How to Create a Great Candy Buffet

Creating a candy buffet is a great way to add extra color, sweetness, and fun to events like weddings, graduations, housewarming parties, and so on.

It's important to create a really stylish and attractive candy shop buffet so that it really adds to the party atmosphere rather than looking cheap and gaudy. The following are some guidelines for creating a great candy buffet.

BASIC ITEMS NEEDED

Large Table

The first thing you'll need is a large table or perhaps several of them. Though they should not be shabby, keep in mind that they will be covered by large tablecloths. So if you need more table space you can use old tables from the attic or even an outdoor table or picnic table. Alternatively you can rent catering or event tables from a rental store.

Place Tablecloth

The next thing you will want to do is get large, luxurious table cloths for these tables. These definitely will be seen by the guests at the party, so choose them well. For more formal events you might want to go with conservative solid colored table cloths, while at more informal gatherings you can stretch out and get brightly patterned table cloths or solid ones in louder colors. Try to avoid cheap looking nylon or plastic table coverings.

Glass Containers

Candy tends to look best in glass containers. These should be classy looking to match the table cloths and other items that will give the table real panache. Glass containers can be purchased at a variety of retail locations or you may have them already in your kitchen or dining room. Glass bowls and goblets look fine. Keep in mind that it tends to be better for all of the containers to have the same basic style.

Candy Scoops and Tongs

Another item you'll need is tongs or serving spoons. These will be necessary for your guests to serve themselves from the piled up candy. Again, go for classiness. Ornate tongs and well made spoons are the best bet.

Candy Boxes or Small Bags

It's nice to provide small paper bags or little cardboard boxes into which guests can put candy and take it home with them. This creates a sense of gift giving along with simply serving the candy and will be enjoyed by all.

PUTTING TOGETHER THE CANDY BUFFET

The above are the basic items needed, but they should not be purchased or selected until you make some basic calculations:

Determine Number of Guests

You need to get a general idea of how many guests you expect so that you will have enough candy for all of them. This can be quite a generalized estimate as there is really no way to tell exactly how much candy a particular guest will eat. A simple rule of thumb about this is that larger gatherings tend to require about 10 to 15 lbs of candy while smaller ones might require about 5 to 10 lbs.

Determine Table Space and Size and Number of Containers

You'll also need to get a general sense of how many tables and glass containers to use. The best way to do this is by getting the candy first, filling up one container, and then judging accordingly as to how many more containers to get and how many will fit on a single table. From there you can judge how many tables and table cloths you will need, and so on.

Candy Type

The types of candy in the buffet should be suited both to the season and to the tastes of the guests. Try to provide classy candy types like high quality chocolates, chocolate covered nuts, and rich French style candies. You can supplement this with sweet and tangy rock candy, peanut brittle, and wholesome health food type candy treats. Variety is a good quality in any buffet, including a candy buffet.

Other Table Decorations

You can add other table decorations like floral arrangements, candles, and sculptural items to really make the table a visually impressive work of art. Unless it's an occasion like a child's birthday party, try to add elements that look chic and artistic rather than obvious and gaudy.

Set it Up

Then simply set up the table or tables, let the guests arrive and have a great time!

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