Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
Atthebottomofthegarden · 11/01/2019 00:08

Not my thing, but my DH and DD would be made up!

OldGreyBoots · 11/01/2019 04:34

I'm diabetic. And I would be thrilled with a sweet table at a wedding Grin
(Not sarcasm!)

Hortonlovesahoo · 11/01/2019 04:40

The one wedding I went to that had this wasn't a hit and they ended up throwing away a lot. Same reason as others have said: kids not allowed it, adults more interested in drinking.

I like the idea but it's not worked in my experience.

I guess it'll depend on your guests as well. Would they eat it/appreciate it?

SheDancesOnTheSand · 11/01/2019 05:20

We had a sweet table, alongside home made brownies and cupcakes plus a cheese selection - basically a help yourself afters table!

The sweets were really popular (had a little bit left over) we did ask friends and family what their favourite sweets were so we could buy accordingly. Got it from a wholesalers so good value for money!

SamStephens · 11/01/2019 05:36

I had one at my first wedding and it was a hit. We had little customised chinese takeaway boxes so people could snack during the wedding or fill up their little box and take it home. It was empty by the end of the night.

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 11/01/2019 05:44

Never heard of this but sounds great. I love sweets. I'd probably spend the whole wedding there.

Apple103 · 11/01/2019 06:31

I would have a huge selection of desserts instead. Lots of mini different ones. That will be guaranteed to be a hit. The candy buffet Is usually overtaken by the kids and I dont think you want that at a wedding.

Cloudsurfing · 11/01/2019 06:38

I had one and everyone loved it. I made my own, ordered big boxes of sweets from amazon and glass jars and tongs from eBay, cost around £40.

It probably depends on your guests though, the majority of ours were our strand all loved sweets. It may not work as well if most of your guests are older family.

Kikipost · 11/01/2019 07:32

Don’t spend a penny on sweet tables or favours

Put the money towards the meal itself and a welcome drink (or money behind the bar).

If you’re already doing this, then put the money towards your honeymoon / mortgage / savings.

Kikipost · 11/01/2019 07:39

But I do appreciate how they may work for some.

My wedding was 50 guests, central London boutique hotel, an evening affair (ceremony at 5pm). We spent the money on the set menu and copious champagne. No favours, no sweeties. Flowers, yes but not lots. Lots of candles and an incredible DJ. A sweetie table would have looked a bit out of place and I suspect would have been ignored / untouched

Frouby · 11/01/2019 07:44

We had a sweetie cart. Lots of dcs at our wedding and lots of the adults enjoyed ot too. It didn't cost much either, £150 including sweets, bags, the cart and it was decorated with ribbon that matched our colour scheme by our venue.

We had that instead of favours.

guiltynetter · 11/01/2019 07:47

we had one at the reception. I did it myself buying jars from b&m etc and big sweet boxes from.a wholesaler. it went down a storm anf there weren't that many kids! I think as an adult you don't get to experience pick and mix very often so it's fun. people that were drinking got a bag for the next day. no idea they were considered naff 😂

FrLukeDuke · 11/01/2019 07:50

I'd love it. I don't see why it would be naff

Oddbins · 11/01/2019 08:03

We had one and it all went
It looked lovely

Enidthecat · 11/01/2019 08:09

Absolutely love a sweet table. Yes to it and please can I come? 😊

anniehm · 11/01/2019 08:27

If you have a mixed age group and non drinkers etc they go down really well. Nostalgic sweets especially (flying saucers go very well with too many glasses of Prosecco! And all the weddings I've seen them at have had kids plus my dh who loves sweets. Please do get some veggie ones though, had a very disappointed dd

cpjoli · 11/01/2019 08:30

I had one at my wedding. It was totally empty by the end...people loved it!

areyoubeingserviced · 11/01/2019 08:34

My friend had a sweet table for her fortieth
It was very popular with the guest

maggienolia · 11/01/2019 08:38

Sounds good but..
If you're having the little white chocolate mice get the decent tasting ones not the horrible waxy tasting ones;

and steer clear of sugar free Gummy bears. Unless you can also buy toilet paper wholesale.

Rubberduckies · 11/01/2019 09:05

I did it at my wedding. Everyone lived it and I was most disappointed I didn't have much to take home.... I bought my own sweets from wholesalers online, cheap tongs and scoops and sweet bags off eBay. Far cheaper than paying for a fancy one. And I just chose sweets I like.

thewayoftheplatypus · 11/01/2019 09:08

We had a sweet table at our wedding and it was empty by the end of the night. We did it ourselves (ordered little sweet bags and scoops from eBay, got big tubs of sweets from costco and decanted them into lovely glass jars and containers that we picked up for pennies from local charity shops and car boot sales)

It was a really nice touch that people apprecisted

marshmallowkittycat · 11/01/2019 09:08

If you like the idea, go for it. No, it's not essential but it's your day. You might as well have what you like as you're never able to please everyone.

Carnivaloftheanimals · 11/01/2019 10:15

"Why are so many people on MN so snippy about weddings?!"

Probably because they've become such a palaver to attend - awkward locations necessitating overnight stays, weddings abroad that cost a fortune and half your annual leave to attend, interminable delays between the ceremony and the meal being served, loud earsplitting music that goes on until all hours etc etc etc.

insidecardboardboxes · 11/01/2019 10:19

Probably because they've become such a palaver to attend - awkward locations necessitating overnight stays, weddings abroad that cost a fortune and half your annual leave to attend, interminable delays between the ceremony and the meal being served, loud earsplitting music that goes on until all hours etc etc etc.

Well maybe but I mean what counts as an awkward location? I'm getting married in March, in Kent. Not a remotely awkward location but as I have family and friends coming from different parts of the UK obviously some of them will have to stay overnight, there's not much I can do about that. They don't all live in one place!

Our ceremony is 2-2.30 and the meal is served at 4, but in between that while the photos are being taken we are serving drinks and canapes.

No one will have to take annual leave, it's on a Saturday.

Loud music - I mean there will be a disco in the evening til 11.30, I've never been to a wedding without dancing and all our guests like dancing, so...

Most of the grumpiness on these thread about a harmless table of sweets has got nothing to do with any of the things you just mentioned!

I enjoy weddings. I've never found it particularly inconvenient to attend one either. We were asked to a wedding in New York last year and we just politely declined as it would have been too expensive. No drama.

Carnivaloftheanimals · 11/01/2019 10:26

Inside I was responding to a poster who asked why so many people are snippy about weddings.
I haven't seen any 'grumpiness' on this thread; just some posters expressing the view that if you have to prioritise spending a sweet table shouldn't take precedence over decent food and drink.

By awkward location I mean the couples who choose a really out of the way picturesque place that's miles from anywhere and means all of the guests will have to stay over for at least one night, with little choice of accommodation only the expensive hotel that the wedding is being held in.

I'm not sure why you're explaining the details of your wedding like that. Obviously not every wedding is awkward or inconvenient. But many are, and many have really loud music that means elderly guests or those who don't like dancing don't have the option of sitting around chatting instead.

And a polite regret sent to a recent wedding invitation abroad has resulted in all kinds of drama in my family.

Just because some of this doesn't relate to your specific wedding, doesn't mean it isn't become a wide spread issue for many guests.

Swipe left for the next trending thread