A wedding, birthday celebration or baby shower is just more fun for your guest when they can pick out their own treats. However, a candy buffet without a plan can quickly become messy. The bowls are often emptied quickly, candies fall over, and some guests take more than others. Candy boxes provide a clean method for keeping the table organized while providing your guests with a great item to bring home.
First, you’ll want to think about the number of guests attending the event. An event with 20 guests will require significantly less candy than an event with 100 guests. Plan how many pieces of candy to put into each box and then add a little extra, just in case additional guests appear. This approach allows for plenty of options at the table but minimizes excess candy that the host won’t need.
Next, decide which types of candies best fit the theme of your event. Jelly beans would probably be suitable for a child’s birthday party, while small chocolate truffles and mints would likely be perfect for a wedding. Try to have a variety of flavors like sweet, sour, and minty available. By offering guests choices, they’re able to select candies from their candy boxes that they’ll really enjoy.
You don’t have to spend much money to create a colorful candy buffet. Choose candies in colors that match the party (for example pink, yellow, and light green for a spring party; white mints and red fruit drops for a winter-themed party). Using matching-colored candies creates a cohesive feeling and looks well-planned. Plain candy boxes are ideal since they allow the colorful candies to be the focal point.
Another important detail is creating a functional layout for the table. At one end of the table place empty candy boxes so guests can pick up a box prior to traveling along the length of the table. Use large serving dishes with small scoops or tongs to hold the candies. Place napkins nearby, and try to keep enough space between each dish so that guests can easily navigate around the table without running into each other.
Also consider labeling all the different candies. There are guests who need to avoid certain food allergens such as dairy, nuts, wheat or other items. You can label each type of candy using small cards that clearly state ingredients used and if it was wrapped. Additionally, if younger children will be attending the event do not include hard candies as they can potentially harm them. Always supervise children near the candy buffet as well.
To personalize your candy boxes even further you can write a short message inside each box. If you’re hosting a wedding, you might write a note thanking your guests for being present. If you’re celebrating a child’s birthday you could include the child’s name and age. Adding a ribbon or small stickers to the boxes is another option that adds visual appeal without increasing your cost or effort required.
By setting up your candy buffet properly, your guests can take their candy boxes home rather than leaving them behind. This means less cleaning up for you as a host and less candy going to waste. Once set-up correctly, candy boxes transform a basic candy table into an engaging activity that will remain memorable to your guests long after the last piece of candy is consumed.
