Dessert Bar Etiquette

sbc2013

If we were to go with a dessert bar, do we have to have enough of each item to serve each guest? So, 100 chocolate chip cookies, 100 whoopie pies, enough pie for 100 people...? Or as long as everyone has something dessert-like? If it's the latter, how would you break down the amounts--maybe 40-50 of each item? Or is that too many? I love the idea, but I want to make it happen AND be mindful of etiquette! 

Gabrielle76

I feel like you should have enough for everyone to try everything, personally.  I'm not sure what the formal etiquette is though. 

lauralaur

I don't think everyone will actually take one of everything but I think you need to plan for that to happen. The big thing I would be afraid of is that one item ends up being a smash hit and people are running around raving about those awesome cookies but there aren't any left for the people they're talking to to try, KWIM?

I don't know what all you have planned, but could you maybe plan to have some smaller items as well? Maybe mini whoopie pies instead of full-sized ones? That way there is still plenty of dessert, but then maybe if 50 whoopie pies are left at the end of the night, at least they're little and not full-sized, I feel like less goes to waste in that case.

However, we did not have a dessert bar ourselves so others may be better able to comment on this.

zizibet

You need to have enough of everything for everyone. Think about running out of something you want to have that night, but they're gone, kwim?

emeejeeayen

Generally if you run out of an item, just make sure you remove the tray from the area. Even if you have enough for everyone, someone might take more than just one, so you could run out anyway. Just don't leave an empty tray sitting around.

loca4pook

A couple of questions..

Are you serving cake? I think that makes a difference. If you ARE, the dessert bar is just a little extra something. Realistically speaking, not every single person is going to want everything, so I DO think you are safe having just a variety. It's like an "extra dessert" so I am petty sure you are safe.

What time will you be having dessert bar? If it is a little later, you are also even more safe as people will have left by then.

not sure what the true etiquette is, but I AM curious since i will be having one, as well

our person told us 2-3 pieces per person...not sure if that follows etiquette, though

J&K10910

For me, it depends on how many items you have.  If you have 10 different types of desserts, I think having 100 of each for a 100 person wedding is ridiculous and not at all necessary.  If you have 2-3 different things, having one per person for each is probably good.  I agree that having enough to have 2-3 a piece is probably good, again, depending on what it is.  If it's different pies and cakes and heavier things, most people probably won't take more than 1, so you'll have a lot left over.  If you're going to have cookies, pastries, smaller lighter things, most people will probably take more than one. 

I would talk to the person doing the dessert catering and your reception coordinator and see what they usually do.  The person doing the dessert catering will have the best idea of what "usually" happens.

AddieCake

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_dessert-bar-etiquette?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:576f3c2e-1a6b-46f8-a37c-90f49e14461cPost:14bd4c7a-9d9b-4a99-adad-89e66918a4b6">Re: Dessert Bar Etiquette</a>:
[QUOTE]For me, it depends on how many items you have.  If you have 10 different types of desserts, I think having 100 of each for a 100 person wedding is ridiculous and not at all necessary.  If you have 2-3 different things, having one per person for each is probably good.  
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]

<div>This. I am a HUGE fan of desserts, so I would like to have at least a few things, but I wouldn't need 10! </div>

Jen4948

I don't think you need to have 1 of everything for everyone, but everyone should get at least 2-3 different choices of desserts.

sbc2013

Thanks so much for your responses, ladies! We will be having cake, multiple flavors actually. We will have a two tier cake that we will cut and sheet cake of that flavor passed to the tables (this is what we will be eating), and then another cake in another flavor if someone doesn't like the first. Then macaroons, pie, whoopie pie, and 2 types of cookies. 

So how does this sound:

-enough of the cake we are cutting into for each guest to have a piece, passed to tables to make sure it actually gets to everyone

-second flavor of cake to feed ~40

-macaroons enough for 2/person

-pie to feed ~50

-whoopie pie enough for 1/person

-cookies enough for 1/person in each flavor (or if people only like one flavor then I guess it is enough for 2/person)

Would that be fair to everyone? I really do not want to have to take anything home, aside from the top tier of our cake. Having said that, I'd rather that then run out before someone got more than just the passed cake, if they wanted it. And I'll definitely make sure trays are removed as soon as they are empty.