Prepare a Candy Buffet for Your Wedding
There can never be too much sweetness at a wedding and leaving a sweet taste in your guest's mouths is a generous and considerate gesture. A candy buffet fulfills the sweet-toothed bride and groom's dream of having candy at the wedding, something people of all ages can sink their teeth into!
For a unique touch that lets your guests feel they're in a candy store, add a candy buffet to your wedding reception and be part of a rapidly increasing trend.
Steps
- Pick candy for the buffet. Sit down with a notebook and your partner to decide together what sorts of candies you'd like to have at the wedding reception. You'll both have favorites, so take each other's preferences into account when planning. Choices can be based on the wedding couple’s favorites, the color scheme of the Weddings, or the way the candies complement the dessert or Choose a Wedding Cake being served. Given the breadth of possibilities, be sure to do the planning of the candy buffet in conjunction with the food planning, reception layout and color choices.
- Bear in mind that coordinated candy colors look more effective than a random mismatch of different types of candy.
- Consider a centerpiece, such as a chocolate fountain. While it isn't necessary, it's a lot of fun and it might be something of which you've always dreamed!
- Order enough candy so the buffet is full and each guest gets a share. About 7 to 10 different types of candy is a good variety and around 15-20 pounds (7-9 kilograms) of each variety should be enough to cater for a medium-size wedding. Too many candies is not a problem but too few will be! Extra candy can be taken home by the guests as a fun and memorable take-home sweet memento. A good rule of thumb is to order between .2 and .25 pounds of candy per guest. For an event with 100 guest you should plan to have round 20-25 pounds of candy.
- Buying candy locally is often less expensive than ordering candy through the mail or online but check the prices, as some discount retailers online might send free of charge or at a very cheap rate. Alternatively, you might like to browse online but then collect the candies direct from the source to save on delivery costs.
- Be considerate of those with dietary concerns. Some dietary considerations should be taken into account when preparing the candy buffet as this might be bad for some people. For those candies that are provided specifically for certain dietary needs, be sure to label them so that all of the guests are aware. Things you might like to consider include:
- Gluten-free candies for those with gluten intolerance.
- Vegan/vegetarian candies (no gelatin, no animal derivatives, no dairy, etc.)
- Sugar-free candies. Not everyone is a fan of sugar but most people still like sweetness. Look for a few sugar-free treats.
- Health food crowd and diabetics: Provide a few dried fruits and nuts for those who think candies are only for kids or who cannot eat sugary treats.
- Choose glassware, crystal ware, and other suitably beautiful containers to hold the candies. Select containers of varied heights and shapes that match well with the theme and quality of items being used for the reception.
- Add Use Kitchen Tongs and scoops for the guests to use. Many of these items can be hired from catering specialists if your reception venue doesn't already have them. A florist might also be able to assist.
- Some couples match the containers with the flower vases.
- Purchase containers for the guests to take home candy from the buffet. Have paper lunch bags, half-pint takeout containers, cellophane or glassine bags available at the buffet.
- Decorate a Buffet Table. Accentuate the buffet with balloons, ribbons, flowers, and small figurines or other objects that fit in with your wedding theme. Candles are another good choice, and consider adding a few photos from your engagement or from your times as children along the table.
- To help guests know what they're choosing, put labels on the containers of candy.
- Wrap the containers with ribbon, curling ribbon, and bows.
Tips
- Don't forget to color theme the decorations on the glasses, bowls and other containers used to hold the candies. Keep in mind that the wedding buffet is as much a decorative part of your overall decorating for the reception, so make the most of it.
- Create an interesting visual effect by placing the candy containers at differing levels on the buffet table. You can use books, milk crates, or other supports underneath the tablecloth to create this effect.
- Make sure that container mouths are wide enough for the scoops.
- Jordan Almonds are very traditional at weddings.
- If you're marrying two cultures together, consider having candies from each other's cultural background, such as Chinese sweets and Swedish sweets. It can be a journey of discovery for your guests and a sweet way to honor your backgrounds.
- Seasonal colors impact the choices of some brides.
- Themes can include retro candies, beach related candies (taffy, caramel apples, fudge, shell chocolates, and peanut brittle), designer candies, imported candies, etc.
Warnings
- While the reception venue might happily provide you with a space for the wedding buffet, be aware that they may not provide you with waiting staff to set it up. Ask well in advance about this so that you know whether or not you need to kindly ask some family members or friends to prepare it for you.
- You can't have too much candy. Always err on the side of more being better, so that no guests miss out. Think about the visual impact as well; catering done by summing up an amount per guest may not leave an impressive enough display and you might need to up the amount to ensure that the display looks... magnificent!
Things You'll Need
- Candy
- Glassware and other suitable containers
- Tongs (silverware is best for a wedding)
- Scoops (silver scoops may be hard to find but get good quality scoops)
- Paper bags
- Takeout boxes (try craft stores)
- Glassine bags
- Balloons
- Flowers
- Labels
Related Articles
- Decorate for a Beach Wedding Reception
- Mold Chocolate Candy
- Make Old Fashioned Hard Candy
- Arrange a Cocktail Wedding Reception
- Plan a Wedding Reception
- Personalize Your Wedding
Sources and Citations
- Original source of article, Howcast, How to set up a candy buffet at your wedding, http://www.howcast.com/videos/310711-How-To-Set-Up-a-Candy-Buffet-At-Your-Wedding. Shared with permission.
- http://candybuffet101.com/the-basics-how-to-make-a-candy-buffet/
