What works best candy cart ? Chocolate fountain at a wedding

Kate!!!

Any advice on what extra to have at a wedding ? Is there anything different that I could have ?

Jellytotsx

Chocolate fountains can be very messy, more than once I've seen people dripping melted chocolate on their lovely outfits! Candy tables are good and you can personalise the sweets to your taste. What about a cake table with different kinds of biscuits, brownies, cake etc?

pwurple

Neither? Could you put the extra budget into better food or wine?

Alidee

Ice cream for summer weddings.... Icicyle Tricycles etc

ElleEm

I think an icecream van after the marriage ceremoney is a cute idea. Although during the winter, I passed by a church wedding with vintage van serving coffee, tea and hot chocolate afterwards. I thought it was a lovely touch for the guests who would be freezing standing around chatting!

Teyla Emmagan

My advice would be to have neither.

Faith

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

My advice would be to have neither.

As would mine.

Kate!!!

Faith wrote: »

As would mine.

Any suggestions to add something special/different to the reception ?

Faith

Kate!!! wrote: »

Any suggestions to add something special/different to the reception ?

To be honest, the best thing to have is excellent food and more wine than your guests can drink. That's what keeps your guests happy. Candy carts, magicians, chocolate fountains, photo booths - they're all gimmicks that are likely to be forgotten by the majority, but if there's good food and plenty of wine, that's all you'll need.

However, if you've got the best of food and a very healthy allocation of good wine and you still have money left over, then I think the ice cream cart after the ceremony is a nice touch. It gives guests something to nibble on at a time when they're likely to be peckish, rather than after dinner when they're stuffed.

Typer Monkey

I find it's different NOT to have a candy cart these days

carolinespring

Love the idea of a vintage van serving tea/coffee if you are have a church wedding. Would be fab to have a coffee and nice snack to keep everyone going. If you are having the service in the reception venue I wouldn't bother, just put the money into feeding everyone.

Toots

Whatever you do I'd avoid the chocolate fountain, especially if you're having kids at the wedding. My view is that having melted chocolate in the general area of people dressed up is the same as sitting down to eat a plate of bolognese wearing a white shirt. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

kkcatlou

Instead of sweet cart, we are having a cake cart/ dessert table, with friends and family providing the cakes (I'll bake one main one). It's a bit different to the sweet cart, and a lot more personal. I thought people might find it hassle though, but in fact it's been the opposite, we've had so many people offering to bake, that we're having to cut it back, as we'd have no room for all the cakes/ buns offered. There's loads of pics of cool ones online. It's cheap/ free too and shouldn't cost any guest more than €5-€10 in ingredients. We'll put signs on it highlighting who made what.

Love the ice cream idea too though!

littlelulu

I've been at a wedding with tea/coffee outside a church and it was brilliant. Nothing fancy, just a burco boiler on a table with two people serving wearing a black trousers and white shirt. Why do I remember? Because it was mid winter and that tea/coffee was appreciated by everyone. Its the only wedding i have ever been a guest at where the couple actually put thought into the guests needs and the crucial times for things. How much would that cost? Maybe €100 or €200. I don't know but even if they had paid €1000 i'd say it was money well spent. People still talk about that tea. So yeah if it was an exceptionally hot day then ice cream or cold refreshments would be lovely.

Don't bother with gimmicks for the sake of adding things, just think about what is important for your guests. Is it tea/coffee or refreshments after the ceremony. Is it extra food? Is it minerals for the non- drinkers instead of wine? Have you coeliacs or diabetics attending? Is the food you have in the hotel lobby suitable or will they have to starve until dinner time.

We didn't even have favors on the table but we put out the best meal the hotel could provide with the money that would have gone on the favors. The top package was only €600 more than what we had originally picked.

We didn't bother with champagne receptions or expensive canapes we put out tea/coffee and a few homemade kind of things like breads and biscuits with tea, coffee and mulled wine. They were polished by the time we even got there. People loved it so much that they went back for seconds and thirds. Its lovely to arrive to your wedding reception to see people buzzing around with food and drink in their hands.

Free ways to make guests happy and really impress??

