Candy Tip 1: Stock Up!

The biggest expense of a candy buffet happens to be the candy itself.  Most of you already knew that!  However, unless you are constantly out looking for candy in large quantities it’s hard to estimate just how expensive your candy buffet is going to be.   So the best tip I can give you is to stock up ahead of time!  Following holiday is the best time to get candy.  Places like Walgreens, Walmart, or your local convenience store are likely to have candy at 50% off, if not more! 

If your wedding or event is in early spring, go to the after- Valentine sale for heart shaped candies.  If your wedding is later in spring, shop at the after –Easter event for pastel colors and flowery shapes.   Online candy stores will typically not sell discounted candies, so hurrying to the clearance event of the season locally could be worth the trip!  This tip could be useful for do-it-yourself decorators as well.  You can purchase discounted merchandise for your event, along with the candy at local shops.

Unlike decorations, candy does have an expiration date.  Be sure to plan out how far in advance you are able to buy the candy for your event.  Chocolate is a candy with a fast expiration date, whereas gummy bears and mints have a longer shelf life.  Check it out before buying large quantities of candy that will taste bland or have gone bad in the months prior to your event!

Our photo booth!

These were just two of the many pictures taken from our photo booth fun!

Fireworks from my wedding

Fun Reception Ideas

There are plenty ideas floating around on how to make your wedding reception memorable for you and unforgettable to your guests.  Some of these are an added cost and some are just ways to spice up what you already may be planning on for your reception.  Either way, these are all neat ideas and ones that are sure to make your wedding celebration stand out from the rest!

1.  One idea is to hire a photo booth at the reception.  I previously blogged about how great they are for guest books!  They still are, however they can also add to your event by bringing a little nostalgia to the moment.  It is a fun, entertaining way to allow your guests to be engaged in the event, and since they get a copy of the photo’s to keep it can be a memorable way for them to look back on your wedding day!

2.  This idea is for those weddings that allow kids at the reception.  Set up a crafts table for the kiddo’s to keep them entertained and busy!   I hadn’t even thought of this idea until one of my friends was talking about their reception.  She labeled it an “arts and crafts” table, and displayed sheets of paper, coloring books, and crayons that held special meaning to her and her husband.  The coloring books were filled with characters they loved as kids, and the sheets of paper, watercolor paints, and crayons all mirrored their wedding colors!  They made it into a coloring contest of sorts, where the couple judged them just before the dancing and gave the winner a treat!  Such a neat way to involve the kids!  The only thing I would caution with this is since these kids are dressed in their “Sunday best” you may want to consider providing smocks, etc...to prevent massive causalities!

3.  If you or your fiancé is an art lover you could also hire a caricature sketcher to come in and paint your guests!  I always pass by these artists at six flags, state fair, or other popular events, and wish that I was willing to spend the money to get my portrait sketched.  I was recently looking at these artists online and I found that most of them do offer wedding services.  Most ask that you pay for their time, not numbers of portraits sketched.  So this could be a fun way to let those of us who walk past the caricature stand with a longing look to have our dreams fulfilled!

4.  Another cool idea, and this is becoming more popular within certain ethnic groups, is to have cultural music play at your wedding.   If you are part Irish, have a couple fiddles playing before or after the ceremony.  If you are part Scottish, maybe hire a couple bagpipers to play in the distance.  (I wanted this at my wedding but I don’t have a drop of Scottish blood in me.)   A mariachi band, polka music, the list could go on and on!

5.  Another idea, which happens to be my personal favorite, is fireworks!  Fireworks are somewhat expensive, however if you cut corners in other areas, it could be well within your budget.  Some people may think this is over the top, but it is becoming more and more popular, and is a really sweet ending to your big night!  I had fireworks at my wedding and while I was watching them with my new husband, it brought me back to the first 4th of July fireworks we saw together!  Fireworks aren’t for everyone, but if you choose to do it, it will be a moment you’ll never forget.  We did them right before we left the party for the night, and it was a perfect ending to the most important day of our lives!

6.  The last idea is for outdoor weddings and receptions.  If you are having your wedding in the afternoon you could set up lawn games for your guests to play while you are taking pictures.  A charming game of croquet could be the perfect way to cost-effectively entertain your guests during this time period.  You could also add some cute signs and ribbons that make it a little more inviting!  Other good games are horseshoes and bocce ball.  The only thing I would say is, do not have games with high intensity!  If you know your family is competitive by nature I would avoid games that could leave them sweaty and dirty just in time for the reception!

