(from Favor Ideas)

So — you’ve caught the candy buffet bug.

You’re not alone. More and more brides want to see a tower of sweets at their reception.

Motives differ: some like how buffets allow guests to hunt and pick according to their personal sweet tooth.

Others like the fairytale flavor. Candyland, Babes in Toyland, Willy Wonka: some of our earliest dreams of abbondanza involve forests where gumdrops hang from trees, chocolate runs in rivers and pillars are peppermint sticks.

But just as with Hansel and Gretel, there’s a catch to the candy buffet. Namely? Pulling off a successful one involves a touch of magic.And if that makes you nervous, rest assured you have company. Because a candy buffet isn’t free. Like any other “wow” aspect of a wedding, it’s part of your overall investment. And while the waitstaff might pass the hors d’oeuvres and the venue lay out the linens, you could be on your own when it’s time to design the candy buffet.

But not to worry: here are some tips from the pros for translating that bountiful delight in your head into a mouth-watering reality at your wedding.

The Secret to Sweetness

Scan all those photos of candy buffets throughout the web, and you’ll quickly spot two things.One, buffets are monstrously popular. And two, while some are a feast for the eyes, others seem to fall short of the heights their planners must have hoped for.

So what’s the secret?

Here’s number one: buying enough candy. Sounds simplistic, but it’s key.

“The first thing I tell brides — you really can’t do candy as a hard commodity. It’s more a decoration,” says Jon Prince, president of online candy giant CandyFavorites.com.

“I talk to hundreds of brides. They’ll say, ‘I’m having 200 guests, and I want to give each guest 3 ounces, so I guess I need about 37 pounds of candy.’ Sounds reasonable, and 3 ounces might be enough to actually satisfy your guests, but visually? It won’t be enough to make a presence.”

Prince suggests that instead of seeing candy by the numbers, brides take an aesthetic approach. “You choose the flowers because they’re beautiful,” he says. “The candy buffet should be too.”

And unlike flowers, Prince adds, candy serves double duty as an edible item. “Still, you have to budget the candy buffet into your wedding expenses. It doesn’t work well as an afterthought.”

But what about the wedding planners who suggest buying a pound of candy per person?

Prince says buffets work best when you plan by the eye, not the numbers.

“To make it look gorgeous, I’d start with the table, not the guest count. I’d take five to 10 types of candy, and buy 15 to 20 pounds each, whether you actually need that much or not.”

He adds, “When it comes to candy, the more the merrier. If you have a large table overflowing with candy, you have presence. The biggest disappointment I hear is that the candy buffet didn’t look substantial.”

Like a Kid in a Candy Store? Here’s What to Buy

Okay, so now you have a handle on those numbers. But between the heaping bins at upscale food markets and the galaxies of candy choices online, which temptations do you choose?There aren’t any hard-and-fast rules, says Prince.

But are there any trends afoot? Any rush for a particular kind of candy?Not really, he says. Instead, it’s the season’s colors and themes that are driving brides’ choices.

To illustrate, Prince describes an all-white Miami wedding where the couple set up 20 to 30 pounds each of white candies, placing the unwrapped varieties in jars, martini glasses and other interesting containers, and piling custom-wrapped mint rolls in front. “It looked fantastic,” he says.

Then there was the bride with an Emilio Pucci theme, who ordered her candy in a stylish palette of brown, pink and green.

Mark Kingsdorf of The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants concurs: it’s the themes that shape candy buffets. “And like everything else in weddings, candy buffets are getting more and more personalized, with more and more variations.

“Of course, ‘Everything old is new again,’” he adds. “So you see things like retro candy buffets. At one wedding we did the candy bracelets and necklaces on the elastic cords; the little waxed bottles filled by sugar water.

“There are very few themes you can’t do with candy. Beach weddings are fun, with all those boardwalk choices: saltwater taffy, caramel apples, fudge, peanut brittle.”

“I like to focus,” explains Prince, “but the focus can be anything. Candies you personally like, or a theme, or a texture. If you’re having an all-white wedding, you’ll want an all-white candy buffet. If you’re having a destination wedding in an exotic location, you could choose dramatic, Caribbean types: Island Punch Jelly Belly beans.

“In the end, you want ‘presence.’ Mies van de Rohe once said ‘Less is more,’ but he definitely wasn’t talking about candy buffets.”

Fashion a Feast for the Eye

You’re set. You’ve narrowed down your choices… and you’ve got the goods. Now how do you add those visual touches that turn your buffet from “aww” to “jaw-dropping”? For starters: choose cool containers. “One of the more striking displays I’ve seen put the candy in William Yeoward and Baccarat,” says Prince.”Basically — and this is a good idea — the couple matched their candy containers to their floral vases.”

Don’t have quite that much fine crystal waiting in the wings? Here’s a budget-friendly alternative from Kingsdorf. “Find some interesting containers: different shapes, different heights. Personally, I’ve used a dozen different containers from Ikea, and the most expensive one was about $10.”

He adds that clear containers are best, to show off the contents, and that container mouths should be wide enough for the scoops.

“To make the whole look pop, raise some of those containers on the table.” Kingsdorf explains an old catering trick is to take a catering rack or a milk crate — “the kind that restaurants and supermarkets get their milk delivered in” — turn it upside down on the table, and cover with a cloth.

“A nice bunching fabric gives you spill and texture. Put some of your containers on top of that.”

The final touch? A floral arrangement. Or more cheaply, some complementary pillar candles in your wedding colors.

Kingsdorf adds that your most personal touch could be the candy bags. “At one of the weddings I did recently, the couple went to a dollar store and got a bunch of takeout containers in red, one of their colors.

“They personalized each container with a little sticker, which was inexpensive and very cute. Anyone could do the same thing: use a tag or little rubber stamp, or stickers.

“Just find a way to add that custom touch.”

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (for Candy)

So why are candy buffets so sizzling hot these days, anyway?Simple: they’re a huge hit with guests. “Favors can be a tough choice,” points out Kingsdorf. “Depending on your guests, you might find yourself picking up a ton of personalized CDs or bottle stoppers at the end of the night. But when it’s edible, people eat it … or take it home. I think a lot of brides are cueing into that.”

Prince adds, “It’s just a trend people are enjoying right now.

“But when you really dig down,” he muses, “it’s not about the product at all. It’s about nostalgia.

“In a lot of weddings, two people are taking a major step toward adulthood. The candy buffet lets them connect back to any fond memories they have of childhood.

“Candy is powerfully reminiscent,” he concludes.

Established in 1927, McKeesport Candy Co., has seen candy trends come and go and we are often asked about the history of candy.

Although it would be impossible to present an exact history, the timeline illustrates the pattern at which the candy industry developed.

An interesting piece of candy trivia is that sixty five (65) percent American candy bars have been around for longer than sixty (60) years.

To view a list of Discontinued Candies, gone but not forgotten, please click here.

1800s

• 1854 The first packaged box of Whitman’s chocolate debuts thus being the advent of boxed chocolates as we know them today.
• 1868 Richard Cadbury introduces the first Valentine’s Day box of chocolates.
• 1880s Wunderle Candy Company creates candy corn. In 1898, Goelitz Confectionery Company began making candy corn and has made this Halloween favorite longer than any other company. It remains one of the best selling Halloween candies of all times.
• 1893 William Wrigley, Jr. introduces Juicy Fruit Chewing Gum and Wrigley’s Spearmint Chewing Gum.
• 1896 Tootsie Rolls debut, introduced by Leo Hirshfield of New York who named them after his daughter’s nickname, “Tootsie”.

1900s

• 1900 Milton S. Hershey of Lancaster , PA introduces the first Hershey milk chocolate bar. As one of the oldest American candy bars still in existence, it deserves to be called “The Great American Chocolate Bar”
• 1901 The King Leo pure peppermint stick candy was developed and trademarked.
• 1901 Multicolored candy disks called “NECCO wafers” first appear named for the acronym of the New England Confectionery Company.
• 1902 New England Confectionary Company (NECCO) makes the first conversation hearts which, to this day, continue to be a Valentine’s Day tradition.
• 1905 The Squirrel Brand Company of Massachusetts creates the first peanut bar known as the Squirrel Nut Zipper. This candy bar was, sadly, discontinued in the late 1980’s
• 1906 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses chocolates appear in their familiar silver foil wraps.

1910s

• 1912 Life Savers, the candy named for its ring shape with the hole in the center is introduced in peppermint flavor. Twenty Two (22) years would pass before the popular five-flavor roll is introduced.
• 1912 The Whitman’s Sampler box of chocolates is introduced and is the first box of chocolates to include an index allowing chocolate lovers to specifically choose the candy that they want to eat.
• 1913 Goo Goo Clusters, a Southern favorite, was the first bar to combine milk chocolate, caramel, marshmallow and peanuts.

