Weddingbee Blog

Dessert tables make me drool, and not just because they’re filled with all kinds of sweets and treats. They’ve been catching on a lot lately, and they’re perfect for those who want an alternative to the traditional wedding cake or just an additional dessert bar. They would also be amazing at a bridal shower or really any type of party. Pretty much you can come up with whatever reason you want, and I will be all over it.

Just check out some of these arrangements and you’ll understand why:

Image via The Caketress / Design by Lori Hutchinson / Photo by Rebecca Wood

Image via Wedding Chicks / Design by Grandes Fetes / Photo by Jessica Schilling Photography

Image via Catch My Party / Created by Pamela Smerker at Party Starters

Photo by Kelly Chau Photography

Yummy, yummy, yummy!

We’re going to be having a dessert table of our own at the park following our ceremony so that our guests can enjoy the park and a snack before heading to the reception. To keep things simple for us, in the short amount of time it will be up, we’ll only be serving cookies and lemonade. Only. Shame on me. I shouldn’t say “only” because it belittles it. Our dessert table may not have elaborate macaroon trees and cakes and lollipops, but it WILL have an old door, re-purposed china, and saltwater taffy! And cookies, of course.

Image via The Sweetest Occasion / Design by SHEPAPERIE + Design Boutique / Photo by Jeanna Hayes

This has to be my favorite dessert bar I’ve come across, and it’s the main source of inspiration for my own table design. I just love how colorful and playful it is!

I’m in the process of creating a fabric garland, and I’ve already acquired two apothecary jars of similar structure. Here’s the mock-up my mom and I came up with:

Personal photo

We didn’t have everything on hand so we had to make substitutes, but it gives the general idea. (The lone piece of fabric was to gauge how long to make each streamer, and we only had cheap grocery-store bouquets on hand for the flowers.) Er, yes, that is wax paper on the plates you see. We didn’t want to handwash all of the plates for our mock-up shoot—we ate the cookies afterward.

A friend of the family has an old door with chipping light blue paint that we’ll be setting on the table for a unique surface. Now just imagine those jars filled with colorful saltwater taffy, and all of those plates heaping with an assortment of cookies!

Speaking of those plates and china, that same family friend collects china to make beautiful mosaics, and she generously donated some pieces in our colors for the table. To get a variation of heights, we bought some glass candleholders from the dollar store and used heavy-duty tacky putty to secure the candleholder to the base of the plate. Ta-da, instant mini dessert stand!

I think it’s going to look delicious in an outdoor park setting once it’s all filled out with cookies, flowers, and a fabric garland.

Design by Modern Day Floral / Photo by Lisa Kae Photography

Oh, and because it’s just too cute not to show: craspedia and hypericum will be in the two-end bud vases, much like the one shown above.

Is anyone else having a dessert table? What details are you including in it? Do tell!