Wedding - Cake or chocolate fountain

mcchal

My partner and I are currently organising our wedding for 2008. We have found a local lady to do our three tier (cake, fruit, chocolate and carrot cake tiers) for around £200. We have also found a guy in Norwich to do a chocolate fountain, well actually three, to act as the dessert for our buffet.

This company is offering to cater for a per head price (£2.80), guaranteeing that the chocolate and dips will not run out. Although most chocolate fountain companies say you get 10kg of chocolate which “will be plenty for 150 guests” they do not guarantee it. The guarantee seems perfectly plausible as you can only eat so much chocolate, but better it takes the worry off your mind. As does getting someone in to do it, rather than doing it yourself, as some people suggest. The large fountains are 6 tiers, medium are 4 tiers. If a piece of dip falls into the fountain and blocks it, at least you have someone there who can get it going again.

On another note I saw something about a company charging mileage. I have not heard of any choc fountain company charging mileage and I certainly wouldn’t pay it. I don’t expect the DJ, flower lady or catering to charge me to get to the venue, it should be all part of the service.

As far as photographers go, I have seen these mentioned here, the prices are crazy. I guess people must pay the prices we have been quoted, or they wouldn’t be charging them. We have a friend doing ours; pictures are perfectly decent as he has some knowledge and a very nice camera. We were quoted £650 for a “Full Package” but everything after the ceremony was extra. To get someone to go right from the brides house through to first dance and informal pictures in the evening would be £1500 - £2000, and that’s just to have them there! They then charge and unbelievable £7.50 per print for the privilege. This is astonishing. Getting someone who knows what they are doing to take them means we can work with them in the lead up to the wedding to try out poses etc in the local park and create a list of groups we need to photograph so as not to leave anyone out in the excitement. Further to this, all of the pictures taken will be our property, not someone else’s. Me us personally, have lots of informal pictures, like the brides maids kissing the page boy, are as important as having the set poses. Not only this, but most “wedding photographers” charging these prices could not produce any qualifications to warrant the price, they are just an average Jo with a camera. I would seriously consider looking to save money on the photographer, cake and transport if you can.

I am happy to give contact details for cake / chocolate fountain to anyone getting married in and around Suffolk / East Anglia that might be interested.

MrsTinks

I have to agree on the side of Photography... I would never be able to justify spending what people ask for a wedding photographer! Heck I'm struggling with getting the reception venue and meal in on budget without looking like it's been tightened in... Thankfully I think I have decided on a venue at last! It's not the grandest, it's not cheap, but they have one thing that none of the other venues have... 2 wedding co-ordinators on site who actually care! They took time to sit with me and go through everything, asked about budget and were quite happy with the figures I mentioned, also happy to alter menu's etc for me if I want, told me to "treat everything as suggestions or guidelines - chef is flexible if you want something different so long as he has time to work on the dish so he can turn it out for 50 people - if you want to have a chat with him I'm more than happy to arrange that!" They will either arrange everything including decorations or you can do it all yourself or if you prefer you can direct everyone round - they really will do it all to your preference.
There are better venues around - no doubt - but no-where have I come across service like at the one I have pretty much decided on

I digress Photographers... extortionate! And the guys who try and sell you a video of your wedding day... not a chance! I have several relatives with video camera's and all have said I can have copies of the videos from them and then I can just edit it as I want. Not that I am actually in the least fussed about having a video in the first place...
I am hoping to get a friend to do the photography - he wants to set up as a photographer and needs to build his portfolio so it will work both ways I hope

Cake... well... the more I think about cake the more I knwo the sensible thing is to make my own... IF I can find sugarcraft classes near Bicester ARGH! Failing that they will be plain cakes with white icing and simple but elegant decorations. Sorry but even £200 is a lot of money out of my wedding budget!

And if I'm any good at it maybe I can do it as a bit of a sideline If OH gets the job he's applied for I could actually afford not to work (at least full time) so could look at things like that to keep a bit of cash coming in... (that and dog walking... would love to be a dogwalker... well I have to walk mine all the time anyway - would make sense to add another hound or two to the walk and get paid for it right? )

So much money yet to be spent... scary!!!