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.

Real Wedding: Megan & Liam

The key is in the details:

Megan and Liam kept the feel of their wedding simple, yet chic with a rustic twist. Farm tables dripping with lace and floral add an elegant feel to a family style of dinning. Outdoor seating areas create more opportunity to add decor and lighting. Take a look at all these great ideas and more! We were thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful day in their lives, best of luck to Megan and Liam!

A sweetgrass rose, perfect small touch and makes a great gift for guest



 



 

Perfect color scheme for the beginning of spring

 

Vendors: Bride & Groom: Meagan and Liam, Photographer: The Connelly, Florist: Charleston Stems, Linens: Eventworks, Lighting and draping: TEC - Technical Event Company, Lounge, Farm Table, and Lace Runner: Ooh! Events, Catering: Middleton Place, DJ: Rob Duren, Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid

Also get a sneak peak at Britton and Blake's Stunning Wedding, more pictures soon to come!

http://riverlandstudios.com/britton-blake-st-lukes-chapel-wedding/

Honoring Lost Loved Ones

Being surrounded by the ones that you love on your wedding day is one of the most important aspects of a wedding. For those that have loved ones that have passed, it's important to feel their presence on your day and make sure they are remembered. Traditionally, bride's have done so by placing flowers on a church pew or alter or by lighting a candle during a ceremony. While we think these are all great ideas  and very special, here are a few more ideas to make sure your loved ones are incorporated in a memorable way.

Family recipes that have been passed down through generations are always a great place to start. If you have a special recipe, like a great cake or pie, you could incorporate those recipes by having them made and placed on a dessert bar. You could also have the recipes for the desserts printed and displayed for your guests to take home as a favor.

If dessert is not your thing, you could always ask your caterer if they could incorporate a family recipe in your main dishes! Think of appetizers and main dishes that you loved growing up that could be a nod to your family heritage.

Other ways that you could incorporate your family is by thinking of something that represents your loved one. For example, maybe a grandfather always carried a handkerchief. You could have embroidered handkerchiefs for your guests or your bridal party.

If you have had a family member pass away due to an illness, you can also make a donation as a favor in their honor. This not only a way to honor them, but to also help others.

Another great place to incorporate family members is in your out of town gift bags. Upon arriving to their hotel, your guests could be greeted with items that not only represent you and your groom, but also your families.

We hope you are able to incorporate some special details into your big day! Happy Planning!

Real Wedding: Alisa & Enrique

Alisa and Enrique exchanged vows under the trees then gathered in the Lowndes Grove River House, which was transformed into a romantic getaway for family and friends.  After a beautiful dinner, no one was shy about getting on the dance floor and doing their thing!

Pin spotting flower arrangements, wine corks to hold guests’ place cards, the Bride's gorgeous Kate Spade shoes, and the use of coffee beans to represent the groom’s Bolivian heritage-the attention to detail really helped to make this event charming and unique.  Special thanks to the bride and groom, Patrick Properties, Loluma, TEC-Technical Event Company, Event Works, Jay Maxwell's Music By Request, Fish Restaurant WildFlour Pastry and Chi Photography

 

   

Vendors: Venue: Lowndes Grove River House; Floral and Uplighting: Loluma; Event Coordination: Sweetgrass Social Event & Design; Photography: Chi Photography; DJ: Jay Maxwell's Music By Request; Caterer: Fish Restaurant; Cake: WildFlour Pastry; Event Rentals: Event Works; Outdoor Cafe Lightning: TEC-Technical Event Company; Signage: Hardink Calligraphy

Real Wedding: Kelly & Brandon

If rain on your wedding day is a sign of good luck, then Kelly and Brandon will surely have a blissful marriage.  The couple gathered with close family and friends for an intimate affair at Middleton Place and although the weather was gloomy, they were nothing but cheerful.  Congratulations newlyweds and best of luck to you both in all your endeavors! 

   

Vendors: Venue: Middleton Place; Floral: Branch Design Studio; Event Coordination: Sweetgrass Social Event & Design; Photography: Riverland Studios; Band: Soul Fish; Cake: Ashley Bakery; Invitations: Mac and Murphy; Transportation: Absolutely Charleston 

Wedding Trailer: Lauren and Matthew

We are so excited to be getting back some sneak peeks of our spring weddings! Here is a great video of Lauren and Matthew's beautiful day!

http://www.sc-wedding-videographer-blog.com/2012/03/charleston-wedding-hibernian-hall-circular-church/#comments

Videographer: Absolute Wedding Films

Sneak Peek of Kelly and Brandon

Thought we would share with you a quick little peek of Kelly and Brandon's big day!

http://riverlandstudios.com/kelly-brandon-middleton-place-wedding/

Photographer: The Oh So Wonderful and Talented Caroline Howard!