Creating the BEST Lolly and Candy Buffet

Sugar is AMAZING! There is nothing more mouth-watering than seeing a table filled with treats of all shapes and sizes. Having a lolly or candy buffet at your wedding can also be a very pretty thing to include. So the question is:

How do a make the best candy buffet for my wedding?

In this article I will break down the key points to ensure you lolly buffet is the talk of the wedding (until the music starts of course)

The Candy Itself

The Cheap Stuff

So if you are spending $50K+ on a wedding and then head to the discount store and buy no name candy, it kind of says that you don’t really want a buffet. This is for your guests and it’s something they are going to be eating most likely throughout your reception so it is important not to skimp. Now that does not mean you need to get custom chocolates made but you should always ensure taste is the main factor when deciding.

The Good Stuff

Now everyone is going to have differing opinions on the best candy but for me personally you should always go with things that make want to take more. I would suggest things like:

Fantails
Redskins
Natural Confectionery Company Jellies
Marshmallows
Starbursts
Haribo Gummy Bear
Werther’s Original Toffee
Red Twizzlers
Skittles

All these (apart from marshmallows) are named brands which while might be a little bit more expensive, will definitely taste amazing to your guests. There is a reason many of these are still around after 50+ years.

What To Avoid

Now you may have noticed I didn’t put things like Mars Bars or the like on the list (despite me LOVING THEM) and that is because no matter how you dress it up, you can’t make those ‘fun size’ packets of chocolates look good. If you just pour them into a bowl it looks like you are getting ready for trick or treaters than your wedding.Some other factors to keep in mind when choosing candy:

Will it melt?
- If the answer is yes, best leave it out of the buffet. Chocolate goop is not a good look
- Is it breakable?
  - Anything that requires hand eye coordination to eat is in the too hard basket.
  - Is it too large/small?
    - If it is too big you will need to provide lots so as many as your guests will get some. If it is too small will you be shelling out bulk orders to fill the jars? Try for a happy medium.
    - Too sugar coated.
      - Avoid any candies that are coated in sugar. The sour candies are a good example. Despite their deliciousness they will leave sugar EVERYWHERE.

The Look Of The Thing

Colours

Does your wedding have a colour theme? If so do you want the lollies to match it? If you decide yes, keep in mind this may limit you in what kind you get. There are only so many blue and white types available unless you want to sort through hundreds of lolly bags. A better way is to have any candy you want but have the table cloth/jars in your theme.

Presentation

As mentioned, having a nice table setup with jars and little custom signs is very cute. However ensure that you can not only get the candy into the jars and bowls, but that your guests can easily get them out. I have on at least one occasion seen a jar topple to the floor because someone was trying to get some lollies out from the bottom and it was not very stable. Do some shopping around and see what you can find and always check if you can stick your hand easily inside.The signage is also something that may look nice but might not be needed. A small sign saying “Have something sweet on us” is just as cute as having every jar labelled with its contents. You only have a limited amount of space on your table so be sure you don’t go overboard with signs.

Lolly Bags, Scoopers and Tongs

How are your guests going to actually get the candy? You will need little scoopers and tongs for various items, otherwise guests will be sticking their hands into the jars and scooping out whatever they can get (I’ve seen it happen more than once). This goes back to ensuring the jars are large enough so there is little chance of anything breaking.Lolly bags have two options:

You can either have them on the buffet.
OR give one to each guest at their place setting.

The first means you don’t need to have one for everyone as it’s first in best dressed (but insure you have plenty under the table). The second is encouraging everyone to partake of the buffet. This means you must ensure you do have enough candy for everyone to fill their bags to the top. (This also covers those who won't touch it and those who will go for seconds...or in the case of children...fifths)

Delicious Alternative Options

If you are looking at doing something a little bit different, why not consider these:

Donuts Wall

A wall of donuts, beautifully glazed with your colour themed icing. Your guest just take a donut from it's peg. No fuss, not mess, all yum!

Fairy Floss Machine

Why not have your guests make their own fairy floss for something a little different? A quick google search found you can hire a variety of different types of machine for between $100-$200 in Perth and the advantage is you can generally make fairy floss in different colours to match your theme

Chocolate Fountain

Now of course this can look amazing, especially with the display of what you put out for people to dip into it...but it is MESSY! Be prepare to have some tasteful tablecloths on the floor to catch the chocolate drips

Custom Chocolates

Instead of of lolly buffet you can always give everyone personalized chocolates. This can range from small generic chocolates which have their names on it as a place setting, all the way up to name brand chocolates like Tolblerones. The shape, size, types and colours are endless.