Have you seen one?  The candy buffet -- or candy bar as some call it -- is a new wedding trend delighting guests throughout the Upper Cumberland this season.

Like the cupcake tower a few years ago, this trend boasts a portable treat that brides and guests both enjoy.   The idea is pretty simple: put together a collection of candy, make it available to guests as part of a reception treat or in take-away bags or boxes like a small, free candy store. 

Some like how buffets allow guests to hunt and pick according to their personal sweet tooth. Others like the novelty and variety available. 

Brides are using all sorts of candy, from the standard M&Ms to licorice twists, malt balls, home made candies and more.  These colorful, staggeringly sweet buffets tend to either follow a single color trend (all white, white and red, pink, etc.) or be a seasonal array of color.

If you're looking for some local flavor, or a bit of nostalgia, our editors sampled the delights of a local candy company in Crossville, TN called the Old Time Mountain Candy company.   This manufacturer sells their candy at the Ryman and Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville and is otherwise sort of hard to find.  The hard candy drops, peanut brittles, divinity and fudge remind us of an old country store.  The Old Time Mountain Candy is available for retail sale on-line at CrossvilleCandy.com.  

Whatever you do, say wedding planners everywhere, make your buffet beautiful.

It's not free, by any stretch, but, depending on your selection and planning, it can be a relatively low budget addition to any reception.   Adding a little personal style or theme to the buffet really helps pull it together, say experts.

One of the secrets of success seems to be rooted in quantity -- having enough candy.  A bountiful display is the first step to a beautiful display.   The second secret is in tying the buffet together like a good, all-too-sweet meal.  

How do you figure out how much candy to have?  Well, if you're having 200 guests and want to give each guest 3 ounces, so I guess I need about 37 pounds of candy.  Sounds reasonable, and 3 ounces might be enough to actually satisfy your guests, but visually? It might not be enough to make a presence.  

Plan by the eye, not the numbers.

Suggestion:  start with the table, take five to 10 types of candy, and buy 15 to 20 pounds each.

When it comes to candy, say wedding guests, the more the merrier. If you have a large table overflowing with candy, you have the presence of a true candy buffet.