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oh no! I was just thinking, maybe there would be a way to nicely suggest that the guests only fill one bag?! We're going to be giving our guests the container for our candy buffet as their seating card so hopefully that will elminiate multiple trips!
VegasBaby- That's a GREAT idea to leave the container at their place setting!! Good luck!!
Goodness gracious! Thanks for the tip! We were thinking of doing candy and cookies too, and some of our family is kind of doubting that this idea will be popular at an adult reception. I guess we shouldn't worry anymore! Maybe we will keep it covered/hidden til after dinner though!
Wow... that's pretty intense! Maybe tehy were deprived of candy as a child? I can't imagine anyone eating 6 bags! That's a whole lot of teeth brushing! Glad to see it was such a success. What did you tell the people who asked about the refills? I would have said something like "oh, well, we only intended for people to take one bag but some people got a little greedy"... just because I can be snarky like that.
Wow, you had a really different experience that me with my candy buffet! I bought enough candy for each guest to fill up their containers and about 50 more to have two. We were left with so much candy I'm only now just finishing it up!
But we put each take out box at the place settings, so there was only one per person. We figured some would get eated during the evening and most guests would take some home.
Every time I have seen a candy buffett at a wedding, it is almost exactly the scene you described. The second it is put out, people literally run over to it and try to stuff as much candy into their purses/pockets as possible. People LOVE candy!! Definitely overestimate the amount of candy you need to put out for guest favors - count on each guest getting at least two bags full. And try to have some 'large' items that are too big for each guest to take more than 1 like a large cookie or cupcake or something.
KMSull- When people asked if it was going to be refilled I said no...that's all there is, and they we didn't expect it would be so popular! Some people we saw weeks after the wedding said they were still eating it!
I work in events at a hotel, and we had a couple who did a candy buffet as their favor. 360 attendees - about 50 of them children. They did very small white bags with tissue paper, and about 10 kinds of candy. Off the top of my head I remember..
Trail Mix
M&M's
Skittles
Hot Tamales
Hershey Kisses
Chocolate Covered Raisins
That's all I remember. They used lots of glass jars and scoops.
It was insanity = = people hit it as soon as they walked in the door. It was so messy. There was candy smashed in the carpet, and I kept an eye on it and refilled. The little bags were so small the candy went everywhere.
we did a candy buffet, and it was the same - adults went NUTS over it! We did buy over 100lbs of candy though, so we did have a few lbs left over. But our 145 guests all had some and many of them took multiple bags. Info and pics below! OH-and we unveiled it AFTER dinner!
ok in regards to the candy buffet - all I really did was go to BJs the day before the wedding and grab and run lol. Saw something, thought itd be good, grabbed it. I had about 130 adults, 15 kids, and left with minimal candy. I did put glassine bags on the buffet, and people were walking around all evening with them. I did buy some specialty candy from Dylans candy bar (rock candy and siwrly lollipops and those stick candy like peppermint sticks...things that are hard to find) I have my BJs receipt in front of me, here is what I bought: (total: $166.05)
Keep in mind these are bulk quantities, usually 5lbs or more
1 bag of Starbursts
1 bag of those caramel cremes
2 bags of mini resses PB cups
1 box of peppermint patties
1 bag of tootsie roll midgees
2 bags of skittles
3 bags of hershey kisses
1 bag of peanut m&ms
1 box of Nerds Ropes (HUGE hit)
1 container of Twizzlers
1 container of Crystal Light Sugar Free candies
2 bags of red Swedish Fish
1 box of 100 blow pops
1 container of peppermint puffs
At Dylans candy bar I bought
20 Rock Candy sticks in various flavors
2 bags of cotton candy
20 stick candies
5 giant swirly lollipops
Had gifted to me
5lbs of white plain m&ms (unless youre going for monotone, go regular. Those suckers were EXPENSIVE!)
several bags of Buckeyes Candies (chocolate PB - an Ohio State Thing)
My venue provided the containers (score!) but found many of them at Michaels, Pier 1, ebay, and online.
