

Chocolate fountains can work as an appetizer or a dessert, so your decision on when to do it depends on what kind of food you're having at your reception. If you have lots of heavy hors d'oeuvres at the beginning of your reception, you might want to save the fountain for the end. If you've got relatively light finger foods, then you can use your fountain at the same time.

What to dip?

The wonderful thing about chocolate is that you can dip just about anything in it. Well, you may want to avoid tortilla chips, but anything that typically tastes good with chocolate, you can serve with your chocolate fountain.

Fruits like strawberries, bananas, pineapples and kiwi, or snacks like cookies, pretzels and marshmallows are all good ideas. Steer clear of juicy fruits like watermelon, or soft things like cake, which may crumble when dipped and ruin the flow of the fountain.

Get thee to a chocolate fountain!

You don't have to break the bank to have an elegant, tasty chocolate fountain at your wedding reception. With a little planning ahead, you can do it yourself and have that little extra sweetness on your special day. No doubt, friends and family will be gushing over it for months and years afterward.

The author is Darin Brin of http://LiquidationConnect.com, which provides consumers with fun, unique, affordable gift items. If you want a chocolate fountain at your reception, we have a wide selection to fit just what you need. To see our complete line of chocolate fondue fountains, visit http://www.LiquidationConnect.com today.

The Wonder of Chocolate Fountains

A fashionable party is not complete without its chocolate fountain. Gone are the days of the ice sculpture, now, it’s all about the chocolate fountain. Imagine what looks to be a three or four tiered chocolate wedding cake but is in actual fact warm smooth chocolate. Used at weddings, parties and even corporate events, a chocolate fountain is guaranteed to make a lasting impression on even the most diet conscious.

The fountain comprises two units, the heater base and the holding basin and the auger (which is a large corkscrew). The heater must be turned on 15-20 minutes before the use and the solid chocolate put into the basin. The unit melts the solid chocolate which takes around 30-45 minutes to begin to flow. If you are new to chocolate fountain use it is recommended that you melt the chocolate prior to putting it in the basin. Chocolate fountains do not pump the chocolate to the top; instead they use a corkscrew motion which brings the chocolate to the top. This means that the life expectancy of the unit is increased and cuts down on unnecessary repair costs.

Any type of chocolate can be used in a chocolate fountain however chocolate with around 30% or more cocoa is preferred. This creates a silkier look and smoother taste; any other type of chocolate used will need a small amount of vegetable oil added.

If the unit is to be used on and off on a regular basis melted chocolate can be stored in the heated part at the bottom of the unit and the corkscrew/auger turned off when not in use. It is a good idea for hygiene reasons to cover any melted chocolate with a mesh of some sort which allows heat to escape but prevents anything contaminating the chocolate.

Written by Justin Khalid. Find the latest information on Chocolate fountains

Buy a Chocolate Fountain

Some people (with little vision or desire to entertain) would be forgiven for wondering why anyone would want to buy a chocolate fountain? It all depends. If you are the type of person who invites people around then rations the food and drink and expects your guests to like it or lump it, then perhaps it?s not for you. (I?ve certainly been to those kind of parties, where the hosts were so mean you were searching for takeout on the way home!)

However if you are a generous host or hostess who wants to really send your guests away happy, then the thought that you might buy a chocolate fountain won?t seem so strange to you. Sure, the sort of person who wants to show off would also want to buy a chocolate fountain for their next party, but there?s nothing wrong with trying to make an impression on your guests.

Entertaining is just that ? it?s your turn to make sure that your guests are amused, fed and watered to the very best of your ability. You might want to buy a chocolate fountain if you are planning a grand party like a wedding reception, or a retirement party or special birthday. Conversely you might want a fountain just to make a small, intimate party have that ?wow? factor which will put a smile on the face of your guests.

Imagine if at dessert time at the end of a dinner party you produced a chocolate fountain and a big dish of strawberries? How great would that be? If you go ahead and buy a chocolate fountain you won?t regret it because you can use it in so many different circumstances. Once you?ve used it once, you can rest assured your guests will be hoping to see it again, so it?s probably best to buy a chocolate fountain rather than rent.

In order to obtain a fountain you can try Party Rental firms who might be selling off used ones, try a manufacturer, try local party good suppliers and also of course surf the internet in search of the bargain you really want when you go to buy a chocolate fountain.

Dianne Davies has written more about chocolate fountains at http://www.chocolate-fountains.without-tears.com