how-to design a dessert buffet table

HOW-TO DESIGN A DESSERT BUFFET TABLE
by megan from Sandra Downie Events

Looking for a way to add a little zest to your party? A dessert buffet not only enhances the overall visual aesthetics of your event, it’s a fun way to entertain and give your guests an added element of surprise. If you spend any amount of time in the blogosphere you’ll see this beautiful trend being used for all kinds of occasions. We at Sandra Downie Event Designs wanted to show you just how you can create one yourself! We have recently created a Carnival Table for a client that was having a Bar Mitzvah and we thought we’d show you how we did it.

Designing a fabulous dessert buffet shouldn’t be daunting. It takes just a little creativity to make something that suits your party’s style and makes it shine! To start we like to create something called an inspiration board like the one shown below that we created for the Carnival Table.



An inspiration board is just that: inspiration! You can use just about anything that inspires you, a ribbon, a photograph, or do what we did for this table and start with a theme.

Once you have your theme and inspiration, it all comes together pretty quickly:

1. Plan what desserts you’d like to serve. Cupcakes, color themed candies, cookies, and snacks are all great options. We’d probably suggest choosing between 8-10 different dessert options.
2. Decide how best the desserts will be displayed and purchase serving plates, cake stands and dishes for the table.
3. Plan out the setting of your table. We like to physically do this on the table itself. We put little post-its on the dishes that we are using and then move them around on the table until it looks just right.
4. Then, decorate! Remember to really use your inspiration board here. Use ribbon to tie around the base of cake plates. Use color themed paper to line your serving dishes. Pick out a table cloth that brings together the whole look. And don’t forget about the backdrop! Use a pretty wallpaper to decorate the wall behind your table or a curtain. Let your mind fly!

After a little planning we finally got a finished product – and we’re THRILLED with the results!



Vendors Featured
Lollipops and Ribbon Candy: Hammonds Candies
Ticket Cookies: The Flour Pot
Paperie: The Fussy Designer
Table design: Sandra Downie Event Designs

the how-to series is here to encourage confidence in the creativity and skills you have to offer. browse the archives to see what our creative contributers have already mentioned; there are a plethora of inspiring ideas. i am booked with how-to guest posts at the moment, however i'll be calling for submissions at a later date. i'll be delighted to feature your how-to in the future.

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden