Mini Sweets, Mini Treats

Mini Sweets, Major Treat How to Create your Own Mini Dessert Bar

Text by ADRIENNE GARCIA Photographs by ALBA ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY

We know that your big day doesn’t always mean having a big cake. But that begs the question: What dessert will you serve your guests? Your answer: A selection of minis! While the desserts may be small, the design—and most importantly the taste—will both leave a lasting impression.

START WITH THE GOOD STUFF: CHOOSE YOUR DESSERTS!

Any excuse to taste a few delicious treats is a good one, right? So have fun with it! This is where you get to express even more of who you are as a couple and pick out your favorites. Like specialty cocktails, you could choose a signature dessert that represents you. Did you ever crack into a crème brûlée together? Visit New Orleans and share beignets? Do you both love cheesecake? All food for thought…

When it comes to minis, the more the merrier, but if you’re looking for guidance on how many sweets to choose, three is always a go-to number. That allows some variety for your guests, lets you pick your preferences, and helps with your budget. When you’re considering your choices, a nice gesture for your guests might be to include a gluten-free or nut-free treat for anyone with potential allergies.

If you’re working with a caterer, it’s likely that they will provide you with a list of options—but don’t forget, you can ask to customize too. You might have a romantic aesthetic for your wedding and want to include macarons—ask which flavors might be off the menu if you don’t see what you were hoping for.

You can also work with outside vendors to create the mini menu your heart desires. If you’re including a pared down cake for you and your groom to follow tradition, think about cupcakes for your guests in your cake’s flavor. If pie is more your taste, consider offering bite-size versions from a local shop. The choice is yours! Happy tasting!

THE SOUTHERN SOCIAL

FEATURED PRO

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Planning + Design

K. SCOTT EVENTS

@kscottevents Photography

ALBA ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY

@albaroseco Floral

SOCIALLY GLAM WEDDINGS

@sociallyglamweddings Cakes

UNCLE WILLIE’S PIES

@unclewilliespies Stationery

JPC GRAPHICS @jpc_graphics

DIVE INTO DECOR: DREAM UP YOUR DISPLAY

Not only should your desserts taste delicious, but they should also be a feast for the eyes. This is another opportunity to incorporate details about you as a couple, lean into your decor aesthetic, and add a real wow factor for your guests.

An amazing resource to help you decide on how to serve your desserts? Your wedding planner! If you don’t have an exact idea, lean on your planner or event designer to develop some inspiration and work with your venue to see what’s available.

If you have a strong theme to your wedding or a venue with a specific aesthetic, that’s a great place to look for inspiration as well. Start with visualizing your space and where you might like to place your desserts and brainstorm from there.

As for some immediate thought starters, we have a few ideas for you to consider. For a more modern venue, feature your minis in an architectural way, by setting them on acrylic shelves in varying heights. If your wedding has a European touch, étagère shelving brings together old-world enchantment and functional flow, making it easy for anyone to pick up a treat as they pass by. To indulge in even more indoor grandeur or outdoor whimsy, set up a long table with florals and runners with your mini desserts dispersed throughout to create a grazing display.

FINISH WITH FINESSE: STYLE YOUR SETTING

Once you’ve settled on how and where to display your little delights, put on the finishing touches. For a grazing table, work with your florist to choose greenery and flowers along with your wedding planner to pick plating that’ll make it pop. When it comes to additional romance on a table, you can incorporate your wedding colors with a variety of cake stands in different heights and styles. A tiered setting calls attention to the different selections you have and gives it visual depth that’ll add on to that sense of breathtaking style. Your different dessert choices can also play a part in how it all comes together with their different shapes and details—finished in glasses or served as petit four bites on a plate.

Creating your own mini dessert bar is an excellent way to flex your creativity and give your guests an extra glimpse into your personality. And when you’ve decided on your all your delectable minis, you get the benefit of feeling accomplished (and satisfied!). Ah, the taste of sweet, sweet celebration.