11 DIY Candy Buffet Ideas For Rustic Outdoor Weddings
Fall wedding season is quickly approaching, and you know what that means: outdoor weddings! One of the best things about having an outdoor wedding is that you're not confined to a certain amount of square footage; you have room to be creative.You also have room for more guests, which stretches your budget a little bit. It's important to be able to save money where you can so that you can please your guests and give them a memorable experience.
While you shouldn't skimp on the food, you can save a few bucks on accoutrements. Rustic outdoor weddings will save you on decor, because you can use raw materials like hay, wood, and greenery. It's all about understated, rustic charm.
Here are 11 of our favorite DIY ideas for rustic outdoor weddings (and parties, too).
Wedding Cakes in Apothecary Jars
Credit: Style Me Pretty
Setting up a dessert table outside means that you run the risk of attracting flies and other pesky bugs. To protect your confections, place some apothecary jars or decorative glass bowls on top of them. It will protect the food while providing a stunning cake display.
We've also seen a creative idea to turn wine glasses upside down to protect cupcakes and other mini-treats from the elements!
Check out some more gorgeous pictures here!
Tiered Tree Stump Cake Stand
Credit: My Yellow Umbrella
Whether you're using it for your cake or a few hundred cupcakes, tree stump cake stands are a great touch to an outdoor wedding. And you can DIY it with a little bit of time and effort!
Alina and a group of friends got together to DIY their wedding cake stand using some cut down trees from a local forest. They even customized it by carving their initials and date into the wood.
See how this couple teamed up to create their own tree stump cake stand here.
Whiskey Barrel Table
Credit: Story Board Wedding
We've seen a few DIY whiskey barrel tables, and we love them all! This couple planned their own DIY wedding, using two complementary elements, burlap and lace, for a mix of rustic and vintage charm.
How cute is the whiskey barrel candy bar? It looks like they just turned a barrel upside down, attached some wood to the top, and put some lace over it for a more feminine look.
See more of this burlap and lace-themed wedding over at SBW!
Stacked Crate Table
Credit: Kara's Party Ideas
This low-key barn wedding took place in Australia and included beautiful flowers, burlap, and a teahouse truck. For their dessert buffet, they chose to use a mix of crates and old suitcases to build a table from scratch.
We love that using different sized crates and suitcases creates a staggered look, and gives each dessert a place to be displayed. Our only question is how do you keep them all attached?
See more of this rustic photoshoot here.
Burlap Table Runner
Credit: Wedding Chicks
We love the way this wedding planner draped the burlap across the candy buffet. Burlap is such a versatile fabric, and can be used for so many outdoor rustic events.
See more at The Wedding Chicks.
Chalkboard Brick Labels
Credit: Wedding Chicks
Just when you think the chalkboard paint trend is dying out, someone dreams up a new way to use it and we fall in love again. Wedding chicks took the multi-purpose paint and made some adorable table numbers from bricks.
Get the tutorial from the Wedding Chicks here.
Galvanized Tub Cooler
Credit: Hostess With The Mostess
Using over sized galvanized tubs to keep drinks cool is ideal for outdoor weddings. But there are probably millions of things you could store in those tubs, from ice cream to floral arrangements.The simple, industrial look of the galvanized metal brings a country chic element to any outdoor wedding buffet. Plus, you can use it after the wedding for entertaining.
To see more pictures of this DIY purple-themed rustic wedding, check out HWTM.
Pallet Bar
Credit: Brazos Valley Bride
What outdoor wedding would be complete without a pallet somewhere in the decor? Add this pallet bar to the ever-expanding list of ways to upcycle a pallet.
Brazos Valley Bridge used 3 pallets, sand paper, and some stain and fastened it all together to make this beautiful bar. Seems simply enough, right?
Get the full tutorial over at Brazos Valley Bride!
Dresser Shelf Cookie Display
Credit: Green Wedding Shoes
This adorable couple had their outdoor wedding at a barn, and set up a dessert table using old dresser drawers to store the sweets. Brilliant! Plus, can we talk about that fabulous tree trunk table?
We can totally see an antique dresser drawer filled with nothing but candy!
Check out more pictures here!
Hay Bales
Credit: Ruffled Blog
Hay is (relatively) cheap and can be a beautiful, rustic touch to a dessert buffet. Although the photoshoot was originally for an outdoor Thanksgiving feast, you can get some great ideas for a Thanksgiving wedding.
Like this hay bale table, for instance. They used a few bales of hay as the base and what looks like an upcycled door as the table top.
See more of this Thanksgiving-themed wedding over at Ruffled!
Rustic Candy Scoops
Credit: Etsy via Jumbled Brains
We found this adorable candy scoops on Etsy, and they'd be perfect for a rustic outdoor party or reception. You can probably even DIY your own, if you're on a budget.
Get some inspiration over on Jumbled Brains' Etsy!