There aren’t many things sweeter than a great wedding, so why not give your guests something sweet to commemorate your special day? The wedding candy bar has become a popular addition to many receptions and, with some thought and planning, can really help your wedding stand out.

To be clear, when we talk about a wedding candy bar, we aren’t talking about a singular bar for your wedding. We’re talking about a bright, colorful candy buffet. Having a candy station wedding reception table gives your guests something to snack on before and after your meal and gives them tasty souvenirs to savor after they head home.

So what do you need to know before you set up a candy buffet at your wedding? Are there traps and pitfalls that you should avoid? Let’s unwrap the secrets of a great candy bar.

Get the Right Quantity

The last thing you want is to run out of candy too early. Kids at your wedding will complain to their parents and cry and just generally make things awkward for your other guests. Not to mention that you now have an empty table, not serving any function, just sitting there for the rest of the night.

Getting too much candy can be a problem, too. Because if you have a bunch of leftovers, they’re coming home with you—and before you know it, you’ll get so sick of your favorite candy that you’ll never want to look at it again.

And even though you will likely be buying your candy in bulk, getting enough to satisfy all of your wedding guests is going to cost a fair amount of money. You want to use every penny you’re spending on your big day as wisely as possible.

For that reason, it’s a good idea to wait until you get a clear picture of how many people will actually be there on the day. Who sent in an RSVP and how many people are bringing kids or plus-ones? That number is important.

Most experts estimate that a wedding candy bar should have between a quarter pound and half pound of candy per person. By following that guideline, you are likely to have enough candy for everyone, even the children and the uncles with sweet tooths.

Knowing the weight quantity of candy you will purchase will help you compare candy buffet table prices among bulk candy distributors to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.

To ensure that everyone is able to take a little something sweet home with them, put some plastic bags or little cardboard boxes out for guests to use. You can even put your wedding date and your names on them!

Just be sure they aren’t too big. Your guests will see free candy and fill their take-away container to the brim. That’s just a fact of life.

Pick the Right Candy for the Wedding Candy Bar

Candy tables for weddings should not just have any candy on them. It has to be the right candy. That means you need to be deliberate about your choices based on your personal preferences, dietary restrictions of your guests, and how badly you want to adhere to your color scheme.

The time of year can also affect your wedding candy buffet table ideas. For example, it is generally recommended that candy that melts easily, such as chocolates, be avoided during warm weather weddings.

When you start putting together your candy buffet table ideas together, put your priorities in order and then start listing off candies that fit in each category. The key is recognizing what is important to you in your selection and finding candy to fit those parameters.

For example, you can start with your favorite candies. Then include a section for candies that are important to significant people that will be attending your wedding—such as a beloved grandparent. 

Check to see if you need to include candies that don’t include ingredients that a guest may be allergic to, like peanuts. You want to be sure everyone can get candy that wants it. When you have a master list of candies compiled, you can start eliminating options.

The first filter you can apply to your list is seasonal. Are there candies on your list that will make a mess all over your guests’ fancy clothes because of the weather? Get rid of them! Then look at how your remaining candies fit with your wedding colors. If they don’t fit in and that is important to you, cross those candies off the list.

After that, start paring down your list based on price, personal preference, or any other criteria that you decide on. Once you have a list of candies that meets the quantity levels you want and fits in your budget, congratulations! You are one step closer to a completed wedding candy bar.

Wedding Candy Bar Supplies and Presentation

The supplies you need for your wedding candy bar directly impact the presentation of your buffet. Generally speaking, you want to present your candy in a variety of jars that are displayed with varied levels on the table so your guests can see everything available to them.

Whether you have a rustic wedding candy bar or a rainbow colored, fantastical display, many experts recommend the use of apothecary jars. These jars look great on their own and look even better when filled with candy.

The important thing to remember is that you want your jars to have wide mouths so that your guests can actually get at the candy. If the mouth of the jar is too narrow, that candy will just sit there, taunting your guests.

Another thing to keep in mind is that glass jars can be expensive. Don’t be afraid to use vases that you have at home if they have wide enough mouths. You can also hit thrift stores and dollar stores to find great glass jars or even high quality plastic jars if they look good enough.

Be sure to get utensils that your guests can use to serve themselves at your wedding candy bar. You don’t want people reaching into your jars with their fingers. Get plastic scoops and tongs. Plastic is recommended because you don’t want to run the risk of chipping your glass jars with metal.

Beyond using jars as candy dishes for wedding treats, get some cake stands and other surfaces you can use to display goodies. Some people like to make their candy bar into a sweets table and include cookies and cupcakes alongside their candies.

No matter what you include, consider putting up little signs so that everyone knows exactly what candy is available to them. This will keep people from accidentally biting into something they hate and allow your guests with allergies to stay away from the candies that pose a danger to them.

Have a Table Monitor

Since you are getting massive amounts of candy for your wedding, you don’t want all of it to be on the table at once. You would need a huge table for that! Instead, designate someone to keep tabs on the candy jars and refill them periodically.

This could be a job that a friend volunteers for, or you could pay someone to do it. Find out if the serving staff at the venue includes a service like that as part of the package you’ve already agreed to or if you would need to pay someone extra to handle that.

No matter how you handle getting someone to keep tabs on your wedding candy bar, just be sure the job is getting done. They keep your guests supplied with sweets and keep the presentation of the table looking nice and clean.

Having someone at the table all night also helps ensure that no one forgoes your scoops and tongs when grabbing candy. You don’t want everyone coming away from your wedding sick because someone got germs all over the licorice whips.

How Sweet It Is

There aren’t many things sweeter than a good wedding. And nothing hammers that idea home better than an amazing, beautiful wedding candy bar. Wow your guests with jars filled up with bright colors and rich chocolates. 

A great candy buffet at a wedding is a feature that your guests will talk about for years to come with smiles on their faces. And a great wedding candy bar is pretty simple to put together if you follow the advice you’ve just read. 

So choose your candies, put them on display, and have the sweetest wedding ever!