Candle Wedding Favors

From LoveToKnow Weddings

Elegant and romantic, candle wedding favors are a perennial favorite. There are so many different types and designs, you're sure to find a unique candle for your special day.

Types of Candle Wedding Favors

The candle wedding favors you choose will depend on your budget, your wedding theme and style, and your wedding colors. You can purchase them at craft store, department stores, discount stores and outlets, as well as online merchants.

Tea Lights

Many tea light candles are quite inexpensive -- you can purchase a bag or box or tea lights at most department or online stores for a minimal cost. Detailed or theme tea lights, such as those with orchid or starfish design, will be more expensive. There is a wide variety of colors and scents.

Tea light candle holders vary in cost, but you can also find many inexpensive styles at discount and department stores as well. You can also find tea light candles in their own lidded tins.

Votive Candles

Votives are another good option for candle wedding favors. The cost is also very reasonable, especially when buying in bulk. You can choose smooth or textured, highly scented, lightly scented, or unscented. These are typically cylindrical or square.

The life of votives varies -- some may burn up to fifteen hours, and others, considerably less. You may pay more for longer burning and highly scented votives. You can purchase glass votives or votives alone and purchase votive holders separately if you wish. Small votive jar candles are also available.

Ball Candles

For a unique look, ball candles are fun and festive. They come in several sizes. The small size is comparable to a votive, but is slightly more expensive. They are available in smooth, textured, and sculpted styles.

Taper Candles

Taper candles are very elegant and can also be used as candle wedding favors. They are available plain, decorated, scented, or unscented. Plain tapers are also very reasonable in cost.

Gel Candles

Gel candles are a unique candle favor idea. One advantage to these candles is that there are many types of scenes depicted in the gel -- beach scenes, nautical accents, and garden themes are all popular. These make beautiful favors.

Most gel candles are somewhat more expensive than typical wax candles, but you can also find some selections at discount candles suppliers at comparable costs to wax candles. Colored gel candles are also less expensive than those with scenes.

Scents and Colors

White and cream colored candles will work well with any wedding. If you choose to go with scented or colored candle wedding favors, choose those that coordinate with the season, location, and theme of your wedding.

Christmas weddings, for example, would work well with rich evergreen or cranberry colors and pine, bayberry, cookie dough, cider, or gingerbreads scents. Spring weddings are perfect for pastel candles and floral scents.

Fall is perfect for warm, rich oranges, reds, and golds along with apple, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and woodsy scents. For a summer or beach wedding, fresh linen and cotton scents, citrus scents, rich florals, and cherry and berry scents work well with whites, creams, or bright summer colors.

Specialty Candles

There are dozens of unique and specialty candles available today -- and they're not necessarily as pricy as you might think. A mini coffee candle in a mug votive from American Bridal, for example, is similar in price to many gel candles or scented votives.

Some specialty candles to consider are:

Etched or carved candles
Heart shaped candles
Mini wedding cake candles
Wedding gown candles
Flower shaped candles
Rose shaped tapers
Champagne gel candles
Fruit shapes, such as apple or pear
Sculpted wedding bells
Starfish and sand dollars
Boats and lighthouses
Candles designed to resemble chocolates
Candy cane or Christmas ornament candles
Sea shell votives
Sculpted Cinderella slipper
Beeswax scrolls
Monogrammed or personalized candles
Sculpted floating candles

Holders and Wrapping

You can either give your candle wedding favors alone or in a candle holder. If giving the candle alone, a label or strip around the candle with a note of gratitude or special phrase is a nice touch.

You can wrap candles in tulle, organza, cellophane, tissue, or another wrapping of your choice, or box or bag your candles.

If you choose to include a candle holder, you have much to choose from. There are many styles of glass holders, from traditional to unique. Other choices include:

Pewter taper or votive holders
Frosted or colored glass
Mini buckets or pails
Glass or Ceramic holders with decorated toppers
Silver candle holders
Candle lamps
Candle plates with rhinestone or crystal accents
Pedestal votive holders
Mini watering can
Mini champagne or wine glass
Hanging tea light holder
Mini terra cotta pots
Mosaic holders
Dried flower holders

Making Your Own Candle Favors

If you enjoy crafts or are willing to learn a little about candle making, you can cut costs and create one of a kind homemade favors. There are many Internet resources about making candles, including the following from LoveToKnow Crafts: