Over the past two years in particular, candy bars or candy buffets have become wildly popular at weddings and other events in Trinidad and Tobago. Many candy bars are colour co-ordinated with the wedding's theme, and can provide an area for unique photo opportunities as well.Whether you're choosing to have a professional help with yours or whether you are willing to DIY (do-it-yourself), there are a few basic dos and don'ts.
Here's how to get started:
Placement
Think about where you will place the candy bar at your reception venue. Consider that guests are likely to crowd around it out of curiosity or queue up to partake. The candy buffet queues should therefore not obstruct traffic flow, block entrances, exits, the dance floor or in-house services, such as the DJ or band.
You can choose to have it discreetly in a corner or make it a focal point at your wedding by placing it on an elevation or even in the centre of the room.
The "big reveal"
Selecting the best time to reveal or open your candy bar is another key issue. After all, you may not want hungry guests munching on candies during your cocktail hour and spoiling their dinner. Many couples choose to open the candy bar after dinner, as part of the dessert selection or for the main dessert.Another option is to unveil your candy bar towards the end of the night. This may provide an element of surprise during your reception and entice guests to stay a little longer.
Assistance
Having someone on hand to help guests is essential, since it may be quite tricky for guests to juggle lifting off candy jar lids, handling a scoop and filling a bag or box at the same time.Once your candy bar is declared open, assign someone to open jar lids and even be responsible for tidying up the table after the guests leave, since there are sure to be stray candies around. This assistant should have extra scoops, tongs and napkins on hand.Keep in mind that leaving the lids open for too long may also harden some types of candies.
Replenishing
Ideally, your refills should be underneath the buffet table for easy replenishing. This must be closely monitored, since you wouldn't want to have a half empty candy bar later on during the wedding.
Tags/labelling
Having clear tags and labels on your jars and pedestals will be a plus for guests, since they will be able to easily identify their favourite candies. Should particular candies have ingredients that may cause allergies, for example peanuts, you can also include that on your label as well.
Many couples also choose to "amp up" their candy bars with decorative accessories such as floral arrangements, parasols, urns, photo frames, art work and other memorabilia.
Packaging
Guests should be provided with little boxes, decorative bags, paper cones or tiny baskets for collecting their candies. This way, your candy bar can double as your wedding favour.
Done well, your candy bar is sure to be both a d�cor and catering element that your guests are sure to remember.