Step1
Begin to plan your candy buffet at least 3 to 4 months prior to the event. This will give you enough time to put everything together and make any important changes before the party.
Step2
Plan to have about 6 to 8 oz. of candy per guest (less if you're having rich candies or you have other dessert options). At the very least, you will want enough candy to fill one small favor bag per guest (budget about 1 large handful, or about 2 to 3 oz., of candy per bag).
Step3
Choose your candy buffet items based upon your party's theme and colors. For example, if you're having a winter wedding, you might plan a candy buffet filled with icy hues like cream, white, silver and frosty blue. An autumn wedding, on the other hand, calls for warmer colors--chocolates in gold foil wrappers, deep red lollipops and rich purple hard candies would work nicely.
Step4
Decide on the type of candy choices you would like to give your guests. For example, you might choose to offer a selection of sour candy or present a wide variety of chocolates. You might even decide on traditional wedding candies, such as Jordan almonds in many different colors. Other popular options include personalized M&Ms and Hershey's Kisses, available on the companies' respective websites (see Resources below).
Step5
Choose a buffet table and take note of its shape and dimensions. To help with planning, draw your buffet table on a sheet of graph paper, then sketch in an arrangement of containers. You'll also want to purchase or rent a tablecloth (most people go with simple white to show off the candies better).
Step6
Purchase or rent containers for the candy buffet, such as glass vases, jars and bowls. Clear containers work better because the guests can see what is inside of them. You may also want a selection of silver or gold trays for displaying chocolates.
Step7
Purchase or rent candy scoops (1 per container, as well as 1 or 2 extra in case any get misplaced) as well as small appetizer plates to hold the candy. If you're offering favor bags, order 1 per guest, plus 5 to 10 extra. If you plan to decorate the buffet table with flowers or other items, include these in your budget and order them as well.
Step8
Plan to order the candy so that it will arrive about 2 days prior to the event (you can order hard candies earlier). You want the candies to be as fresh as possible, but you also want to allow yourself a buffer zone in case there's a problem with delivery. Use a resource like WeddingManor.com to find a list of candy companies that can deliver your selections to you (see Resources below).
