We’ve written about candy buffets A LOT! (Click here for the other posts and pics!) Check out this amazing pic that Darcy posted on the Martha Stewart Weddings Blog! LOVE IT!

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It seems you guys can’t get enough of these great candy buffet pictures so here is another one for you! This pink and black set up is from a recent Martha Stewart feature, and was featured on Ritzy Bee along with a number of amazing photos for a pink and black wedding. I love the elegant silhouette accents as well - beautiful!

More Candy Buffet Goodness:

Tips for an affordable candy buffet - with lots of pictures

Gorgeous Yellow Candy Buffet Inspiration

Apothecary Jars

Chocolate Table - YUM!

Beyond the candy - other specialty buffet ideas!

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Some of our most popular posts right now are our posts on wedding candy buffets. We started discussing candy buffets last May with a post loaded pictures and tips on how to create a lovely candy buffet on a budget. Then we followed up with a few posts showcasing some of the great finds we had come across using the tips we mentioned. Check out these gorgeous Apothecary Jars and glass containers.

Today, I thought I would follow up with some eye candy for one of this years hottest wedding colors: YELLOW!! Check out these two gorgeous yellow candy buffets I found!

This one came from Mel’s Brainstorms

This one came from Living The Swell Life. I know the background and overhang make up most of the yellow color, but that works to.

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Okay - there is definitely NOTHING budget friendly about this, but if you’re like me, you’ll want to just sit and look at it for a while……

Now, if you really really love it, you could do something similar on a smaller table like your cake table, etc. Now, stop drolling and get back to wedding planning. (More pictures on Hostess with the Mostess)

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Buffets seem to be the thing to do in weddings right now - and I don’t mean for dinner. There are some great buffet ideas hitting the top weddings and I thought I would compile a run down of my favorites and why I think they are worth considering.

1. Candy Buffet - How didn’t LOVE walking into a candy bar as kids? A candy buffet is a fun way to relive that memory at your wedding. A candy buffet replaces traditional wedding favors and gives your guests a chance to pick the candy THEY want. Surveys continually show that guests prefer edible favors - the a candy buffet has been a HUGE hit over and over again. A candy buffet is not always a cheap option, but check out our Candy Buffet section in the side menu for ideas on how to make more affordable.

2. Popcorn Buffet - This is a new one I read about last week and it sounds like a great alternative or addition to the candy buffet. Basically, you set this up like a candy buffet but with different flavored popcorns, regular popcorn with seasonings, etc. You can also look into renting a popcorn maker an offering theatre style fresh popcorn at your reception. There are plenty of types of caramel and flavored popcorns that you could make yourself and this could be a very very affordable alternative to candy and a affordable wedding favor.

3. Coffee Buffet - This is something I haven’t seen often but read about recently and loved. It’s like having a coffee bar at your wedding. If you have decided not to offer alcohol but want something more exciting then punch this might be just the ticket. A coffee buffet would include basic coffee, espresso, etc. You should also have things like teas and hot chocolate for those who don’t drink coffee. Your coffee buffet can also include dessert items like coffee cake, biscuits and other desserts that you might find at a local Starbucks or other coffee shop. A coffee buffet can be a very chic and affordable alternative to alcohol and it makes a wonderful addition especially for a winter wedding.

4. Dessert Buffet - Basically, the idea with a dessert buffet is to offer a selection of desserts rather then a wedding cake. If you want a wedding cake, you can have a smaller cake and then offer the buffet rather then cake for dessert. A dessert buffet has a great number of benefits. In many cases, a dessert buffet will be cheaper then a cake but that will depend on your caterer and the desserts you choose. If you aren’t having a caterer, you can get desserts at the local grocery store or bakery - or even bake them yourself. If you do them yourself, aim for desserts that can be made a week or two earlier and frozen so that you aren’t baking the night before. Another benefit of a dessert buffet is the selection. Not everyone likes cake and no matter what type of wedding cake you pick, some guests won’t like it. A dessert buffet offers more selection, and most guests will find something that will suite their tastes.

Candy Buffets, Food and Meals, Think Outside The Box, Wedding Favors | 2 Comments »

Our past posts on Candy Buffets seem to have been very popular, especially those talking about getting a stunning buffet on a budget. I thought I would take another look and see what steals and deals I could find to help you achieve a great buffet for less:)

One find I absolutely adore are these etched candy jars from PAH Unlimited. They have sign language symbols on them - this one means “I love you” and there are other styles that read “Cherish Friends”. They would make a very neat added touch to a candy buffet or even a centerpiece and they are fairly affordable at $7.99 each.

And here is another awesome, vintage apothecary jar that’s an absolute steal at $3.99!

Enjoy:)

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Back in May, we posted ideas for creating a beautiful candy buffet without spending a fortune. That post has been fairly popular ever since. When you see the stunning photos of buffets from other weddings, it’s not hard to see why everyone wants one! For our wedding, I am creating a candy buffet and I am using a lot of the tips I shared in that article. One of the things I shared was to look at local flea markets, thrift shops and garage sales for jars and candy bowls. I have about 10 different containers so far, and have spent a grand total of about $15!