They also assembled the buffet - but my hints are to keep one type of candy per jar so its not overwhelming to look at; scatter candy around the bases of the containers (so people arent afraid to touch it); use varying heights of jars AND the tablescape - they stacked something under the tablecloth to make sections of teh actual table higher and it looked incredible; dont overanalyze. I didnt even think about it. Just walked into BJs, grabbed, and left in about 15 minutes flat. There is such a selection its easy. I did read somewhere to be sure you have 8-10 different types of candies, and about 8-10lbs of each. I went over that, but we used it for favors as well as during the reception so we wanted to be sure we had plenty.
Oh - and to display the blowpops, I bought a large styrofoam cone from Michaels, painted it navy with Crayola Paint, and stuck the lollipops in there. We made a circle of them at the base so it wouldnt tip, then spaced them along the top and topped it with a giant swirly sucker. That is 100 blow pops in that cone!
45206_candy_buffet_jpg.jpg (31.2 KB, 253 downloads) 2 years old 018.jpg (38.2 KB, 175 downloads) 2 years old 
I had the same problem as the OP!
When our wedding coordinator brought us into our reception room to see it, we passed our candy buffet, and it was 90 percent gone. We were shocked. We later found out that some of our teen guests were taking extra for their friends and family who did not attend (nor were they invited!). Thankfully, my husband and I got some before it was completely gone, but there were definitely guests who didn't get any at all. Thankfully, we also had a small cookie buffet on our cake table, so people got some sweets to take home.
We also bought a TON of extra candy, and we assumed we'd have tons of leftovers. Nope!
I would suggest that any brides who want a candy buffet to somehow barricade it or make it clear it's off limits until the reception actually starts. I wish we had done that! I'm sure most venues have large signs that they could make up to say something like, "The bride and groom respectfully request you wait until after dinner has been served to partake in the candy buffet."
Wow. I was thinking about doing a candy buffet, but now I don't think I will. I don't want to spend nearly $200 on candy just to watch people greedily stuff their faces with it. I'm so grossed out.
I bought most of my candy at www.bulkcandystore.com
Rock Candy, Gummy Rings, Candy Sticks, Pop Rocks
My colored M&M's were from AC Moore and I used 40-50% off coupons to save money!
Strawberry Whoppers were from Walmart
Lindt Truffles (from Lindt) were on sale but still pricey (they were my hubby's request!) You can find them at Walmart & Target in limited colors.
White paper bags were from www.papermart.com
definitely have a candy station attendant and it won't get so insane. that's the only way you'll be able to stop the madness. at every event that has had a candy bar the scene has been pure pandamonium (sp?)
Ours went over pretty well. We had some leftovers and it was Halloween. We did have no kids. I also think that judgeing by the number of bags left, some people either never saw it or didn't partake of it. Oh Well. Maybe I should have had the DJ annouce it. We also had a cookie bar.
What a bummer I really wanted a Candy Buffet at our wedding, now after reding all everyone's experiences am not too sure if I still want to go ahead and have a Candy Buffet! Is there any polite or nice way to have a sign saying take one per person?....'
Maybe taking out the Candy Buffet towards the end of the nght would work?...Hmmmm
We're going to use little chinese food containers as our candy buffet boxes. I'm planning to do as some suggested and place one at each place setting so it is clear that they should only fill their one container.
wow that sounds nuts! My cousin had a candy bar at her wedding last year and we did NOT have that happen. I'm totally guessing bc I didn't ask her any questions... but I would say about 150 people and there was maybe 5 kinds of candy, one big jar each. I didn't go to the candy bar until we were on our way out the door and there was still plenty left. Maybe my family just aren't candy people?
though i wouldn't be taking 6 bags, i can say that i probably would've been one of those greedy guests. i love my candy--i just can't help it!
At FSIL's wedding, she also did a candy buffet as her main favor.
Instead of escort cards, she used small clear boxes that had their names on it. Then guests could fill their box with candy - Hershey Kisses, Whoppers, Gummi Rings, M&M's, and other small candies. There were no extra boxes. I'm not sure if someone continued to stock it during the wedding, but she had candy leftover.
