Unique Wedding Reception Desserts: Adding Originality to Your Reception

They say there are several factors that attendees at a wedding remember - the bride's dress, the DJ, and most importantly, the food. All brides want their wedding to me memorable, and as most wedding guests attend multiple weddings a year, each bride has to figure out a way to make her wedding stand-out. A very simple way to do this is to appeal to your guest's appetite - more specifically, their sweet tooth.

Chocolate Fountain - This can be a very inexpensive dessert if you (or your family/friends) set it up for you. If you buy the fountain machines yourself, just make sure you test them out. I've heard a story about a bride who did not realize she needed cooking oil for the fountain to work, so her mother was rushing to the store (which was not nearby their reception location) as the reception was starting in order to buy cooking oil. Or, if you want your loved ones to be able to relax the day of your wedding, many caterers offer this dessert option now, too. Be open-minded when planning on this one; I've been to a wedding that had a chocolate and white chocolate fountain. They were both a huge hit. Serve anything you could imagine that people would want to dip in chocolate - strawberries, marshmallows, rice krispie treats, Angel's food cake, short bread, cherries, pretzels, etc. Be as creative as you'd like to be; that's what makes this option so unique. Be prepared that this can be a very messy feature, though. I've seen children and adults displaying their dessert chocolate on the front of their outfits (and some on their pants/skirts if they let it drip.) Just make sure you have the fountains placed in an easily accessible and open area of the room where people don't have to crowd around it or contort themselves into odd angles to get to it. (Remember, odd angles are going to lead to more drippage and stained wedding guests.)

Themed Cookies - Like the above idea, you can make these yourself in advance (just freeze them and take them out of the freezer the night before the wedding) or you can hire a vendor to make them for you. Most bakeries have the ability to make custom cookies, so just give yourself time to work with their creative abilities and come up with some fun and unique ideas. Options can include the initial of your new last name to wedding related shapes (brides, grooms, flowers, hearts, etc.) Or, you can make them even more personal. If you new husband loves to fish, have a cookie that reflects that (a shape of a fish, boat, etc.) If you are really in to shoes, have some shoe shaped cookies, too. Have these cookies set out on a table and offer favor bags for your guests to take some home with them, too. This is an easy option to keep your wedding going even the next day; chances are, your guests will be talking about the night before as they snack on their cookies at home. The most important part of this dessert is to remember your wedding is about your soon-to-be husband and you; it is very easy to get caught up in shapes that reflect things you enjoy. Make sure to include his personality, too!

Cheesecake - This is a unique dessert that allows you to offer a wide variety. You can use any topping you like - strawberries, pineapple, chocolate, etc. Just make sure you have someone serving this dessert to your guests. It can be a messy one to cut and hand-out; also, make sure that you speak with whomever will be doing the serving about slice size. If you do use many different toppings, you're going to have some guests that will only eat one specific type. You will want to make sure everyone gets a piece of the one that they prefer so the slice sizes can not be huge. In the planning part, take your guests in to consideration when you decide on the types of cheesecake to order. Just because you like butterscotch as a topping does not mean the majority of people at your wedding will, too. Make sure you stick with the basic toppings that you think will appeal to everyone.

Pies - This dessert is not unique in itself, but it is for weddings. Most wedding guests do not expect such a down-home style dessert at a reception. This is definitely a unique way to surprise them. Stay with the basics here and keep it simple. Stick with types like chocolate, cherry, apple, and peach. This is a great way to make guests feel comfortable at your reception; many weddings that I've been to seem stuffy and uptight. Most wedding guests will not go out on the dance floor and enjoy themselves if they feel uncomfortable; this is an effortless and unique way to make your guests feel right at home so that they will enjoy themselves during your reception.

Cobbler - As with pies, this is an easy way to make your reception feel relaxed and definitely a unique dessert that will stick out in your guest's memories. This could also be a fun way to play off of your wedding colors; for example, if you have blue in your color scheme, use blueberry cobbler. Are your bridesmaids and their flowers some shade of red? Use a strawberry or cherry cobbler to match those colors. It's a fun way to add a bit more color to your reception and a dessert that most people enjoy. Again, stick with basic flavors though; if you're using pinks in your color scheme, do not try to match that one! The color matching idea is just a suggestion to make things appear more fun; this dessert is a unique one to stick with even if you cannot match colors. You can also serve ice cream with the cobblers; there is nothing that says relax and enjoy yourself more than warm cobbler and ice cream!

Sundae Station - Like the chocolate fountains, this unique dessert can be quite messy but oh so worth it! Buy the standard types of ice cream - vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. This is obviously a dessert you are going to need someone to bring out right after dinner; do not leave it sitting out for a long time, or your guests will just have a sugary liquid to try and eat instead of ice cream. If you would like, you can have whomever is going to bring it out for you (either friends/family or the wait staff) put the ice cream in to large serving bowls to make it look more appealing to your guests. Or, just leave it in the tubs. I don't think anyone is really going to complain that you did not make the ice cream look pretty! Next to the ice cream, include various and fun toppings. This can be an easy way to match your wedding color scheme! If you used pink in everything else, use pink toppings (sprinkles, pink candies, etc.) Of course, you definitely do not have to stick to any one color. Use any thing you think people would enjoy since this is such a unique and fun dessert! Make sure to include bottles of syrup too - strawberry, chocolate, caramel, and butterscotch are the most common.

Just think outside the box when planning your wedding reception dessert; the more unique, the more your guests will continue to rave about how wonderful your reception was!