Discover Unique Ideas for Candle Centerpieces
Centerpieces with candles make unforgettable focal points on your tables, and create the most flattering, non-electrical lighting, for your parties and celebrations.
Romantic candle arrangements only reach their full mystique at night, and turn even the most ordinary venues into idyllic settings for weddings, or anniversaries.
Candles create atmosphere, a sense of fascination and wonder, and "break the ice" between your guests.
Candlelight centerpieces come in an infinite variety of traditional and modern designs. Choose from the centerpieces below, and make all your occasions special:
General Do's and Dont's for Table Centerpieces:
How to group candles together: combine candles in groups of different heights. Pillar candles of different sizes look particularly dramatic, arranged together. These simple tips make all the difference between monotonous, or interesting pieces.
Avoid scented candles: that rose or melon-scented candle might be wonderful as part of your bathroom, bedroom or living room dècor. Not ideal for your numberous wedding tables, or that birthday or dinner party. Candles compete with other smells (food, drinks and flowers.)
Some of your guests might be allergic to perfumes and fragrances, especially artificial candle aromas. Keep your scent-sensitive guests happy. Decorate with plain, unscented candles.
Exceptions to these Rules:
- Beeswax candles, with their natural honey smell.
- A casual get-together at home, with well-known visitors. You know their scent likes and dislikes, and can choose appropriately scented candles.
- Centrepieces with fruit and candles. You might want candles with fruit smells, to complete your displays. Keep it subtle. Real fruit flavors don't overpower. Avoid synthetic chemical aromas. Use natural fragrances made with essential oils.
- Midges and mosquitoes turn outdoor events into a nightmare, in warmer regions. Citronella candles keep the bugs away, and keep your guests comfortable, during summertime events.
How high should a table centerpiece be? The best height for table centres is above or below eye-level. Your guests want to see and speak to each other without peering over or around objects. Avoid distracting eye-level candle flames.
Use low decorations on the tables. Otherwise, elevate centerpieces onto tall, long-stemmed candle holders, with an arrangement in the cup/bowl, the proper distance, above people's line of vision.
Shelter your candles in a draught: hurricane centerpieces catch drips, prevent smoking, and stop your candles going out, in windy conditions.
Use hard, long burning candles: your centerpiece candles need to burn for the length of the event. Hand dipped tapers burn down fairly quickly, but should at least last the night. Keep extras, just in case.
Keep your taper candles in the fridge overnight - they'll last longer. Dry them well (especially around the wick), just before lighting them.
High-quality pillar candles burn for a long time. Buy a single candle from a batch, long before your event. Burn it down. See what it does. A good pillar candle should give you 30-70 hours burning time. Soft, squishy candles will NOT do at a celebration.
How to stabilize your taper candles: There's a real danger in candles falling over, and starting a fire. Melt the bottoms of tall, thin dinner candles in boiling water, if necessary, and stick the soft ends firmly into their holders. Or wedge tapers firmly into layers of sand, fine stones or pebbles, in their containers, such as wine glasses, or glass jars.
The Best Flowers for Your Centerpieces
Flowers add life and vitality to your special occasions. Different colored blooms evoke unique moods and emotions. A bunch of thoughtfully chosen flowers sends a powerful message of sympathy, congratulations, love or admiration.
1. Roses. Red roses for romance; white roses symbolize purity and anticipated joy - the ideal choice, for a first wedding; choose yellow roses for friendship; orange roses for autumn.
2. Lilies. Favourites for bridal bouquets.
3. Sunflowers and mums. The must-have flowers for fall.
4. Baby's breath. - a sprig here and there adds an undeniable bridal touch, to a bouquet of roses.
What Things to Use as Vase Fillers:
Vases filled with gorgeous ornaments make memorable centerpieces. You can make a tall vase centerpiece with a layer of sand or stones in the bottom, fake flowers or real dried fruit submerged in water or gel, and finish with a candle on top. Besides flowers, you can put sea shells, marbles or glass nuggets into the base of a wide bowl, and float candles in it. Fill glass jars with beads, colorful candy, or other decorative stuff...you can dream up your own unique and varied ways to fill a vase or container. Update your candle lit interiors with changing seasonal looks, or create a one-of-a-kind ambiance for that once-in-a-lifetime event.
Use these easy guidelines for candle table displays, and produce successful centerpieces of your own.