A sweet buffet can be a great alternative to a dessert option or as a unique favour for guests and if you are creative you can create your own quite easily. Although a sweet buffet can be fairly simple to create you will need to consider your budget (not only for sweets but any accessories, decorations and storage) but you will also need to think about the time it will take you to create, (especially if it is for your big day).
With a sweet buffet the magic is in the presentation and selection of your sweets. Before purchasing anything for your sweet buffet you will need to decide on a few things, the following questions will help you in planning your sweet buffet.
- How many people it is for? Are you catering for a wedding reception with 100+ people or will it be an intimate event with less than 50 guests?
- How many sweets will you need? For our packages we use 140g per person which is more than the traditional quarter (113g). This provides plenty of sweets with lots left over. Not everyone will have the allocated 140g, some will have more and some wont have any but rest assured this is a good amount to go by.
- What theme/style do you want to go for? A vintage sweet cart looks great with apothecary jars of various sizes however oversized cocktail glasses may suit a more modern, formal event.
- What is the budget? It can be easy to pick up a few bits and pieces here and there to make your sweet buffet look fantastic but the cost will soon shoot up without you realising - can you afford any extra expense?
- Where will the equipment be stored before and after your event? This is often forgotten about when creating your own sweet buffet but not only will you need to store any treats and sweets you will also be storing the glassware and decorative items too.
- What sweets do you want? Does anybody have any special requirements e.g vegetarian, sugar free etc.? You could simply choose your favourite sweets or ask close friends and relatives for their ideas. Many sweet buffets have a few traditional or retro sweets which aren't so commonly available within shops.
Okay so now you have an idea of what you want the buffet to look like (number and quantity of sweets, budget, theme...) you will need to go shopping (or borrowing) for the essentials.
- Glassware to display the sweets
Ebay and Amazon is often the first place many brides try to source the glassware and sweets, however these are not always the cheapest. Have a hunt around your house/friends house to see what unusual vases or glassware could be suitable. Depending on the style of you sweet buffet charity shops may have just what you need for a fraction of the price. Shops like Wilkinsons, The Range, Dunn Elm Mill or Ikea have a great range of reasonably priced glassware and vases which may be just what you need. Regardless of the style and theme of your event, a variety of different shapes and sizes of glassware is needed to create an impact.
If you don't have the time to shop around collecting various vases (or the space to store them) then why not let us provide you with clean glassware, delivered and collected for FREE within 20 miles of M28. Select up to 8 items for only £30! We have a large selection of various sized apothecary jars, oversized cocktail glasses, bowls, cake stands and jars. Just let us know what you want and we will deliver them one day before your event and can even collect them from your venue so you wont need to take them home with you. For more information
contact us.
In order to create an impact with your sweets we suggest that a smaller selection of sweets is best as you can fill large jars and have a suitable quantity to go round your guests. For 100 people we would use between 10-15 different types of sweets. The best places to purchase sweets are wholesalers, such as Makro or Costco where you will be able to pick up bulk packs of sweets. However it is always worth keeping an eye on shops like Home Bargains as they often have retro sweets cheaper than a wholesaler!
- Scoops and tongs for guests to serve the sweets safely
There is a wide variety available on Ebay or Amazon, however we will provide these free with any glassware or cart hire, and we will deliver and collect them too...what more could you want!
- Bags or boxes for guests to put sweets in
Again Ebay or Amazon are probably your best places to look. Traditional candy stripe bags can be anywhere from 6p to 2p each depending on the quantity needed. To make you event truly unique then why not add a personalised sticker. Yes you've guessed it we can do this too, we will personalise you bags with printed messages or will provide you with sheets of personalised stickers to add to your bags.
- Decorative items to match your theme and style
Depending on your theme you may want to include bird cages (vintage theme), cake plates or tea cups and saucers (tea party theme), decorative butterflies, stars, love hearts, ribbons or anything else to match your theme.
- Labels to display the sweets
This isn't necessary but can add an extra special touch to your display. Labels can be made and printed in a simple word document, the shape and font can add to the style and theme. Labels can be attached to your glassware in a variety of ways (hmmm I feel a future post in the midst!).
Unless you are blessed with a beautiful table to match your theme, which I doubt you are, then you will probably want to cover up and hide the table so that it doesn't detract from all your hard work that has gone into creating your stunning display!
Well good luck in creating your very own sweet buffet, if you need any more help or simply want the freedom to create your own buffet without the hassle then
contact us for more information.
