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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask about sweet tables at weddings

202 replies

Whereisthecoffee · 09/01/2019 12:55

I love how the sweet section of buffets look at weddings . For anyone that hasn’t seen them it’s a load of jars filled with sweets with tongs and little bags to put them in. I really want one but I’m on a budget and also not wanting waste.

Do you or would you eat them at a wedding party?
If you had one at your own wedding was it eaten ?
Thanks

OP posts:
CherryValance · 09/01/2019 13:45

The last wedding I went to had one and it looked beautiful, there were also meringues and little cookies. It had been styled really well and was very popular (especially with me!) I don't see what's naff about it - assuming it's not still in cash n carry plastic tubs and doesn't consist of blue jawbreakers and those toxic waste sweets my children are inexplicably keen on!

Sparklingbrook · 09/01/2019 13:45

Yes if you have greedy guests with disobedient children best to give it a miss.

BlackPrism · 09/01/2019 13:46

My cousin had one but only the kids ate any. There were loads left at the end

menztoray · 09/01/2019 13:47

Yes it does depend on the sweets. The one I saw had lots of nostalgic sweets.

flamingofridays · 09/01/2019 13:47

sparkling how rude Hmm

dancinginthehall · 09/01/2019 13:47

It wouldn't excite me, but I would love that dessert table.

To be honest, if a b&g are on a limited budget I think it's better to concentrate on having decent food, sufficient wine and somewhere comfortable for people to sit away from the loud music and dance floor, than on gimmicky stuff like ice cream vans and fireworks and photo booths and so on.

Sparklingbrook · 09/01/2019 13:49

Not rude flamingo but true. If you can't trust the adult guests not to stuff themselves or to regulate their DC's sweet intake best not to bother.

SauvingnonBlanketyBlanc · 09/01/2019 13:49

I went to a wedding with popcorn aswell as sweets which went down well

ittooshallpass · 09/01/2019 13:50

I've been to a few weddings where there has been a sweet table. I don't like sweets and at the last wedding I was at that had a sweet table, I and other parents got fed up of having to drag our kids away from it. The kids were drawn to it like a magnet. It was a real nuisance!

I like the idea of a centre piece on the table with sweets if you want to do it. I guess it would keep kids happy during speeches and the kids could be easily monitored.

I'm not middle class, but don't like sweets (and don't want to see kids gorging themselves sick on sweets) so it's a no from me.

askingalways · 09/01/2019 13:51

Ours was enjoyed by lots of people and we didn't have much left over.
But I've never been to a wedding and missed the sweet table - it's just a nice extra. I had one because I wanted one and I love sweets - that was a good enough reason for me 😊

menztoray · 09/01/2019 13:52

sparkling What is the matter with adults eating too many sweets?

nomorearsingmermaids · 09/01/2019 13:53

If you can't trust the adult guests not to stuff themselves or to regulate their DC's sweet intake best not to bother.

You sound like a barrel of laughs.

flamingofridays · 09/01/2019 13:53

sparkling sorry why is how many sweets my guests eat my concern?

should I not serve alcohol either incase they drink too much?

I couldn't give a shit about kids eating sweets either!

PyongyangKipperbang · 09/01/2019 13:54

If you do then dont have hard sweets. My sister was at a wedding in the summer with a sweet cart and one of the kids almost choked to death on a boiled sweet. Parents blamed couple for having the sweets, couple blamed parents for not supervising the child.....it was horrible she said and the reception pretty much ended as soon as it had happened.

CoperCabana · 09/01/2019 13:54

They look so pretty, I can see why people have them (blame Pinterest!)

I wouldn’t have them if you have kids going as parents will have to monitor how many they have. I would do a small bag of sweets for the kids. If you have an adult only wedding with guests with a sweet tooth, then go for it.

Don’t have one though if you are skimping on proper food and drink. I don’t eat sweets and would be a disgruntled guest if for instance, have no reception drink, a very light buffet but lots of sweets.

Triskaidekaphilia · 09/01/2019 13:54

Ours was very popular, especially with kids, we did it ourselves. I recommend ebay for the jars. My friend had one at her big wedding and not much seemed to get eaten but then there was a barbecue, chocolate fountain with loads of different things to dip, and a fish and chip van, so everyone was stuffed. Plus the sweets were left in the dining type area and by the time they were brought out everyone was at the bar. So may depend what kind of wedding.

Ours was a small venue and so they were noticeable, we had a table with sweets, favours and disposable cameras all together and it was set up all day. I got sweets me and DH would eat if it didn't get eaten, but most of them did, and my mum finished the chocolate while she was catsitting on our honeymoon! Grin As pp said chewy stuff and chocolate that you could just munch on went down better than cola cubes, sherbet lemons etc. I was going to sell the jars but ended up using them for bits and bobs around the house!

Eliza9917 · 09/01/2019 13:55

I detest sweet tables, wishing wells, light up letters, photo booths and whatever other unnecessary shit there is out there.

I hate the way they are seen as essentials by brides scraping their money together (on fb wedding pages). By brides who scrimp on food and don't give anyone anything to drink, but they pay out fortunes for this crap.

THEY ARE NOT ESSENTIAL, THEY ARE SHIT.

Rant over.

Pachyderm1 · 09/01/2019 13:55

I’ve only seen one and people did use it. They had stripy paper bags so you could take them away like a picnmix. It helped that there were loads of kids - might be less popular at an adults only wedding.

LooksBetterWithAFilter · 09/01/2019 13:56

My friend had one she got pick n mix bags and used them as place names on the tables. Ds1 was the first child up at the table. It was a huge hit and she was left with very little. She did have loads of kids at the wedding but it was equally popular with the adults too.

GreenEggsHamandChips · 09/01/2019 13:57

Oh god it sounds like hell on earth!

It would be a disaster for ensuring best behaviour for DC. Either they'd go hyper helping themselves or it would be really miseranle fow all of us because they wouldnt be allowed very many and id be policing it.

No just no.

TootTootPeanutbutter · 09/01/2019 13:57

Yes I'd avoid hard boiled sweets too because of the choking hazard but otherwise I wouldn't worry about children eating them. Allergies aside children are not going to keel over because they've eaten too many sweets and if you can't indulge yourself at a wedding when can you?

Lululemonade · 09/01/2019 13:58

We had one and it was very popular, and we had very few children at our wedding. I bought scoops and bags on eBay v cheaply and I think we had 5 different types of sweet which are our favourites

DidIMissSomething · 09/01/2019 13:59

I arranged one for my sister's wedding (at her request!) and it was really popular - nothing left! I used nice glass serving dishes and jars that I already had with scoops, tongs and stripey paper bags from eBay.

I think if you know your guests will like it it's a great idea. My sister's wedding was a daytime thing so not a heavy drinking affair - don't know if that had an impact. Styling is important though - it has to look pristine to be tempting. Pinterest has lots of inspiration.
Good luck with the wedding planning - exciting times!

KC225 · 09/01/2019 13:59

Hands up who thinks Eliza9917 was jilted for the woman who runs the sweet shop.

Sparklingbrook · 09/01/2019 14:02

She does seem a bit angry KC. Sad