Setting up a wedding candy bar where guests can make their own bombonieres is a very fashionable option that gives your guests something to do during your reception, and ensures that they get some sweet treats they really like.
Here are ten tips on setting up a bomboniere candy bar:
Put up a sign explaining to guests that you want them to help themselves and fill up the boxes or bags provided with candy. If guests have never seen a bomboniere candy bar before they may be a little confused.
Have a variety of candies including chocolates, rock style hard candy, jelly fruit sweets, mints and toffee or fudge to cater for all tastes.
Think outside candy and consider a cookie, muffin or brownie bar, or have a ædecorate your own cupcake’ bar with single cup cake sized boxes to place the finished products in. You can even have a yoghurt covered fruit bar for a healthier option.
Keep a supply of candy back to replenish your bar so that it always looks full even when your greedier guests have tucked in. Keeping a limited amount of candy on display will prevent the majority of guests from over indulging.
Make containers attractive and suitable for your wedding theme. Glass jars, decorative baskets and brightly coloured bowls are all good choices. Make sure your boxes or bags are coordinated with your wedding tables as many of the bombonieres will end up there even if you don’t put them there in the first place.
Think about hygiene and make sure you provide scoops and tongs for your guests to pick up sweets, cookies and chocolates instead of using their hands. The area around the bar should be regularly swept and tidied as candies are bound to end up on the floor or the surface of the bar.
Provide stickers for guests to seal up their bomboniere boxes or bags so that they aren’t tempted to tuck in before the wedding breakfast, and so that the contents doesn’t spill into their hand bags. Stickers can be a simple fun picture, or can be personalised with your names and wedding date printed.
Create a long bar so that more than one guest can make their bomboniere at once. If there is only space for one guest people may be reluctant to take a bomboniere as they may feel self conscious about being the only person tucking in.
Position your bar carefully. You don’t want to place it in a walkway where guests will be in the way when they are making up their bombonieres, but you also don’t want it to be in the main reception area as guests may treat it as a buffet and graze throughout the reception.
Have some back up bombonieres made up and ready to give to guests that have been too self conscious to make their own. These can be given out at the end of the reception as guests are leaving.
