Oh, Sugah!!
Your Fabulous Wedding Candy Buffet

The wedding candy buffet is quickly becoming one of my most favorite (ok-I’m obsessed!) new wedding "trends" - for several reasons.

Not only is it fun, different and the quintessential definition of eye candy – but it can do double duty in a couple wedding areas, thus saving you some cashola.

I've seen wedding candy buffets decked out in every color of the rainbow, and I've seen them coordinating with the wedding color scheme. Whatever your pleasure, it’s fairly easy to find plenty of different varieties of candy in the colors of your choice. I'm so obsessed with candy buffets I think you should pick your wedding color scheme based on your favorite candy buffet colors! (Kidding – not really.)

Before you start cruising for candy, let’s take a look at what you will need for this sweetly fabulous wedding idea.

Containers - You might opt for clear for the majority of jars so that you can get the full affect of the candy display.
Candy (Of course!) – You can get as many different kinds as you want, or stick to just a couple. But the more you have of different varieties, the more of a visual impact it will have.
Candy Scoops – Traditional silver scoops will do, or you can get creative with your scooper options.
Candy bags – From clear cellophane bags to Chinese food take-out boxes, your options are creatively endless.
Embellishments – If you choose. From ribbons to labels to hand-made tags - another candy buffet element where options are endless!
Linens - Tablecloth or runners placed underneath your display that compliment your color choices and will tie your whole look together and complete the "wow" factor.

I can barely contain myself when talking about wedding candy buffets! So first things first, what will you use to contain your sweets? There are LOTS of fun and cheap options. You definitely get to think out of the box on this one. Think about what you already have around the house. From vases to urns to bowls to metal tubs to flower pots (yes, flower pots!)… you might not have to spend one cent on your candy buffet containers.

Some great cheap shopping resources for your containers as well as candy scoops are:

eBay (Of course!!)
save-on-crafts.com (Another of course!)
Michaels (Yay for 40% off coupon and oversized party glasses!)
Home Goods
IKEA
Target.com
Old Time Pottery
JamaliGarden.com
AbleKitchen.com
AceMart.com
ContainerAndPackaging.com
Amazon.com
Wholesale Glass Vases
Kitchen Collection
Your local Dollar Store/Dollar Tree
TJ Maxx
Marshalls
Ross
Big Lots
Tuesday Morning

amy atlas events

Shop around carefully, because depending on how many display containers you need, this could cost a pretty penny. Also check Craigslist for any brides in your area selling their candy buffet accessory treasures - and look for others RENTING materials! Why spend possibly hundreds just for your containers and scoopts when you can rent them for maybe $40 or $50.

Worth its Weight in Candy… Believe it or not, there is kind of a “debate” in the wedding candy buffet world. And the million dollar question seems to be, “How much candy do I need??” And there seems to be LOTS of different answers. I will give you the advice of certain wedding planners who were apparently not taking budget into consideration, and I will also give you the advice of budget brides who have actually had their own candy buffets. Possibly you can come up with your perfect happy medium.

One wedding planner said regardless of the number of guests, you need at least 8-10 different kinds of candy – 20 to 25 lbs of EACH kind. I’ll give you a minute to get off the floor. We realize that there is a very important aesthetic factor to the candy buffet and you aren’t JUST having one because it makes great favors…. But 160 lbs MINIMUM of candy is absurd. I’ve also heard from brides that 1/2 lb of candy per guest worked well, and I’ve also heard that 1/4 lb per guest worked well. To me, either of the latter two seems very reasonable and realistic.

Since you are a smart savvy bride and setting up your candy buffet waaaaay in advance to see which display configurations you like best… if for some reason your calculations aren’t as eye pleasing as you would like, you’ve got plenty o' time to order some more candy and accessories.

Candy (AKA Sugar Coma) Sources:
eBay
Candy Crate
Old Time Candy Company
Designed 2B Sweet One of the cheapest sources for swirly pops
Dan's Chocolates
CandyWarehouse
zChocolat.com
MY M&M'S®
MetroCandy.com (10% off your first order - yay!)
GroovyCandies.com
BulkFoods.com - This site is a little cumbersome to navigate, but some of the lowest prices on candy around.
Jordan Almonds Not just for jordan almonds!
And for the ultimate candy buffet DIYer - Make your own rock candy on a stick!
Bulk Candy Store has a wonderfully large selection of candy including beautiful lollipops - which are generally kind of pricey, so you should order them as accent pieces, and not necessarily as part of the “bulk” candy buffet look. This site also has some of the lowest prices I’ve seen on lollipops (whirly pops) as well as Lollies Galore.

