Unique dessert bar ideas

Candy and Dessert bars are becoming very popular at wedding receptions especially if you’re trying to save money. If a traditional wedding cake isn’t the most important aspect of your wedding, a dessert bar could potentially allow you to have extra money in your budget to go elsewhere. If you worried about having too much left over, provide boxes or bags for you guess to take treats home. You can find many of these desserts from bakeries, you caterer, grocery stores or you can make them yourself as a fun bridal party activity!   Here are some great alternatives and additions to having a traditional or small weddings cake!

Creating your own-These ideas are a great way for guest to get interacting with each other and be creative!

Fondue, who doesn’t love a fountain of flowing chocolate!  You can use anything you like salty or sweet, pretzels, fruit, and even small brownie or cheesecake bites can be delicious.

Sunday/ ice cream cone station and Banana split:  you can have different toppings and ice cream flavors to please every taste bud. It may be a good idea to have someone for this station to help out with scooping the ice-cream, not only to keep things clean but for potion control. This easiest way would be to purchase ice cream and toppings from any grocery store, and have a nice family member, friend, or someone with your caterer to watch over things.

Candy apples: better for fall weddings. Have caramel, nuts, candy, chocolate chips, have sticks and small plastic bags to wrap around for guest to take home. All these things can easily be purchased at a grocery store and craft store. This can also double as a great party favor!

Fruit and yogurt:  healthier alternative for people to choose from, you can have fruit, yogurt, granola and allow guest to pick and choose what they want.  Having different types of glasses to make the parfaits in, give a classier look. Martini glasses, wine glasses, cute juices small glasses or even tall shot glasses can be used for a smaller parfait.

Cake Pops!

Cake pops are basically a small piece of cake dipped in candy coating or frosting, on a stick like a, lollipop. A large wedding cake can many times be wasted, cake pops allow a perfect bit size of sweetness and can customize to your flavor of choice and wedding colors. They can also compliment a smaller size wedding cake, if you just want one for the cut of the cake, then the pops can be passed throughout. You can find easy recipes online such as this one from Martha Stewart, http://www.marthastewart.com/315587/ cupcake-pops-and-bites or check out Ashley’s bakery in Charleston, http://www.ashleybakery.com

Cookies and Cupcakes

Cupcakes have become very popular alternative to a cake, they are cute, fun and a great proportion for guest to enjoy and take home. Cupcakes also provide for a large variety of flavors to please everyone, and you can choose color frosting to match you wedding theme and colors.

Don’t forget about cookies! There are so many varieties, you can easily make them yourself or pick up a platter at any grocery store, many restaurants and bakeries. If you make them yourself, there are numerous ways to decorate in a unique way to reflect your wedding ideas. Everything from cookie cutters of diamond rings, champagne flutes, hearts, weddings bells or letter cutters to create the initials of bride and groom. You can get this wedding set of cookie cutters at Michaels http://www.michaels.com/Wedding-Cookie-Cutter-Set/bk0173,default,pd.html.  Using appropriate colors of frosting and monograms can make a big impact with a small treat.  

Decorate your own cookies or cupcakes can be fun for adults and kids! Word of the wise, you may want to have someone monitoring the station, especially if you have kids  involved, this can tend to get a bit messy .  Bliss wedding market has some goo options for bags as well as Michaels, target and other craft stores.  http://www.blissweddingsmarket.com/store/wedding-favor-bags.htm

Candy bar

Peanut brittle, cotton candy, caramel popcorn, and any candy the colors of you wedding are also a great party favor for guest to take home. Make sure you have bags or boxes so guest can take as much as they please, you don’t want to have a tone of candy to take home and waste. Riverside on sweets on Market Street has some great options, http://www.riverstreetsweets.com/.

Decorating Dessert Bar

Use different colors, preferable your wedding colors, of bowls dishes, and plates. The buffet should be pleasing to the eye, don’t keep everything at one level, use stands to create different levels and of desserts. Use flowers and other decorations used throughout you wedding to tie everything in.  Of course you want to use small labels or larger lables, like calk boards to explain what everything is.

To see some of these ideas at real weddings, check out on gallery on our website, http://sweetgrasssocial.com/ and our Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweetgrass-Social.