Wedding favor

Wedding themes, candy buffet
Originally uploaded by Wedding Favours Warwickshire

This is an example of a candy buffet that has really great jars, but does not have a way to get the candy out of these jars. It also does not have any favor bags to allow the guest to take some candy home. The two tall "martini" glass vases are awesome and visually appealing though and overall a good concept!

Apothecary Jars

candy buffet idea
Originally uploaded by kmjdepalma

These three jars are great for candy buffets. The back two are pretty tall around 15-20 inches, however the mouth on the jar is wide enough to have a scoop placed in there to assist guests with choosing candy!
As a side note, apothecary jars are becoming super popular in the candy world, but are hard to find at a good price. If you choose this route, you should plan on spending around 30 dollars a jar!

Vase

Vase
Originally uploaded by Rrrrred

This vase type is great for wrapped candies, like the Hershey's Kisses shown here. This wouldn't need a scoop, as guests can put their hands in the vase and grab a couple out!

Candy Buffets as a guest favor?

The best reason to have a candy buffet at your event is simply because of the versatility of this unique display.  A candy buffet serves as a talking point for guests, creates visual drama, and functions as a highly appreciated guest favor at your event!  The guest favor part is what we're focused on today.  

You want your guests to know how much you appreciate them by making the guest favor distinctive and fun!  The most important part in this, if you want your candy buffet to function as a guest favor, is to have it set up to look like more than just a display.  Here are a couple of tips that will help guests feel comfortable in grabbing a few treats to take home.

1.  Make the jars accessible.  If you desire visual drama as well as a guest treat in planning your candy buffet, you need to consider the functionality of the vases and glassware you buy.  You do not want the candy too low, so kids can lick one and put it back---gross!  You also do not want the candy in tall skinny vases that no one is able to reach.  Choose 1-2 tall “creative” vases for height difference, and surround them with medium sized containers to make this display guest friendly!

2.  Provide scoops to allow the guests to reach into a bowl and take a few smaller treats without worrying whether it’s sanitary or proper etiquette to take a few by hand.

3.  Place enough treat bags on the table so that there is at least one for every guest, maybe a few extra for the unexpected visitor.  You can place these in a cute basket, on a serving platter or just lay them decoratively on the table.

4.  The last thing you can do to make this cute and fun for your guests is to personalize the favor bags.  Create a little saying to stick on or in the bags telling the guests how much you appreciate them being there!   Your guests will appreciate your telling them how much you were thankful for their support at your event! 

Cake topper- Mario and Peach

cake toppers
Originally uploaded by bresaola25

This one made me laugh! So cute and perfect for fans of video games :)

Cake topper - Motor bike fanatic

Cake topper - Motor bike fanatics
Originally uploaded by marytempesta

This is a really cool idea for people that love bikes and can't get enough. What a better way to be unique on your special day?

Featured Wedding Ideas!

"Cake Toppers"

Today’s featured wedding idea could potentially be a do-it-yourself if you are into painting figurines and such.  If you’re not, this is just a look into some really cool cake-toppers that you could choose for your wedding.  OK, so maybe choosing a cake topper isn’t high on your priority list, maybe it hasn’t even hit your radar yet.  I did not have one for my wedding cake and there are many different things you can do to “jazz” up your cake without spending the money on a figurine.  However, if you do choose to do a cake topper, these are some cute/unique ones I saw and am totally in love with! 

Koyal Wholesale

Koyal Wholesale

 Koyal Wholesale

 These are just three of the many cute ones that this site has.  For more information and ordering go to Koyal Wholesale! 


All photo's are property of Koyal Wholesale and in no way represent the work that this blog's owner has done.  For more information on their products click on any of the links above.

Themed Candy Buffet

Themed Candy Buffet by Glamour Avenue Parties
Originally uploaded by Courtney Price: Glamour Avenue Parties

This one would be perfect for a smaller get-together or an outdoor wedding! It has fun flavors and colors!

White Candy Buffet

White Candy Buffet
Originally uploaded by candywarehouse

This is an example of an all-white candy buffet! Could be great for weddings or winter events!

Candy Color

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts about color coordination that will make your candy buffet POP at your event!