Get around and speak to EVERYONE, young and old. People you know and especially people you don't know. It makes people feel welcome and special. The bride and groom are a bit like a King and Queen and people love to be with the King and Queen. No excuses!!! The room can easily be covered in between courses. Even if its just asking people at a table if they are ok. It means a lot to them.

Make sure people who don't know anyone else are mixing with others. I had it all planned out who I would introduce people to. It worked a treat!

Plan your tables well. Keep elderly people away from doors or windows that will be opened. They hate drafts!

Put a bit of thought into your music. Have music that will suit everyone not just your own age group. We did this and people walked up to us on the dancefloor asking if we had really picked the songs ourselves. They loved it! The floor was packed with young and old. It didn't cost anything extra. Just took a bit of planning.

Quality over Quantity.

Ask a few guests of different ages (friends, aunts, cousins) what is most important for them at a wedding. I bet you will just hear simple things like a hot cup of coffee, being asked if they are ok, plenty of wine at the meal. The best way to impress is to meet their needs!

Sorry this is really long

lazygal

I agree that having neither, but putting more time and effort into food, drink and your guests will be far more appreciated than sloppy chocolate on strawberries or cheap sweets in bowls. I have been to so many weddings and the gimmicks really aren't worth the hassle and expense. I'd rather some proper food and drink than junk.

Gatica

agree, chocolate fountains are just asking for trouble, you're likely to end up with brown blobs on your lovely white dress. Plus it's unhygienic - if not supervised - with many people double dipping, gross...
Candy carts are pretty, but honestly just a gimmick. After having tasty canapes or dinner, I don't want to have after-taste of cheap sweets instead.
Home baked tasty cakes may be a little different and look nice and probably taste a whole lot better than wine gums and marshmallows.

Best suggestions is - considering the time of year - having hot tea/coffe and hot chocolate outside the ceremony venue in winter, or cool drinks and ice-cream in the summer.

lazygal

People should also check if homemade stuff will be allowed in the venue. Some hotels and restaurants only accept off premise food from HSE standard kitchens.

clint_silver

I'll bring in my scaling system, rate your day out of a 100.

sweet carts work but add only maybe 5 points out of a 100. how many points would a cup of tea on a cold day/ice cream on a hot day add and still be talked about long after as noted here? 20-25 easily.

chocolate fountain adds 5 points as well, however you could go into minus points if one dress gets chocolate on it. too risky for me.

residents bar. Get 5 slice pans, 2 lbs of butter, several 6 packs of tayto. cost about 30e.

following day, will they be talking about the 1000e dress with 500e of makeup or the basic human need for a crisp sandwich being fulfilled at 3am in the morning. (not the dress and makeup aint important but if you asked guests to rate the day, which do you think would garnish more points).

michellie

We were at a wedding this weekend and there was a huge table in the reception with little scones, cookies, chocolate brownies etc, people devoured them. There was also a sweet cart, I didn't go near that and I didn't see many people at it either.

So it has made me change my mind about the sweet cart, I will have a cart anyway as a family friend is giving it to me, but I think I will do the cake thing instead.

We can also get a little old fashioned popcorn cart, what do you guys think of that ?

Milly33

Would much prefer the chocolate fountain but then tis all what you like yourself. Id prefer the fountain as I love fruit and coated In choco tis just yum.. Don't get candy carts they just annoy me.. Regard mess Id say really tis going to be a man that would make a mess and any good woman will know if their man is messy to just not let him near it and if he does well tis his own fault hahah..

The ice cream trucks are nice too, came across a lovely lady who makes her own from Kenmare dairydelights homemande ice cream..

Scones and little nibbles like that sound great, mini scones, fresh cream, jam.. sweet much better than sweets

eviltwin

I agree with the others, gimmicks like that are a waste of money imo. I've been to a few weddings with those kinds of extras and while they are nice at the time they don't really add anything to the day from the guests point of view. I'd hang on to your money and put it into the budget for the band or the food.

mikom

Kate!!! wrote: »

What works best candy cart ? Chocolate fountain at a wedding
?