The only thing I am missing is a great apothecary jar. I LOVE these tall, vintage look jars! I would like at least one, possibly three, to put in the center of the display but I have not had much luck finding them locally. So, eBay - here I come, lol. I know I can find them on eBay - the thing is shipping:( My suggestion to you, if you are in the same pickle - INSURANCE!! If you are purchasing ANYTHING breakable or expensive from an eBay seller, make sure that shipping insurance is available. The ones pictured below were all found on eBay this morning - and range in price from $3.99 to $9.99 but even that is to much to pay for a broken jar, lol. SO - I will be purchasing insurance.

So - eBay has it’s benefits and downfalls. There is a HUGE selection, at great prices - but you will want to shop wisely and ALWAYS get insurance.

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Recently, I posted an article full of ideas for a elegant affordable candy buffet. One of the idea’s I shared was to search thrift shops and sales for glass containers. This week I found an awesome deal at a local thrift shop for our candy buffet - I got all three of these containers for $1.50! They are glass, and the lids need some work. I am going to sand the lids a little and spray paint them white. It will probably end up costing about $5 for all three when they are done!

Candy Buffets, DIY Projects for Brides, Decorations, Food and Meals, Real Weddings, Think Outside The Box, Wedding Favors | No Comments »

One of the things I am planning to have at our reception is a Candy Buffet - but the cost of all that candy and containers can definitely add up quickly! A candy buffet can be beautiful - but when bride’s try to make a buffet work on a budget, sometimes it just ends up looking a little sad. Here are some ideas to help you create a budget-friendly candy buffet that is as beautiful as these.

1. Find Affordable Containers - Renting containers is one option, though they can be costly as well. For our recpetion, I am collecting glass containers from the thrift shops as I find them. For example, this week I found these two which cost me a total of $2.25 TOGETHER!!! Not bad at all. At an average of $1.50 per container, my total cost for 20 will end up being somewhere around $30.

2. Use other fillers - The biggest mistake I see is wedding buffets that keep the cost low by offering a smaller selection but then the tables look so BLAND:( You can create that same gorgeous, elegant look without having to have a ton of candy if you are creative. Some ideas for things that can add interest to the table:

- Table runners - a white table cloth is great, but adding a table runner or two adds a lot more interest, looks lovely and does not have to cost a fortune. You can rent table runners, or make your own using fabric from the fabric store. (See picture #2)

- Flowers and Flower Petals - Another great way to add interest! You can get great deals on silk rose petals on Ebay and sprinkle them in between the containers. (see picture #1). You can also use silk flowers placed randomly among the jars (see picture #2) or use bouquets of flowers in jars and vases (see picture #1). If your budget does not allow for more flower bouquets - have the jars ready and then place the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets in them just before the reception.

- Pictures - One great idea I came across was to place framed pictures of other weddings (your parents, grandparents, etc) or your engagement pictures among the containers. Not only does this help spread out the buffet for a more full, elegant look - but it also adds a personal touch as well. For frames, head back to the thrift shop for a collection of coordinating frames in silver, brass, white, whatever matches your colors best. Frames could also be added with a menu of the items available, a title (Jake & Jill’s Sweet Shop, etc), a thank you note, a special poem or song, etc.

- Candles - of course, placed in such a way that people can reach the candy without burning themselves or knocking them over.

3. Add extras - Instead of just candy, have other things on the buffet as well. Some common choices include

- The wedding cake

- a chocolate fountain

- a punch bowl or fountain

- cookies, squares, and other dessert items

- fortune cookies

- favor boxes (Generally, the candy buffet replaces the wedding favors, so one idea is to offer small favor boxes to hold the candy rather then bags. These take up a little more space then bags, look really pretty and will encourage guests to be reasonable about the amount of sweets they take. We want them happy - not sick.)

- fruit - if your color scheme allows, add a few bowls of fruit in among the candy for a healthy option as well (green: apples, pears, grapes / red: apples, strawberries, raspberries etc)

- guest book (I have seen this done a few ways. One great idea is to have a pin board behind the table and then offer small notecards and pens on the table so guests can write their wishes to you, and pin them on the board with color coordinating pins.)

- card basket/bowl/box

4. Affordable Candy - the candy is of course, the most expensive aspect of the candy buffet but there are ways to control that cost as well. Here are a few tips:

- Don’t go overboard. If you are using my ideas in section 2 and 3 - your candy buffet does not have to include TONS of candy to look full and elegant. You reasonably need to have enough candy for a small bag full per guest.

- Size Matters - you can put the same amount of candy in a dozen smaller containers rather then into 2 or 3 large containers - but 12 smaller containers LOOKS like more then 2 or 3 large ones do. So, stick to small and medium size containers. Then, place the containers on different levels by places different boxes or books under the table cloth to create risers for some of the containers to sit on. This makes containers easier to reach, and makes the table look fuller.

- Plan ahead - once you have your containers ready, plan which candy will go in each container. Fill larger containers with the less expensive candies, smaller containers for the more expensive containers.

- Buy in bulk - Once you know what types of candy you want, check out different bulk candy suppliers and compare prices.

- COLOR makes a difference - in generally, a candy buffet in coordinated colors looks much more elegant then one that features a hodge podge of random selections. Many bulk suppliers will let you purchase bulk orders of things like jelly beans - all in one color.

PLACES TO FIND BULK CANDY:

www.candywarehouse.com
www.blaircandy.com
www.groovycandies.com
www.sweetnostalgia.com
www.hometownfavorites.com
www.oldtimecandy.com

www.bulkfoods.com

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