Sweet table for a wedding: how to set and decorate?

Until recently, the ceremony of serving a wedding cake was a steady tradition of all Russian weddings. This moment symbolized the transition to the sweet part of the event, and the cake itself was made in all kinds of sizes and with different decoration options.

However, several years ago, such a trend was supplanted by Western trends, and today the so-called sweet table is gaining immense popularity.

The sweet table is a separate place in the banquet hall, decorated in the style of the whole wedding celebration, and laden with all kinds of sweets. The main idea of ​​the sweet table is that guests can approach it throughout the evening, without waiting for the moment of tea drinking.

In the terminology of wedding designers, there is also the concept of candy bar, which is translated literally from English as “candy bar” and is characterized by many small sweets, selected in style and color scheme.

In addition, drinks and fruits related to the subject may be on the tea table. Such a buffet table is decorated in the same style as the main table of the bride and groom, and other festive tables.

A corner with sweets has several advantages at once, let's dwell on them in more detail.

• Serves as an additional decor. Beautifully arranged sweets on a pedestal decorated in a wedding style will attract everyone's attention, creating a festive mood.
• You can approach the table with sweets for socializing or just treat yourself to candy and cake, while on the wedding table there are still reigning hot dishes and snacks.
• The originally decorated mini-table will serve as a highlight of the banquet and a spectacular place for a photo shoot.
• For a young housewife, this is an excellent occasion to show their culinary abilities or, conversely, surprise guests with an exquisite taste, ordering unusual confectionery from a country from confectioners.

When deciding to organize such a fashionable innovation at their wedding, the newlyweds should remember some of the shortcomings that accompany the sweet table. All of them are connected with "environmental friendliness", which should be taken care of in advance.

Sweets should not:

• melt from the heat;
• to weather;
• be attacked by insects.

First you need to decide on the general concept, make a detailed menu of the sweet table, and also take into account all the necessary attributes. It is equally important to determine the location of the dessert table.

If you are planning a traditional wedding, with the beginning of the celebration before the registry office, then a buffet mini table would be very welcome. It is installed most often in the bride's house, that is, where the groom will come for her. Near the beautifully decorated table, the guests make their first toasts, the bride’s ransom ceremony takes place, and the first photos are taken as a keepsake.

In the restaurant, which will host guests to continue the celebration after the wedding, the sweet table must certainly be in harmony with the general style of the hall. They install such a table, as a rule, against the wall so that it does not interfere with movement and does not obstruct the space. In addition, in the restaurant hall, the dessert table can be quite voluminous, and it is convenient to fasten devices holding multi-tiered structures to the wall.

The decoration of the tea table largely determines the overall impression of the organization of the wedding celebration. Therefore, it is so important to pay sufficient attention to the decor of this element. In addition to confectionery, the sweet zone includes additional decorative elements: a tablecloth, floral arrangements and original dishes. Depending on the subject, the table can be supplemented:

• themed wedding figurines;
• cards with inscriptions, flags and pointers;
• photographs of the newlyweds;
• garlands and lanterns.

The best option for decorating the table is porcelain in the color scheme that is used in the design of the hall, curtains and tablecloths. If a certain color is not expressed, then pastel tones are considered classics - the delicate colors of the dishes will give the table “sugariness” and airiness.

In addition to sets, the decor will come in handy tall glasses of glass, flowerpots on long legs, decorative glasses. It is convenient to put candies in this dish, to set candies on long skewers.

Cakes are laid out on flat plates or high tiered racks. For sweets without a wrapper, such as marmalade and marshmallows, deeper sweets should be provided. Spatulas for picking up small types of sweets, as well as mini sachets, will also help. In them, guests will be able to pour on the taste of Turkish delight, nuts, jelly sweets.

Dishes on a sweet table are arranged in a bottom-up fashion so that tall objects do not block access to low vases or flat plates. For a round table, it is better to install supports in several tiers under the tablecloth - small treats will rise on them, and below there will be a place for tall glasses, drinks and vases.

In the version of the table by the wall, tall objects are placed in the far row and on the sides, so that it is more convenient for guests to view and reach for treats.

Do not put the dishes too close together. Tightly arranged plates and vases will give the table an overloaded look, as if they unloaded the dishes for lack of space.

The variety of sweets available on sale can confuse even the most avid sweet tooth. In order not to miscalculate with the choice, and at the same time furnish the table with a variety of goodies, it is worth compiling a list of pastry shops in advance. Even the most ordinary gizmos will be able to diversify the sweet table, if offered in assortment.

For a candy table fit:

• sweets (chocolate and caramel);
• marmalade of different colors;
• oriental sweets;
• mini cupcakes or muffins;
• candies of various shapes and colors;
• glazed nuts and dried fruits;
• cookies and waffles;
• pastille and souffle;
• jelly figurines;
• marshmallows and meringues;
• candied fruit.

Even the smallest sweet table should have its own compositional center. For this, a larger sweet dish is suitable - a small cake or homemade pie decorated with cream and berries.

Tip: you should not put the main wedding cake on a sweet table if it is planned to solemnly cut it in the final part of the banquet. For a dessert table, it is better to prepare a smaller copy in advance so that those guests who do not stay until the end of the celebration can try it.

For the convenience of guests, a dessert table should be accompanied by drinks so that it is possible to drink sweets. But to put bottles and glasses on the table itself is not always aesthetically pleasing, and even after use they must be removed somewhere. For these purposes, another small table nearby or at the dessert table, which is filled with trays with glasses and cups, is most often used. There you can put the containers themselves with drinks.

Soft drinks include lemonades, iced tea, fruit juices and fruit drinks, and mineral water. For cold time, hot tea and coffee are preferable, and for heat - containers with ice cubes. But this is not always possible to organize if the wedding banquet is not held in a restaurant where waiters would watch it.

A few useful tips from experts in the design of candy bars are useful to those who arranges a sweet table with their own hands.

1. It is better to purchase loose and piece sweets with a margin so that during the celebration the table does not suddenly appear empty.
2. The number of varieties of culinary delights will depend on the composition of the table. For example, on the same table there can be only 3-4 types of different dishes, if they are large or made in a certain style. For motley multicolor, you can choose 7-9 species.
3. All desserts on the buffet table should be convenient to take with your hands and eat at a time. Therefore, preference is given to small figures or cut pieces, if it is a cake or pie.
4. You should take care of food paper bags or boxes in advance where guests can take their treats with them. Capacities can be made to order or with your own hands, having designed them in a suitable style and color scheme.
5. On a sweet table or next to it, racks with napkins must be present, so that guests do not rack their brains, how not to stain clothes with sweet fingers after a delicious treat.

How to decorate a sweet table, see the video below.