We remember when chocolate fountains first hit the wedding scene a few years ago—what a stir they created!  Luscious chocolate cascading down several pools, filling the halls with their fragrance.  People couldn’t get enough of them—us included!  It wasn’t very long before it seemed like everyone and their brother had fountains to rent, in several sizes, and offering several chocolates (you can dye the white to match your wedding), caramel, even nacho cheese (not just for weddings anymore—think Super Bowl party).  Tiny fountains for your home were all over the place this past Christmas season.

From talking with our fountain friends, chocolate fountains are still a hot item at weddings.  We did see a lot of fountains this past year, and probably will again this year.  The first year or two, with only a few fountains and high demand, it was all our friends could do to keep up, and they were telling a lot of brides they were booked.  The rental business has calmed down a little, in part because so many people offer the rental service (including many reception sites).  Most reception sites aren’t shy about mentioning they have a fountain, but ask if you’re interested in one and don’t see any information.  They can probably point you to people you can trust if their is booked, of it they don’t have one.

Some rental halls do not allow chocolate fountains at all.  Early on, some rental outfits would dump the leftover chocolate down the hall’s sinks.  The chocolate cooled and hardened on its way to the sewer, clogging the lines and causing thousands of dollars in plumbing bills.  Most people have that figured out now, and dispose of the leftover chocolate in buckets or bags and take it with them.  You definatelty need to ask the hall if you can have a fountain at all.

If you’re including a chocolate fountain in your plans, remember to have your hall designate a table for it—its location will factor in to your overall seating arrangement.  Much like your wedding cake, the table should be out of a major traffic area (e.g., keep it away from the dance floor), but should also be very accessible since it will attract a crowd.

Some tips, if you’re planning on renting a fountain:

• Ask who provides the food to be dipped—sometimes you’re responsible
• Ask what your options are, and if you can substitute
• Ask who provides the skewers, plates and napkins (you’ll need both—plates for the dipped foods, and napkins for the dribbles)
• Ask about what types of chocolate are available (milk, dark, white) and what dips the best in each
• Ask who is responsible for setup and cleanup—some lower cost packages are “self service”.  Trust us—we’ve seen this process many times, and pay the extra to have someone else do it for you.  A big white dress and five pounds of melted chocolate are not a good combination.

A lot of the chocolate in these fountains is thinned with vegetable oil (especially peanut oil), but higher grades of chocolate are usually thinned with cocoa butter.  If you have guests with peanut sensitivities, be aware of this (unfortunately, you may not know until a guest has a reaction).  Ask around as to what is added to the chocolate—you may need to base your decision on whom to rent from by the chocolate additives.

If you’re looking for chocolate fountains in your area, one resource you can try is Chocolate Fountain Network (http://www.chocolatefountainnetwork.com/), which is a national listing of chocolate fountain vendors.  If you’re in the North Pittsburgh/Cranberry/Butler area, check out our friends at Chocolate Fountain Enterprises (http://www.chocolatefountainenterprises.com/).  CFE usually uses a higher grade of chocolate that is thinned with cocoa butter, not peanut oil.  Double bonus—this service is run by Arnella’s Bridal Salon (http://www.arnellas.com/), so you can shop for dresses at the same time.