Set Up Your Own Rustic Candy Buffet...

Wedding Candy Buffets are a great idea for a wedding favor! Popular for years the candy buffet is constantly evolving to suit. They are cheap and easy to set up with a little planning and effort. There are a few important things to consider when planning your rustic candy buffet...

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• How much candy do you need? To figure this out you'll need to know how many people have confirmed or at least a rough estimate. You can use this simple equation to figure out how much candy you'll need for your buffet.
• The number of guests x 3, divided by 16 = pounds of candy required. 
• So that's( # guests x 3) / 16 = lbs candy
•  For example you have 200 guests coming... That's 200*3=600, 600/16= 37.5 lbs
• You also need to figure in what demographic most of your guests are in. How many of the guests are elderly or diabetic? Are you going to have a ton of kids there? Are the guests going to be so drunk by the end of the night they won't even notice the buffet table? These are all serious questions that could make the amount of candy needed go down pretty rapidly. I would personally go by this equation if the guests are pretty evenly distributed age-wise. If its mostly older adults maybe go a little light on the candy.  

• What should you use to display the candy? There really is no need to go crazy with the containers the candy is placed in. A few interesting apothecary jars and the rest simple glass bowls do more than a bunch of crazy shapes. Remember the focus is on the candy. There will be enough going on with the different colors that you don't need to add much more. 
• Here are some ideas for an interesting layout.
• Use different height jars and bowls. Having your candy displayed at different levels lets everything be seen at once. If there isn't enough height difference you can add cardboard boxes under the tablecloth as risers. If you have a really cool old suitcase, wooden crate or log slab you can use those on top of the tablecloth to add to the rustic appeal!
• Use all one color or texture container if you have multicolored candy. If you have a rainbow of color going on with the candy you don't need it in the container too! Using all clear glass, milkglass, or mercury glass are all great accent pieces that won't take away from the focus. You can display a bunch of different glass pieces if all your candy is the same color however.
• Labels are a great way to tell your guests what they're getting! Many websites offer great free printable patterns for labels. You can buy some from craft stores or even get some from Etsy. 

• Use a variety of candy and don't focus on only one color! You should never have only one color for a wedding. This goes for flowers, napkins and candy. Since you are using multiple brands and varieties you won't be able to match everything exactly to that color swatch in your hand. Try some of these tips to make your candy table look great.
• Pick at least 2-3 colors to focus on. Even if your wedding is mostly coral you need an accent color to go with it. So try coral, light blue, and light yellow. Accent colors allow more variety, better matching, and more flavors! If you only choose black everything will be licorice which not many guests will be happy with. 
• Go for a shade like all blues, or yellows. This will make finding candy in those colors easier.
• Try not to only go with one type of candy. Yes gummies and suckers are the brightest but also look for candy with matching wrappers. Offer chocolate as well as fruit flavored types. 

• What will your guests take their favor home in? The bag they carry their candy in can be the most personalized item on the whole table! Hand stamped paper bags, burlap drawstring bags, vellum bags with a ribbon are all great solutions! You can make them yourself or have an online vendor like me hand make each one with a personal message :) They sky is honestly the limit.
• Here are some pros and cons of the more popular options:
• Paper bags. These are cheap and very easy to personalize. Since they're paper they can be written on, stamped, have a fancy edge cut on them, or even be covered in glitter if that's your thing. They come in usually kraft paper or white. I hand stamp them for my customers in over 140 designs (also available in matching napkins). They can also be closed by a ribbon through a hole punched at the top, a clothes pin or nothing at all. 
• Vellum bags. These clear bags are cheap and easy to use. They can't easily be customized, but a label tied with a ribbon or twine works wonders.
• Drawstring bags. These fabric bags are very versatile depending on which fabric they're made of. The cotton muslin type are the easiest to stamp or embroider. Burlap's rough nature only allows less detailed stamping. They add tons of rustic charm and they can be opened and closed easily! 

If your wedding is taking place outdoors, in a barn, or any semi-rustic place these items would be a great addition. These items are created with touches to make them feel homespun and beautiful like burnt accents, brown paper, stamps, and touches of moss & grapevines. My shop Charleston Charms offers tons of details for your candy buffet and wedding. You can find my products for sale on www.handmadenapkins.com or www.CharlestonCharms.Etsy.com.

Grapevine Candy Buffet Jars

Mason Jar Candy Buffet Paper Bags 

Drawstring Bags 

Muslin

Burlap

Rustic Wooden Clothes Pins 

Handmade Seaglass Candy

Sassafras

Sweet Tea 

Personalize your Pie!

Dessert tables are becoming more and more trendy with weddings. Instead of one big cake people are offering their guests more options. Some offer a variety of pies, cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. Others offer just a bunch of different flavors of the same item. Whichever you choose be sure to let your guests know what they are! Nothing is worse than not knowing what something is and having to ask other people in line if they know. Give your cakes some credit! Using little labels or banners with the name or flavors prevents confusion and speeds up the line. Plus if you have Grandma's famous apple pie or Mrs. Black's Blueberry cake you can give them credit for their creation. The adorable banners I've created are totally customizable  and go with any color scheme. They come in a variety of shapes and if you prefer a color I can accommodate that as well. Each is on a sturdy bamboo fork that can be placed on any type of soft dessert or fruit. Just let me know what style and words you want on them.