What about putting the candy bag/box at each place setting and not having extras?
Oh wow! I am glad I read this post! I am definitely doing a candy buffet, but I know I think we'll keep some extra candy around to replenish the jars. I also think that maybe we won't announce that it is there until after lunch? Or, I like JoJo's idea and leaving a bag at each place setting.
I think the BEST way to have a buffet is to put bags at each person's place setting. That way, every guest gets ONE bag and that's it. If desired, you can put extra bags out later, but that way every one gets a chance.
Never be surprised at people's greediness. We had cupcakes at our wedding - meant to serve as dessert. They were ALL gone by the time we had walked into the reception.
I am stunned speechless. My FI and I really want one for our at home reception. I can just picture a black friday style stampede for the candy bar. *sigh*
So I want to ask a question. Minus the overly greedy people, do you think the rate at which the candy was eaten had anything to do with the time the reception started? So lets say the reception started at 7pm, I would be STARVING by then and might eat more of the candy than normal. Or am I barking up the wrong tree?
I am wondering...could you have this table brought out or unveiled at the end of the night or from the middle of the reception on as to avoid the greedy folks out there who have no problem taking candy away from the kids at receptions or eating far too much?
That is indeed crazy!
It could be kinda cool to have it behind a partition or something until you're ready to unveil the big surprise to the guests (and create excitement).
So sorry this has happened, but it flabbergasts me that grown people act this way. I'm almost tempted to use the "t" word here for their behavior!!!
Btw, beautiful candy buffet in those pics! Just fantastic!
I'm doing a cupcake buffet and favor table for when they get ready to leave and will have it brought out then!
adias.angel -My ceremony began at 5pm and cocktail hour began at 6pm. There were stationary and passed hors d'oeuvres for people to enjoy before the sit down dinner. From what I was told people were just filling up bags to take home. They weren't eating much of the candy at that point.
Oh my goodness! When I read the OP My jaw dropped, and then I couldn't stop laughing! what is it about candy that makes people want to hoard? Little shiny treasures to line their nests, office desks and tops of refrigerators with. Too funny! I will make sure I have something that they need to consume right then and there or to have bags pre-made for them to take!
Thank you OP! I had no idea people would be so greedy...question though how many guests did you gals have? We're estimating only about 50-60.
I think it's probably best to put the candy buffet out of site until later in the reception or in an area that isn't the "main" area (maybe by the door, so people will stop by on their way out?). Two weddings I went to last summer had candy bars- one wasn't brought out until the end, it was pretty picked over by the time we saw it but we were some of the last guests to leave; the other had the candy buffet set out by the door.
I like the idea of putting bags at everyone's place so that they can only take one bag's worth.
Wow, this is shocking.
I am planning a dessert buffet, with candy added in, but no bags. I've been worried that people will take two of everything, and this seems to confirm it. The coordinator and I will have to find a way to do a reveal of the buffet later on. Table on wheels? Armed guards?
wow that's crazy....I too am having a candy buffet and I really like the idea of putting the containers at each table setting....we are also going to put a black & white cookie at each setting to hold them over until the buffet is brought out later on....hopfully this will eliminate a mad rush lol
I had a very different experience than the OP. We had 165 guests (I planned for 200 just in case). I read on WB to plan for 1/2 lb per person, so I bought 100 lbs of candy. Maybe 30 lbs was taken. We were very wasteful and threw the rest of it away. There was just too much to worry about at the end of the reception...packing up the extra candy was low on the list. Sometimes I do think abt the delicious cherry sour balls and wish that they were in my kitchen cabinet!
I know that people saw it because they commented on how pretty it was (Chrismukkah themed). I even tried to convince candy lovers to take more than one bag, but they wouldn't!! Also, we ordered 240 cupcakes and I would say that we had over 100 left. And no one ate them until after dinner, so no worries there.
