Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all wedding reception - a wedding reception that is just like all of the other weddings the bride and groom's families and friends have attended. These days, it's about bringing the personality of the bride and groom into the wedding planning process. It's about creating an experience the guests will enjoy and remember for years to come.



For some, this means having a spectacular wedding candy buffet, rather than more traditional desserts or reception favors, so the bride, groom and their guests can indulge a sweet tooth in celebration of the marriage.

What kinds of candy are typically included in a wedding candy buffet? Where can couples find bulk candy that will be just perfect for a wedding candy buffet - candies that will match the colors of the wedding party and offer something everyone in attendance will love?

The answer to the first question - what can be included in a wedding candy buffet - is both the simplest and most difficult to give. With thousands of varieties of candies and other confectioneries available, a wedding candy buffet selection is only limited by the imagination of the wedding planner. Whatever candies and confectioneries strike the fancy of those planning the festivities, can be included.

Candy and confectionery products are categorized under three primary classifications. Those classifications are "chocolate confectionery", "sugar confectionery", and the "flour confectionery", which refers to products that are made primarily from ground cereals.

When planning an outdoor wedding reception in a garden, one may consider adding butterfly shaped lollipops to the candy buffet to capture the playfulness of the bride and groom. One could also choose lollipops shaped like flowers - daisies, tulips or sunflowers - or even milk chocolate roses.

On the other hand, if the wedding plans include a beachfront wedding reception, one may want to consider bulk candy products shaped like sea creatures or ocean settings. One could get gold foil wrapped chocolate toffee seashells, fruit filled hard candy shells, or chocolate fish, to match the wedding candy buffet to the reception's flavor. One could even throw in those little "beach side" umbrellas for the fruit punch cups.

Others will select bulk candy for their wedding candy buffet based on colors that they are using in their wedding - a variety of pastels, purples or pinks, yellow or silver. Others will select a variety of chocolates from the candy store, including white chocolate, dark chocolate and milk chocolate. Still others will choose conversation hearts and other heart-shaped candies to maintain a sense of sweet, playful romance.

For those who have the creative flair, some people opt to build wedding cakes on a theme such as the honeymoon cruise. The wedding cake will be designed to reflect the image of the cruise ship, and candies will be added to bring out the detail of the cake design. For example, Lifesaver candies can be added to the cruise ship as life preservers, and Gummy fish can be added to the plate to show fish jumping in and out of the sea.

But, the options do not end here. Caramels can be mixed with chocolates, fudges, nut candies, candy corn and taffies, to give everyone their favorite kinds of candies to eat. The hard candy favorites of, peppermint, cinnamon, butterscotch and Jolly Ranchers can be thrown in for those who prefer the long-lasting sweets.

Next to the actual wedding itself, the wedding reception is the best part of the wedding experience. For many, the wedding reception is the good luck party, while for others it is the "thank you for coming to our wedding" party. This is the time when friends and family can send the bride and groom into their new lives as a couple. For many, it is the wedding reception that they will remember the best, because it is the time when everyone can enjoy the presence of the people important in their lives.

Providing a wedding candy buffet will not only give the reception's guests a tasty way to spend an afternoon, it could also create an experience that people will remember, even beyond their own wedding experience. Of course, the bride and groom can only consume so much candy on their own, so it is beneficial to the host to provide takeaway containers in which guests can carry home their favorite treats. In the cruise-themed wedding reception, the host could provide paper-machete boats or a captain's mug with which to carry the candy treats home. Depending on the takeaway container, it might be something that could occupy a shelf in the receiver's home for many years to come, bringing back the memory of this special day any time the receiver sees this special container.

Just as there are no rules for how a wedding reception should be held, there are no restrictions on how to plan a wedding candy buffet. Play. Have fun. After all, your wedding reception will be a celebration - and celebrations give everyone a chance to feel like a kid again. So, let your wedding reception guests feel like kids in a candy store, with a wedding candy buffet.