I love this trend. And why wouldn’t I? Candy bars are both sweet and chic, fun and functional! They offer an easy, affordable opportunity to incorporate your wedding colors into the reception in a delightful way, and with M&M’s new campaign that allows you to customize your candies with photos and messages, you can add even more sugary fun to the mix! Plus, candy bars are a more family friendly option for the ceremony than wine bars, letting everyone from the flower girl to Grandma enjoy the treats you’ve laid out.

But, when I brought the idea up to my family, they argued that it seemed a little childish. I think their exact words were, “Who are you marrying? Willy Wonka?”

What do you think? Are candy bars playful and posh, or do they leave a bad taste in your mouth?

I’ve done the candy bar thing, but if I had to do it all over again, maybe I’d add a wine bar to our wedding. Although we did have a table filled with jars of green colored candies that were a big hit with kids, I think adding a wine bar for adults would have been equally fun. The bar was filled with our favorite wines and green and cream colored sodas, but what about taking it a step further by creating a wine tasting section?

1) Ask your caterers to set up a special table for this occasion. Having the wine tasting bar in the cocktail room would be fitting.

2) Alert guests to the bar with one of those charming chalkboards I mentioned in my last post. Or print out the wine list and have it framed on the table.

3) Have fun choosing your wine. For our wedding, we chose two reds, two whites and one dessert wine that was my favorite. Buying your alcohol at places like Costco or other markets is great because you can return any extras you have.

4) Hire a bartender or ask someone you know who loves wine to work the table.

5) Take plenty of pictures! Make sure to tell your photographers to get some shots of your guests enjoying the wine tasting.