Candy Buffet 4 graduation Questions about price, etc

[SeansMom]

For those of you who have done a candy buffet, how much was your total cost?

Shipping at some of the online places seems high; did you find a site that seemed reasonable for price PLUS shipping?

Did you use a color scheme (which would be purple, white, and gold) or just use generic candy that appealed and use a variety?

I have containers (from Goodwill and garage sales) but have just started looking at candy. May not be such a great thing for the budget, although it looks cool!

 

[danetter]

I am doing my first candy buffet this June for my niece's graduation. I am just going with generic candy. I have looked at several sites for specific colors schemes and it can really get costly if I do the school colors.

 

[SeansMom]

I am doing my first candy buffet this June for my niece's graduation. I am just going with generic candy. I have looked at several sites for specific colors schemes and it can really get costly if I do the school colors.

May I ask where you are getting your candy and what kinds of candy you've decided on?
Thanks!

 

[cinnamon-sugah]

You could get some great after easter deals on purple and white candies! When I did a candy buffet for DD's birthday a couple of years ago, I shopped the CVS candy sales for a few months before and stocked up. Not only did I save money that way but it didn't seem as big an expense spread out like that. It was totally worth it though because the buffet was the hit of the party!

 

[a1tinkfans]

A Color theme works really well. I made "candy labels" and put them on all the glass jars I used. The jars were various sizes and heights, but all clear glass. I also used a pretty coordinated tablecloth and did jars/displays at various heights. If you google the topic you'll get some great ideas.
I also made a backdrop for behind the candy. I even made an overhang, it looked like a real candy store with an awning. (the poster board you get at craft stores). I then "named our candy store" after the guest of Honor, it was a HUGE hit!
We purchased candy at various places, costco, CVS, Walgreens, sales sales sales!! I have to say it was a tremendous hit.
BY the way, I also used a medium sized kids ball, wrapped it in white tissue paper, then put cellophane around it and then tied coordinated ribbon (long curly tendrils) on each end and it looked like a BIG piece of hard candy. I made several, again a HUGE hit. I made LARGE lollipops from the same display cardboard background and painted them in spirals and used thicker dowels for the sticks. It was so much fun decorating.
I even made a photo booth out of a HUGE refrig box (the kids were under 12 and it worked amazing) I decorated the booth, and the kids had so much fun going in for their official picture.
Best of Luck, it can look so pretty and dress it up your candy table elegantly or dress it all down and make it FUN for everyone.
sorry I have no pix to post...other peoples kids and I would not do that........

 

[D L and K's Mom]

We purchased our candy at our grocery store. They allowed us to buy bulk and we got a little off per pound. We had a beach theme so we used buckets, sandpails and shovels. It was awesome. My DSIL is having a candy table at her wedding and since her hubby to be is a scientist we are using beakers of all sizes!!! She is going with less expensive candy from SAMS club. I agree with the above poster about going out after Easter and getting jellybeans and hersey kisses when they are marked down.

 

[JillandFamily]

I am also doing one this July for DD birthday. I have been shopping the sales. After Valentines day found a good amount of starburst, suckers, hard candies and airheads. Just storing it til the party. I plan on shopping after Easter also. (just make sure the expiration dates are after your party)

 

[SeansMom]

Has anybody purchased online?

 

[justwinnie]

I did a candy bar for a bridal shower. It was great!

I had about 15 different varieties of candy and I figured about 1 lb per guest- we had 60+ guests, so it was a lot of candy. However, I hardly had any leftovers.

All of the candy had to be individually wrapped (personal choice- I am a germaphobe and would not want loose candy). And very limited chocolate or other melty candy due to August heat. I think the individually wrapped candy worked pretty well- due to the packaging, people were not able to put in as much in their bags. Think of loose M&Ms vs small packs fitting in a bag- you'd get FAR more loose M&Ms to fit in your bag!.

I purchased from after-holiday sales, Amazon, metrocandy.com (10% off first order coupon avail on site), candywarehouse.com, Costco, Target, and Walmart.

I know I definitely spent under $200 for the candy.

