Things got a little messy at Angel Udelhoven and Jerry Yang’s June 2013 wedding reception, but the guests loved it—and everything else about the ice cream bar the couple set up.
Because the bride and the groom “aren’t huge cake fans,” they fashioned a chest freezer into a serve-yourself sundae bar so guests could help themselves to Kopp’s made-in-Milwaukee frozen custard and ice cream from a shop near the bride’s hometown of Fennimore. And toppings—lots of toppings.
Ice cream sundae bars are a growing trend, says Lauren Schultz, owner of Milwaukee’s Purple Door Ice Cream—so much so that the company began offering ice cream catering for weddings in 2013.
“More and more, desserts are an area where brides are looking at what they can do that’s different,” says Schultz. Purple Door is available to simply serve up ice cream to go with the wedding cake or to organize a full-on sundae bar.
For a sundae bar, Schultz offers a few recommendations: No more than three flavors (four is OK if one is non-dairy) and no more than four dry toppings; too many options will slow down lines as guests ponder their options. Whipped cream and cherries are a must. In addition, she recommends having it catered and staffed: “There’s a lot of finagling with ice cream to get the timing right; you don’t want it too hard or too soft. It can get complicated when guests are trying to serve themselves.”
Finally, make sure your venue and caterer are willing to accommodate your wish. “Some are really into it, and some are not,” says Schultz.