1.       Do coordinate your candy buffet colors with your season. 

a.       Example: If it is a fall event opt for more earth tones for the buffet, such as brown, orange, maybe a dark green in there.

b.        If it is a spring event you should go with more pastels.

c.       A winter event should have “icy” colors such as light blue, silvers, and crème’s.

d.      And last, an event held in the summer should have more tropical colors.

2.        Do select your candy buffet colors based on your event theme.  If you are having a very formal setting, bright vibrant colors might not be suitable.  If you are having a luau, bright and vibrant would be perfect! 

3.       Do, if you’re having a wedding, plan an all-white theme.  This approach can be easier and less time-consuming than finding your individual colors.

4.       Do pick your colors based on the color theme for the wedding or event.  This can be hard to do, as not all colors look the same as they do in the pictures, however if you have the time and ability to do the research, then this can be the added “sweet!” factor your party needs!

5.       Do not just have chocolate or matte colored candies. It will end up looking flavorless and dull. 

6.       Do not, for a very formal affair, have all bright colorful lollipops and crazy wild candies.  The guests are expecting the candy to match the event.  If you have a kids birthday party for example, you could definitely create a colorful and purposely mismatched display and it would be appropriate for the event!  This is not to say that you cannot have “fun” candies at your event, just make sure the color scheme is taken into consideration.

Wedding Guest Book

Guest Book
Originally uploaded by mainegal

This is also really cool! A party tray or something personal that the Bride and Groom can use later is a fun idea to play around with. You could most likely do this with almost any tray/plate/ pitcher? Good luck do-it-yourselfers!

This photo was taken from:
http://flic.kr/p/5ySLnS

Wedding Guest Book

Wedding Guest Book
Originally uploaded by deviantmonk

This is really cool! You could print something like this up on a canvas or there is a site that sells them.
You can use stamped leaves like this lady did, or I have seen thumb-prints for baby showers, etc. Really fun idea!


This photo was taken from:
http://flic.kr/p/7NjEYs

wedding photo guest book

wedding photo guest book
Originally uploaded by peatadownunder1

This is a really cool looking guest book. 

Apparently she used the same paper that she 

made her invitations out of to make it more 

personal. "Inside the cover are Polaroids of 

guests and their signed well-wishes"

This photo was taken from :
http://flic.kr/p/4ESJof





                                                                                                   

Featured Wedding Ideas!

Guest Books

A Bride’s wish for her wedding to be unique has become really important in the last decade.  Individualism and self-expression are definitely driving forces behind the creative genius of many brides, wedding planners, and even the mothers of brides today.  As you are growing up and watching all these other weddings, you come to realize that you don’t just want to be “that wedding we were forced to go to”, or for all your guests to remember about your day is the “dry chicken”.  I’ve heard it from many weddings, and I did not want to be that wedding!  At my wedding we had a bunch of cool little things to make our wedding special to us and hopefully more memorable for our guests. 

The guest book happened to be one of the fun and different things we did.  I have to write a disclaimer in here, that the guest book for my wedding was almost the sole creative genius of my mother, who has planned many events, and has a real knack for it!  She came up with the idea of a photo booth, instead of a traditional guest book! Guests would hop into the photo booth, take a couple goofy or serious pictures, hop out again and sign the guest book.  The object for the guest book was to put pictures at the front of an album of us, the couple, and then to have a bunch of blank pages in the back for guests to tape their picture and sign next to it with a personal message.  We had my aunt, who is an avid "scrap-booker"  do one of the photo booth books and my mom did another.  We filled up all the pages!

It was creative and hilarious looking back!  We have the album in our living room now, and it’s really neat to take a peak and remember the funny things that some people came up with…and OH boy did we have the interesting comments!  It helped us to get to know our guests on a more individual level without the pressure of putting serious thoughts/words in a traditional guest book.

If photo booths aren’t your thing, here are some other ideas that might inspire you!

1. If you can get your hands on a Polaroid camera, have someone take shots of guests as they walk into the reception hall.  Then, have them sign it and stick it in your guest book!

2.  Another thing I heard of is to bring along fabric pieces, and sharpies, or colorful marker to make a quilt.  Have your guest write something personal or their well wishes on one of the pieces of cloth and put it in a small basket.  Later, you can have the “quilting bee” of your family put it together for you to hang on your wall as a keepsake!  My mother-in-law did this for us at our rehearsal dinner, and we thought it was really a fun way to get the guest involved.  Keep in mind that this one probably works best for smaller parties!

3.  A different approach is to have a canvas, or some cool material that the guest could sign and comment on.  You could then frame it and also hang it on the wall.  If you leave a few sections blank you can put a couple of your pictures in there to add to the aesthetic nature of this new piece of artwork!  This is kind of a spin-off of the quilt idea, without quite as much work!

4.  At my friend’s wedding a few years back, all the guests were given a piece of paper in the mail, along with their invitation, to decorate, sign, and comment on how they wish.  This was really cool; it was like a mini-coloring contest for guests!  My friends and I all brought ours to the wedding and stuck it in the guest book with pride, we were so excited!  

If you have any other neat guest book ideas that you have seen, feel free to comment and let us know!

Insights on "Candy Steps"

With each candy buffet the quantity of candy needed will be smaller or larger depending on how many people are coming and the size of the display table.  For my wedding, we used a combination of the two methods mentioned in parts 1 and 2.  We looked at how many people were coming and made sure to order a little extra to make sure the jars all looked full and exciting.  Ordering 15-20 pounds of candy per candy chosen might be a little too much candy if you only have 50 people coming.  What I would suggest then, especially for smaller parties, is to order 2 candies in larger amounts such as 10-15 pounds, and then order 2-3 "filler" candies, to put in smaller jars around the table.  This will keep it fun, and help smaller parties have variety without having 20 pounds of candy laying around after the party!

"Candy Steps" Part 2

If you want to make a candy buffet based on your display table, then the following is a list of steps for you!

Step 1:  Choose the types of Candy you would like to display.  Limit it to around 5-10.  You don’t want the table to look cluttered, but you also do not want just 3 candies to choose from.  Offering your guests variety will make them feel like a kid again!
Step 2:      The next step is to figure out the type and size of display table you will be using.  The bigger the table, the harder it will be to make the space look creative and fun, especially at smaller gatherings.  Choosing a half circle table or a small rectangular table will make the candy more accessible and will ultimately let you get creative with your display!

Step 3:     Along with the display table, you need to choose the vases or containers you will use to present your candy.  Different shapes and heights will add to the buffet.  

Step 4:      The last thing you need to do is figure out the amount of candy that it will take to make this buffet pop!  For each type of candy you choose you should count on around 15-20 pounds.  If you choose only 5 types of candies, then you probably should plan on around 20 pounds of candy for each.  If you come up with 10 varieties, then you can get away with around 15 pounds per candy, perhaps even less. 

While 15-20 pounds of candy may seem excessive, the guests will be eating the candy throughout the night as well as on the way home.  The “excess” candy or the candy you do not display right away should be used as filler throughout the night.  You should have someone on hand to refill the candy at least 2 times during the course of the event!

"Candy Steps" Part 1

First things first, you need to make sure you have enough candy!  The best candy buffets out there are ones that look like they are overflowing with candy.  You need to make your guests feel like a “kid in a candy store”!

There are two ways to do this.  The first is counting the candy by guest and the second is by the size of your display table.  Both can be a little tricky so I compiled a list of steps to help you.

If you are counting the candy based on each guest, the following is a list of steps for you!

Note: This works best for parties that are larger in size.

Step 1: Come up with a guest list.  Yes, I know what you’re thinking “I already have a guest list for    my wedding, birthday part, _____ fill in the blank.”   Well great!  That step is done. 

Step 2: Come up with an estimate of how many people you are actually expecting to attend from that guest list.  This will help with the amount of candy you will need to order.  

Example- If you have 200 people invited, and you estimate only 125 people are going to show up; you may want to plan candy for 150 people.  The bottom line for this step is allowing for error.  You do not want to run out of candy!

If you have all the responses back already, and know the exact number then you are set!

Step 3:  How much candy will you need to order?   The amount of candy is based off of the guest estimate that you came up with in Step 2.  You can count on at least 4 oz. per guest.

The Beginnings of the Candy Buffet

Candy Buffets look great at receptions, bridal showers, baby showers, and many other social events.  There is a WOW factor, but if you’ve ever put together a candy buffet before they take a lot of work, and oftentimes that hard work goes unnoticed.  “It’s just candy after all”.  Instead of basking in your glory or reveling in your success as “candy buffet maker extraordinaire”,  many brides, mom’s, and significant others look at the remains of their once glorious candy creation and think about all the time, effort, and just plain hard work it took to put it all together!  Well, don’t sweat it. Every Monday, I will share with you my personal experiences with candy buffet making and help you jump start the candy buffet you’ve been dreaming of!