Depends............. will there be many Oompa loompas?

stinkle

I'd be wary of the popcorn one too. I haven't seen any in reality, but it sounds fairly gimmicky in it's own right. It might be wasteful too, as it can be a pain if gets stuck in teeth so maybe people wont want to risk eating any in case they do harm to dentures, braces, that kind of thing (I've braces at the back of my teeth, so they aren't always visible to others). It can be messy as well, I'd hate to see my lovely venue ruined with bits of popcorn and kernels strewn everywhere or walked into carpet accidentally.

I love the ice cream idea! A friend was at a church wedding where someone had a cooler box full of choc ices or something and everyone ate them milling around after the ceremony. Cheap and cheerful! Ours is a humanist ceremony in the venue and theyre strict about bringing in outside food so I doubt we'd be allowed.

littlelulu

mikom wrote: »

Depends............. will there be many Oompa loompas?

Sitting in work with that song in my head now

Malari

Milly33 wrote: »

Would much prefer the chocolate fountain but then tis all what you like yourself. Id prefer the fountain as I love fruit and coated In choco tis just yum.. Don't get candy carts they just annoy me.. Regard mess Id say really tis going to be a man that would make a mess and any good woman will know if their man is messy to just not let him near it and if he does well tis his own fault hahah..

The ice cream trucks are nice too, came across a lovely lady who makes her own from Kenmare dairydelights homemande ice cream..

Scones and little nibbles like that sound great, mini scones, fresh cream, jam.. sweet much better than sweets

I wouldn't go near a chocolate fountain or ice-cream cart in a nice dress! The fountain seems a bit gimmicky and I think money would be better spent on better quality food/wine. Mini desserts or pastries seem like a good idea though.

Andiewoo

I love the gimmicks (que circus music) love sweets I neeeed to have sweets at my wedding yum yum yum...... Love the tayto sambos idea... Yum

Electric Sheep

stinkle wrote: »

I'd be wary of the popcorn one too. I haven't seen any in reality, but it sounds fairly gimmicky in it's own right. It might be wasteful too, as it can be a pain if gets stuck in teeth so maybe people wont want to risk eating any in case they do harm to dentures, braces, that kind of thing (I've braces at the back of my teeth, so they aren't always visible to others). It can be messy as well, I'd hate to see my lovely venue ruined with bits of popcorn and kernels strewn everywhere or walked into carpet accidentally.

I love the ice cream idea! A friend was at a church wedding where someone had a cooler box full of choc ices or something and everyone ate them milling around after the ceremony. Cheap and cheerful! Ours is a humanist ceremony in the venue and theyre strict about bringing in outside food so I doubt we'd be allowed.

I think choc ices have too much potential for messing up clothes. I know my husband does not seem to be able to eat one without getting both chocolate and ice cream all over himself.

stinkle

Electric Sheep wrote: »

I think choc ices have too much potential for messing up clothes. I know my husband does not seem to be able to eat one without getting both chocolate and ice cream all over himself.

Im sure there were other options that particular day, i was reporting what my friend ate. If people want to go down the DIY route they can buy stuff suitable for messy eaters, or guests can abstain if they're likely to wreck their clothes

Zaph

Milly33 wrote: »

Regard mess Id say really tis going to be a man that would make a mess and any good woman will know if their man is messy to just not let him near it and if he does well tis his own fault hahah..

Yes, because if there's one thing TV advertising has taught the world it's that all men hilariously inept and we're incapable of performing even the simplest task without making a complete mess and looking like a moron. Unless there's a woman there to look after us of course.

Toots

Just thinking back, if you really want a chocolate fountain, a friend of mine had one but with white chocolate instead, so there was slightly less potential for mess. Personally I love chocolate fountains, only I've never gone near one at a wedding because I'm the person who manages to get chocolate all down my front no matter how careful I am.

Honestly I think one of the best things you could do at the wedding would be have nice food for your arrival reception. It's not extremely unique, but I've been to a LOT where it's not provided, and if you've got a ceremony at 1pm and dinner's not until 5:30 (more likely 6 or later by the time everyone's sitting down) you'd be ready to eat your own leg before the soup arrives out. It doesn't have to be super fancy, just a few little sandwiches, but it can make all the difference, especially if you decide to do the speeches before the meal.

Gatica

Milly33 wrote: »

any good woman will know if their man is messy to just not let him near it and if he does well tis his own fault hahah..