How much alcohol did your group drink? I"m thinking that mine skipped the sweets b/c all of the guests were too drunk! Most people don't like sweets when drinking (well, I do). Maybe lower alcohol consumption=more candy/sweets
(photos by Michael Rastall - www.rastallphoto.com)
Holy moley, I never would have thought people would take extra bags! that seems so insane! I can see children doing that, but not adults~haha wow. I bought 15 types of candy but now i'm thinking thats not enough....jeesh!
Wow!!!! That was insane. I don't know if I would have gotten mad or just laughed hysterically knowing that full grown professional adults were behaving like 5 year olds at a Dora show...lol I don't plan on unveiling mine until after dinner.
see, this is my fear too, i know a few of my friends are freaks,
although now I am having a favor bar instead of just a candy bar...
Because its a VR and I know pretty much everyone there, we are only inviting close friends and family, as opposed to our wedding where his family went crazy and invited a bunch of people we didn't know....
I will put up a sign saying something witty like "you may be needy but don't be greedy.. please think of the next person in line"
That is so me nd something I would do:) ugh I gotta start buying bags, I love having 2 years to plan this thing. I an't imagine doing this in any time less than that.
A suggestion for the greedy guests, you could use the favor container as a place card
ie. chinese take out container at each place setting with the guest's name on it and a message saying directing them to take the container to the candy buffet at the end of the night. That way only 1 per person and you won't have to worry about guests taking extra.
Wow! That level of greediness is just shocking to me! We are having a small vow renwal (25-30 people) and I'd really like to do a candy buffet. This makes me a little hesitant. I'd like to get some good pictures of it and have a chance to see it all set up, I'd also like to have some of it!
WOW & LOL...
My daughter's wedding is comming up in June and I made a 'screne' to go around the Candy table. I hope you can follow these directions:
I took 2 corrugated, folding, pattern cutting boards (36"x60"/each) and made coodinated cutouts in the the middle of an end of each (to tie a ribbon through to hold them together). All the supplies were purchased at online at Hobby Lobby.
I then covered them with a inexpensive white satin fabric using a spray adhesive, I wrapped the ends over the boards and made sure to wrap the 'cuts' I made so they looked good.
I found 2 large pink, foam hearts and hot glued them around the opening (where the boards will be tied with a ribbon, in the middle of the ends and over the cuts). I lined them up so it still looked like a full heart (front and back) then slit through the hearts to expose the cut so I could run the inch wide white, ribbon)
To complete the screne, I threaded the ribbon through the cuts; front-to-back then back-though-front and tied a bow.
This will stand in front of the candy and go aroung the table which will be backed up to a wall.
AFTER the happy couple cuts the wedding cake they will go over to the Candy Buffet and untie the bow and will fold away (accordian style) the cover (and be stored under the table skirt with the extra candy). ;)
How did I come up with this idea??? Watching someone use there windsheld sun screne...LOL!
I hope this works for us AND I hope I didn't confuse everyone...I'll try to take a photo of it later.
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For my wedding I really wanted a candy buffet! At the time, my then fiance thought it was a bad idea and that adults wouldn't want a bunch of candy. I convinced him by adding cookies to the buffet as well as adding a little favor to each place setting.
We ended up having:
Rock Candy, Whoppers, Gummy Rings, Lindt Truffles, M&M's, Pop Rocks, Candy Sticks, and 3 types of cookies.
We had white bags with personalized stickers on them as well as some clear bags.
The day of my wedding I was excited to see how it looked!
We were announced into our reception and had our first dance, then we went to see how the candy buffet came out. I was shocked that within 15 minutes of being in the room it was COMPLETELY empty! We never saw it and the photographer didn't even get a picture of it!
I was actually surprised at how greedy adults were over candy & cookies. I was told by another guest that they watched one person take every single pack of pop rocks and shove them in his wifes purse! The day of the wedding (and after the wedding) people kept telling us how great the candy buffet was and that they made 5 or 6 bags to bring home!!! We had 136 guests. I planned on a bag for everyone but had some extras just incase. I never thought that people would be so rude and would fill 5 or 6 bags to take home! Some asked why we didn't have more to refill the jars!
So...the guests that didn't notice the candy buffet right away didn't get anything from it. My advice is to have extra candy and someone to keep it stocked.