6 Candy Stylists Give Top Tips for Making Your Own Candy Buffet
What's sweeter than a buffet of candy? Candy Buffets are really popular for all types of events, from weddings, birthday parties, and beyond. Did you know that there are Candy Stylists? We've gathered the top 6 in the world and asked them to share a few tips and tricks on how to build the perfect candy buffet.
Amber Housley - Amber Housley
Nashville, Tennessee
1. What makes a candy buffet deliciously beautiful and complement the event?
A beautiful candy buffet is created by arranging a variety of sweets in different shapes and sizes on a range of height levels in order to make an aesthetically appealing design. Make your candy buffet complement your event by matching the colors of your event to the candy, linens, and serving trays and vessels that you choose. Sprinkle decor details that you are using throughout your event, such as flowers or paper signage, on the buffet to tie everything together. We also love creating custom treat bags with personalized stickers and labels that feature our client's names or a special message on them!
2. How do you choose the candy and what to put it in?
The candy chosen should be candy that the host, hostess, or guest of honor loves most! You should also offer a variety of candy options, from sweet treats to salty and fruity to chocolate. Does your favorite candy come in a neutral color, or one that doesn't match your event's color palette? Not a problem! It is easy to convert neutrals to any color by dipping them in colored chocolate or displaying them in cupcake liners that match your palette. Choosing how to display your candy is just as fun and important as choosing which candy to serve. Think of how you will serve the candy to your guests. Hard candy such as jelly beans, salt water taffy, or ribbon candy is best served in tall, wide glass jars with a scoop so guests can scoop up a spoonful. Larger candy and sweets such as macarons, chocolate covered cherries, and cupcakes are best displayed on flat serving trays or raised cake stands so guests can pick one up for their plate!
Owner & Lead StylistScottsdale, Arizona
1. What makes a candy buffet deliciously beautiful and compliment the event?
I believe a great candy buffet starts with a great linen to compliment the candy Table. I also feel that having 3-4 candy colors as well as placing the jars all different heights helps give the table a more dramatic look. A couple different colors also gives you a variety of flavors. One thing we specialize in is adding custom candy jar tags to identify the candy and also complement the candy.
2. How do you choose the candy and what to put it in?
We first talk with our clients to see if there is any special candy or decor they would prefer to have on the table. We can match the candies to their decor or we can create a whimsical table filled with old fashion candy. We also make sure there is a good variety of flavors as well as types of candies like sours, chocolates, and fruit or mint flavors. We normally put our candy in Apothecary jars and other glassware. One thing is to make sure the jars have wide openings so you can easily get the candy out with the scoops. A lot of the jars look pretty but they do not work for candy buffets.
Sherree-Lee Kruger - Instaglam
Owner & Head Stylist - Cape Town, South Africa
1. What makes a candy buffet deliciously beautiful and compliment the event?
Our candy buffets are designed and styled according to our customers' needs and requirements. We usually follow a theme and create an inspiration board around this. Using glamorous jars, accompanied by beautiful tags and additional decor for the table, it brings the whole buffet together!
2. How do you choose the candy and what to put it in?
Based on the theme, style and colours that the client chooses, we then hunt for the most suitable candy for the event. If it is a kid's party, we will choose sweets suitable for the age group of kids. If we are styling a wedding we will choose more opulent and luxurious candy and chocolates. We also include special bite size desserts!
1. What makes a candy buffet deliciously beautiful and compliment the event?
A Cake or flowers to your colour scheme are always a beautiful compliment to any candy buffet but to really make an impact whether it be handcrafted or a themed poster, backdrops are always recommended especially if the buffet is against a wall that colour clashes with the colour scheme of the candy.
2. How do you choose the candy and what to put it in?
I choose a good balance from the types of candy available for example rock candy, gummy candy, chocolate etc. Having the candy then coordinate with the colour scheme is a must. Depending on the theme, I then select the Apothecary jars, goblets, cake stands, platters to put the candy in/on.
1. What makes a candy buffet deliciously beautiful and compliment the event?
Planning a delicious yet aesthetically pleasing candy buffet requires design skills, creativity and an eye for detail. Every stunning Lolli Bars creation begins with a consultation where the stylist gathers information about the event such as theme, colors, location, space, time of day, budget, and the clients personal tastes and preferences. Once the basic information has been collected, the stylist can then begin designing a buffet that not only compliments the events existing theme, but also serves as a centerpiece, dessert bar and favor for the guests all in one.
2. How do you choose the candy and what to put it in?
Part of the creative process of planning a spectacular candy buffet is to plan for a variety of color coordinated candy, jars, dishes, supplies and unique table props that will be strategically placed for beauty and function all while keeping in mind the clients tastes and budget. It's the candy stylists job to determine which candies and the quantities of each that will be used for a particular buffet. As a general rule it's customary to use a minimum of 8-10 different sized candy jars and at least 1/4-1/2lb. of candy per quest. Stylists generally work closely with a plethora of confectioners and candy vendors such as Candy Direct who carry a variety of brands and colors, but above all are reputable and reliable. Established relationships with vendors increases product awareness and knowledge which helps to eliminate costly mistakes and unnecessary charges to the client ensuring a sweet and tantalizing experience! 
1. What makes a candy buffet deliciously beautiful and compliment the event?
The key to a beautiful candy buffet that perfectly compliments your event is using complimentary containers to display your sweets and to buy a variety of candy within your events color palette.
2. How do you choose the candy and what to put it in?
Overall I pick candies using the events' color palette, but I love to choose a few specific candy that works with the events theme - for instance I am planning a children's Knight in Shining Armor party currently, so I am planning on buying Unicorn Pops and labeling them as "Candy Lances". In the past Chocolate Licorice has become "Pirate Rope" and Kit Kat bars "Candy Planks".
At Easter fluffy Coconut Covered Marshmallows become "Bunny Tails". I love to use classic clear Apothecary Jars to really showcase the candy, but also chose find unique vessels that fit within the events theme. For a rustic event vintage blue Mason Jars are always popular, for a Ice Cream Parlor Candy I'd chose more retro glass jar. If the event has a sweet vintage theme white Milk Glass is one of my favorites. Just make sure you can see the candies and you don't spend money buying tons of pretty sweets just to have them completely hidden them in your containers. There you have it. Tips to create your own beautiful candy buffet to make your next event memorable.