1920s

• 1920 Fannie May Candies opens its first retail candy shop in Chicago .
• 1920 The Baby Ruth candy bar is introduced and is named for President Grover Cleveland’s daughter not the famous baseball player.
• 1921 Chuckles – colorful, sugared jelly candies are first made.
• 1922 Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are introduced and take on a cult status amongst East Coast candy lovers.
• 1923 The Mounds Chocolate Bar is offered which includes coconut filling encased in rich milk chocolate.
• 1923 The Milky Way Candy Bar is introduced by the Mars family. The candy bar was designed to taste like Malted Milk.
• 1925 Bit-O-Honey the honey-flavored taffy bar made with bits of almond is first introduced.
• 1926 Milk Duds are introduced
• 1927 McKeesport Candy Co. was established. Although not as important as the introduction of a new candy bar, we couldn’t resist including ourselves.
• 1928 Heath Bars appear, offering chocolate covered toffee.
• 1928 An important year for any candy lover as the beloved Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is introduced. It remains one of the best selling candy bars of all times!

1930s

• 1930 M&M Mars introduces the Snickers Bar which, to date, is the best selling candy bar of all time. It was named after one of the family’s beloved horses…
• 1931 Tootsie Roll Pops are introduced and are consider by some to be the first “novelty candy” as they combined two candies in one.
• 1931 A fortunate accident involving Marshmallow at the Sifer’s Candy Company lead to the creation of the Valomilk Candy Bar.
• 1932 M&M Mars introduces the MARS Candy Bar which was renamed Snickers Almond Crunch in the late 1990’s. The formula remains the same with the only difference being the name!
• 1932 Ferrara Pan Candy Company, located in Chicago , introduces Red Hot Cinnamon candy known as Red Hots.
• 1932 M&M Mars debuts the 3 Musketeers Bar, made as a three-flavor bar featuring chocolate, vanilla and strawberry nougat. This flavor combination would last for thirteen (13) years.
• 1936 In a break from tradition, William Luden, one of the creators of Cough Drops, introduces the 5 th Avenue Candy Bar.
• 1939 Hershey’s Miniatures chocolate bars debut.

1940s

• 1941 “M&M’s” Plain Chocolate Candies are introduced in response to depressed chocolate sales in summer. Fifty-nine years later, M&M Mars shortened the name to M&M’s.
• 1942-1945 Working hard to maintain high wartime morale, female employees at Whitman’s Candy Company secretly slipped notes to soldiers in boxes of Whitman’s Chocolate Samplers destined for military shipment. The notes resulted in several long-term friendships and even a few marriages.
• 1945 M&M Mars decides to change the formula in the 3 Musketeers Bar to All Chocolate
• 1949 Junior Mints were introduced.
• 1949 Smarties candy roll wafers are introduced. They are often referred to as “candy pills”.
• 1949 El Bubble Bubble Gum Cigars are the first five-cent bubble gum.

1950s

• 1954 Marshmallow Peeps are introduced by Just Born, Inc. in the shape of Easter chicks.
• 1950 Bobs Candy Canes, sold under the Cris Cringle brand, are introduced.
• 1958 Candy Necklaces, a retro candy classic, are introduced.

1960s

• 1960 In an effort to create a healthy candy product, M&M Mars Starburst Fruit Chews are introduced and later fortified with Vitamin C.
• 1960 Amurol confections introduce the first sugar free bubble gum called Blammo.
• 1960 Ferrara Pan Candy Company introduces Lemonheads and later in the year, Apple Heads,Grape Heads and Orange Heads.
• 1963 Sweetarts are introduced.

1970s

• 1970 M&M Mars introduces the Snickers Munch Bar
• 1976 Herman Goelitz Company introduces the first individually flavored Jelly Bean known as Jelly Bellies.
• 1978 Fueled by the overwhelming success of Reese Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey’s introduces Reese Pieces.
• 1979 M&M Mars introduces the Twix Caramel Cookie Candy Bar.

1980s

• 1980 Herman Goelitz Company introduces the first American-made gummi bears and gummi worms. Traditionally, these candies were imported from Europe .
• 1981 Fueled by their success in Europe, M&M Mars introduces Skittle Bite Size Candies.

1990s

• 1992 M&M Mars introduces DOVE Dark Chocolate Bar and DOVE Milk Chocolate Bars
• 1994 M&M Mars introduces Starburst Jelly Beans.

As of writing, candy companies continue to offer new candy bars and other unique novelties but the classics, such as Reese Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers continue to please.

We would like to extend thanks to the National Confectioners Association for sharing information in the Confectionary Timeline. We recommend their site as it offers a wealth of candy related resources.