What Are the Best Wedding Sweets for Your Big Day?

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Planning your wedding means thinking about every detail, and that includes keeping your guests happy with brilliant treats. We've selected these wedding sweets because they solve real problems you'll face on your big day: dietary requirements, bulk ordering, budget constraints and creating that perfect sweet table. 

Whether you're filling favour bags, setting up a pick and mix station, or just want a few treats for the evening reception, these picks work for actual weddings, not just in theory. Sweets and Candy has been helping couples sweeten their celebrations since 2004, so we know what works when it matters most.

1. Share Bags: Bulk Buying Made Simple

Share bags solve your biggest wedding planning headache in one go. When you're feeding 100+ guests, buying individual packets gets expensive fast. These 1kg bags give you enough sweets to fill dozens of favour bags or stock an entire sweet table without breaking the bank.

You can mix and match flavours to suit different tastes. Because they're already portioned in bulk, you're not spending the night before your wedding counting out individual sweets. Calculate roughly 50g per guest for favours or 100g per person if you're doing a proper sweet table.

Budget Planning

One 1kg share bag (£5.99) contains enough sweets to create approximately 20 favour bags of 50g each. That's around 30p worth of sweets per favour bag before adding cellophane, ribbons or decorative touches.

2. Jelly Sweets: Colours That Match Your Theme 

Are jelly sweets brilliant for matching your wedding colours without paying for custom sweets and planning a pink and white theme? Grab strawberry hearts and white mice. Going for something bolder? Mix blue bottles with yellow bananas.

These sweets photograph beautifully on sweet tables. They're soft enough that your gran won't struggle with them. Unlike chocolate, they won't melt if your venue's a bit warm. Sort your jellies by colour into clear jars for that display everyone wants to photograph.

3. Chocolate Sweets: Premium Feel Without the Premium Price

Nobody expects Ferrero Rocher at every table. But chocolate sweets give you that touch of luxury that guests notice.

Here's what works:

• Chocolate buttons in organza bags as table favours.
• Chocolate mice to make kids smile during speeches.
• Chocolate limes for something different from the usual wedding fare.

Buy these closer to your wedding date if it's summer, and store them in a cool place. Worried about heat? Save the chocolate for evening guests when temperatures drop.

4. Halal Sweets: Respecting Everyone's Requirements

Including halal sweets on your sweet table isn't just considerate; it's thoughtful. It's essential if you want every guest to enjoy themselves. Label these clearly so guests don't have to ask. Don't just dump them in a corner.

Mix halal cola bottles, strawberry pencils and peach hearts throughout your display. These sweets taste identical to standard versions, so guests of all backgrounds will happily eat them too. If half your guest list requires halal options, just buy everything halal and skip the separate labelling entirely.

5. Vegetarian Sweets: Sorting the Gelatine Issue

Here's something most couples miss: loads of traditional sweets contain gelatine. That rules them out for vegetarian guests. Vegetarian sweets use plant-based alternatives, giving you options like fruit pastilles and wine gums that everyone can eat.

Check your ingredient lists properly, because some "fruit" sweets still sneak in gelatine. Short on time? Just buy the clearly marked vegetarian range rather than reading tiny print on 50 different packets.

6. Vegan Sweets: One Solution for Multiple Diets

Vegan sweets are your secret weapon for simplifying dietary requirements. One selection covers vegans, most vegetarians and often people with dairy allergies too. Fizzy bears, fruit salad gums, and rainbow belts are now available in vegan versions. You're not limiting yourself to boring options.

Put these front and centre on your sweet table rather than hiding them away. When dietary requirements overlap, having a decent vegan selection means fewer stressed conversations with your caterer.

Pro Tip: Order your sweets 2-3 weeks before the wedding. This gives you time to sort out any issues without panic buying the day before. Store them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.  

7. Fizzy Sweets: Evening Energy Boost

Weddings are long days. By 9 pm, guests need perking up. Fizzy sweets give everyone that sugar rush to keep dancing through to midnight.

Cola bottles, sour strawberries and fizzy snakes go down brilliantly with adults who fancy something sharper than standard sweet fare. Put these out for evening guests alongside your cheese board or late-night snacks. The sour coating wakes people up better than another cup of coffee. They're particularly popular with guests who don't usually bother with sweets.

8. Boiled Sweets: Traditional and Long Lasting

Boiled sweets work perfectly in favour bags because they don't go soft or sticky if guests leave them in their car for a week. Pear drops, rhubarb and custards, and mint humbugs appeal to older guests who might skip the chocolate fountain.

These sweets also last through an entire ceremony without anyone crunching loudly. That's why they're brilliant for putting in pews or ceremony chairs. Buy wrapped versions if guests might be pocketing them for later. Otherwise, loose works fine for sweet tables.

9. Pencils and Belts: Fun for Children's Tables

Got kids coming to your wedding? Pencils and belts keep them entertained during the boring bits. Rainbow belts photograph brilliantly draped over sweet jars. Strawberry laces can be used to decorate individual favour boxes. Cola pencils give you that wow factor without costing a fortune.

These sweets are particularly good for an activity table for children. They're:

• Easy to share.
• Virtually impossible to make a mess with it.
• Actually recognisable to kids (unlike some fancy alternatives).

Display Hack

Use varying heights for your sweet jars and bowls. Stack some on cake stands or upturned boxes covered in fabric. This creates visual interest and makes it easier for guests to reach everything without crowding.

10. £1 Sweets: Budget Friendly Favour Bags

When you're feeding 150 guests, costs add up fast. £1 sweets let you create decent favour bags without spending £500 on sweets alone. Buy five different varieties, mix them up in small cellophane bags, and add a ribbon that matches your theme. You've got favours that look expensive but cost pennies per guest.

These 100g bags are also perfect for topping up your sweet table halfway through the evening when popular flavours run out.

Ready to sort your wedding sweets without the stress? Browse our full pick and mix collection, where you can order everything in one go and get free delivery on orders over £25. Start building your sweet table today and tick another job off that wedding planning list.