Did you know that the Mars Company's factory in New Jersey produces four million M&Ms every minute? That adds up to approximately two billion candies every eight hours--or about enough to fill up an Olympic-size swimming pool!

Those staggering numbers should come as no surprise, however; Americans love their candy. In fact, we buy $2.7 billion worth of the sweet stuff just for Halloween!

Needless to say, a candy buffet is a very popular feature at parties of any kind. If you are throwing a bridal shower, what better way to celebrate the sweetness of love than with a beautiful, bountiful buffet of indulgent treats?

To truly make the shower a special event, however, you can't just open some bags of chocolate, peppermints or licorice and dump them in a bowl. Read on to learn how to set up a candy buffet table that will appeal to guests on a visual level as well as tempting their sweet tooth!

Start With the Theme

The first step in setting up your candy buffet table is to decide on a theme and/or color scheme. The bride's favorite color is a no-brainer way to narrow down the choices, or go for an array of beautiful pastels as your color scheme.

For an elegant (or film-themed) buffet, you could go with black and white--but that's going to limit the kind of candy you can display. Black, white, and red would be easy to work with and would also make a stunning display.

You could also be guided by the color scheme of the wedding, if there is one. For a same-sex couple, a rainbow-hued candy buffet is a colorful, festive choice.

Similarly, your candy buffet should be influenced by other design elements or motifs that are going to be incorporated into the wedding. Hearts are always wedding-appropriate, as are flowers.

Is the couple planning a rustic wedding? Do they have retro sensibilities when it comes to design? Perhaps they share a hobby or interest, pictures or symbols of which you can use when setting up the buffet.

Next, You'll Want to Tackle the Layout

Early on in the planning process, you will want to know the size, shape, and placement of your buffet table. That way you will be able to gather the containers, and of course the candy, that you need.

For practical purposes of space-saving, as well as for aesthetic appeal, it's a good idea to arrange your containers of candy on several different levels. There are a few ways to achieve this. One is by using tall containers; we'll talk more about what to put your candy in later.

Another way to elevate some of your offerings is to use sturdy boxes to create different levels on the table. These can be decorative boxes set on their sides (so you can place candy inside them as well as on top), or plain old cardboard or plastic boxes that you'll cover with a tablecloth or other large piece of fabric.

Cake stands or tiered serving towers can be pressed into service, as well.

If you are using a table that's against a wall, make the highest levels at the back. If the table is circular or is in the middle of a room, and can be accessed by all sides, put the highest levels in the middle of the table.

Now, How to Contain and Display Your Candy

You want party guests to be able to see the candy easily, and you also want them to be able to easily access it! That means that large, transparent containers with wide openings work best. But the display will be boring if you simply line up a row of glass punch bowls.

Get creative with your containers. Oversize brandy snifters or martini glasses work well. Tall vases are great for holding long, thin candies, like Pixie Stix, lollipops, peppermint sticks, or licorice ropes.

Of course, old-fashioned candy jars or apothecary jars are ideal, and you can never go wrong with wide-mouthed mason jars. Other options include shallow dishes, small bowls, decorative plates, trays, baskets, and any other container that might suit your theme.

Thrift shops, dollar stores, and rummage sales are all great sources for unusual vessels. You could even make your own by spray-painting old coffee cans, or wrapping them in fabric to match your color scheme.

Last, but Certainly Not Least, the Candy!

When choosing candy for a candy buffet table, think variety. A buffet really requires many different types of sweets, not just three or four. And while your color scheme might dictate some of your choices, remember that individually wrapped chocolates can be purchased in just about any color.

Some candies to include are jelly beans, fruit slices, gummy bears (or fish, or worms), jordan almonds, chocolate-covered raisins and/or nuts, gumballs, lollipops or suckers, rock candy on sticks, M&Ms, mini candy bars, jawbreakers, caramels, marshmallows, ribbon candy and hard candy.

You could also include other sweet treats like cookies, candied or caramel apples, rice cereal treats, chocolate-covered potato chips or pretzels, toffee, nut brittle or candied nuts, cupcakes, or cake pops.

Don't forget to set out plenty of tongs, spoons, or other implements--you don't want people dipping their hands into the candy jars. And because there aren't many grown ups who want to gorge themselves on candy (at least in front of other people!), it's a good idea to set out small bags or boxes for folks to fill and take home.

Now That You Know How to Set Up a Candy Buffet Table...

...it's time for the the fun part: choosing your candy! Plan on about  four ounces of candy per person, but it's never a bad idea to have extras in reserve, just in case. After all, it won't be hard to get rid of excess candy!

We hope that you've enjoyed learning how to set up a candy buffet table. We invite you to check out our selection of candy wrappers, or contact us to place an order for personalized wrappers!