Cutting the cake is fun for the two of you, but having an interactive dessert station at your reception lets your guests share in the sugary celebration. And pulling it off is easy: Select your favorite treat and set aside a special table for all the fixings. After the main meal, have the ingredients arranged in the order they’ll be used. Then encourage your friends and family to dig in and design their own desserts!
Baby Cakes
Let guests pack up mini pastries, $.75–$5 each, by Buddy Valastro for Carlo’s Bakery, carlosbakery.com, in bakery boxes, $.15 each, from Paper Mart, papermart.com. Raffia, $6 for 60 feet, from The Container Store, containerstore.com. "Charles" paintable wallpaper, $28 per roll, from Anaglypta, brewsterwallcoveringg.com. "Candy Stripe" paint from Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com.
S’more, Please!
A s’mores station lets everyone at the reception participate in a different kind of toasting. "Three-in-one" dessert makers, $40 each, from CasaModa, bedbathandbeyond.com. Glass containers, $44–$98 each, from K&K Interiors, homegoods.com. "Blushing Bride" cocktail napkins, $5 for 20, from Rock Scissor Paper, rockscissorpaper.com. Bengaline tablecloth in lilac from Party Rental Ltd, partyrentalltd.com. Serving a favorite childhood treat is a great way to personalize your party. Chocolate bars, $.69 each, from The Hershey Company, hersheys.com. Nabisco Honey Maid honey graham crackers from Kraft Foods, nabiscoworld.com. Marshmallows from Jet-Puffed Marshmallows, gristedes.com.
Ice Cream Dream
Treat your crowd to an old-fashioned float: Set bottled sodas alongside ice cream and assorted toppings."Soda" glasses, "Tulip Sundae" dishes and "Supreme Liner" bowls, $4–$5 each, all from Libbey, libbey.com. "Bistro" iced-tea spoons, $10 for two; and coffee spoons, $20 for six, all from WMF, wmf-usa.com. Pint ice-cream holders with scoops, $45 each, from Lunares, lunareshome.com. "Dots" napkins, $5 for 20, from Caspari, casparionline.com. Jumbo straw dispenser, $10, from Gemco, 800-252-3390. Galvanized tub, $9, from The Container Store, containerstore.com. Soda from Coca-Cola, cocacola.com. Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream from Edy’s/Dreyer’s, icecream.com. Bengaline tablecloth in celery from Party Rental Ltd, partyrentalltd.com.
More Fun Ideas
1. Candy Store
Fill clear bins with a colorful array of chocolate and gummy candies. Guests can use silver scoops to pack their fa-vorites into small paper bags or festive containers.
2. Smoothie Station
Line up bowls of berries, bananas and other fruit, along with ice, assorted juices and yogurt; bartenders can blend to order.
3. Cannoli Corner
Provide heaping plates of traditional and chocolate shells and pastry bags of sweetened ricotta filling. Guests can pipe in their own filling and dip the ends in chocolate chips.
4. Chocolate Bar
Offer regular hot chocolate along with dark and white versions, and garnishes such as whipped cream and caramel syrup.
5. Apple Picking
Invite guests to dip freshly made caramel apples into chopped nuts, sprinkles, mini M&M’s and other fun toppings.
