Have Your Friends And Family Help Out With Dessert At Your Reception

Although the big event at any wedding is the actual moment the happy couple says "I do," everyone looks forward to the reception, as it comes with great food, drinks and the newlyweds' first dance as man and wife. This is the part of the nuptials where everyone who got all gussied up for the big event lets loose, and despite looking great in their formal attire, dances the night away as if they were at a night club or high school dance.

The meal, however, is the main focus at any reception - after all, you'll need to have something to eat in order to fuel your moves on the dance floor later in the evening. After hors d' oeurves are served, a few glasses of champagne have been thrown back and the catering staff has cleared the plates from the main course, you'll need to be sure that you feed every one's sweet tooth with some dessert they'll never forget.

Picking just one dessert that everyone at your party will enjoy can be tricky. While you may love a slice of pecan pie, some guests may hate nuts, or if others have an unquenchable craving for chocolate, still others might prefer a fruity dessert that is more refreshing than sugary.

Give everyone a few options by setting up a buffet table at your reception for this portion of the meal. This is a great way to transition from the sit-down portion of the night into the part where attendees from different tables get up and start to mingle.

You'll of course be serving some wedding cake, but complement it with a series of bite-sized creations so

Rustic dessert buffet by Once Upon a Wedding Cake

that guests can fill their plates with several different mouth-watering treats. This is yet another fun way to get your friends and family involved - not to mention save a few bucks on catering costs - by asking your closest bridesmaids to bring some baked goods or other creations to serve at the table. If your aunt has a famous brownie recipe, for example, or your maid of honor makes a praline worth writing home about, they would probably be more than happy to whip up a batch for you as part of your wedding gift.

Decorate the table with personalized wedding napkins and plates, and let your beautiful wedding cake do the heavy lifting aesthetically by serving as the table's centerpiece. Place your other treats in a circle around the cake or on either side of this centerpiece at the buffet.

Image Credits: Wedding Dessert Buffet, Rustic wedding dessert buffet