How to Set Up a Snack or Candy Bar for a Wedding Reception

Candy bars, similar to a buffet, are a tasty, inexpensive way to provide wedding favors. Snack bars are also built-in wedding decorations, enhancing the appearance of any wedding venue. Candy bars are highly versatile: They blend in beautifully with a whimsical, relaxed wedding, or they can add to an elegant, refined wedding.

Instructions

1

Set up the table. Choose a white or colored tablecloth. Consider "layering" the table by placing a box or stack of books under the tablecloth to add dimension and height. Place some wedding flowers on the table that match the candy colors. Add balloons or hang paper poms near the table to enhance the area. Projectwedding.com recommends adding a centerpiece to the table as well.

2

Select different-sized glass jars in varying height and width. Many candy buffets have unique-looking glasses called apothecary jars. The price varies by size and quality.

3

Make pretty containers for the refreshments. Use baggies tied with ribbon, new Chinese take-out boxes or wedding favor boxes. Customize the containers in your wedding colors and experiment with patterns. Damask and polka-dots are a few common patterns used to add texture to favor boxes. Place the containers at the front corner of the table so guests can easily access them.

4

Choose candy and snacks. Though you can order M&Ms or jelly beans in specialty colors, seek less-expensive alternatives by buying candies naturally made in your wedding colors. For example, butterscotch candies fit in with gold weddings, and chocolate kisses come in silver, gold, purple and pink wrappers. Myfavors.com also suggests choosing candy based on a theme, like salt water taffy for a beach theme or caramel apples for an autumn wedding.

5

Make labels for the sweets. Discerning the ingredients of certain candies can be tricky, so create labels that give your guest an idea of what's in the jars. Use cardstock and write in calligraphy. Consider gluing ribbon onto the labels to create a decorative border.

6

Place candy scoops or tongs inside the jar or next to it so guests don't put their hands into jars to choose candy.

7

To determine the amount of candy and snacks needed, fill one of the guest containers to get a rough estimate of how much is needed for one box. Determine what fraction of a bag of candy is in one box. For example, if you have 60 guests and one box of candy is 1/20th of a bag, you need three bags of candy. Favorideas.com advises buying 15 to 20 lbs. of five to 10 varieties of candy and snacks.

8

Bring additional bags of candy. Gauging the amount of candy needed can be difficult, so buy a few more than needed just in case.