In the very beginning of wedding planning, when finding pretty pictures was enough and I didn't have to worry about details or payments, I found myself bookmarking several photos of colorful candy buffets. Clearly, this was in the pre-Pinterest days. Since, I've added plenty of pins.
Candy buffets are a trifecta of wedding awesome: edible favors, fun sugary snacks for the after party, and bright, cheery colors that double as decorations. And, since it's our wedding, we get to pick the candy! No black licorice to be found!
As we developed the candy list from things we find delicious, things our friends and family find delicious, and general Maine-themed crowd pleasers, I started hunting on wedding forums for places to get different kinds of candies cheapest. At one point I had identified five different sites to order different varieties of candy from because they were pennies cheaper per pound - until you looked into shipping costs. Because candy may melt, break, get stuck together, etc. during shipping, companies charge an arm and a leg to pack candy specially with cooler packs and those stupid air pack pillows my cat likes to pop loudly in the middle of the night. No, thanks!
Instead, I turned to good ol' two-day shipping and Amazon prime. Amazon had most of the candy varieties we were interested in, and for less than most bulk candy sites. I assembled a wish list of approximately 20 varieties of candy last winter, planning to order as we got closer to the wedding.
Fast forward to two weeks ago when I was in Maine for some wedding errands. Mom suggested we take a look at BJ's prices for candy, and I readily agreed. Given our Amazon list, I was planning to spend $250 - $350 on candy, possibly more for specialty items. I intended to check BJ's prices against Amazon's in store using my phone and purchase the candy that was cheaper at BJ's. As it turns out - all of it was cheaper, by quite a bit. We ended up finding all but 5 of our chosen candy varieties, for about half of what I had planned on spending! We ordered the specialty candy online (candy buttons and Necco wafers are hardly the most sought-after items during April in Maine), and plan to finish the list up soon. This will put our total candy spending at ~$180, which is terrifically under budget given how much candy we will have on the buffet!
Fear not, wedding cake haters, there'll be plenty of after-dinner sweets at the wedding! And my Dad will happily accept your unwanted cake.
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