Let's Build a Candy Buffet!
Step 1: Identify your theme OR your color preferences. Insects or animals for a children’s festivity? Retro candy for a milestone birthday?
Color selections could include monochromatic shades of white and ivory for a wedding or bridal shower, brown, black, and cream for a groom’s table or a gentleman’s birthday party, or pink, green, and orange for a sweet sixteen. After that,
It’s up to you and your imagination! We can accommodate just about any ideas you have, so get creative. Have a terrible taste? It happens. Don’t panic. Call us, and we’ll walk you through it, like candy 911.
Step 2: To ensure you have enough treats for everyone, a good rule of thumb is to allocate 8 ounces of candy per guest.
So, for a gathering of 100 people, you'd want to have around 50 pounds of candy on hand. This may seem like a lot of candy but, trust us, it goes quickly and candy, like flowers, is decorative too!
Step 3: With your theme in mind and your guest list tallied, you can build your candy buffet using the simple template here:
Height
Setting up your table with an array of containers is key to displaying your fantastic candy selection.
Opt for classic, clear glass containers for a fail-safe option, or spice things up with an eclectic mix of wooden boxes, paper bags, baskets, vibrant vases, or even vintage buckets.
The secret to a visually captivating display is to play with height variations—combine short, medium, and tall pieces to create a dynamic look. Don't hesitate to use risers to achieve that perfect height disparity among your containers.
Remember, you don’t have to spend much money on this part. Party and craft supply stores sell various decorative containers at reasonable prices, so go wild (but stick to your budget and theme, of course).
Color
This is the fun part: go shopping for candy!
If shopping for a color scheme, try limiting your choices to two or three primary colors if shopping for a color scheme. Each color can certainly have variations of shades within the same family but stick to three primary tones.
If you're aiming for a vibrant color explosion or want to mimic the whimsical charm of a candy store, then embrace the challenge! Opt for either all primary colors or all pastels to ensure the overall look is cohesive and striking.
We’ve made shopping for colors so easy with our Candy Color section that sorts all of the candy available by color, with dozens of shades of colors from which to choose.
Texture
The key with texture is to add some shimmer here and there. Then, all you have to do is select a few goodies from either our Shiny Wrapped Candy section or our Glossy Candy section.
Make sure your candy textures vary with hard candies, soft ones, and maybe
some gummi candies. All these will be found when you are sorting by color, making it super simple!
When shopping for different textures, think about adding some tall candies like candy kabobs, swizzle sticks, and lollipops (we have special sections for each of these on our site, too).
Layers
Now it’s time to put it all together.
Dress the table with the perfect tablecloth, arrange your containers, and fill ‘em up! Add candy scoops and set out your gift bags if you’re using them. Now layer in other details that seem fitting, like pretty framed mirrors for a wedding candy buffet, perhaps attractive labels for your containers, vases of flowers, candles in coordinating shades, or something theme-specific.
For example, a birdcage might go nicely on a feminine candy buff or butterfly net for an insect-themed table or how about a pair of high heels made from M&M's, pictured above, for your favorite fashionista?
How much candy?
Again, the rule of thumb is 8 oz of candy per guest.
Another tip: 5 pounds of candy the size of M&M’s, gummi bears, or gumballs, for example, just about fills a small fishbowl or a shoe box.
You might want to budget for more candy if your event stretches well into the evening. Don’t leave anybody without their fair share and remember that candy is as much a colorful decoration as it is a great party favor.
In case you need more information, we’ve assembled this oh-so-helpful page to help you know exactly how much to buy. Nice, right?
Note on Chocolate and Summer:
Chocolate and other highly-perishable candies should be ordered in cooler months if you are shipping to hot weather destinations to ensure they arrive in tip-top shape.
If you aren’t that organized (we get it), you can add ice packs and Thermo Cases to help protect your goodies. Please read our Hot Weather Shipping page for more info.
You now have all the essential information to set up an amazing candy buffet for your next event! With our extensive selection of thousands of candies, you're sure to find the perfect sweets.
Shop by color for a quick and easy selection or explore our many candy categories to find exactly what you need for any theme or color scheme. And remember, we're here to assist you every step of the way!
