The Sweetest Trend in Weddings…The Candy Station

Candy bars, candy buffets & candy stations are the sweetest thing to happen to a bride since the cupcake. Brides from Newport Beach to New York City are requesting candy stations at their engagement parties, showers & wedding receptions because they are budget friendly, a popular treat, can blend with any decorator's color scheme and are available in wide variety of flavor options. In addition, dessert bars in general are growing in popularity from cookies & milk to marshmallow buffets & late night snack bars.

We talked to Jackie Sorkin owner of Custom Candy Buffet Bars in Costa Mesa, California to a deep dive on what's happening with candy and dessert bars.

Candy stations can be created in a variety of styles, sizes, color schemes and themes. When deciding on what look you would like to achieve with your candy station you may want to consider these very popular options.

The Monochromatic: This would consist of a single color of candy as well as variations of that color in different shades, tones and tints. For example a pink candy station may contain hot pink, dark pink & baby pink varieties. Un- wrapped candy selections look best when creating a monochromatic candy station. These candy stations are clean and modern and create a beautiful high-end look.

Complimentary Wedding Colors: A Candy station that is created in your selected wedding color scheme will always compliment your event and match the décor & flowers. For example, if your wedding colors are lush red roses and black & white linens, chairs & red or amber lighting, your candy station may consist of lots of Red, Black and White Candy. Creating patterns with the candy in jars or layering 2-3 kinds of candy like jelly beans or M&M's creates a modern look. Adding touches like rock candy sticks or gourmet lollipops also enhances the design of your candy station.

Whimsy & Colorful: Consisting of a variety of colorful candy. Colorful candy stations are whimsical and loved by all. These tables would typically contain a large assortment of un-wrapped and wrapped candies as well as nostalgic candy. This style is perfect for the ultimate candy lovers who want to create a candy station that is both nostalgic & fun. The colors that work best with this type of candy station are bright and bold: Yellow, blue, red, green, orange, purple & pink.

Chocolate Candy Station: An all chocolate candy station is perfect for the choc-o-holic. This would consist of a variety of chocolate selections including Milk, Dark & White Chocolates. Other selections may include imported chocolates & truffles, bon- bons, chocolate covered marshmallows, chocolate dipped strawberries and pretzels, malt balls and more. Keep in mind that an all chocolate candy station will cost more as chocolates are simply more expensive weather purchase by the pound or in bulk.

Many brides will attempt at creating their own candy stations or have their wedding planners assist in taking on the task. There are also fantastic companies who specialize in creating candy stations. When hiring a professional company to create your candy station the benefits can be found in their expertise, design and cost. The savings can be hefty as these companies provide all items needed like jars, scoops and décor as free rentals.

TIPS:
When opting for a candy station make sure you have enough candy for every guests to take home unless you are simply serving it as a dessert bar at your event. In that case, you may want to provide just enough so guests can snack on treats throughout the evening. Location, location, location! Check the layout of your venue and set up your candy station in an area that will not cause a traffic jam. Sometimes candy stations cause so much excitement you have everyone cramming into one area to grab their goodies and it could get a bit hectic. A popular idea is to have the candy station set up during the latter part of the evening in a foyer or selected area and as your guests head home they leave with a sweet lasting impression of your very special day.