Candy Buffet-when served?

dawns624 · February 2014

My daughter is having a candy buffet at her wedding....but we've never actually been to a wedding that has had one.....how do we handle serving from the candy buffet?......like what time....after dinner??.....and do we have to keep it closed off somehow until then?...do we dismiss a table at a time?....or leave it "open" all the time....from the beginning of the reception?....just not sure on how this candy buffet thing works. Thanks for your comments.

CaliMel11 · February 2014

I think you just have it set up during the whole reception, and then my suggestion would be to have a bag with each place card.

People just get candy as they want as their favor.

(eta a whole word that I forgot in there! Whoops!)

ei34 · February 2014

The weddings I've attended with candy buffets put out the buffet during Viennese hour. I'm not sure if your daughter is making the buffet herself or her venue is doing it, but just my two cents is guests (myself included) prefer buffets with great candy (mini Snickers, Hershey's, etc.) as opposed to sub-par candy that is all the same color.

jenna8984 · February 2014

My friend had hers set up for the entire reception. People kind of just knew that candy is a dessert item and they didn't really touch it until after they ate their meals. I'm sure a few peope took some before but there was plenty and it was no big deal. It was also kind of nice to have because FI doesn't dance so while I was dancing he at least something to do/ munch on.

Maggie0829 · February 2014

I am guessing the candy buffet is being considered the favor item correct? If that is the case then just have it out and open all night so that guests can fill their little baggies whenever they want or have a free moment.

Coalette2013 · February 2014

We are doing a candy buffet at our wedding and it is meant to be our favors. Our plan is to have it set up from the beginning, but we are going to do some kind of cute sign with something like "After You Eat Please Take Some Treats!". We want to encourage people to do it after dinner with the sign, but we aren't going to have it closed off, so people can really go and get it whenever. We are doing a pink themed candy buffet, our wedding is next month, so I went ahead and bought the good candy that is in pink wrappers for Valentine's Day.

flyingfoxes · February 2014

This may be a dumb question - but how do you keep the kids out of the candy if it's out all evening? I think the candy buffet is a super-cute idea, but I know my nieces and nephews would be into it all night long and have it thrown all over the place. :-/ I wish I could say their parents should keep an eye on them, but I know my siblings and they wouldn't.

Maggie0829 · February 2014

qmda76 said:

This may be a dumb question - but how do you keep the kids out of the candy if it's out all evening? I think the candy buffet is a super-cute idea, but I know my nieces and nephews would be into it all night long and have it thrown all over the place. :-/ I wish I could say their parents should keep an eye on them, but I know my siblings and they wouldn't.

There really isn't much you can do. The only thing maybe is to have a staff member or your DOC stand by the table to make sure that dirty kid hands don't keep going in and out of the candy. But other then them nicely saying "here let me help you" and put the candy in bags for them, I really don't see a way to keep the kids from the candy.

JMalettas · February 2014

We had a candy bar, and had it open for the entire reception. We put mini chinese takeout boxes at each seat, with place cards tied to them, and guests could fill them whenever they wanted. (Expect guests to eat it throughout the night as well, not just a box per guest).

We didn't have any children at our wedding, so we didn't deal with the kiddies into the candy all night. I like Maggie0829's idea though, of having someone, (ie: venue staff member etc), at the table to monitor this & help them fill their candy bags. This may somewhat control the candy madness if the kids know there's an adult watching the table. Other than that, I'm not sure what else you could do!

*J

QueerFemme · February 2014

We put ours out after the buffet was pulled down. We had a candy and cookie buffet. The platters and containers were in the kitchen ready to go, and they were set out as soon as dinner was cleaned up.

mysticl · February 2014

I've only been to one wedding with a candy bar. It was set up on a table along one wall of the reception room for the entire reception. I didn't notice any bags or boxes to take any home with you. People would wander over, grab a couple of pieces and move on. The kids did have a bit of a sugar high going.

Jen4948 · February 2014

qmda76 said:

This may be a dumb question - but how do you keep the kids out of the candy if it's out all evening? I think the candy buffet is a super-cute idea, but I know my nieces and nephews would be into it all night long and have it thrown all over the place. :-/ I wish I could say their parents should keep an eye on them, but I know my siblings and they wouldn't.

The one thing I can think of is to not make it a "buffet" that your guests can help themselves from but have someone standing by to distribute the candy. That said, it's not a fun job, so I might find out if the venue can assign a staffer for the purpose and pay them accordingly.

lyndausvi · February 2014

Ours was out the entire time. It was in the center of the dining room.

As far as the nieces and nephews I honestly didn't care if mine hit the candy buffet all night. I couldn't even tell you if they did or not. I do know they had some pretty big boxes when they left for the evening. As far as I was concerned it's my job to spoil them and it was my siblings who are left with the consequences.

We also had a lot of candy, no one was left without any.

CaliMel11 · February 2014

If you want to be safe, then have "loose" candies pre-portioned into small bags that can be put into the larger favor bag.
Then just have the packaged candies loose, since no one would be touching the candies with their bare hands.
Also, I have to say it's not just children who touch things like that with their bare hands. I've seen grown adults reach into a popcorn machine bare handed despite a huge sign saying to please use the scoop. It's disgusting.
So I would really encourage people to bag up any loose candies, because people will manhandle it all otherwise.

[Deleted User] · February 2014

I've only been to one wedding so far that had a candy bar, the DJ announced "the candy bar is now open" I can't remember if it was before or after the cake cutting.

aspoonfulofsugar · February 2014

A wedding I was just at at the end of November had one. It was out all night but not open (I want to say that maybe it was roped off?) When it was time, some of the staff put out the bags and stayed to monitor (I guess if anything got low/any problems). It opened after the cutting of the cake.

MandyMost · February 2014

The weddings I've been to with a candy buffet didn't bring it out until later in the evening. After the cake and everything. It was something to take before you left (not that it stopped drunk people from gorging on candy before the left! haha).

Candy Buffet-when served?

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