Luckily for my man, he's not under my thumb and, messy or not, will do as he pleases... Doubt most men will care about a bit of chocolate on a dark suit, the girls may not like having it on their dresses though... especially the bride, and especially at the start of the night.

pwurple

Post ceremony nibbles are a great idea. Chocolate fountains look great, but having seen them being made, i was put off. It's kept liquid with equal qty veg oil to chocolate. Ew.

littlelulu

pwurple wrote: »

Post ceremony nibbles are a great idea. Chocolate fountains look great, but having seen them being made, i was put off. It's kept liquid with equal qty veg oil to chocolate. Ew.

Really?? Ewww

I always thought it was just warm chocolate flowing. I've never had the opportunity to investigate though. They don't appeal to me

michellie

pwurple wrote: »

Post ceremony nibbles are a great idea. Chocolate fountains look great, but having seen them being made, i was put off. It's kept liquid with equal qty veg oil to chocolate. Ew.

My friend has one and doesn't put veg oil in it?

Milly33

Gatica wrote: »

Luckily for my man, he's not under my thumb and, messy or not, will do as he pleases... Doubt most men will care about a bit of chocolate on a dark suit, the girls may not like having it on their dresses though... especially the bride, and especially at the start of the night.

Oh I didn't mean he was under the thumb far from it

Ihatecuddles

michellie wrote: »

My friend has one and doesn't put veg oil in it?

I have one and have never heard of that...

You want it kept warm, there's usually a warming setting on it!!

blahblah06

When we got married we didnt go for either.
we booked a Ferrero Rocher heart stand for ore reception and the sweet Ferris wheel for the evening.
I think the crowd was Carolyns Sweets. Found them on donedeal but there on fb too.
they gave us a free mini ferrero stand for to go alongside the Ferris wheel as we bookes both stands.
whole thing went down a treat.
Just find the carts are quite common

pwurple

mauzo! wrote: »

I have one and have never heard of that...

You want it kept warm, there's usually a warming setting on it!!

The domestic ones are not the same as commercial. The chocolate is kept oily in those to prevent everything clogging up.

Kate!!!

blahblah06 wrote: »

When we got married we didnt go for either.
we booked a Ferrero Rocher heart stand for ore reception and the sweet Ferris wheel for the evening.
I think the crowd was Carolyns Sweets. Found them on donedeal but there on fb too.
they gave us a free mini ferrero stand for to go alongside the Ferris wheel as we bookes both stands.
whole thing went down a treat.
Just find the carts are quite common

Do you have any pics of the Ferris wheel ? Thanks I'll look for on Facebook.

Gatica

pwurple wrote: »

The domestic ones are not the same as commercial. The chocolate is kept oily in those to prevent everything clogging up.

Agreed, I think while one may try to keep really high choc quality with friends at home, a business is more likely to just make something that's more convenient and possibly cheaper.

Neyite

pwurple wrote: »

The domestic ones are not the same as commercial. The chocolate is kept oily in those to prevent everything clogging up.

Therefore, if you did have a stain, and managed to sponge off all the chocolate, you'd still be left with a grease patch. Lovely.

Put the money into food and drink.
Sandwiches /nibbles on arrival to the reception. A wedding I was at, they had the photos in the church grounds, so told the guests the local pub across the road had laid on sandwiches and tea/coffee. That tanked people up until dinner.

amdublin

I wouldn't bother with sweets/chocolate.


Who wants to eat sweets with beer?? (or any alcohol).


Put your money into sandwiches on arrival imo.

Gatica

I know as the bride you're probably fretting about making your wedding memorable for guests. I've never found "entertainers" or sweet jars to do that in a positive light though. The people, the nice venue and the good food does that.
Honestly, I think plentiful drink and food on arrival is the best treat. Was at a wedding recently where they had the most delicious canapes, but unfortunately not nearly enough of them. I'd have polished off a whole tray of them by myself...
As long as the venue looks nice and pretty already or a little decorated, you don't really need gimmicks or other entertainment. Maybe music, but after that just leave people be. I think most adults are plenty capably of entertaining themselves for a couple of hours and usually appreciate the good company of their friends and the surrounding wedding setup.
I don't think distractions like a fountain would add much, considering how much it would cost you and the potential for chocolate messiness.