These are some of the things I remember buying:
- Lollipops- dumdums, tootsie, and unicorn pops
- Individually wrapped Lifesavers (fruit and mint varieties) were cheapest from Walmart
- Twizzlers from Costco
- Sugar free candy from Amazon
- Mini bags of gummy bears from Amazon
- Airheads from Target

If you want to order by color, candywarehouse.com is a great site- it has color categories

 

[spiderdust]

I'm baffled, and have never heard of a candy buffet before -- is it exactly what it sounds like it is?

 

[BeckyKay]

I love candy buffets. I used to host a cocktails and candy evening. The last I did was this past Halloween. It is not the greatest but worked for the kiddos.

To keep cost low:
You can find some great purple and gold candies at the dollar store (grape mike & Ikes, jolly ranchers - they sell grape only, gold butterscotch, etc). I am a freak about coordinating my serving dishes. You can purchase dime store glass bowls from target - very inexpensive. Have fun with it. Different heights on your dishes is key. If something is too deep, use aluminum foil for fill. I like to make signs to customize things to the occassion. Have fun with it. It will turn out great!

 

[luvdisney00]

I am planning on doing this for my daughter's Sweet 16 in May. Keep all the great ideas coming!

 

[DisneyScraps]

I did one for my daughters Halloween party. I kept it covered with a sheet until the end and the ohhs and awes from the kids were priceless.

I can't tell you how much I spent because i stocked up over time I think that i would be horrified if I actually knew. There isn't anything budget about pounds and pounds of candy.

I used different heights of glass and large wooden blocks to get different heights. I needed 2 table cloths, one for the table and then another to hide all the blocks. It just worked out easier that way. I also used other visual pieces on the table. It was Halloween so I had spiders and skulls and the effect was really pleasing.

Lisa

 

[akenneson]

My sister is doing a candy buffet for her wedding this July. I picked up several bags of conversation heart candys on clearance after Valentines. We also talked about doing jelly belly jelly beans. They were a decent price online but I hate paying for shipping. I found out that we have a local candy store that sells jelly bellys by the pound, all sorts of colors, and their price is actually cheaper per pound and we won't have to pay for shipping. Still deciding on other candies to serve

 

[MinnieGi]

My DD got her braces off and we hosted a low key dinner party for some of her friends that included a gummy candy buffet for dessert plus favors. I got these cute small "chinese takeout" containers at the $store that came 10 to a pack that the girls could use to fill a mixture of the gummy candy to take home as a favor. They were a hit and really cute. Also the most bargain thing at the candy buffet. I bought the rest of the candy through sales at area stores - Target, Wal-mart, and Costco.

 

[kahblue]

I attended a wedding in November that had a candy buffet - loved it! At each place setting was an empty gold box with the couples name and a "Thank You". We then helped ourselves to the candy - whatever we wanted until our boxes were full.

A lot of wrapped chocolate like mini Hershey bars and ball chocolate, hard candy, bubble gum, licorice - all stuff they bought in the bulk section at the grocery store.

I think this is an awesome idea!

 

[armomof3lvsdisney]

I have never heard of a candy buffet. I'm in charge of food at my DS project graduation and I would love to do something like this for it. I'm not sure if I understand exactly how one is done. If someone could give me the "Candy Buffet for Dummies" explaination that would be great! There will probally be 80 to 100 kids there. TIA!!

 

[CarolAnnB]

Here is another thread with lots of ideas and pics of candy buffets

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1828634

 

[disneyleslie]

If you are doing this for high school graduation parties, do you do this instead of food???

Thanks,
Leslie

 

[maggiew]

Here is the candy buffet that I did for my DD's graduation last year:

I got the candy from a variety of places.

From Oriental trading company I got the Graduation fortune cookies, sweet tart diploma rolls, gold coins with graduation head, and I think the mint candies with the graduation cap and 2010 on it.

From CVS/Walgreens I bought whatever blue and gold candy I could find: almond hershey minis wrapped in gold; yellow sugarfree hard candies generic from walgreens; blue and white almond joy bits; yellow butterscotch hard candies.

From Michaels craft store, I bought the m&ms that are in single color bags. I used a 40% off coupon for each and just went several times for a few weeks before the party.

I did order a few things online to get the color scheme. I tried to minimize what I ordered online to reduce shipping. I got: blue swizzle sticks (I think that is what they are called), gold swizzle sticks, blue shark gummies (my DD loves sharks), blue small lollipops and gold small lollipops.

Maggie