*They come in sets of 10

The start of wedding season planning...

I've recently had a rush of sale due to so many engagements over the Holidays, and to celebrate I am offering discounts on some of my best sellers! I am now offering a group of five grapevine candle holders, and six personalized oyster knives at a discount.  These grouped listings are great for weddings and will save you more than buying each individually. Be sure to check them out today :)

Oysters are in!

With all the oyster roasts I've been to this season Its inspired a totally new collection. From off white and gray to shells and rope it's sure to please!

Oyster Tabby Decorated Glass Bowl

This gorgeous oyster tabby decorated glass bowl would be a perfect candy dish at your reception and a wonderful decorative bowl in your home later. Made of local oysters and homemade concrete this designer creation would be a welcome house warming gift as well. Tabby dates back to the 1540s in the Southeast and early 1700s in South Carolina. Its made of oysters, lime, ash, sand and water. It was used in many areas where brick making clay was difficult to come by. You can find tabby on anything from walls to churches. It is durable and beautiful at the same time. You should add a little history to your home too. 

Rustic Oyster Shell Ring Bearer Pillow

Present your rings in the most adorable way possible! This little oyster shell has endured years of storms and tides to become the pillow for your wedding bands. It has been brought to a super smooth matte finish perfect for little hands that could be cut by other oysters. This would be the icing on any outdoor or coastal wedding. Whether your wedding backdrop is the beach or the marsh this ring bearer pillow would work perfectly. 

Personalized oyster knives 

Perfect as a groomsmen gift, place holder, useful utensil and wedding favor! There are so many uses for these knives. If you are having an oyster roast for your reception these are an absolute must! Personalized with your guest's name by being branded into the pine handle then decoratively burned to give a rustic look. I give discounts on orders over 40 . 

Here is an inspiration board to go with my new products

Oyster Shell Inspiration Board

The perfect fall touch... grapevines!

Grapevines add a touch of rustic charm to any decor and you'll love the new grapevine collection from Charleston Charms! Perfect for entertaining this holiday season or for a wedding. I have created an entire table set to get your party going.

The rustic grapevine candle holders are a small touch to illuminate your table and cast gorgeous shadows on your guests! A moss base and tea light add a sweet touch to the piece. Measuring 3" tall they can fit almost anywhere.

Grapevine napkin rings will add life to a solid patterned napkin. The unique pattern winds around the cloth organically creating interest and charm. Perfect for an outdoor gathering or a woodland theme! Each is about 2" in diameter. You are sure to get complements with these beauties :)

Create the perfect country cottage centerpiece with a grapevine basket. It is great for holding large Christmas ornaments for a quaint Christmas table display. Put flowers or fruit in it for a sweet rustic cottage centerpiece. Even gifts or party favors can find a home in this beautiful rustic basket! 

Show your love with a beautiful grapevine heart centerpiece. This adorable heart is perfect for your outdoor wedding. It can be used with the happy couple's initials or as a table number holder. Each heart is accented with a rustic terra cotta pot, thistles, and sphagnum moss. So quaint and cute it is sure to grab your guests attention!

Make your flower girl shine with this adorably rustic grapevine flower basket! In Charleston Green it is the perfect touch of southern rustic charm. 

Another additon to my Palmetto collection...

My newest creation is a large rustic palmetto chalkboard! I love the sleek yet rustic look of this piece. It would be great in any wedding or home decor and it's neutral palette goes with any color scheme. The large writing space has enough room for writing out seating charts, menus, or schedules. To boot it goes perfectly with my palmetto spathe wedding signs and palmetto love rose boutonnieres :) There should be more to come soon from this collection.

New woodland inspired items

Charleston is currently experiencing unusually cold weather and it has inspired some new fall items. I have been looking to the woods for inspiration and thinking more about cozy cottages. Thus these items have come about. Any would be perfect for your outdoor wedding or any fall theme.

The first are palm spathe signs. You won't have to worry about lost guests with these wonderful signs. These are perfect for using as natural directional chalkboard signs! The natural dark interior wood is a beautiful almost mahogany color. The outer wood is a light weathered looking wood almost driftwood color. They are very durable but lightweight at the same time and would do well being tacked to a post, or hung on a wall. Each piece is sustainably harvested from palm trees and hand sawed to the perfect size. I would suggest them for outdoor, beach, rustic, fall, country, or southern themes.

The second is an adorably rustic grapevine candleholder! I love this piece and I think you would too. It is a glass candle holder wrapped in muscadine grape vines, with a tea light resting on a bed of sphagnum moss. It looks like something a woodland fairy would own. This would be great on guest tables, around your cake, in a grouping on the buffet or around the dance floor. I would suggest it for southern, woodland, rustic, country, or autumn themes.

The third is a beautiful French country style topiary placeholder and centerpiece. While real miniature topiaries would be outrageously expensive these are an affordable option without sacrificing looks. Topiaries are a classic example of charm and style. They add an outdoor element into any indoor event as well as a bit of whimsy. They are perfect as placeholders due to the foam interior of the topiary and can be pinned with table numbers, or names. The glass base is heavy and sturdy so it can be placed in wind without tipping over. I would recommend them for any French, Shabby Chic, Country, Southern, Outdoor, Rustic, Cottage, or Fall theme.