Ladies in waiting are often found at the Lolly tables Laughing about The Love of The Lovebirds!
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Image from Knottie Suzebride
I completely adore the idea of having a table of sweet sugary treats for guests to help themselves during your reception.
Lay Them Out
Ikea Bladet Vase, $15, Ikea Sota Jar $4 Ikea Blomster Vase $12.95, Ikea Karnist Vase $12.95 Ikea Blanda Bowl $4, Ikea Bladet Bowl $17
Glass (or really any material) jars of every shape and size are the essential part of a lolly buffet. Apothecary jars are a great choice with their decorative look but all kinds of glass containers can be bought really cheaply at discount home stores such as Ikea. Scour vintage stores, opshops and Ebay.
The key to making the table look fantastic is to load it up, so have tiers for the jars (using boxes or crates under fabric) and jars of different heights and sizes.
To keep the table looking ‘full’ use a table runner over a table cloth and fresh blooms. Also consider added features like a chocolate fountain, a fairy floss maker (manned by someone to keep it running smoothly!)
Fill Them Up
Working out the amount of lollies to put in your jars is a hard task- how much per person? Instead of taking a per person approach I suggest looking at the space you have to work with as a whole and fill it up! Part of the fun of it comes through the visuals, a table groaning with lollies is going to look much better than a few jars on a huge table. Generosity is the key!
Lollies are pretty easy to find- if you have access to someone with an ABN you’ll be able to check out grocery wholesalers. Otherwise the net can hold many hidden gems such as Confectionary Warehouse, My Lollies, Goody Goody Gumdrops, Tasty Temptations and even Ebay have plenty to choose from. Otherwise look at lolly shops in the yellow pages- out of the way places often have bulk bags of goodies!
Red
Jaffas, raspberries, strawberry kisses, redskins, heart lollipops, red liquorice, bullseyes, Lindt balls,
Yellow
Banana lollies, lemon drops, honey bears, Lindt balls, whichety grub lollies, honeycomb
Green
Snakes, pineapples, jelly beans, spearmint leaves, green licorice, Lindt balls
Blue
Lindt Balls
White
Marshmallows, Sugar sticks, Milk bottles, Peppermints
Pink
Marshmallows, Breast Cancer M&Ms, Musk sticks, Teeth Lollies
Brown
Caramel buds, Jersey caramels, Chocolate anything! , Chocolate covered nuts, Chocolate covered honeycomb, Coca Cola Lollies
Multi Coloured
Candy bracelets, Snakes, licorice allsorts, gummy bears, skittles, fizzy lollies, conversation hearts, gobstoppers, M &Ms, smarties, jelly babies, frogs, jelly beans, jordan almonds, foil covered chocolates, boiled lollies,
Loading Up
Ice Scoop from Barware, Ice Scoop from Chef.com.au
To assist guests, consider getting some cute candy scoops to add to the festival fun. Old fashioned ones are hard to find in Australia but can be bought from American candy stores or catering supply stores.
Taking Home
The Lolly or Candy buffet can double as your favours so it’s fun to personalise the packaging to your wedding. Choose something fun and childlike or something that matches your wedding decor. Cello or paper bags can be decorated with a sticker. Jars, noodle boxes and paper cups can have a label and ribbon added.
The Finished Product
Here are some great candy buffets to give you inspiration for your own…
Sweet Shop from fuzzydream at theknot.com, Candy Buffet from Save The Date Event Planning, Dessert Buffet from Martha Stewart, Buffet from knottie classy1, white candy buffet from Martha Stewart, Cookie Buffet from Martha Stewart, imessaround’s Polka Dot Candy Buffet, Mrs Bell Pepper from Weddingbees Buffet, green and brown buffet from Martha Stewart.
Extra Hints
Be sure to let your guests know about the sweet treats to help them get through the night. Have the MC announce it or provide the containers for their goodies at each place setting with a note to help themselves.
Consider locating the buffet in a separate room to allow guests a breather from the dance floor and a quiet place to refuel!
Place a sign on the table advising guests to fill up the bags. Use a photoframe or a banner as a decorative touch.
You may consider your other favourite sweet treats like cupcakes, nougat, marzipan or even a different kind of buffet.
You might like to do a
- Popcorn Buffet
- Biscuit Buffet (perhaps with miniature bottles of milk)
- Tart Buffet
- Cake Buffet
- Ice cream buffet
