| |
| |
|
Marriage & Wedding Information |
|
|
|
Save on Wedding Costs and Have that Chocolate Fountain
Chocolate fountains, once a rarity at weddings, are becoming more common -- but no less beloved. Still, they pose a budget crunch for many brides, coming in at only slightly under the cost of the wedding cake -- and that's for a one-day rental! If you're like us, there's something that just burns our little Yankee hearts about spending over $400 to rent a machine that granted, costs a little over ten times that, but gets rented out many times. And yet if you're like us, you really want a way to fit that chocolate fountain in. We're both in luck, because higher-end chocolate fountains are coming to the home market and becoming more accessible ... even to skinflints! What We Didn't Buy -- And Why You've seen the early entrants, maybe on eBay -- inexpensive chocolate fountains made by lesser-known brands selling for about eighty bucks. You've probably thought of trying one out, just because the price difference between that and a rental machine was so astronomical. We did too, but as we read about the small, cheap versions, we ran into a lot of complaints. One of the most worrisome was that the cheap fountains made such a loud grinding noise, you couldn't have a conversation standing next to one -- which was not the ambiance we wanted for our party. Further, we weren't sure if we wanted to keep the fountain over the long term. We wanted to buy something with good resale value so we could recapture our money if needed. Fortunately, as our deadline approached, Sephra -- the standard in high-end rental fountains -- began offering pre-orders on their first home market fountains. We snapped one up for about $250, an attractive fountain that holds five pounds of chocolate. The fountains were so new, we had to switch our order from the lovely cherry red we'd wanted to a stainless steel in order to get it in time. But we got it. Showtime ... And a Few Tips Once acquired, it was time to test it out in live conditions! The first party we unveiled it at was on the small side, with about 25 people. Set-up was simple. The experience did, however, teach us some tips: Try out and get comfortable with your chocolate fountain before a really big affair. You won't really understand the logic behind the instruction book until you try it. For example: 1) The chocolate fountain really does need to be balanced to work properly. Sephra models offer adjustable feet to accomplish this. When we first set up our fountain, we were so busy we didn't level it, and it didn't flow well until a left brained type in shining armor fixed it for us. Then things worked 100% better. 2) When melting large quantities of chocolate, don't even bother with a double burner. You need a glass bowl and a large microwave, which your venue hopefully provides. Heat gently, as advised -- no higher than 50% power. 3) Also, Sephra provides you with a little tool for telling whether your chocolate's melted enough to flow well. Err on the side of "too melted" rather than "not enough." Especially given the minute or so it takes to transport it, the chocolate can easily get too thick for easy flowing. With 25 very interested people, we nearly (but not quite) ran through our first five pounds of chocolate. So you can guesstimate needing a pound of chocolate per five invitees. Just be sure to have extra on hand. We worried whether it would be difficult to refill the fountain -- for example, whether we would have to lug the whole thing back into the kitchen, disassemble, refill -- but it turned out to be dead simple. You just pour melted chocolate into the bottommost bowl. Our Chocolatey Conclusions Sephra is bringing larger versions of their fountain to the home market. For a large wedding or a party of several hundred, we would probably go with a larger version. Yet you can also do very well with the five pound model. After all, it's hard to melt, carry and otherwise handle more than five pounds of chocolate at once (you wouldn't believe how many "chocolate chips" that is). All you need is someone willing to watch and refill periodically, which isn't hard. Pick someone who can get slightly messy without a problem -- not a bridesmaid in shiny taffeta. If we'd had more time and a larger party, we'd probably get the largest fountain we could buy, care for it well, and resell it when the hoopla died down. That would save a huge chunk of change over the $400-500 one day rental, and bring the chocolate fountain within reach of a lot more brides (and happy guests). And if you happen to fall in love with it and the day for selling it never comes? Well, it happens. Just ask us. About the Author Blake Kritzberg is editor at "FavorIdeas.com." Stop by for a huge selection of wedding favors, Bridezilla's weekly adventures, and free resources for brides: save-the-date eCards, screensaver, wallpaper and web site templates.http://www.favorideas.com For more on home market chocolate fountains, see: http://www.favorideas.com/chocolate.htm
MORE RESOURCES:
Marriage-Wedding - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Have a Sizzler of a Honeymoon! Article No. 3 Remember the frenzy of the paparazzi when they caught Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, having her toe sucked at a beach? What was the big deal? Was it that she was so well-known? Or was it that this piece of fore play was being conducted in a more or less public place? Or was it the toe itself that did it?When it comes to love-making, we thought we'd seen it all.We know people do it in showers and baths, on board tables or under them, horizontally or slightly perpendicular, and vertically flat against a brick wall or against something anchored to the ground. The A To Z Guide For Your Wedding Day AttendantsAttendants, include the best man, Bridesmaid, ushers, and groomsmen. Generally any people with some sort of responsibility on the big day. Maid of Honor Duties Being chosen as a maid of honor is a great privilege, but it also requires a large number of responsibilities in the wedding planning process. The maid of honor will likely be spending a great deal of time with the best man, since their duties are often the same and require them to work hand-in-hand in order for the wedding to be a success. The Wedding Dress Revealed Fashion Trends and Popular Styles and ColorsThe Wedding Dress - How did it all begin?Did you ever wonder how the tradition of wearing a wedding dress came about? Wedding dresses have been worn by brides young and old alike for centuries. In modern times almost anything passes for a wedding dress however, in times of old, traditional wedding dresses were flowing gowns usually white in color. Terrific Advice Concerning Destination Weddings As Shared By Two Gurus On The Topic Today Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com & Bookpleasures. How to Make Your Wedding Vows Something You'll Remember Forever If you're going the increasingly popular route of personalizing your own wedding vows, you're probably looking for some tips to make your vows as special, meaningful, and eloquent as you can. This is something that will take time beforehand so that you can prepare yourself and become completely comfortable with what you're saying. Marriage Counseling: What Do Husbands Really Want in a Wife? Because many men do not discuss feelings as easily as most women do, wives are often shocked when their husband actually voices his desire to separate or divorce. They might have suspected that their spouse wasn't entirely happy, but they didn't think he'd ever be the one to end the marriage. Is Eloping For You? Believe it or not, there is etiquette on how to elope, and how to handle all the important people in your life who may feel spurned by your not including them. In addition, there are also some important questions you need to ask yourself before you run off and get hitched without including those most important to you. Trust in Marriage Trust is the basis of all human relationships. Trust can be thought of as a thermometer that can measure the positive and negative nature of a relationship. Wedding Videography - When Getting it Right on the 1st Take Counts, Hire a Professional Getting married is one of the most stressful events anyone will ever endure. So many details and preparations go into the making of a successful wedding. How to Have a Sizzler of a Honeymoon! Article No.1 Henry Vlll and Elizabeth Taylor, who between them had fourteen spouses, would have had quite a few headaches planning their weddings. There would be the obvious ones - Shall I wear white for my marriage to Eddie Fisher? After all, even though this is my fourth wedding I am only 27 and white looks magnificent on me! And the less obvious ones - Should I invite all my ex ex ex wives' relatives to the wedding? For if the truth be known, I've always been more fond of them, than of her. Writing Your Own Wedding Vows Your wedding vows are the words that will forever remain in your partner's heart and memory. So you want to ensure that you express exactly what you are feeling and how much you love them. Infidelity: How "My Marriage Made Me Do It" is a Cop-out Ask someone why they had, or are having an affair and you may hear something like this: "I have a lousy marriage. My marriage is dead. The Bridezilla Syndrome: Do You Have It? Ten Ways to Avoid All the BS! In a fast-paced world of wedding planning, stress levels are high; immune systems are low; and over the course of the past 20 years, brides have transmitted, what has become a bridal epidemic of our time.The number of victims has steadily increased; and to date, there is no cure. How To Fight Cultural Differences In Marriage And Stay Happy When people plan to marry, they expect to find in their partner not only a lover but a friend also. A person with whom they can share their opinions, their emotions, thoughts and fears. Searching For An Affordable Mother Of The Bride Dress It is absolutely possible to find a beautiful and affordable mother of the bride dress. It may take a bit of an investment of time and effort, but you'll spend that finding the perfect dress for you, regardless of how much money you want to spend on it. Wedding Dresses - Why They Are White and Other Wedding Lore Brides have always worn white, right? Not so. In ancient times brides wore bright colored wedding dresses to signify their joy. Unique Wedding Invitations Today's tech savvy couples are plugging in and creating unique wedding invitations on CD/DVD. These customized invitations use music and images, photo montage and video, to tell the couple's story and provide a personal invite to their wedding. Unique Wedding Reception Entertainment The typical wedding reception entertainment scheme of pretty flowers and background music is fine for some people, but all kinds of options exist to spice it up a bit and provide a celebration that everyone is sure to remember for years to come.Before planning any of the following wedding reception entertainment ideas, please take this short bit of advice: discuss it first. Is Your Heart Set On An Antique Engagement Ring? As Mark Twain said "Let us not be too particular; it is better to have old secondhand diamonds than none at all." And don't we all agree?Antique engagement rings have become all the rage in recent years, particularly with famous brides like Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Camilla Parker-Bowles all sporting vintage-inspired engagement rings.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