Want to DIY your lollipops? Check out this wonderful blog post on how to do just that!

Now that you’ve got your candy, containers and scoops – what on earth will you choose for the goodie bags?? Well, lucky for you, there is NO shortage of affordable options.

Paper Mart has everything from cello bags to paper bags to organza bags to Chinese food boxes to gift boxes (and more!) – plain or decorative – that would all be fantastic and very affordable options for your candy buffet.
Beau-Coup also has some beautiful, creative options including one of my faves, the mini glass candy jars. Adorable!

Nashville Wraps also has a gorgeous plethora to pick from at wonderfully affordable prices. And for you Eco friendly brides, check out their “Green” line!
eFavorMart has hugely discounted favor bags and boxes as well as some super affordable colored acrylic ice for your container filler.
FavorAffair for more selection than you can shake a rock candy stick at.
BlissWeddingsMarket for some of the CUTEST candy boxes and bags you’ve ever seen – and at great prices, of course.
MyWeddingFavors another great source for those famed Chinese take-out favor boxes.

You can also shop around your local Michaels, Hobby Lobby and the other usual suspects for a great deal on your candy bags or boxes.

Extras and Embellishments for your Candy Buffet
What will you need for your candy bags/boxes?? A custom stamp? Ribbons? Or perhaps a monogrammed sticker? Whatever your pleasure, you are sure to find it at one of these places:
save-on-crafts.com (seeing a pattern here?)
eBay (and again!)
BlissWeddingsMarket Not only do they have tons of adorable candy bags and boxes, but they’ve got labels and hang tags to go with them!
MyWeddingLabels Just what the name says – with some of the best prices on labels and hang tags around!
Sophie's Favors has one of the largest custom labels selections I’ve seen. You are sure to find a style you love!
MyWeddingFavors Not just for Chinese take out – check out their personalized labels and hang tags, too!
Wedding Things Another one stop shop for bags, boxes and embellishments!
Little Things Favors Some of the most unique custom labeling I’ve ever seen. They are a must see!
Beau-Coup Favors What can I say? A feast for the eyes and easy on the wallet!
Fine Stationery The most gorgeous stamps and embossers!

Tips and Budget Tricks

To stretch your dollar a bit use a few fillers here and there mixed in with your candy. A fun option would be clear canisters/bowls/jars with a coordinating colored fruit. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same color. If your wedding candy buffet is yellow and white, you can choose limes to accent and help fill out your table. You can also use things like candles, small flower arrangements, paper lanterns, etc. to fill up some space.

You can also use fillers in the actual containers such as gumballs, rock candy, rice, jellybeans, coffee beans, marbles and sugar.

Tis the Season for a melted candy disaster if you’re having an outdoor wedding in July and you’ve got 25 lbs of chocolate in your candy buffet. That goes for yogurt covered items as well – and any item that can potentially melt in the heat. Make sure to choose your candy wisely depending upon the environment and the season.

Open Wide so that your guests can adequately scoop up their candy treasure. Don’t choose a container just on looks alone, make sure it’s functional as well. A pretty container with a small mouth that doesn’t allow access to the candy doesn’t do anyone any good.

Double Duty to the rescue! Instead of a stand-alone wedding candy buffet all by its lonesome… have a few containers on guest tables as centerpieces! You can save a ridiculous amount of money on flowers by forgoing that tradition and using the candy displays instead.

TRIPLE Duty to the Rescue! Ok now that you have used your gorgeous candy displays as table centerpieces and saved oodles of money on any other type of centerpieces… Have your candy serve as guest favors, too! I think that’s the best idea I’ve ever had…

Order EARLY to make sure you've got all the candy you need, and do a dry run of how you will display the candy in each container. Also make sure your designated scoopers function well with your containers.

Opt for smaller sized scoops. Large enough to scoop with and be functional, but not too large so that if a guest decides to take a full scoop, it won’t wipe out that entire jar.

Since this is such a hot new wedding commodity, candy buffet event planners are popping up all over. I’ve priced some out just for fun, and it seems that in some areas you can actually have a professional planner do your candy buffet fornot much more than it will cost you to do it on your own… minus the time! So although this is a SUPER fun DIY wedding project, if you simply can’t add anything else onto your DIY wedding to-do list, do a google search for candy buffet planners/renters in your area. You might strike gold!