This might come off as a little biased, but we think that candy buffets are the greatest thing to grace the American celebration since the invention of the party hat. They’re affordable, easy to set up, and with a little creative arranging they can be an absolute show-stopper at any wedding or holiday party.
For example, here are 15 sweet spreads that illustrate how discount bulk candy can make buffets that are a perfect fit for any occasion. If they don’t inspire you to start arranging rock candy bouquets for your next get together, then we don’t know what will.
#1. The “Purple Arizona” Wedding Buffet.
Newlyweds Eric and Sheri pushed the purple envelope this summer with their contemporary ceremony in Arizona. Their wedding, held at the Tre-Bella in Mesa, AZ, included aubergine accessories, fuchsia bouquets and one heck of an impressive candy buffet loaded with purple Nerds, gold Reese’s cups and more. You can see more pictures over at Pretty My Party.
#2. Maryland’s Pink and Green Candy Buffet.
When Bethany from the style blog Maryland Pink and Green decided to host a communion party for her family, it was pretty obvious what color scheme she would follow. With the help of a party planner, she put together a chic little get-together that featured, among other things, an awesome pink and green candy buffet. In addition to traditional staples like candied almonds and gumballs, the buffet also featured a cupcake tower and a bouquet of cake pops. This is a great example of how incorporating different desserts into your display can help create a polished and tantalizing finished product.
#3. The Yo Gabba Gabba! Candy Buffet
Yo Gabba Gabba! is a popular children’s show on Nick Jr. that features colorful monsters and people in loud, over-the-top costumes. As you might imagine, it has inspired a number of themed birthday parties and one super-cool candy buffet, courtesy of Laurie at GabbaFriends.com. The buffet features a variety of candy associated with different characters from the show, such as Plex’s Yellow Electric Candy Canes and Muno’s Jelly Belly Oskee Bugs. It’s an easy and fun DIY project that you should definitely consider incorporating into the next party you throw for your little monster.
#4. The Candyland Christmas Buffet.
What’s red and white and tastes amazing after a few eggnogs? A Christmas-themed candy buffet, of course. This sweet spread, courtesy of Jenn from Hostess with the Mostess , features a cupcake tower, spiral lollipops, mini-candy cane milkshakes and a wide variety of gingerbread people. While it looks professional grade, you can make it all on your own with just one trip to your local craft store. Visit the HWTM site to see how.
#5 The Glam Snowgirls Buffet.
What exactly is a “glam snowgirl?” We’re not sure. All we know is that this winter-themed buffet from TomKat Studio is totally awesome. Featuring “frosted” snowflake sugar cookies, coconut snow, a giant snowball centerpiece cake, DIY snowmen and even more coconut snow, this wintery dessert table is bound to be a hit at your next holiday party. Did we mention there’s a lot of coconut snow?
#6 The Pittsburgh Wedding Candy Buffet.
Nobody does black and yellow like Pittsburgh. Show off your Steelers, Penguins or Pirates pride with this cool wedding candy buffet by Simply Perfect Weddings. Featuring lemon heads, licorice, gumballs and other traditional staples, this buffet will make sure that everyone knows which city you root for on game day.
#7 The Classic Halloween Candy Buffet.
Candy buffets and Halloween parties go together like apothecary jars and candy corn – both of which happen to feature prominently in this awesome candy spread by The Rogue Bride. All you need to do is get the decorative jars you had left over from your wedding, put some Halloween candy in them, place them on an orange table cloth with some streamers and cupcakes for accent pieces and voila, you’ve got a cool buffet that’s perfect for any party on All Hallows Eve.
#8 The Spooky Halloween Candy Buffet.
Here’s another great example of an impressive Halloween candy buffet that you can put together on your own. In addition to the standard array of candy pumpkins and gumballs, this setup by Candy Buffet 101 also features a “graveyard” with a row of “monster” PEZ dispensers rising out of gummy worm-infested soil. Add a little dry ice for effect and you’ve got one cool conversation piece for your next holiday party.
#9 The Grey and Yellow Wedding Candy Buffet.
Sometimes a decorative backdrop is all you need to turn a standard candy buffet into an absolute show-stopper. Take this grey and yellow-themed candy bar by KaLice Events for example. While the spread isn’t as bountiful as other buffets on this list, the super-decorative backdrop really makes the selection of gum balls, cupcakes, pretzel sticks and brownies stand out.
#10 The Georgia Country Candy Buffet.
This southern-style candy buffet comes to us courtesy of Southern Weddings and newlyweds Malloree and Jordan. Rather than choosing traditional candy favorites for their dessert bar, the bride and groom opted for a more southern, farmer-friendly spread of pecans, dried pineapple, sunflower seeds and a bevy of homemade cupcakes. Toned-down and tasteful, this buffet is proof that awesome wedding candy spreads don’t have to be totally unhealthy for you.
#11 The Vintage Gatsby Candy Buffet.
Let’s ignore the fact that Great Gatsby-themed parties totally go against the message of the book for a second. Right now vintage Gatsby-esque parties are all the rage, and if you should happen to throw one yourself then you should definitely include an antiquated candy buffet like this one by Infinite Events. Even though it’s all white, that’s all right in our book. The selection of meringues, cupcakes and candied almonds is accented by a few pale-blue pieces of rock candy and several large peacock feathers to create a spread that’s as refined as it is delectable.
#12 The Ultimate Fall Candy Buffet.
When Shayna from WeddLady.com calls her fall-themed candy buffet “ultimate,” she isn’t joking around. Her enormous selection of sweets features just about everything you could hope for, from Red Vines to Reese’s Pieces to peppermint bark to candy pumpkins and more. Pretty darn impressive if you ask us.
#13 The French Macaroon Dessert Bar.
You might look at Aileen Tran’s understated French Macaroon dessert bar and think to yourself, “what kind of a candy buffet is that?” The answer is that it’s a darn good one. While the offerings on Aileen’s table are minimal – a few macaroons and meringues – the way she accents the outdoor spread with statues and some errant flower blooms makes the display resemble something from a Martha Stewart magazine. If you’re trying to build a buffet on a limited budget or you’re just worried about your uncle Larry overdosing on M&M’s again, this is definitely a design that should inspire you.
#14 The Blue Bar-Mitzvah Candy Buffet.
It should come as no surprise that candy-artist Jackie Sorkin knows how to build a candy buffet. After all, she was the star TLC’s “Candy Queen.” You can find a ton of impressive candy tables to inspire you on her website, but our favorite is the all-blue buffet she did for a Bar Mitzvah. The spread features blue gumballs, cerulean popcorn, cornflower-colored cupcakes and more. It’s so blue that you can probably see it from space – and we think that’s super cool.
#15 The Retro Baking Candy Buffet.
Why would you use only candy for a baking-themed bridal shower buffet? We’re not totally sure. All we know is that this retro candy buffet table from Sweet I Do’s looks super cool. The array of vintage candy, such as saltwater taffy and rock candy, goes great with the antique bottles that the planners used as a centerpiece and we love how other elements like a flour sieve and a rolling pin are incorporated into the theme. It’s an interesting twist on a traditional party idea that works wonderfully.
Get Inspired for Your Next Party
Just because these candy buffets are our favorite sweet spreads on the Internet doesn’t mean that you can’t do them one better. If you decide to stock up on some candy from our store and create your own killer buffet, then share it with us in the comments or on our Facebook page!
We’d love to see what you come up with, and if it looks really cool we’ll feature it on our blog in the future!
Good luck and stay sweet,
The CandyStore.com Team
Great! I definitely use one of the idea for my upcoming party…